USA Today Story Highlights Republican Policy Cutting Off Unemployment Benefits In North Carolina

This is Not Republican Policy, It is Not Conservative Policy –It is Just Mean Policy

When Republicans took complete control of the North Carolina government they had a chance to show people what they really were and what they stood for.  And that is exactly what they are doing.  Here is what USA Today is reporting.

Unemployment snafus in states across the country aren't new or unusual. But North Carolina is unique because it's the only state to cut off access to the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC), a program that gives unemployed citizens money after they use up their state benefits.

How bad is it?  Here are the details of what North Carolina Republicans have done.

Until recently, the standard limit for state unemployment benefits was 26 weeks. But five states have lowered that number to either 19 or 20, and Georgia has reduced it to 18. Arkansas and Illinois have lowered their limits to 25.

With the new state law, North Carolina's benefits end after 20 weeks.

What makes North Carolina's situation different, though, is the fact that the state government also reduced the maximum amount of money that unemployed people can get each week from $535 to $350. It's this change that cuts off North Carolina from the federal unemployment funds: states that change the average weekly benefit can't get this money.

About 70,000 North Carolinians have already felt the impact of the change, effective July 1, and an estimated 100,000 more are expected to face cuts in the next few months.

Why are the ultra conservative Republicans who run the state in an uncontested manner doing this.  Because they can, what other reason do they need?

In North Carolina the voters can be excused for not knowing what they were doing when they voted in all the Republicans.  Now they know.  If they retain that party in power after the next set of elections they are getting what they deserve.  But the unemployed are getting what they don’t deserve.