Jindal to refuse some stimulus money

[Tigermike 4,304]

Jindal to refuse some stimulus money

Alexander Burns Alexander Burns – Fri Feb 20, 5:10 pm ET

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Friday that he will decline stimulus money specifically targeted at expanding state unemployment insurance coverage, becoming the first state executive to officially refuse any part of the federal government’s payout to states.

In a statement, Jindal, who is slated to give the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s message to Congress on Tuesday, expressed concern that expanding unemployment insurance coverage would lead to increased unemployment insurance taxes later on.

“The federal money in this bill will run out in less than three years for this benefit and our businesses would then be stuck paying the bill,” Jindal said. “We must be careful and thoughtful as we examine all the strings attached to the funding in this package. We cannot grow government in an unsustainable way.”

Jindal is one of a small group of Republican governors, which includes South Carolina’s Mark Sanford and Mississippi’s Haley Barbour, who have said they might refuse some or all of the stimulus money targeted to their states.

In an interview Friday, Barbour said he, too, would likely decline funds for broadening access to unemployment insurance.

“Subject to learning more, my position is that Mississippi won’t accept funds that require us to have a tax increase later, because [they would force] us to change our rules for qualifying for unemployment compensation,” he said.

It is not clear which, if any, other parts of the stimulus funding Republican governors will decline. But initial suggestions that anti-stimulus governors might decline all the funds targeted for their states have faded.

Joel Sawyer, Sanford’s communications director, said the South Carolina governor was still reviewing his options with respect to the stimulus.

“We haven’t made any decisions on any part of the stimulus yet,” Sawyer said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090220/pl_politico/19092

[OldNewby 27]

Wise to look a gift trojan horse in the mouth. Strings holding the carrots are actually ropes. It's a shell game.

The Federal sneaks, who wrote and passed this load, do not have States' best interest in mind.

[Grumps 3,706]

There is no question that the governors are in a precarious position. Any governor wants Federal money to help his/her state, but when getting the money is ruining your country, what do you do?

[Bottomfeeder 244]

You refuse the numbers on the ledger and create a state currency backed by gold and silver.

[SouthLink02 8]

Supported it in the past yet not now

Interesting. I think we all know why though

[BamaGrad03 0]

Riley is doing the same thing.

I applaud both these guys for it.

[Tigermike 4,304]

Riley is doing the same thing.

I applaud both these guys for it.

As do I, BG.

Here is a link to the article:

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley rejects $66 million in stimulus funds for new unemployment benefits

"I'm not going to recommend to legislators that they change state law in order for Alabama to receive this portion of the federal stimulus," Riley said in a prepared statement upon his return to Alabama. The Legislature could overrule Riley and collect the federal money, anyway.

Democrats in Alabama may fight the governor's decision. (No surprise there.)

Obama, in the public portion of the governors' meeting Monday morning, said some of the governors' concerns are legitimate, but they involve a small fraction of the overall $787 billion economic stimulus plan.

[TexasTiger 16,079]

They're both disingenuous, phony bastards. Reject it all, then. Don't pretend you're taking a stand over 2% of the money, while eagerly taking the other 98%. This political posturing is just designed to impress you guys in the right wing peanut gallery. Worked like a charm, too.

[Tigermike 4,304]

They're both disingenuous, phony bastards. Reject it all, then. Don't pretend you're taking a stand over 2% of the money, while eagerly taking the other 98%. This political posturing is just designed to impress you guys in the right wing peanut gallery. Worked like a charm, too.

And if they had taken it all then you would be singing their praises.

[TexasTiger 16,079]

They're both disingenuous, phony bastards. Reject it all, then. Don't pretend you're taking a stand over 2% of the money, while eagerly taking the other 98%. This political posturing is just designed to impress you guys in the right wing peanut gallery. Worked like a charm, too.

And if they had taken it all then you would be singing their praises.

Nah, they just wouldn't be such hypocrites.

[Tigermike 4,304]

They're both disingenuous, phony bastards. Reject it all, then. Don't pretend you're taking a stand over 2% of the money, while eagerly taking the other 98%. This political posturing is just designed to impress you guys in the right wing peanut gallery. Worked like a charm, too.

