NC Becomes 1st State to Drop Federal Jobless Funds

[hue]

Source: abc NEWS

With changes to its unemployment law taking effect this weekend, North Carolina not only is cutting benefits for those who file new claims, it will become the first state disqualified from a federal compensation program for the long-term jobless.

State officials adopted the package of benefit cuts and increased taxes for businesses in February, a plan designed to accelerate repayment of a $2.5 billion federal debt. Like many states, North Carolina had racked up the debt by borrowing from Washington after its unemployment fund was drained by jobless benefits during the Great Recession.

The changes go into effect Sunday for North Carolina, which has the country's fifth-worst jobless rate. The cuts on those who make unemployment claims on or after that day will disqualify the state from receiving federally funded Emergency Unemployment Compensation. That money kicks in after the state's period of unemployment compensation — now shortened from up to six months to no more than five — runs out. The EUC program is available to long-term jobless in all states. But keeping the money flowing includes a requirement that states can't cut average weekly benefits.

Because North Carolina leaders cut average weekly benefits for new claims, about 170,000 workers whose state benefits expire this year will lose more than $700 million in EUC payments, the U.S. Labor Department said.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/nc-1st-state-drop-federal-jobless-funds-19516993#.Uc2PH9iKJw8

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The ALEC template is becoming actualized in North Carolina...

[DainBramaged]

1. More pain for the poor, forcing them to accept low wage jobs to survive

[last1standing]

2. This is a win/win for republicans

They get to show that they're getting tough on lazy people and they'll be able to crow about how well these changes worked when the unemployment rate drops in a few months. Of course that rate will only drop because unemployed people without benefits are not counted but you can be sure that will never be mentioned.

Oh, and the 1% gets to watch as poor people suffer - always an added bonus.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

8. And each month, the economy will lose $80M pumped into it...

thanks to eliminated unemployment benefits. And as stated below, crime rates will soar.

THAT will be wrapped around Republicans' necks, but with gerrymandering and undemocratic voting restrictions, it might not be enough for Rs to lose power in 2014 and 2016.

[n2doc]

3. Watch the crime rate soar n/t

[sorefeet]

4. Trapped, can't leave the state

to find work. They know that people will be willing to for 5 bucks an hour just to survive. And one of these legislators wants to eliminate minimum wage. This is a right wing plan for slavery of the poor and the rich will love it.

[atreides1]

5. NC going back in time

Look at the bright side....those asshat clowns that voted Republican will also be suffering. And when the next election rolls around, less people will be able to vote because of the voter ID(poll tax).

[hoosierlib]

6. That should help lower the poverty rate (sarcasm)...

[L0oniX]

7. Now all they have to do is make being homeless illegal.

[HardTimes99]

10. They're leap-frogging that particular hurdle to work on making

being alive illegal (for the poor, that is).

[primavera]

23. Not quite - they also have to reintroduce debtor prisons

Then they will achieve fruition of their plan: make everyone poor and indebted, then ship them off to labor camps where they can provide slave labor for corporations.

[dmosh42]

9. We don't need all that federal socialist money! Let's close those fed military bases too!

[Ford_Prefect]

11. The basis of this plan is one that seen in other countries has rightly been called genocide.

The point is to starve people to death, financially, politically, medically, educationally, and literally. The GOP do not want a servile underclass, they want their political and cultural opposition to die off. It is the only conclusion which can be drawn from their legislation, remarks and behavior.

As far as I can see it the only thing missing is the uniforms and the jack-boots. They are effectively turning North Carolina into a concentration camp for anyone not connected to Art Pope. For those of us who are disabled, unemployed, underemployed, children, elderly, women, or merely trying to hang on to our homes and families the Governor and Legislature have vindictively and viciously cut off hope. The degree, scale and kinds of social and personal damage about to occur in North Carolina have not been seen since the great depression.


I think Mr. Obama and Mr. Holder had better find a way to act on behalf of those who voted to put them and keep them in office. If they cannot they bring shame to the offices they hold. It is after all the job they swore to do.

[sikofit3]

15. Amen

[zazen]

19. I agree--it's ethnic cleansing

One can draw no other conclusion.

And knowing how many right-wing whites from traditional southern areas feel about low SES blacks (not the "good" middle class ones who make them feel like good white people), I believe on some level they really do see them as vermin who should just go ahead and die already. I don't say that lightly, but this is tapping into some deep, old racism.

It's going to start getting a lot uglier here, esp as the state GOP increases its attempts to change pre-empt city and county level govt of those evil liberal urban centers. They just passed special legislation to overturn a Durham Council vote so that a DEVELOPER can develop the property he wanted in Durham County (which was causing concern because of environmental issues). They're trying to redistrict Wake County Schools and take over things in Asheville and Charlotte.

[Politicub]

12. This is driven by nothing than a will to be cruel

to people who are without a job.

It's the GOP way. Kick 'em while they're down.

I hope my home state can be turned back around.

[AndyA]

13. Why don't the Republicans just start shooting poor people in the back?

It would be quicker, and they'd never know it was coming. The GOP obviously doesn't think of them as human, don't care if they suffer, and consider them to be a major drag...so why not just put them out of their misery?

We all know they'd love to have the chance to do that. I'm sure their best buds at the NRA would be willing to make sure everyone interested in taking care of this deed has all the guns and ammo they need.

I hope there's a special place in hell for the people who are so dead set on harming this country's poorest and sickest people.

[hue]

14. Ansr: I really think Repukes enjoy/relish seeing others suffer. A bullet would be too quick...

[blkmusclmachine]

16. "Change" you can believe in

[mnhtnbb]

17. Moral Mondays are growing. The resistance in NC is mounting.

Mark my words: McCrory will be a one term governor.

Me? I am committed to working to elect Dems across the state in 2014.
If I have to drive 100 miles to hand out flyers about the damage these
Repubs have done...I will do it.

[Alan M]

18. Classic

It is the old cutting off their nose to spite their face.

[zazen]

20. bumper sticker idea: "Wilmington's GOP: Party Like It's 1898!"

Only NC progressives will get this, but honestly, there are some parallels with the 1898 Wilmington lynchings here. (My ancestors were some of the lead perpetrators.)

Take away their right to vote. Take away their means of livelihood. Take away their free speech. Drive them out of town (we hope without violence, at least.)

[alp227]

21. Mike Malloy on McCrory's unemployment insurance cuts

Malloy cited a Washington Post article.

[Zorra]

22. Figuratively speaking, they are constructing the guillotines that will eventually be used on them nt

[Brigid]

24. Or more accurately,

They are actively creating the same kind of conditions that led to the construction of the guillotines.