The unemployed need our support not disrespect

I wonder what the 20,000 unemployed Utahns are feeling when they hear why their governor and lawmakers turned away $100 million of federal unemployment benefits.

It's one thing for people to lose a job and struggle to keep looking for one, but it is another thing for politicians to keep kicking them while they are down. When Utah Senate President Waddoups tells them, "It's tax money, and people need to be weaned off of the government paying for everything, " or when Gov. Herbert believes there are plenty of jobs to be filled, it's demoralizing, wrong and mean spirited.

Politicians can't connect the dots. They portray the unemployed as not willing to work, content to live at taxpayers' expense and not motivated to get off the "dole." They don't see the connection between unemployment, the growing mortgage foreclosures, food stamps, crowded emergency rooms and homelessness. They don't seem to take time to understand how to solve problems in the public's interest but do know how to keep their campaign donors content at taxpayers' expense. They don't see a problem giving tax breaks to businesses and even accepting federal dollars to do so. They justify it as boosting the economy; but when it comes to the unemployed, it's a handout.

Herbert said, "The real challenge … is balancing the needs of Utah's unemployed with the cost to fund unemployment insurance, which is shouldered by Utah businesses in the form of payroll taxes." He fails to understand the purpose of the state's Unemployment Insurance (UI) program that is three-fold: to help workers who have lost their jobs, to hold on to ready workers and to maintain a stable economy. The Utah Unemployment Insurance law (35A-4-102. 1997) further reads, "Economic insecurity due to unemployment is a serious menace to the health, morals and welfare of the people of this state … that requires appropriate action by the Legislature to … lighten its burden which now so often falls with crushing force upon the unemployed worker and his family."

Contrary to what Utah lawmakers say, unemployment benefits do boost the overall economy as Paul Wiseman writes, "The Congressional Budget Office says every $1 spent on unemployment benefits generates up to $1.90 in economic growth. The … most effective … policy for generating growth among 11 options CBO has analyzed." Utah's UI program was designed to do that, and employers know that, just ask the corner store owners.