Sanford’s stand on unemployment benefits
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By Amy Wood
Anchor
Published: December 30, 2008
The Governor’s got 77 thousand checks hanging in the balance, as he attempts to attack government waste.
According to The State Newspaper, Sanford says the employment security commision has squandered money on buildings and thinks some who are not qualified are getting benefits.
He wants the Legislative Audit Council, to look over agency operations. So far the Employment Security Commision is saying no. That’s why Governor Sanford won’t apply for the federal 145 million dollar loan it will take to keep the checks flowing.
With the state sitting at 8.4 percent unemployment giving South Carolina the third highest jobless rate in the country, there are critics questioning the Governor’s timing.
On facebook and twitter most of you have been saying you back him.
So what about you?
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Posted by ( Mac1 ) on January 05, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Please Do Not defer off the subject.
Main subject is unemployment.
I have 7 employees that have been laid off on Thanksgiving and have yet to receive unemployment check and are facing ,,eviction and lost all utilities because the state is fighting among itself. Below is a true lawful comment. (Please remember we are talking unemployment——not the problem with welfare and food stamps. That I AGREE IS A PROBLEM.
(Federal unemployment compensation)
Federal unemployment law requires states to pay unemployment compensation,,, this is a requirement not a decision made by the states governor. I repeat—- this is a federal requirement—not a state decision.
If Sanford would have halted unemployment compensation it would have been a illegal act ,,that would have cause the state to pay 4 to 5 times the amount it barrowed to cover the expense. Not sure how to put it more plainly than that.
The Media should have made the public aware and educated in the federal law.
Sorry to put it so bluntly. But unemployment compensation is a matter of federal law—NOT STATE!!!!!!
Unemployed will not be punished ,,is a understatement. and should not be taken as a gift from Sanford,
It’s not a states decision - period!!!!!!!
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Posted by ( dmills ) on January 01, 2009 at 1:32 pm
You know i worked in the automotive for 16yrs .last job was for BMW .But now im layed off for good cause they had to cut staff .Along with about 900 others that got layed off .Now we all are going to have to depend on those checks.Now theres no money.So where is the money ??
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Posted by ( agenbuff ) on December 31, 2008 at 11:06 am
1st, no employee pays any portion of the unemployment taxes. THEY ARE PAID 100% BY THE EMPLOYER. 2nd, our Government has the right to audit any agency at any time for any reason and this agency should have already been audited. The SCESC can still be audited and Gov. Sanford can still request the funds. And last, I work for a company that has completed and submitted all SCESC quarterly tax returns along with the tax due. We have had no one to receive benefits from our account in five or six years; so where is the funds we put in for our employees in the event they need to file unemployment? We are not the only company I am sure since it has come to pass that the SCESC is broke.
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Posted by ( Kevin Kelly ) on December 31, 2008 at 7:35 am
People must remember that South Carolina operates under the “at will” doctrine. Employers are free to terminate a employee AT ANY TIME, for ANY REASON, or NO REASON AT ALL. Barring an employment contract, the employee will be employed “at will” and thus subject to the whim of the employer as to continued employment.
This information was copied straight from the SC unemployment website (www.sces.org) Unemployment insurance is made possible by taxes paid by employers. It is not a welfare program. Benefits must be earned. The purpose of Unemployment Insurance is to provide temporary assistance to workers who lose their jobs. At the same time, during severe recessions, Unemployment Insurance helps to stabilize the entire economy.
If I were a employer it would be in my best interest to fire someone for any reason I wanted to give, whether that reason was valid or not, in hopes that I may not have to pay unemployment benefits (50/50 chance is better that 0 chance). Do I believe a employer would take advantage of the situation given the chance, you bet! We’ve all made mistakes in out jobs at one time or another that might have lead to termination.