And if they had taken it all then you would be singing their praises.

Nah, they just wouldn't be such hypocrites.

I would rather them be called hypocrites by the left than accept the portions of this $$$$ which come with long and ever tightening strings attached.

[SouthLink02 8]

They're both disingenuous, phony bastards. Reject it all, then. Don't pretend you're taking a stand over 2% of the money, while eagerly taking the other 98%. This political posturing is just designed to impress you guys in the right wing peanut gallery. Worked like a charm, too.

And if they had taken it all then you would be singing their praises.

Nah, they just wouldn't be such hypocrites.

I would rather them be called hypocrites by the left than accept the portions of this $$$$ which come with long and ever tightening strings attached.

Even though he co-sponsored a bill that expanded unemployment benefits for 50-something weeks and put in federal dollars into Louisiana’s unemployment trust fund just 3 years ago?

[autigeremt 7,551]

But was that a permanant? That's the catch phrase out of all this spendulus. No way in HELL would I mortgage my state over this. PERIOD! It's government control.

[TexasTiger 16,079]

They're both disingenuous, phony bastards. Reject it all, then. Don't pretend you're taking a stand over 2% of the money, while eagerly taking the other 98%. This political posturing is just designed to impress you guys in the right wing peanut gallery. Worked like a charm, too.

And if they had taken it all then you would be singing their praises.

Nah, they just wouldn't be such hypocrites.

I would rather them be called hypocrites by the left than accept the portions of this $$$$ which come with long and ever tightening strings attached.

Take a stand. Refuse it all. Gutless cowards.

[BamaGrad03 0]

They're both disingenuous, phony bastards. Reject it all, then. Don't pretend you're taking a stand over 2% of the money, while eagerly taking the other 98%. This political posturing is just designed to impress you guys in the right wing peanut gallery. Worked like a charm, too.

Because Riley has SPECIFIC issues with how the federal government is tying strings to the unemployment benefits. Riley even said that the benefits would be great if it wasn't for the fallout 3 years later when the states have to pick up the tab, because the government $ will be pulled.

It's there in black and white. He's not saying ALL the stimulus is bad, or that ALL the money slated for Alabama has the same sort of strings attached.

Say what you want about Riley, and I guess you hate him by proxy because he's a Republican. But the guy has been an amazingly good governor. Just top notch. He's done a lot for this state. And re-instituting a strong fiscal policy is where he started.

[SouthLink02 8]

Because Riley has SPECIFIC issues with how the federal government is tying strings to the unemployment benefits. Riley even said that the benefits would be great if it wasn't for the fallout 3 years later when the states have to pick up the tab, because the government $ will be pulled.

It's there in black and white. He's not saying ALL the stimulus is bad, or that ALL the money slated for Alabama has the same sort of strings attached.

Say what you want about Riley, and I guess you hate him by proxy because he's a Republican. But the guy has been an amazingly good governor. Just top notch. He's done a lot for this state. And re-instituting a strong fiscal policy is where he started.

BG, you sure have changed your mind on Riley

I think its hilarious that Riley and others cant possibly understand why we wouldnt want to vote for them to have a 1.2 billion dollar "emergency" fund to spend how they see fit.

Riley sucks. I would vote for a Democrat for governor over Riley...thats for sure.

http://www.aunation.net/forums/index.php?s...mp;#entry144870

[autigeremt 7,551]

They're both disingenuous, phony bastards. Reject it all, then. Don't pretend you're taking a stand over 2% of the money, while eagerly taking the other 98%. This political posturing is just designed to impress you guys in the right wing peanut gallery. Worked like a charm, too.

And if they had taken it all then you would be singing their praises.

Nah, they just wouldn't be such hypocrites.

I would rather them be called hypocrites by the left than accept the portions of this $$$$ which come with long and ever tightening strings attached.

Take a stand. Refuse it all. Gutless cowards.

Refusing to accept personal responsibility for your actions..... NOW THAT'S GUTLESS! Expecting a handout at every turn....NOW THAT'S GUTLESS! Deciding the future of this nation over personal political interests.....OBAMA! GUTLESS!

