Again, We Bring You The Bristol Herald Courier Editorial Board
This time we have the board getting political with - Wrong to Refuse Part of Stimulus. The board takes issue with Virginia's refusal to accept all the stimulus money.
Virginia should not have turned down $125 million in federal money designed to help thousands of jobless citizens in the commonwealth.
The House of Delegate’s refusal blocks added benefits for thousands of part-time jobless workers, and left Gov. Tim Kaine red-faced and angry last week.
The governor was incredulous that lawmakers did not take the federal money to help unemployed Virginians, which now top 300,000.
“I just can’t imagine why we would leave $125 million … on the table,” Kaine told legislative leaders in a conference room adjacent to his office at the Capitol at the end of the one-day session. “This is about looking into the eyes of Virginians who have lost their jobs.”
Kaine suggested that lawmakers who voted against the measure had forgotten the people they represent. We wonder the same.
Okay, we get the picture. It was those damn reps that voted against the money right? Not so fast. The board does an about face saying -
But the lawmakers have a point, particularly considering the long-range view.
The measure that failed 53-46 in the House of Delegates would have increased unemployment benefits to laid-off part-time workers to a point that was close to what they were previously earning. Critics feared that would discourage jobless people from returning to work and allow them to reject positions they find unappealing. Even Senate Minority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. of James City County, whose district includes Williamsburg, a tourist destination with a 19.5 percent unemployment rate, said Kaine’s plan was a clear disincentive to look for another job. Norment called the measure “absolutely ludicrous.”
The board will leave you with a headache. They spend several paragraphs saying "You were wrong for not taking the money but we cant tell you why it was wrong."
As always the BHC Board is amusing.
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