33 states out of money to fund jobless benefits

[Chris]

http://money.cnn.com/2010/04/08/news/economy/state_funds_jobless_benefits/index.htm

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With unemployment still at a severe high, a majority of states have drained their jobless benefit funds, forcing them to borrow billions from the federal government to help out-of-work Americans.

A total of 33 states and the Virgin Islands have depleted their funds and borrowed more than $38.7 billion to provide a safety net, according to a report released Thursday by the National Employment Law Project. Four others are at the brink of insolvency.

Debt-challenged California has borrowed the most, totaling more than $8.4 billion, followed by Michigan and New York, which have loans worth more than $3 billion. Nine other states have borrowed at least $1 billion from the federal government.

"The nation's financing system for jobless benefits is under unprecedented stress," said Andrew Stettner, deputy director of the New York-based advocacy group for the unemployed. "While the recession has certainly made things worse, this funding crisis has been developing for years."

Wait, didn't the feds just borrow a bunch of money to pay for this kind of eventuality?  What?  They spent it on something else?  Well I'll be damned.

[The Village Idiot]

This is why they are talking about the VAT. It's evil and indsidious

[Ralph Wiggum]

This is why they are talking about the VAT. It's evil and indsidious

It wouldn't be so bad if the income tax was abolished.  Fat chance of that, though.

[The Village Idiot]

It wouldn't be so bad if the income tax was abolished.  Fat chance of that, though.

Nope, they'll get you on both sides.

[jinxmchue]

So let's see...

California     $8.40 billion - BLUE
Michigan    $3.78 billion - BLUE
New York    $3.00 billion - BLUE
Pennsylvania    $2.81 billion - BLUE
Ohio    $2.23 billion - BLUE
North Carolina    $2.14 billion - BLUE
Illinois    $2.06 billion - BLUE
Texas    $2.03 billion - RED
Indiana    $1.81 billion - BLUE
New Jersey    $1.55 billion - BLUE
Florida    $1.50 billion - BLUE
Wisconsin    $1.34 billion - BLUE
South Carolina    $851 million - RED
Kentucky    $760 million - RED
Missouri    $687 million - RED
Minnesota    $638 million - BLUE
Connecticut    $422 million - BLUE
Georgia    $337 million - RED
Nevada    $331 million - BLUE
Arkansas    $318 million - RED
Virginia    $317 million - BLUE
Massachusetts    $279 million - BLUE
Alabama    $268 million - RED
Rhode Island    $204 million - BLUE
Colorado    $186 million - BLUE
Idaho    $181 million - RED
Maryland    $104 million - BLUE
Kansas    $65 million - RED
New Hampshire    $23 million - BLUE
South Dakota    $23 million - RED
Vermont    $23 million - BLUE
Arizona    $22 million - RED
Virgin Islands    $13 million - ???
Delaware -     $1 million - BLUE

Or...

1. California     $8.40 billion - BLUE
2. Michigan    $3.78 billion - BLUE
3. New York    $3.00 billion - BLUE
4. Pennsylvania    $2.81 billion - BLUE
5. Ohio    $2.23 billion - BLUE
6. North Carolina    $2.14 billion - BLUE
7. Illinois    $2.06 billion - BLUE
8. Indiana    $1.81 billion - BLUE
9. New Jersey    $1.55 billion - BLUE
10. Florida    $1.50 billion - BLUE
11. Wisconsin    $1.34 billion - BLUE
12. Minnesota    $638 million - BLUE
13. Connecticut    $422 million - BLUE
14. Nevada    $331 million - BLUE
15. Virginia    $317 million - BLUE
16. Massachusetts    $279 million - BLUE
17. Rhode Island    $204 million - BLUE
18. Colorado    $186 million - BLUE
19. Maryland    $104 million - BLUE
20. New Hampshire    $23 million - BLUE
21. Vermont    $23 million - BLUE
22. Delaware -     $1 million - BLUE

vs.