Vote GOP in 2010

[TexasTiger 16,079]

They're both disingenuous, phony bastards. Reject it all, then. Don't pretend you're taking a stand over 2% of the money, while eagerly taking the other 98%. This political posturing is just designed to impress you guys in the right wing peanut gallery. Worked like a charm, too.

And if they had taken it all then you would be singing their praises.

Nah, they just wouldn't be such hypocrites.

I would rather them be called hypocrites by the left than accept the portions of this $$$$ which come with long and ever tightening strings attached.

Take a stand. Refuse it all. Gutless cowards.

Refusing to accept personal responsibility for your actions..... NOW THAT'S GUTLESS! Expecting a handout at every turn....NOW THAT'S GUTLESS! Deciding the future of this nation over personal political interests.....

That's what I'm saying. Jindal's taking a handout while pretending he isn't. Gutless and phony-- your kinda guy.

[autigeremt 7,551]

I think it's obvious who your kind of guy is. I think principal supercedes this time around.

[BamaGrad03 0]

BG, you sure have changed your mind on Riley

That was 4 years ago. He's done a lot since then to change my mind.

[SouthLink02 8]

BG, you sure have changed your mind on Riley

That was 4 years ago. He's done a lot since then to change my mind.

[Grumps 3,706]

They're both disingenuous, phony bastards. Reject it all, then. Don't pretend you're taking a stand over 2% of the money, while eagerly taking the other 98%. This political posturing is just designed to impress you guys in the right wing peanut gallery. Worked like a charm, too.

Because Riley has SPECIFIC issues with how the federal government is tying strings to the unemployment benefits. Riley even said that the benefits would be great if it wasn't for the fallout 3 years later when the states have to pick up the tab, because the government $ will be pulled.

It's there in black and white. He's not saying ALL the stimulus is bad, or that ALL the money slated for Alabama has the same sort of strings attached.

Say what you want about Riley, and I guess you hate him by proxy because he's a Republican. But the guy has been an amazingly good governor. Just top notch. He's done a lot for this state. And re-instituting a strong fiscal policy is where he started.

TexasTiger is way too stupid to understand that the very simple point that you made so eloquently.

[SouthLink02 8]

FYI, both JPSO's that I know that worked under Harry Lee during Katrina have no idea what the hell Jindal was talking about in his speech the other night. In fact, nobody can find a single person that remembers this so-called incident.

[arnaldoabru 11]

I thought Jindle was the rising star of the Republicans. After watching his performance last night all wanted when he was done was to buy a lottery ticket.

[SouthLink02 8]

Jindal's performance didn't surprise me nor anyone I know in Louisiana, even his biggest fans. He is an INCREDIBLY smart person and an INCREDIBLY nice person but he has not the faintest clue how to surround himself with competent people.

Remember when he lost the Gov. race to Blanco before Katrina? He lost it because those advising him told him NOT to remotely fight back against Blanco as she smeared him with ridiculous lies on TV, Radio, and publicly while Jindal WITH PLENTY OF MONEY just stayed pat. That cost him dearly. Don't even get me started on Jindal's famous answer during his 1st debate with Blanco when he kept giving really odd answers to simple questions that just turned people off to him.

Anyone remember his first month in office? Where he found a way to piss off the entire State in about 3 days? He went back and forth then back again then forth a 4th time on whether the Louisiana Legislature should get a raise....but what made it worse is how he kept publicly switching sides....almost daily. It was embarrassing and had everyone on both sides scratching their head.

On top of all this, he found a way to violate 4 of his 9 "points" that he pledged in his Gov. race that he would never violate while Gov and he never even tried to hide it. He just.....tried to act like they didn't exist.

Gustav saved him....dearly because it FINALLY put him in a good light with the State.

Is he an idiot? Far, FAR, FAR from it. But what he lacks is an ability to surround himself with people who know what they hell they are doing. It shows in almost everything he does. If someone cleaned up his close-group of friends with people who understood politics, he would actually be one of the overall best Politicians in this country. Instead, he will continue to look brilliant one moment and just totally unprepared and lost during others

He isn't even nearly as conservative as many national Republicans make him out to be so I respect that he plays to both sides a good bit instead of purely one side all the time.