Why Conservatives Punish Their Victims: A Lesson From Arizona

Kicking 'em while they're down

Arizona's conservatives have committed an extraordinarily mean and petty act, even by the low standards of today's Right. They've refused to change one word in a state law - a change that would have let at least 15,000 people keep receiving unemployment benefits. And they've done it even though it wouldn't have cost their state a penny.

Even Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, the guiding force behind last year's draconian anti-immigrant law (and at times so cartoonishly mean that she could be a Simpsons character herself), tried to get them to change their minds. Their response was, in effect, "You didn't ask us nicely enough." As Business Week reports, they were really holding this money hostage to push their usual corporate and rich-person menu of tax cuts and deregulation.

DesperateInRI wrote:

Kicking 'em while they're down

Arizona's conservatives have committed an extraordinarily mean and petty act, even by the low standards of today's Right. They've refused to change one word in a state law - a change that would have let at least 15,000 people keep receiving unemployment benefits. And they've done it even though it wouldn't have cost their state a penny.

Even Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, the guiding force behind last year's draconian anti-immigrant law (and at times so cartoonishly mean that she could be a Simpsons character herself), tried to get them to change their minds. Their response was, in effect, "You didn't ask us nicely enough." As Business Week reports, they were really holding this money hostage to push their usual corporate and rich-person menu of tax cuts and deregulation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/why-do-conservatives-puni_b_880972.html

laine25 wrote:

DesperateInRI wrote:

Kicking 'em while they're down

Arizona's conservatives have committed an extraordinarily mean and petty act, even by the low standards of today's Right. They've refused to change one word in a state law - a change that would have let at least 15,000 people keep receiving unemployment benefits. And they've done it even though it wouldn't have cost their state a penny.

Even Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, the guiding force behind last year's draconian anti-immigrant law (and at times so cartoonishly mean that she could be a Simpsons character herself), tried to get them to change their minds. Their response was, in effect, "You didn't ask us nicely enough." As Business Week reports, they were really holding this money hostage to push their usual corporate and rich-person menu of tax cuts and deregulation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/why-do-conservatives-puni_b_880972.html

As an AZ resident all of the above it true. Now 15,000 unemployed have to suffer. It may not seem like much to people who don't live here but for a woman to call into a local radio station and say she now won't be able to have air-conditioning as she can't affort to pay for it...well this is tragic. Our temps are ranging from 111 to 115 daily. As mentioned in previous posts, I'm writing, emailing, calling, faxing everyone. The only response I got from my respresentative for my district was " I would have voted for EB extension and "good luck with the job search". I can't believe these people.