RICHMOND
A coalition of Republican lawmakers and business interests is urging Virginia to reject $130 million in federal stimulus money that would expand unemployment benefits.
The group says strings attached to the windfall ultimately would require Virginia businesses to pay higher taxes and undercut their ability to create jobs.
House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford County, assailed the stimulus program Thursday during a seminar held by the National Conference of State Legislatures in Washington.
"The federal money will only be there for two years, and after that businesses will be holding the bag," he said in a phone interview after his presentation. "That's just bad public policy."
Howell echoed arguments that the Republican governors of Texas, Louisiana and South Carolina have made recently for rejecting the federal windfall for unemployment benefits.
Pushing for acceptance of the stimulus is The Commonwealth Institute, a coalition that includes the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, the Virginia Poverty Law Center, the Virginia Coalition for the Homeless, the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, and Voices for Virginia's Children.
"These federal resources help ensure that states' unemployment systems can meet the new challenges of the shifting economy and that hard-working families are not left behind in the midst of one of the most severe economic downturns the country has experienced," the group said in a written statement.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has not expressed a view on the stimulus plan. He has an opportunity next month to propose legislation that would allow Virginia to accept the money. The General Assembly is to convene April 8 to review his amendments and vetoes of legislation that lawmakers approved over the winter.
"We're studying what we can do in time for the reconvened session," said Gordon Hickey, Kaine's press secretary.
The political stakes could be high. As President Barack Obama's hand-picked chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Kaine is a top supporter of the administration. A Kaine decision not to seek the money in Virginia, or the legislature's rejection of the money against his will, could be embarrassing to the governor and the president.
Virginia is slated to get $4.8 billion in stimulus money over the next two years. The $130 million to boost unemployment benefits is the only portion that faces rejection.
Virginia essentially restricts unemployment pay to residents who have unwillingly lost their jobs. To receive the stimulus money, the state would have to change its laws to accommodate at least two of four circumstances:
- Allow benefits for idled part-time workers who are unwilling to take a full-time job.
- Allow benefits for people who quit jobs to move with their spouses or for other "compelling" family reasons.
- Enhance benefits for unemployed people with dependents.
- Enhance benefits to unemployed people taking job-training classes.
The stimulus would pay for the increased benefits for two years. After that, critics say, Virginia businesses would have to support the expansion through higher unemployment taxes.
"It's tough out there, and raising costs on anyone who might be able to create jobs is not a good idea right now," said Clayton Roberts, president of Virginia Free, a state business lobby.
Virginia Free and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce oppose changing unemployment benefit laws.
Del. Sam Nixon, R-Chesterfield County, said the stimulus money would alter Virginia's benefits program to "an entitlement program." Nixon said it is "very unlikely" the Republican-controlled House would allow the change.
The Commonwealth Institute countered that when the stimulus money runs out, the General Assembly could rescind changes to the unemployment benefit laws.
Nixon, however, said he is unwilling to take that chance.
"We all know that once the legislature passes an entitlement," he said, "the chances of rolling it back are nil."
Warren Fiske, (804) 697-1565, warren.fiske@pilotonline.com
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Democrat pres and congress
Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. That worked out even worse.
The proof of the pudding: Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
Republican congress, democratic president. That worked out well, didn't it?
Has anone noticed the same
Has anone noticed the same posters who pushed an illogical campaign agenda for the current president are the same ones who fai lto see this will not work? Buying your piece of democracy w/ a vote are you?
Gimme, gimme, gimme.
It is not suistainable. Buy a calculator and drop your political rhetoric. This is an action that will hurt us, nothing more.
more of the same
Until one side or the other breaks the pattern of playing the blame game, nothing in Washington will ever change. President Obama says the word "inherit" more often than an inheritance lawyer. I guess his vow to change and be a "different kind of politician" became null and void on January 20th. I wasn't fooled by his campaign rhetoric, but unfortunately millions of gullible saps were. It won't be too much longer until they see what they got. If Pelosi, Reid and Obama continue the way that are, it will practically ensure the Democrats lose Congress in 2012 just like they did in 1996. Peolosi in particular seems not to have learned from recent history, to include the 2006 election that brought her the Speakership in the first place. Suits me. Seems like good things happen when a Democratic president has a Republican Congress to balance things out. Neither side's lunatic fringe can ram anything radical through.
cs- Bushies kept binging up Clinton to dodge Bush failures
I've wasn't a fan of Clinton, I just get tired of some people that try to pass off Bush's incompetence on him.
BTW in a Reaganesque moment Clinton signed the Republican Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act that led to the nations current financial problems, plus the trillion Bush dumped on Iraq it all adds up to catastrophe. My point, Bushies have exhibited little in the way of sound judgment in the past and the attacks on the current administration ring hollow and pathetic.
hypocrites
Whenever anyone on the right even mentioned Clinton during the Bush presidency, people like you screamed at the top of their lungs that Clinton wasn't president. Now that Obama has the White House, Pelosi the House and Reid the Senate, all they can do is talk about what they "inherited." Just because they are in charge doesn't mean the 46% who DIDN'T vote for Obama have no right to a voice in the discussion for solutions to the problems. If we want to play the blame game, there's plenty of it on both sides of the aisle on this one. Besides, all Obama campaigned on was "change", the need to look forward and to work together to fix the economy.
Instead of playing the "it's all Bush's fault" card that will probably be the last thing to pass your lips as you lay dying, how about offering solutions?
cs - do you know what legacy means?