1. Texas    $2.03 billion - RED
2. South Carolina    $851 million - RED
3. Kentucky    $760 million - RED
4. Missouri    $687 million - RED
5. Georgia    $337 million - RED
6. Arkansas    $318 million - RED
7. Alabama    $268 million - RED
8. Idaho    $181 million - RED
9. Kansas    $65 million - RED
10. South Dakota    $23 million - RED
11. Arizona    $22 million - RED

Twice as many blue states as red states.  What a shocker!    I'm sure the monetary difference is even more dramatic.  Maybe 3:1 or 4:1.  I don't feel like doing the number crunching right now.

EDIT: Okay, I broke down and did the calculation.  I didn't double-check my work, but it looks like I was being generous.  It's very, very close to 6:1.

[NHSparky]

If it were proportional to population, New Hampshire would have had to borrow over 10 times as much to come even close to the levels of CA.  I'm not happy that we had to borrow anything at all, but it's better than owing the feds that kind of money.

Oh, and NH WILL be going back to the red column in November.  People are sick of the Dems here.  They had 4 years, they screwed it up royally, and they're getting tossed out on their asses.

[DefiantSix]

If it were proportional to population, New Hampshire would have had to borrow over 10 times as much to come even close to the levels of CA.  I'm not happy that we had to borrow anything at all, but it's better than owing the feds that kind of money.

Oh, and NH WILL be going back to the red column in November.  People are sick of the Dems here.  They had 4 years, they screwed it up royally, and they're getting tossed out on their asses.

Colorado's likely swinging the same way as New Hampshire.  For the last 4 years, we've had a Dim'Rat governor who has signed off on political payback after political payback for union thugs and enviro-whackos while simultaneously chasing business out of the state, supressing the agriculture, transportation and energy industries.  People are pissed here; pissed enough that the incumbent Dim'Rat governor isn't even running for re-election this November.

[zeitgeist]

If it were proportional to population, New Hampshire would have had to borrow over 10 times as much to come even close to the levels of CA.  I'm not happy that we had to borrow anything at all, but it's better than owing the feds that kind of money.

Oh, and NH WILL be going back to the red column in November.  People are sick of the Dems here.  They had 4 years, they screwed it up royally, and they're getting tossed out on their asses.

From your lips to God's ear but if it involves Kelly Ayotte it won't be much of an improvement IMHO.  Seeing Che-Porter go won't break my heart either, but that may be more difficult than some believe too. The Republican party seems to keep coughing and banging along, hardly the well oiled machine it once was.

[NHSparky]

From your lips to God's ear but if it involves Kelly Ayotte it won't be much of an improvement IMHO.  Seeing Che-Porter go won't break my heart either, but that may be more difficult than some believe too. The Republican party seems to keep coughing and banging along, hardly the well oiled machine it once was.

That's just it, zeit--it was never "well-oiled" up here.  People put out their handmade signs, showed up at diners, etc., and figured that was good enough.  When the NH Dems started getting all sorts of money from guess who (?) and put out slick campaigns, the GOP here has been playing catch-up ever since.

Then again, it doesn't help that the last two NH GOP heads have been Fergus "Mouthbreather" Cullen and John "Papa Doc" Sununu.

[zeitgeist]

That's just it, zeit--it was never "well-oiled" up here.  People put out their handmade signs, showed up at diners, etc., and figured that was good enough.  When the NH Dems started getting all sorts of money from guess who (?) and put out slick campaigns, the GOP here has been playing catch-up ever since.

Then again, it doesn't help that the last two NH GOP heads have been Fergus "Mouthbreather" Cullen and John "Papa Doc" Sununu.

You are correct.  Dingus was a total waste from what I could tell.  Sununu?  Well at least he has more experience but the trick is to learn from experience, not just build it up.

FWIW.....I just finished cleaning this machine of a Java Script Virus which popped up as I was posting my previous post ( it takes that long 3-4 hrs to scan and delete).  Particularly nasty virus that tries to make you think it is Microsoft scanning your machine in response to a virus alert.  I had seen it before on my other machine.  Norton was running on this one, the first machine was running McAfee.  Now I am running Malware and Avast.   I really think hackers should be ... oh, never mind.