Mich. governor signs cut in unemployment benefits

[The Northerner]

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Rick Snyder on Monday made Michigan the first state in the country to lower the number of weeks jobless workers can get state benefits, a trend other cash-strapped states may follow as a way to avoid taxing businesses more for unemployment benefits.

Snyder said he signed the bill reducing state benefits from 26 to 20 weeks because it will allow people out of a job now to get up to 20 more weeks of help from a federal program for those who used up their state and most of their regular federal unemployment benefits. The change will allow them to extend unemployment benefits to 99 weeks.

Those last 20 weeks of federal benefits would have expired for 35,000 Michigan residents in early April and for 150,000 residents by the end of 2011 if Snyder hadn't signed the bill by Friday.

"Cutting them off so abruptly would have jeopardized the well-being of those who are trying hard to find work," Snyder said in a release after signing the bill in private.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hteMzBFg3EJXzAK_87AJomYInMnQ?docId=ce0213ac21e145bb9ac954b8c90c5716

[onethatcares]

1. does he have any idea where 35,000 jobs could be had?

or does he have a clue at all?

[Drale]

2. Its almost like they don't want to be reelected

No one can be this fucking stupid, I'm kind of getting afraid about what horrible things they are planning.

[n2doc]

5. You miss the point

They are counting on the fact that these 35,000 will go away/be homeless and otherwise won't vote. All they care about is getting enough votes from deluded t-baggers watching propaganda TV and listening to Rush. And they are likely going to be correct.

[Hannah Bell]

3. kr.

[HereSince1628]

4. Great ethics...when times are bad abandon those in trouble.

I am not sure this can be addressed by 'the system'.

The system seems to have gone amuck in a manner not completely unlike that of George the 3rd.

[jdlh8894]

6. Good God! Does anybody read!!

Snyder said he signed the bill reducing state benefits from 26 to 20 weeks because it will allow people out of a job now to get up to 20 more weeks of help from a federal program for those who used up their state and most of their regular federal unemployment benefits. The change will allow them to extend unemployment benefits to 99 weeks.

Those last 20 weeks of federal benefits would have expired for 35,000 Michigan residents in early April and for 150,000 residents by the end of 2011 if Snyder hadn't signed the bill by Friday.

[sarcasmo]

7. One term governor.

[butterfly77]

8. ...