I repeat: As long as Bushies are in denial, people will be compelled to remind you.
memo to george k
Bush isn't president anymore.
That sucking sound is the Bush legacy.
As long as Bushies are in denial, people will be compelled to remind you.
We don't need another entitlement program
I realize that it is tough out there. For those who are unemployed, it is hard to pay the bills without a steady income. My wife is between jobs right now and is doing odd jobs to bring some cash in. She was ineligible due to the fact that I am working and make enough to disqualify us. I don't ask for any help from the government. This whole thing sounds cool to the state and locals right now because the Federal Government is paying the bill, but when is the last time you saw an entitlement program get dropped once it got started. I can't think of any right now. Furthermore, I do agree that many of the employed are the one's who are the lowest producers and have bad work ethics; that is what got them unemployed. I know that is not the case with everyone. However, even in this economy, a good hard worker who produces well for whomever they work for will normally not be out of a job for long. Employers are still looking for good worker, however in these lean times they are getting rid of the one's who are costing more than they produce. This is just another way to start a new welfare state program that will be difficult if not impossible to eliminate once started.
Same old, Same Old
Kudos to the the Speaker of the House for being able to read a fax from Rush "I hope he fails" Limbaugh. Give me a break. When will the Republican party in Virginia start thinking for themselves again and actually come up with a solution? If we do not get this stimulus money it means businesses will have to RAISE taxes by June! The Republicans would know that if they would start thinking about what is right for business and getting their facts straight.
Page 326
For those who question whether or not these terms actually exist in the Stimulus package, they can be found on Page 326 at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h1enr.pdf Under the terms, I could quit my job and go on unemployment for a looooooong time. I'm sure many other people would qualify as well. I'm not that selfish, I don't think Virginia should take the money.
Unlucky Republicans are Unemployed too
What is wrong with some of you? Before you condemn everyone as a “freeloading democratic party bums” try to remember many folks are hard working republicans who simple had to misfortune to lose their jobs. Not everything and everyone can fit under the freeloader democrat label. You might find yourself unemployed and labeled one day id things don’t turn around in the future.
So shoot your party in the foot and give the unemployed one more reason to join the Virginia Democratic Party. And the GOP wonders why they are losing...
And many of you posters need to get a life or maybe just stop whining. You should be ashamed of the things you throw at the tens of thousands of hard working citizens who have done the right thing all of their lives but simply lost their jobs.
Unemployment benefits are
Unemployment benefits are designed for those able and willing to work after receiving the first dollar of benefits. No excuses. Every recipient of unemployment dollars should be required to complete 50 hours of community service per week. Tax paying citizens should not subsidize these people. It is a pity that most recipients feel entitled. Remember many receiving benefits were fired and not simply laid off. Many laid off were the weakest link in the organization. It is a shame some people that are not trying to beat the system get a bum wrap by the freeloading bums.
How can anyone
survive on the paltry sum that unemployment pays out? When I lost my job back in Michigan the monthly unemployment benefit was $450 which would only cover about %55 of my monthly lease. In Georgia it would be $385 and though it would cover more of my monthly lease its still leaves other necessities.
Being a full time employed tax payer I am always tweaked when I find out about someone who can work but refuses to work and lives off of welfare or ssi. I get more angry when I pass by public housing ( hud and section 8 ) and see that many of the residents drive newer and nicer cars than I do and have more money invested in rims and sounds than the average car is worth. Oh but it gets better, look in some of these homes and you'll find plasma tv's and PS3's and wii's ect ect ect and I know this because I used to work as a cable installer.
And a suggestion to the state unemployment department whether they get the stimulus payment or not, institute random drug testing of any unemployment recipient and make the continuation of their benefits contingent upon the passing of the drug testing, I'm already tired of paying for drug addicts on welfare the last thing I want to do is pa
Please Stop Complaining
Stop complaining - no one has worked hard enough to support all those who don't. Get on board and back the law makers who pass unread bills. Tax the small business owner to death so that he or she will be forced to place more people to the rank of unemployed. - BE A GOOD COMRADE
Mr. Bill
I would never blast you or anyone in your shoes. I don't think the outrage is (generally) directed at people who work hard and play by the rules but fall on temporarily hard times. The ire comes out at people who game the system and become life-long leeches on it. Government aid should be a temporary safety net, not a lifesyle. Good luck to you.
Why is it?
Why is it that when "W" was in office spending like crazy
Why is it liberals have such a hard time not using logically fallacies? See the subject...Bush isn't it...trying to avoid the subject with a personal attack is irrational.
Been There....
For all those who will blast me, I've been unemployed; I was laid off from my job of 5 1/2 years on July 1, 1994. I was allowed to enter a special program, which doesn't exist as such now, that allowed me to earn my Masters while getting 6 months of unemployment; I used my entire life savings to live on for the two years (only 6 months unemployment!) that it took, as I was NOT ALLOWED to have a job while in that program.
I'm working on a PhD now, and have been gainfully employed ever since the Monday after I graduated (and at a good salary). I SUPPORT that kind of program, but it was hard. I realize that times are tough now; they were tough in 1994-1995, too. So accept the money, put a sunset provision on it, and give training to folks who are going to USE THAT TRAINING.
it's a matter of right and wrong
The money will do no one any good and only increase the state's fiscal problems. ENOUGH! of the "feel-good" approaches. Let's do what's right and what's best for a fee Virginia.
Looking forward......vote out the raunchy Democrats from the Congress and the state liegislature.