Thursday, December 15, 2011
Arkansas Politics Beebe absent on Democratic governors' unemployment plea
Posted by Max Brantley on Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 9:06 AM
Sixteen Democratic governors, not including Gov. Mike Beebe of Arkansas, have written congressional leaders urging the full renewal of extended unemployment benefits Jan. 1, along with payroll tax cuts.
House Republicans — who claim they really care about workers — don't care much about unemployed ones. They want to limit unemployment benefits.
UPDATE: Beebe's spokesman, Matt DeCample, said that when Beebe was asked about signing the letter that the method of paying for the benefits was uncertain — perhaps a surtax on the wealthy or perhaps cuts in spending that could "impact Arkansas negatively."
"Without a clear picture of which way it was going to go, he didn't want to sign a letter on a proposal that could potentially hurt vulnerable Arkansans," DeCample said. He said Beebe would have supported paying for the benefits with an increased tax on the wealthy.
Speaking of Unemployment Benefits, Gov. Mike Beebe
-
Beebe names Bunny Adcock to UCA Board of Trustees
May 16, 2012Gov. Mike Beebe has named Robert "Bunny" Adcock, a Conway banker, to the University of Central Arkanas Board of Trustees. /more/
-
Rise in revenues means state spending increase
May 9, 2012An unexpected rise in state revenue will enable an increase in state spending in the final two months of this fiscal year, which ends June 30, Gov. Mike Beebe has announced. /more/
-
Slowing the rise in health care spending
April 29, 2012Nobody's declaring victory yet, but there are enormous implications in the finding reported today that something may be finally arresting the rise in health care spending. /more/
-
Resolved: Scott Roussel should resign from UCA Board
April 27, 2012The faculty Senate of the University of Central Arkansas yesterday adopted a resolution urging Scott Roussel to resign from the UCA Board of Trustees. /more/
-
Sheffield Nelson schools Beebe on severance tax
April 6, 2012I never really expected Gov. Mike Beebe, who cut his teeth golfing with the lobby in the Senate, to be a supporter of the Sheffield Nelson-backed initiative to raise the pitifully low severance tax on natural gas. /more/
-
Former forestry finance chief Robert Araiza retires
March 9, 2012Robert Araiza, the financial officer who was in the middle of the long-running controversy over financial shortfalls at the Arkansas Forestry Commission, has taken state retirement. /more/
-
Missing Mike Huckabee
March 6, 2012Gov. Mike Beebe's office sent out a round of pardons today and they fit the pattern of his tenure — only six granted among 59 applications and then only for relatively minor offenses. /more/
-
Talk among yourselves
March 3, 2012I'm off the web grid this morning outside Johnson City, Texas with only an iPhone for blogging. /more/
- More »
Comments (4)
Showing 1-4 of 4
I read the list of signatories. Gov. Beebe is shunning some awfully good company. The question is why and to what end.
like
dislike
Beebe doesn't have to play this particular political reindeer game... he's a lame duck. Wouldn't want to piss off his post gubernatorial gravy train with insincere kabuki.
Fo that, in this upside-down world, perhaps he deserves credit.
"House Republicans — who claim they really care about workers — don't care much about unemployed ones. They want to limit unemployment benefits."
Republicans don't care about unemployed . . . . workers? Paint me crazy, but if they're unemployed . . . . they're not 'workers'. Get me some of those "unemployed workers" - I'll put them to check-drawing idleness right away!
Yeah, the nerve of those mean ol' evil Republicans, wanting to cut off unemployment benefits after 6 months and require drug testing! Let 'em stay home, draw a check, get high & be the best Democrat-party-voting slacker deadbeats they can be! That'll solve the unemployment problem! I guess Nancy Pelosi was right - unemployment benefits DO create jobs!
Interesting how states with the highest unemployment rates (CA, MI, RI) are run by [insert drum roll] . . . . . . liberal Democrats! Hmmm . . . . . let's see if we can piece this mystery together and find out what's causing it.
Made the mistake last night of pausing on one of the 24-hour cable news channels as I channel hopped: 'Breaking News: Democrats cave blah blah blah.' Our Dems have caved so many times that you'd think it wouldn't piss me off so much, but it does...especially given that I can't remember the last time I saw a 'Republicans cave...'. Though they're greedy selfish hypocritical bastards who would sell their mommas for a buck, they don't cave to the spineless Democrats regardless of the legislation.