There are many people in our state today who are receiving unemployment benefits that were terminated by their employer for reasons that fall into “grey areas”. When this happens both employee and employer are contacted for fact finding interviews. Once the needed information is gathered, personnel within the ESC determine if unemployment benefits should be paid. Steven McQueen’s wife had to go through this process and someone with ESC ruled in her favor, and apparently no one at GHS appealed the decision.
The ESC also states the following on their website:
If you were discharged from your most recent work for cause connected with the employment, you may be disqualified for a period of not less than five (5) nor more than twenty-six (26) weeks, and your maximum benefit amount will be reduced by the number of weeks of disqualification times your weekly benefit amount.
I’m all for Gov. Sanford’s audit, but before we start judging others, remember our world is not the same world of one year ago.
My prayers go out to the souls who are suffering due to our current financial crisis, also to the people who’s shoulders the tremendous burden falls upon. Whether we like it or not, we have been tossed into a situation, that for the most part, we did not create. Please stop and count to ten before you speak and know that together we will see this through. Attached is a song that helps me to put things in prospective.
http://web.mac.com/mrbesilly/iWeb/One Man’s Highway/Brett Dennen.html
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Posted by ( stevemcqueen332 ) on December 31, 2008 at 4:17 am
REPLY TO STEVEN I PAID MY BILLS FOR DEC I HAVE NO KIDS I WAS SPEAKING OF OTHERS IN GENERAL.“YOUR RIGHT’tech she was fired for attendence by 1 day within 2weeks of yearly rollover i just think with 12 yrs service an unimpeachable work “perfomance” she deserved little more loyalty,nurses told me that they had to put 2 girls on the floor to do her job lol i was mad for myself yes but more for the people who really need it who do have kids> me and mine are surviors and we,ll survive cause thats what we do BESIDES BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPENED I PUT AWAY 300 OZ OF PHYSICAL JOHNSON MATHEY SILVER SHHHHHHHH AND NEW YEAR PREDICTION 2008 WILL BE THE GOOD OLD DAYS 2009 WILL REALLY BREAK US PRAY FOR ALL OF US STEVEN! JUST THE START
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Posted by ( MaryABryant ) on December 31, 2008 at 3:44 am
I just wanted to add that I do support Gov. Sanford 100% and SOMETHING needs to be done. And to the guy with the Wife that worked a GHS… It is because of people like your wife(really the people that approved her) that the system is now BROKE!!! If she lost her job due to attendance then that was her fault and she should never have drawn the benifits to begin with. I do understand your fear but it is a rational issue and a lot of times when you talk about money things become not so… I too wish her the best of luck and hope you and your family come out ahead!
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Posted by ( Steven ) on December 31, 2008 at 2:02 am
Okay, Steve McQueen, you ranted and I read, so now I feel the need to rant back just a little.
Sorry to single you out, but yours was the first post I saw when I loaded the page.
First, I’m sorry for your circumstances. I hate to see anyone, let alone anyone with children to care for, in your situation. However, I do take issue with some of your comments.
Per your comments, your wife lost her job due to attendance. I doubt she was terminated for a first time occurrence working for a large organization like GHS. And - as you put, FMLA was an option for those OTHER times she needed to care for you or dependents. So, from what you mentioned, it sounds like this was a potentially warranted termination.
Also, from what you said, you’re living off disability and unemployment only. I understand how important Christmas may seem, but is giving your kids “a little xmas” more important than paying bills? Without the bills, they’ll have no food, utilities, home, etc. I remember many a Christmas where my single mom told us, there would be no Christmas gifts because we were broke.
Here’s another thing I didn’t quite understand from your comments. You stated your wife is “entitled” to the unemployment benefit. You should note that funds are paid into the system by the employer and not the employee, your wife. And - if your wife was terminated with cause, why do you feel she would be “entitled” to benefit?
Let me end on this note. I hope the best for you and your family. I’ll keep you in my thoughts. And - should you do the pup-tent protest, more power to you! I hope it moves the State to take action on the current situation.
