Arizona Republicans Rebuff Gov. Brewer, Will Allow Jobless Benefits To Expire For 15,000 People This Week

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/14/244857/az-gop-benefits-expire/

This welcome move, however, ran into a wall of opposition from Brewer’s own party. After failing to vote to extend benefits on Friday night, the state legislature met again on Monday, but adjourned without extending benefits. Their justification — in addition to repeating the false Republican claim that benefits encourage people not to look for work — was that they wanted extended benefits to be paired with corporate tax cuts:

Remember this when you vote next. Republicans shot this down.

gettheminNOVEMBER wrote:http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/14/244857/az-gop-benefits-expire/

This welcome move, however, ran into a wall of opposition from Brewer’s own party. After failing to vote to extend benefits on Friday night, the state legislature met again on Monday, but adjourned without extending benefits. Their justification — in addition to repeating the false Republican claim that benefits encourage people not to look for work — was that they wanted extended benefits to be paired with corporate tax cuts:

MaryKay wrote:Remember this when you vote next. Republicans shot this down.

Tomorrow I will put some tweets out with an AZ hashtag. Maybe I can fire people up to fight back?

Thank you for your email. Your message is important to me, and I'll take a look at it as soon as I have an opportunity. I appreciate hearing perspectives on what we do here at the capitol from my constituents and people across Arizona. Your input and ideas are very valuable. Although I receive hundreds of messages on varying topics each day, I am committed to reading each one of them myself. I may not be able to respond directly, especially in the midst of the legislative session, but I do want you to know that your message will be reviewed and considered. Thanks again for taking the time to contact me.

David Schapira
Senate Minority Leader
State of Arizona

This is what I got back from my representative. He will look at my email "as soon as he has an opportunity". 15,000 people now have no EB to count on because our legislature failed to extend the EB. This should be a top priority. It's another example of how the unemployed are ignored and treated with a total lack of compassion. I will continue to email and call. I'm hoping somebody will listen.

I've been on the phone all morning and called all of our legislators. I am hoping an emergency session will be called by our governor. If more people would be proactive maybe something would be done.

I see that they are trying to give Rep. Giffords a stroke.

As well as the 15,000 unemployed in AZ.

Rate is still holding at over 9 percent, and they tell Brewer "no" we can't change that one tiny word. Gabby's office is furious as well.

I just spoke with someone in Gabby's office and yes they are upset over all this. She took my name and will tell me who to contact as I live in Phoenix. We have over 9.1% unemployment. I can't believe our legislators and our governor.

I wish I lived in PA...at least the governor of that state is doing the right thing...wish AZ's governor would do the same.

Hey Laine,
Brewer was hanging out down here in So AZ today, she now is worried about the cost of all the fires. As you probably know, she is declaring them as emergency for federal funds. This, should be interesting, not long ago our federal folks felt hard pressed to help the flood victims with funds. With the high winds, these fires are going to continue to cost millions. Unfoturnately, I think that will be the distraction from doing anything more for EB. But, will keep praying and calling as well.

Thanks disgustedwithgovt for the update. I really think the best thing to happen will be a recall of Russell Pearce. He is president of senate in the Legislature and so out of touch. He needs to go. Scandal in his past. They have enough signatures for a recall election. I spent all day emailing and calling and my representative (Republican) sent an email back to me saying he would have voted for the extension and he also said "good luck with the job search". Really uplifting (I'm being sarcastic) I had requested the legislators call an emergency session and restore EB.

laine25 wrote:I wish I lived in PA...at least the governor of that state is doing the right thing...wish AZ's governor would do the same.

Don't give him that much credit. The bill is designed with things that were never there before, i.e. you can't collected until you have spent severance etc. The legislature didn't really give him much choice and since he's tried and lost a few things in the past few months, he's doing this. That way they will back off on the taxing of Marcellus Shale drillers which is his pet project and creating a divide in PA among legislators and voters as well.

I will continue to send emails to the Senate in AZ asking for their consideration for all of our AZ members. The Governor is on board, so I will contact those who oppose. If our AZ members have an specific names, just post and I will send.

In the meantime, prayers and have a happy weekend.

Thank you for caring MaryKay. I really get so angy about all of this. There is an article in the New York Times and I will post it about a man who is 62, lives in Tucson and is going door to door for a job. He was laid off from a nonprofit job and now worries about his health and paying his mortgage. I will get some names for you plus their emails. Governor Brewer isn't doing anything about business incentives so the rest of the legislators are not on board. This is very stressful for me so I work out my stress by writing emails. I will continue to do so.

Here are some names for you MaryKay. Jeff Dial jdial@azleg.gov
John McComish jmccomish@azleg.gov and Bob Robson brobson@azleg.gov. They are all Republicans and sit on our state legislature. I even wrote back to John McComish letting him know I did volunteer work for our Lieutenant Governor, Lorraine Hunt in Las Vegas. I lived there 9 years,. She was very forward thinking and worked hard to bring new business to Las Vegas. Her family owned a business and she really cared. Maybe we need more women elected into office. They seem to get things done.

bump

Last night while listening to the radio, a Republican talk show host, Jay Lawrence slammed the legislators saying what they did by not extending benefits for the 15,000 unemployed Arizonans is "wrong". One woman called into his show and said she can't afford to put on her air-conditioning now and we have had a temperature of 105 for the last few days. Something needs to be done. I can't believe how heartless our legislators are.