It might get harder to be unemployed in Florida (GOP slashes unemployment insurance to 12 weeks)

[seafan]

Source: St. Petersburg Times

TALLAHASSEE —

.....

The Republican-led House approved a bill on Thursday that would finance a tax cut for businesses by reducing benefits paid to unemployed Floridians.
The move comes on the heels of a study that shows the state's relatively meager unemployment insurance is already more difficult to collect than almost anywhere in the country.

.....

The bill passed, 81-39, just hours after Florida's unemployment rate was announced at 11.9 percent, close to the state's modern era record of 12 percent set in December and higher than every state but Nevada and California.

The most controversial change in the House proposal (HB 7005) would cut business taxes by at least $18 per worker, or about $747 million over five years.

To pay for the change, state jobless benefits would drop by $1.3 billion during that same time by reducing the amount of time the state would pay unemployment insurance, from 26 weeks to as few as 12 weeks. The maximum weekly unemployment payment of $275 would remain unchanged.

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/article1156507.ece

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Not 26 weeks cut down to 20 weeks, as we heard last month. It's 26 weeks down to 12 weeks. Heartless ba$tard$.


Then they are steering this money away from jobless people and into tax cuts for businesses.


Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, left, and Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, both have plans to revamp unemployment benefits. A House bill passed Thursday would cut benefits pay for business tax cuts.



We are being carpet bombed by the very worst of conservative ideologues all across the country.


See you in Tallahassee.

[bluestateguy]

1. I'm assuming they are creating lots of state jobs for these people too, right?

nt

[nytemare]

3. Yep, by turning down high speed rail money.

The Governor is busy day and night creating jobs.

[savalez]

11. Welcome to FloriCo!

[napi21]

2. When a "beloved" Pub Governor does this kind of stuff to the people who elected him,

I can't help but say "You got what you asked for, now how do you like it?" I know EVERYONE in Fl. didn't elect him, but from everything I heard on the news channels, a whole lot of them DID. He can get away with it in Fl. because of the high population of retired people. It doesn't affect them so why would they care.

[CurtEastPoint]

4. Just look at those 2 smug rich assholes.

Goddamn I just wanna smack'em.

Left: Attorney, Christian Coalition of Florida-Faith and Family Award 2008

Right: In 2010, Haridopolos pleaded guilty/no contest to ethics violation charges. He admitted to not disclosing a $400,000 investment home and did not disclose the names of consulting firms from which he received a combined $100,000.

[Webster Green]

5. Are they adding guard towers to their gated communities?

They will need them before long.

[TxVietVet]

6. Working class Floridians and the poor take in the shorts.

I hate to say it but until one of these dildo teabaggin' governors f*ck up a state good, they are going to show the country just how evil and incompetent they are.

How do they think people can survive in a state that is already "right-to-work-for-less"?

They defund unemployment, they f*ck over schools and teachers, they give huge tax breaks to busines, never caring about creating jobs. I mean, WTF?? Do they figure the rich will move there and hope the poor and destitute leave? I don't get it.

PT Barnum ain't got nothin' on these clowns. :wtf:

[madrchsod]

7. Florida is turning into another mexico

[Honeycombe8]

8. I wonder how many of those unemployed voted Republican? Or voted at all? nt

[Lars39]

9. Neither one of them looks like they've ever done an honest day's work.

[NMDemDist2]

10. max benefit $275 a week!!????!

who the hell can live on that in FLA?

[Hubert Flottz]

12. Okay then, let's repeal the tax cut extension for the rich.