Kentucky

Where were these folks and this task force as the state was losing federal stimulus money for unemployment funds???  Looks like the door was closed after the horse got out of the  barn on this one.    See, Courier Journal story - Ky. will miss out on $45 million for jobless benefits Fri Mar 27, 2009.  However, not everything was falling through the cracks at the state asNew program will help unemployed get re-trained at KCTCS (Bluegrass Politics Blog, Ryan Alessi).

Post from Bluegrass Politics Blog:

Beshear appoints task force on unemployment insurance

By Jack Brammer on Steve Beshear

FRANKFORT ?Gov. Steve Beshear created a task force Friday to study and propose changes to the state?s financially strapped unemployment insurance trust fund. ?In these difficult economic times, it is imperative that we address head on a critical issue for Kentucky that has been overlooked in the past,? Beshear said in a statement.

While reading Mark Herbert's post on this issue at Gov. Names Unemployment Study Group, I saw an interesting paragraph which looks like an attempt at an executive "do over" --

Kentucky is receiving all allowable unemployment benefits for which we are eligible under the law. Currently, the state pays out 59 weeks of benefits including 26 weeks of regular and 33 weeks of extended benefits. In addition, Gov. Beshear has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor to temporarily increase the weekly payout by $25.

Of course, I am all in favor of the appropriate changes in state law to obtain the increased benefits allowed by federal law, but I wonder if the executive agreement complies with state law or encroaches upon the legislative power in implementing the change?  I don't know.

In a financial, economic, and/or political crisis, it is always easy to skirt the rule of law under the guise of necessity or the ends justify the means.  Think about Congressional laws to change the tax laws after the fact and earmarked for the AIG Bonus receivers!  Yes, the fact of the bonus is controversial and tax payers are outraged at the millions of dollars going to reward those who are believed to have been part of the problem and not part of the solution.  But, we do have a rule of law, and isn't there another way? 

If you do not believe in the creativity of our executive and governmental intrusion into the private economy, just think about GM and their CEO who was asked to leave as a condition to receiving future stimulus money.  And again, the TARP may be a TRAP for those asking and getting financial assistance.  And when this crisis is over, what will we have, who will own it, and what next?

GM CEO asked to quit

Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO of GM, will step down immediately at the request of the White House. » Details