When Governor Jindal said that the language in the stimulus bill was forcing him to change the Louisiana state unemployment law, I thought he was just blowing typical GOP smoke, but I was wrong and he was right. It is true the Federal Government, i.e. those progressive Democrats, is imposing a funded mandate on Louisiana especially.
States that accept stimulus money aimed at the unemployed ARE required to adopt new federal rules about unemployment benefits, written into law by the Democrats in congress.
For example, if Governor Jindal was to accept this money, then Louisiana would have to change their laws to pay out unemployment money to parents who had to quit their jobs to take care of gravely ill children. Think of that, these parents were not actually fired they QUIT! If they changed the Louisiana laws to accept this $100,000,000 from the feds (i.e. us), well they might never be able to change them back when the GOP took over the reins of the federal government again!
Even worse they would have to change their laws to pay unemployment insurance to workers who have to leave their jobs due to domestic violence. What is the sense in that? These people were not actually fired, they could go on going to the same job in the same location. What could possibly be the harm in that? And since women are more likely to be the victim of domestic violence, in the words of Rick Santelli and Mike Barnicle, what is in this money for men like me and Bobby Jindal?
But what really takes the cake is that this program would require the states to extend unemployment benefits to part-time workers. When will this progressive madness stop?
h/t to the New York Times
What Part of "Stimulus" Don't They Get?