I'd like to think that aging is the culprit behind my absolute pessimism about the Democrats standing between us and prison for life without a trial, debtor's prison, endless wars, destruction of Civil Liberties in general. But now it seems evident that our Obama has no intention of vetoing a Bill that allows American citizens to be indefinitely imprisoned without a trial and allows our military to piss on the Posse Comitatus Act (which kept us safe from our military operating within our borders): http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/14/whit…
It's truly hard to get enthusiastic for a DEMOCRATIC President, especially one who's suppose to be a Constitutional scholar, whom either has no problem tossing people in jail without a trial/for an unpaid medical bill or thinks his legislative desires are so important that trading away the very essence of our country seems a fair trade. Either way I feel fucked...and without so much as a kiss.
"...One man is primarily responsible for the disappearance of civil liberties from the national debate, and he is Barack Obama. While many are reluctant to admit it, Obama has proved a disaster not just for specific civil liberties but the civil liberties cause in the United States.
Civil libertarians have long had a dysfunctional relationship with the Democratic Party, which treats them as a captive voting bloc with nowhere else to turn in elections. Not even this history, however, prepared civil libertarians for Obama. After the George W. Bush years, they were ready to fight to regain ground lost after Sept. 11. Historically, this country has tended to correct periods of heightened police powers with a pendulum swing back toward greater individual rights. Many were questioning the extreme measures taken by the Bush administration, especially after the disclosure of abuses and illegalities. Candidate Obama capitalized on this swing and portrayed himself as the champion of civil liberties.
However, President Obama not only retained the controversial Bush policies, he expanded on them..."
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commen…
My friends and I use to joke that at least poor folks didn't have to face debtor's prison...ha ha:
"The Return Of Debtor’s Prisons: Thousands Of Americans Jailed For Not Paying Their Bills
By Marie Diamond
Federal imprisonment for unpaid debt has been illegal in the U.S. since 1833. It’s a practice people associate more with the age of Dickens than modern-day America...
...Take, for example, what happened to Robin Sanders in Illinois. She was driving home when an officer pulled her over for having a loud muffler. But instead of sending her off with a warning, the officer arrested Sanders, and she was taken right to jail.
“That’s when I found out [that] I had a warrant for failure to appear in Macoupin County. And I didn’t know what it was about.” Sanders owed $730 on a medical bill. She says she didn’t even know a collection agency had filed a lawsuit against her. [...]
"http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/12/1…
So...Beebe not signing a note for continued unemployment benefits doesn't seem like much to get riled about...though I know comparative values are mostly made of straw.
If all his virgins aren't making him happy, Bin Laden must surely be smiling knowing how our politicians used his attack to bury our Constitution.
Though he may be crazy as a loon, I now understand the appeal of Ron Paul...
More by Author
-
Resolved: Scott Roussel should resign from UCA Board
The faculty Senate of the University of Central Arkansas yesterday adopted a resolution urging Scott Roussel to resign from the UCA Board of Trustees.
- Apr 27, 2012
-
State Police reviews Razorback football service
The State Police continues its review of the long practice — not anticipated in law or regulation as far as I'm aware — of providing security for the Arkansas potentate otherwise known as the University of Arkansas football coach.
- Apr 21, 2012
- More »
Event Calendar
-
Re: Riverfest eve open line UPDATE
dbi--True, but sad. When I paid $190. for a year of the D-G, it hurt…
- on May 25, 2012
-
Re: Judge orders new trial in $1 million dollar lottery ticket dispute
Proves the adage that nothing is free, nothing is simple.
- on May 25, 2012
-
Re: Surgeon general strikes deal on disturbance charges
This whole mess stinks.
- on May 25, 2012
Top Commenters
Blogroll
Slideshows
-
Police close the Occupy Little Rock camp, perhaps the last Occupy encampment on public land.
Site Index
News
Cover Story / Arkansas Reporter / The Week That Was / Smart Talk / The Insider / The Observer / Editorial / Max Brantley / Ernest Dumas / Gene Lyons / Bob Lancaster / Words / Guest Writer / Letters
Entertainment
A&E Feature / To-Do List / In Brief / Movie Reviews / Music Reviews / Theater Reviews / A&E News / Art Notes / Graham Gordy / Books / Media / Dining Reviews / Dining Guide / What's Cookin' / Calendar / The Televisionist / Movie Listings / Gallery Listings
This Week's Cover
Quick Links
Special Publications
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
