Obama Citizenship

LA Governor Among Those to Reject Portions of ?Porkulus Maximus?

By Phil

According to Politico.com:

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. …

?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 includesSouth 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.

HotAir.com further comments about the Louisiana Governor:

NOLA says he?ll accept cash for transportation infrastructure and a modest increase in unemployment benefits but drew the line at unemployment insurance lest it mean a $12 million tax hike for Louisiana businesses three years from now.

How is the Left going to respond? Accordingly:

The left will naturally hammer him for hating the poor ? or, per Jim Clyburn, black people ? but by framing it as a savings to businesses he can sell it as something that?ll produce more employment in the long run.

Then again, I suppose the feds could always fall back on that pesky provision that just happens to run right over the 10th Amendment, right? After all, it is said that Rep. Clyburn stuck that knife in the backs of the States — and the People — in there.

-Phil

Full post as published by The Right Side of Life on February 20, 2009 (boomark / email).