Best of luck,
Steven
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Posted by ( stevemcqueen332 ) on December 31, 2008 at 1:21 am
,if he wants an audit,fine my wife worked @greenville hospital 12 years,she is trying to find a job most places know her on a fisrt name basis because she literly bugs them evEy week IN PERSON.I am disabled and get 400$ a month disabilty. she was getting 229$ a week unemployment thru april she was fired from ghs for missing 1 to many days,she was honest enuff to say SHE WAS SICK<DRexcuse> IF SHE HAD BEEN DISHONEST an said i was sick she had open family medical leave act they couldnt have fired her. so basicly the string we are holding on to MR SANFORD HAS JUST CUT. LET HIM HAVE HIS ADUIT BUT HE CAN DO BOTH,AND THE BAD THING IS ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE DOUBLED UP ON DEC BILLS ELECTRIC PHONE BILLS AND SKIPPED PAYING THEM FOR DEC SO THERE KIDS MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE XMAS,thinking"at least ive got jan unemployment checks to make up for it AND THE 1ST PLACE THE 77,000 ARE GOING IS TO THE FOOD STAMP OFFICE HOW HAPPY DO YOU THINK US DPT AGROCULTURE IS GONNA BE. <400$ DISABILITY CHECK+644$ MORTGAGE NO JOBS?? THEN NO EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WHERE,S OUR 8 TRILLION I HAVE HAD 2 HEART ATTACKS A MINOR STROKE MULTI ANGIOPLASTYS 8 STENTS IN MY HEART AN DEFIBULATOR IF THEY DO NOT SEND OUT CHECKS NEXT WEEK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ENTITLED I AM REALLY THINKING HARD OF BRINGING A PUP TENT TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE AND CAMP OUT IN PROTEST TILL CHECKS START FLOWING.IF I AM ARRESSTED FOR TRESSPASS FINE LEAST IN 2 MONTHS I.LL HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE THEY CAN PAY FOR THE LIPOTOR PLAVIX COREG AT LEAST IF MY WIFE,S RAN OUT LIKE SUPPOSED TO AND SHE DIDNT HAVE A JOB YET WE COULD REALLY START TO PINCH PENNYS TOGET AHEAD BUT TO BE JUST CUT OFF! AND IF ANY1 NEEDS A HOUSEKEEPER 12 YEARS AT GREENVILLE HOSPITAL ICU 4TH FLOOR THEN E-MAIL AND I,LL QUIT CRYING<I,M 42 YRS OLD. IM THINKING>GO AHEAD HAVE TH BIG HEART ATTACK,LET HER GET TH 50$K CREMATE ME FOR 900$ AN KEEP TH CHANGE, I AM NOT YELLING I CANT SEE TO GOOD FYI YEAH ITS GOT THAT BAD.IF I DO GO TO THE PUPTENT PROTEST IT WILL NOT BE FOR JUST MY OWN WIFE,S RIGHTS BUT FOR 77,000 LIKE SPOCK SAYS SOMETIMES THE NEEDS OF THE MANY OUTWAY THE NEEDS OF THE FEW LET HIM HAVE HIS ADUIT AND SEND HIM A MESSAGE FROM MARY ANN PARSONS “SHE WOULD BE MORE THAN ESTATIC TO MOVE TO COLUMBIA TO WORK AT THE GOV,S MANSION” SHE SAYS SHE,LL WORK ANY SHIFT FOR MIN WAGE NO INSURANCE” JUST GIVE ME A JOB” I,M SORRY TO RANT GUYS BUT IF YOU WHERE IN MY SHOES YOU,D BE SCARED TO
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Posted by ( davis226 ) on December 31, 2008 at 12:24 am
I applaud the Governor. Sounds as if the Unemployment Security Commission has something to hide…..and besides, your employer pays the entire unemployment tax—nothing is deducted from your pay to cover the cost—employers should be the ones complaining the most.
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Posted by ( kitkat ) on December 30, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Someone needs to send Sanford some Shoemail like they did Bush.
;-)
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