37,000 are still being held hostage by NC Lawmakers

As of today, 37,000+ North Carolinians who were cut off from their unemployment benefits three weeks ago, because the GOP-led legislature tied extension of their benefits to their disastrous budget, are still being held hostage by Senator Phil Berger and the Republican majority.

The Republican majority agreed to extend jobless benefits ONLY if Gov. Bev Perdue would agree to their budget proposal, which isn’t even finished yet.

Most of the unemployed rely on those benefits to put food on the table. The average payout is $300 per week, and without it, people have nowhere to turn. Few have managed to put away enough savings to see them through until the economy turns around for those who have to work for a living.

There’s no excuse for this behavior.  The budget should be debated on its own, not tied to the economic survival of tens of thousands of families who are victims of the economic ruin Wall Street perpetuated upon the country.

Other states have passed the technical language needed to continue benefits for up to 99 weeks, but not North Carolina. Our legislature takes the cynical approach, hoping people will blame the governor for vetoing the extension to unemployment.

The 37,000+ will remember this come Election Day 2012, and they will blame ALL of the Raleigh lawmakers who held 37,000 people hostage while playing political games with their families.

Posted in: Bev Perdue,Editorial,NC,NCGA,News,Politics,unemployed