Florida GOP Lawmakers Slash Unemployment Payments
Florida has 11.9% unemployment and a statehouse full of wingnuts. What to do? Slash unemployment benefits to a maximum of 20 weeks and cap them at $275 per week.
Florida’s Republican-controlled House passed a bill curbing unemployment benefits as the state announced its jobless rate remained above 11 percent for the 15th consecutive month.
The bill, which passed by 81 to 38 in Tallahassee today, would reduce benefit coverage to 20 weeks from 26 and cap the maximum weekly payment at the current $275. The measure now moves to the Senate, also led by Republicans.
“This bill is punitive to unemployed people at a time when there are no jobs,” Darryl Rouson, a Democrat from St. Petersburg, said during floor debate. “The timing is wrong.”
Silly Democrat. The timing isperfect. When doyouwant to fuck poor people, when things arebetter? [ Bloomberg ]
I was in Tallahassee earlier this week, traipsing around the capital seeing the legislative aides of Florida's distinguished senators and congressional representatives. The unemployment bill is offensive, yes, but it doesn't scratch the surface of the crazy going on there right now. There is a bill in the chute now that forbids healthcare providers from asking patients (or kids' parents) about guns in the household, how they are secured, etc. Asking such questions, or refusing to treat someone who refuses to answer, would carry a possible fine of five million dollars.
Apparently ONE pediatrician in St. Pete or somewhere turned away a patient for refusing to answer questions about guns. So there's that persecution of a CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED CLASS to nip in the bud. But the bigger reason they are making such a stink about this is that the Sunshine State's peabrains believe that with electronic medical records on the way, the government will have a back-door way of tracking down and taking away all of our guns.
Apparently one of the appropriate responsibilities of limited government is to protect (conservative) idiots from whatever they irrationally fear.
“Only four states have less-generous maximum weekly benefits than Florida.” Slackers.
At least it's warm down there. In Minnesota the homeless sometimes freeze to death. We find them after the snow melts. Yeah, it's not funny. sorry.