NC Extended Unemployment (Star: infant, toilet, house)

[Holwager]

I just received this from Rep. Bert Jones. This is his second response to a back and forth this morning. He won't answer me as to what he's talking about specificially regarding Perdue's alternative that would only allow for a few weeks. Does anyone know what he's talking about? :

The governor is to blame period. The alternative she would suggest
> would allow for a few weeks, and then potentially add thousands of state
> employees needlessly to the mix. Her alternative would be a huge cost
> to the state in jobs and money.
>
>
>
> Please understand we get hundreds of emails. We usually can answer only
> our immediate district constituents, rather than blanket emails. This
> was an exception because we would like to see the issue resolved, but
> time does not allow further conversation. Perhaps you might understand
> that the legislature offered the best solution to continue everyone's
> benefits beyond June 30, and also looked after the interests of hundreds
> of thousands of state employees and the taxpayers that pay their
> salaries.
>
>
>
> Best regards - we will not be able to send further messages,
> respectfully.

[stangman2002]

I sent the info to the Charlotte Observer....I just hope they will help get this into the mainstream news! Heres the post below:

While all this bickering and posturing is going on in Raleigh....the first suicide has happened.
https://www.city-data.com/forum...
I believe it's the 6th or 7th post. Very sad, this $$$ has already been allocated for the people who need it! What is wrong with these so-called leaders? The time is NOW for mainstream coverage, for people that are falling off the cliff!

Read more: Legislature's disdain of jobless is appalling | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/05/06/2275234/legislatures-disdain-of-jobless.html#ixzz1LZn398yc - broken link)

[laidoffafter50]

37,000 are still being held hostage by NC Lawmakers ~ NC Pundit

[stangman2002]

I also just sent the story to WRAL's Laura Leslie. I believe that she's the one that covers the State issues.
I hope she will read the link to this forum and possibly some of our stories, we need some people on our sides. I haven't seen any replies from the mails I sent out yesterday, to our so-called representatives.

Have a good day everyone. Try to rest this weekend, mentally. Happy job hunting to all.

[dlphnmwmn8]

Of the 37,000 impacted, several are also tornado victims. A double slap in the face. Others are rolling off Tier 4 on Federal and are now behind the 37,000. A friend had to move out of his house, rent it and move in with relatives as of the 16th he has no income. Another's electricity will be cut off tomorrow. One cannot fill medicine as her family has to eat. Another cannot afford gas for his car and is facing eviction. The stress this is causing individuals and families with children of all ages is indescribable. All the while our elected officials know each day that they will have 3 meals, water for a hot bath, electricity to run the AC, gas for their vehicles and that their mortgage payment will be on time. Many of us are in our late 50s and early 60s and have worked all of our lives. This is the first time we have been unemployed. HB 676 was filed April 5, 2011, first reading passed on April 7, 2011. There was and is absolutely no reason to attach the extension of benefits to any pending legislation. Now this morning we read: “Senate Leader Phil Berger told reporters today his caucus doesn’t plan to try again to extend benefits for 37,000 jobless north Carolinians.“Our position all along has been, we passed the bill that extended the benefits. It’s really up to the House to override the governor’s veto”* Senator Apodaca, can you please tell us exactly what you meant in your interview with the Asheville Citizens Times? And Senator Tillis what did you mean by the following response to Jeff from a web chat (CharlotteObserver.com) on 4-29-11: Jeff: “When will Speaker Tillis allow a vote on HB 676, the bill that will extend unemployment benefits to 37,000 North Carolinians who lost them two weeks ago on April 16th?” Senator Tillis response: Whether HB 676 or another bill, I am hopeful we will work something out this week. We need to extend the benefits AND we need to avoid the future risk of temporary job losses if we reach an impass on budget negotiations.” We need help and do not need to be used as leverage in a battle between the elected officials who in actuality work for us. So I respectfully request of our elected officials, in this one instance please join together, set “politics” aside and pass HB 676.

[Holwager]

I just got an update from Sen. Graham's LA stating that the latest is Nesbitt's attempt to get the discharge petition signed. Not a single Republican has signed it so that option looks dead. We need to keep writing and calling before this effort fizzles out completely and we're forgotten.

I really think we need to make a media rally. The media has pretty much dropped the ball on this issue. We need to get this back in news.

[ebnow]

Originally Posted by Holwager

I just got an update from Sen. Graham's LA stating that the latest is Nesbitt's attempt to get the discharge petition signed. Not a single Republican has signed it so that option looks dead. We need to keep writing and calling before this effort fizzles out completely and we're forgotten.

I really think we need to make a media rally. The media has pretty much dropped the ball on this issue. We need to get this back in news.

I believe one way to make headlines again is to get the ESC to publish the updated number of people affected.

UPDATED: I just called the ESC at 800-737-0259 #2 and spoke to a representative that stated the last update they had regarding extended benefit numbers was an email on or about 4/16 that quoted the official figure being 38,000+. Hopefully they will publish another update soon.

FYI

[ebnow]

I took this a bit further and called Larry Parker which is the press/chief bean counter at the ESC (919-733-4329) and he stated that the official number they are sticking with at the moment is "37,000" because they "have no way of telling if people have cycled off of EB or counting new people eligible for EB".

I was hoping for better news but that's from the horses mouth.

[HistoryProf2011]

[quote=NCEB;19032437]Just got this from Rep. Don East

I just spoke with Don and he ensured me that benefits will pass,
hopefully next week.

Steven

Senator Don W. East
Alleghany, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin Counties
Legislative Office Building - Room 521
919-733-5743"

What does Rep. Don East know that the rest of us don't know? I am sifting through some of our more recent posts, and I found this message. I have received similar messages of encouragement from three reps. Is this just smoke?! Or, would they even bother to blow smoke if it was a dead issue? I am not sure who to believe, but I can assure you all of one thing: These Reps are surely tired of receiving emails, phone calls, etc.

Please keep emailing, and calling....this issue is not going to fizzle out. We are in desperate times, and their is no room for this kind of injustice in our government. These are the people who have been put in PLACE TO REPRESENT OUR NEEDS.

How do I contact the media?! Who do I go through? I would like to write a letter.

[dazeja]

Originally Posted by ebnow

I took this a bit further and called Larry Parker which is the press/chief bean counter at the ESC (919-733-4329) and he stated that the official number they are sticking with at the moment is "37,000" because they "have no way of telling if people have cycled off of EB or counting new people eligible for EB".

I was hoping for better news but that's from the horses mouth.

That's the same reason i got for people not getting retroactive payments if you weren't eb before April 16th.

They can't actually count those people (including me) because they aren't for sure that we would qualify until we apply and as of now we can't apply. I gaurantee that number is very high. Maybe even 2 to 3 thousand more.