Q&A: Why is Florida's unemployment such a disaster? Because it was meant to be.

[steve2470]

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/scott-maxwell-commentary/os-op-florida-unemployment-desantis-rick-scott-maxwell-20200505-lopbfm4mzreqfi4wngh2sxareu-story.html#rt=chartbeat-flt

How bad is this system?

Think of the Hindenburg ... crashing into the Titanic. In mid-April (a full month into this crisis), Florida had processed only 4% of the claims submitted. If we were grading this, that’d be an F-minus-minus.

But some people say no system could ever handle a giant spike like the coronavirus crisis prompted.

Those people are full of it.

What do you mean?

Sure, there was a giant spike. But other states handled it — better, at least. Early on, smaller states were processing more claims in a week than Florida did in a month. And Nevada has distributed more federal benefits than Florida, even though Nevada is one-seventh our size, the Tampa Bay Times reported this week.

Much more at link

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Oh, the joys of living in a Republican run state.

And I bet a lot of those unprocessed claims are from people who voted for the system they now have.

[dameatball]

2. Exactly. According to local news tonight, FL is the ONLY state currently with a surplus in their

unemployment fund. I saw it in passing so I don't want to give exact figures, but maybe somewhere near $18 million. Meanwhile New York is in the red, in billions because people are getting help.
Thanks to Rick Scott and whatever cronies built this boondoggle.

[Under The Radar]

3. Failure by design- Florida reduced the unemployment tax on employers

....so if they were to pay the actual unemployment eligibility, then they would bankrupt. This leaves those laid off from work struggling to survive.
If this doesn’t open the eyes of republican voters there then it cannot be done.

[mr_lebowski]

4. I'll spare you the suspense ... it cannot be done (nt)

[J_William_Ryan]

5. The Reprehensible Right

Florida Republicans began the process some 20 years ago – the goal was to make applying for unemployment (‘re-employment,’ in accordance with the Orwellian right) as difficult as possible, where applicants would simply give up pursuing their claim.

This is yet another example of Republicans incapable of sound, responsible governance, and that Republicans have no business holding elected office.