$3.1B Set Aside For Unemployed Is Unclaimed Because States Haven't Expanded Jobless Benefits

USA Today:

More than $3.1 billion in stimulus money for state unemployment insurance programs is sitting in a federal trust fund because 23 states haven't expanded their jobless benefits, Labor Department records show.

Read the whole story: USA Today

Comments

[WorkingClass]

08:33 AM on 08/31/2009

The money is meant to stimulate the economy. Apparently some in congress could not resist stimulating state legislatures to liberalize their unemployment compensation policies. The money should be offered without strings.

[thislittlepeggy]

08:48 AM on 08/31/2009

No it should not. You are wrong. This is money that is ultimately coming from all the tax payers, there needs to be guidelines. The GOP tend to enjoy cutting their nose to spite their face. Ignoring the need of their populous, sticking to their ideology...dogma.
Strings,,, it's a good thing.

[bola47]

08:11 AM on 08/31/2009

all of the unemployed in the republican led states can thank their heartless leaders for continued suffering.

[tttony]

08:50 AM on 08/31/2009

We already do. At least in Georgia Governor Perdue prayed for rain during the drought. I'm not kidding. He led a prayer on the steps of the Capitol Building in downtown Atlanta to beg God for rain. It is a sickening embarrassment that these fools are allowed to propagate religion of any kind in office. Forgetting to expand unemployment programs with federally allocated dollars is another example of how out of touch Christians are.

US needs NHS now!

[ReMarker]

08:01 AM on 08/31/2009

The GOP is causing enormous unecessary pain to us, their fellow Americans, by being political instead of supporting helpful programs Americans need. It's to bad they may not face punishment for their sins against their brothers and sisters until they meet their maker.

[MadHeart]

08:07 AM on 08/31/2009

Or until their citizens understand how Rethugs are totally screwing them. Maybe when starvation sets in for many. Or maybe they just won't care.

[thislittlepeggy]

08:36 AM on 08/31/2009

I here ya. I really hate to come off as "preachy" but...well the "meet their maker" part...a little freaky.
That is the right's language... you are clearly a progressive..

[AverageJill]

07:07 AM on 08/31/2009

So, where is the full list of states that are not currently accepting the money?

[MadHeart]

08:05 AM on 08/31/2009

The DOL is in Excel format, which I don't have. But it's complicated by the fact that some states must pass legislation to even receive the funds, and have until 2011 to do so. Some states are already moving to do this, although from what I understand, the change will be permanent until legislation is passed to repeal it. These funds cannot be used for other state debt, and some Rethug-led states are refusing to accept the Fed's terms.

[MadHeart]

08:08 AM on 08/31/2009

BTW, NELP (google it) is a good site to get some explanations.

[WhatDaBleep]

05:48 AM on 08/31/2009

Give it to ME - I'll take it!

[Grada3784]

05:25 AM on 08/31/2009

From Perry's comment, it sounds like the usual special rights for the repugnants. Again.

[MadHeart]

04:48 AM on 08/31/2009

I didn't see NC mentioned, but we provide extended benefits. My next door neighbor worked for Freightliner (a union shop) and he is completing a two yr degree in electronics and collecting benefits. He and others have been out of work for 2 yrs now, while Freightliner adds more jobs to their Mexican operations, a little known fact NPR reported, but the MSM didn't. Seems that Freightliner, a month ago, recalled a "few dozen" employees back to one of 3 plants they have in this area, while adding hundred of jobs to their plants in Mexico where they expect to turn out 75 trucks per day while only 6 or 7 a day here. Freightliner would rather pay workers $1.60/hr in Mexico than the $16/hr my neighbor was making, even though the price of the truck won't change downward.

What if there was a General Strike in this country? A march of solidarity with the unemployed? Are people too busy fighting each other for a paucity of jobs everywhere? Private charity only goes so far and stops at some point and now is the time to fight and stop the suffering of millions. March on state capitols, appeal to legislators and use your vote to turn them out if they don't do the people's will. Has the US become a nation of sheep? I hope not; I do know we need much better leadership in many cases--and more community organizers.

[thislittlepeggy]

08:24 AM on 08/31/2009

You know... after the last two elections... I guess I can only speak or write for myself... Well your comment above is true, I need to continue the push towards the progressive or human cause.
I need to dust myself off and get out there.

[treetracker]

12:05 PM on 08/31/2009

Interesting comment the other night by Bill Moyer. Control is maintained by keeping the public frightened and demoralized. This is what the GOP did for 7 years and they are continuing to do the same with health care reform. And the corporations have done the same for years.

Until the citizens here do what France does - march in the streets to get a fair deal (where the corporations are afraid of the workers) - this is how it will be.

Remember the struggle of the unions? That's when things began to change in this country for the better. This is what it will take to wrest control of our government from the corporations who are pulling their strings. Same thing happened with MLK, Jr. took to the streets in the march to D.C.

We need a leader and we need him/her soon.

[Dominic Son]

03:20 AM on 08/31/2009

This will help cure lots of heart attacks. Heard of the Resume Race Theory?

[CarmanK]

03:14 AM on 08/31/2009

Stargazer13, in what state are you living?? I am forced"retiree" and my daughter had to come home to live with us after she lost her job several months ago. I don't know what we would do without her "unemployment checks" since she has not been able to get a job. So, I pity the people in those repug states and thank God, or in this case the democrats and my Governor O'Malley for putting people first and meeting those federal unemployment requirements.

[cloudminder]

02:55 AM on 08/31/2009

if California has exhausted its fair share and other states don't want their's

than Schwarzenegger should make an appeal for California getting the money

we would use it and it would trickle down to a lot of business

[BowlingForRevenge]

01:29 AM on 08/31/2009

Do the Democrats (other than myself) not get it?
The Republican run states will not tap into the money...it might make this debacle that was 7 YEARS in the making on THEIR watch...that they have so nicely pinned on our sitting President of 7months...go away faster and make Pres. Obama and HIS watch look good.
Their agenda will not allow them to help the citizens of the United States of America.
They want 2010 and 2012 at ANY cost and slowing the recovery down is a cheap fix for them.
Party above ALL....is the Republican way.

[stargazer13]

01:26 AM on 08/31/2009

I could really use some of that money since we don,t get unemployment and have been laid off since Feb

no work in sight

[DirkInAchterveld]

04:38 AM on 08/31/2009

so what are you living on?