Gov. Sanford Rejects Unemployment Compromise
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Unemployment Deal rejected
Unemployment Deal rejectedPublished: December 30, 2008
Updated: December 30, 2008
Representatives from Gov. Mark Sanford’s office and the Employment Security Commission continued Tuesday to discuss ways to keep the fund that pays $14million a week to unemployed South Carolinians from running dry.
Sanford says he won’t request a $146 million federal loan to pay benefits through March until the commission agrees to his demands
that include an audit by the state’s watchdog agency.
His office released the following statement Tuesday afternoon:
Columbia, S.C. * December 30, 2008 * Saying that no agency should be exempt from transparency and accountability to the taxpayers, Governor Mark Sanford today again called on the state Employment Security Commission (ESC) to accept terms for a state audit and better data sharing with the state Department of Commerce.
Last week, the governor signed and sent to the ESC a memorandum by which the agency would agree to a Legislative Audit Council (LAC) audit, and a deadline for sharing its data on unemployment in this state. The agency rejected the request, which the governor is renewing today. The governor will apply for an unemployment benefits loan once those two conditions are met.
The LAC has over 20 years experience in auditing state agencies, and has a long record of rooting out waste and abuse in state government. A report from the LAC two years ago led to sweeping changes at the state Department of Transportation (DOT), and a similar audit recently uncovered a litany of problems at the state Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (DDSN).
The ESC had previously agreed to such an audit in meetings with the Governor’s Office and in media reports, before changing course and backing away from that commitment yesterday.
“What the ESC is in effect saying is that they’re somehow exempt from the same scrutiny that every other agency is subject to, and we think that is frankly an insult to taxpayers and the unemployed in this state the ESC supposedly serves,” Gov. Sanford said. “If they’d like a federal audit in addition to state audit, we’d welcome that. But their argument that only a federal audit will do just doesn’t hold water, when an LAC audit was incredibly beneficial to agencies like DOT and DDSN that also operate primarily on federal dollars as well. What we’re really asking for are two incredibly basic measures to insure accountability. Both the taxpayers and unemployed deserve to see the results an audit would bring.”
Yesterday, the ESC balked at signing a memorandum from the governor that would have committed them to an audit and to data sharing within six months. Instead, the ESC responded with a weakened document that removed their commitment to an LAC audit, removed any deadline for compliance, and allowed them to terminate the agreement at any time.
The governor has sent an updated, signed agreement back to the ESC today. Once the ESC signs it, the governor will apply for the loan.
Read the proposal from the governor’s office
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Reader Reactions
Please Do Not defer off the subject.
Main subject is unemployment.
I have 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.
It is bad when our own state is fighting among itself on audit issues,, while in reality the long term laid off workers are hurting and deprived of their federal rights on unemployment compensation . These are hard working individuals that have worked 8 , 10 , 15 , 20 years of their life, only to be let down by the very agency that should have helped in time of need.
There are real , hard working people hurting because of this—- It is a true shame of our government in South Carolina.
Below is a true lawful comment.
(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!!!!!!!
“Unemployment Insurance is an entitlement program and under federal law these benefits must be paid,”
Quoted straight from the law in understand
Not sure if Sanford is reading these post or not ,,but that is beside the point.
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!!!!!!!
Ithink he should ask for money for the people to get their money. There has to be another legal way to get this audit he is demanding, Afterall he is the Governor.
Then why did they agree and then back out. Why is the Gov at fault? I hardly keep up with this type of news and I’ve known for sometime that he’s been asking for this. What if this audit gave your husband more money, or your neighbor what they deserve? I think all government should be held accountable for our tax dollars. All they have to do is agree to an audit.
Something may be fishy but should we pay for their mistakes. My husband went to work everyday, and got laid off unexpectedly. And we’ve searched everday for a job for him.But nobody’s hiring.He needs to go ahead and get the loan and then weed out people who shouldn’t be getting it. We shouldn’t suffer for their mistakes.
Sounds like something is fishy in the unemployment office. I know that people need this money and why would they refuse a audit? I think the Gov is right in demanding an accounting. Are they hiding something??
He is so not thinking of the people he is supposed to be serving.
I think we put the wrong man in office.
My husband has been a hard working man for many many years. Working sometimes 18-20 hours a day to support his family. His company gave him an unexpected lay off. His unemployment check is only a third of what his check was when he was working. It has been hard enough to live off of that BUT now…..thats going to be taken away from us. I just wonder how the Govener would feel if he had to worry about how to pay the mortgage, the light bill or even how he was going to feed his children. I say lets LAY HIM OFF!!!
I would like to know what all the fuss is about when it comes to unemployment benefits. We may need a audit, but please people have families to feed in the mean time. Lets be reasonable, at least people receiving these benefits have worked to put money in the system. I say first things first what about an audit on all of the medicaid and welfare benefits we have been putting out for years and years. Where have the auditor’s been. I work in the health care system and I know some people that get these benefits have probably never added to the system, paid taxes or some not even worked for that matter.
If you ask me I think we messed up when we chose Mr. Sanford as governor.I can understand they need to audit out some things but they are some people out there who really honestly rely on this money to get by.I don’t think the middle class should suffer while wall street is living the life and getting expensive massages on our money. How are we supposed to bail them out when we can’t even bail out ourselves. Seems like the rich just wanna get richer to me. Let them suffer and lose their jobs.I bet they’ll have a different outlook on the middle class then. Let them lose some of the high life. If they’d kept gas down to begin with it wouldn’t be this bad.
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