Rally this morning challenges McCrory, Moffitt, Apodaca to live on $350 a week

Full announcement from Demand Progress:

Asheville, NC – A group of community leaders and advocates are calling on newly- elected Governor Pat McCrory, NC House Rep. Tim Moffitt, State Sen. Tom Apodaca, and other members of the NC General Assembly to put their money where their mouths are and commit to live for one week on the maximum unemployment benefit of $350, which is now proposed by the North Carolina General Assembly.

Monday night (tonight), the NC House in Raleigh is expected to take up a bill to slash top unemployment benefits by 35% to $350/week and cut federal benefits to zero for 80,000 NC residents. Last week in Rocky Mount, Gov. McCrory stated he supports this plan.

“If the Governor and legislature think this is a reasonable proposal, they obviously have no idea what it is like to live on so little money,” said Pat McCoy, Executive Director for Action NC, the sponsor of the challenge. “The Governor and legislature need to understand the pain they will inflict on unemployed workers from all over the state.”

Action NC is challenging Governor McCrory, Rep. Moffitt, Sen. Apodaca and members of the legislature to live on $350 a week, the proposed maximum benefit under a new unemployment insurance scheme now proposed in the North Carolina General Assembly. The proposal cuts the maximum weekly benefit from $535 a week to $350.

WHO: Community activists, concerned citizens

WHAT: Rally with speakers and visuals

WHEN: Monday, February 4th at 11am

WHERE: Pack Square Park (in front of the City Hall Building) 1 W Pack Square, Asheville, NC

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0 thoughts on “Rally this morning challenges McCrory, Moffitt, Apodaca to live on $350 a week

  1. Dionysis

    First things first; he just gave his Cabinet members raises ranging from $8,000 to $13,000 per year (paying them significantly more than his predecesor did). There are priorities, you know. And insuring that his cabinet not have to worry about struggling on an average salary of $121,000 is obviously of more importance than the rabble at the bottom.

  2. Dionysis

    First things first; he just gave his Cabinet members raises ranging from $8,000 to $13,000 per year (paying them significantly more than his predecesor did). There are priorities, you know. And insuring that his cabinet not have to worry about struggling on an average salary of $121,000 is obviously of more importance than the rabble at the bottom.

  3. ashevillain7

    To do this for one week means NOTHING.

    1. Try living on $350 for at least a month…you know, when things like rent and utilities come into play.
    2. And then try doing it for months on end when you end up with things like a car that needs to be repaired so you can make it to interviews.
    3. And then try doing it from one calendar year to the next when you then have to pay taxes on your unemployment benefits.

    Yeah. Try all that then we’ll talk. One week, LOL!

    • Mike O

      Unemployment is not intended to provide “a living.” It’s intended to be a last resort. It’s actually better than minimum wage, which pays $290/wk.

      If people would SAVE a little bit while they ARE working, perhaps they wouldn’t have to live on $350 a week when they are not. People need to learn to live below their means, not just within their means. When my wife an I were making minimum wage, I forced myself to save.

      Unfortunately, most people spend every time they make.

  4. Dionysis

    Sorry for the double-post; hit ‘submit’ once and nothing happens for several minutes, hit it a second time and two posts appear.

  5. m.r.

    I see where people can get frustrated with this new change but on the other hand maybe it is a good idea so that people who are completely dependant on unemployment benefits might be more encouraged to find their own source of income. The taxpayers who do work hard for their money (including myself, who in the off season where I am now, isn’t making much more than $400/week) has to pay into those who are complaining about their free money getting lessened. I can barely afford to keep my head above water too and am getting 15+% taken out of my check so that people can “live” on unemployment. Not trying to be harsh but think where that money comes from. It doesn’t come out of the governors pocket. It comes out of yours and mine.

    • ashevillain7

      The money that funds Unemployment Benefits comes from Federal and State Unemployment Tax. This is paid by EMPLOYERS, NOT EMPLOYEES.

      It is a cost of running a business with employees. Plain and simple. It does not come out of the employees’ paychecks.

  6. Big Al

    I challenge these parasites to work 40 hours a week, LIKE I DO in order to pay taxes from which YOU ARE GIVEN that $350 each week for NOT WORKING and then have the gall to complain it is too little.

    Only ten years ago, I made less than $1400/month and while it was tight, I lived. But I WORKED 40+ hours to make that, unlike these parasites who only have to CLAIM to be looking for work.

    Get a job, and then get your hands out of my wallet! And thank you, Governor McCrory, for turning down the tap on the public trough.

  7. Dionysis

    To those who rail against the unemployed collecting subsistence-level crumbs, please take the time to learn how the system works before lambasting people.

    “The unemployment insurance program in North Carolina is part of a national system designed to provide temporary economic benefits to eligible workers. Eligible workers are individuals who (1) lost their jobs through no fault of their own, (2) worked during a specified time period and received a minimum amount of wages during that time period, (3) are able and available for work, and (4) are actively seeking new employment. All benefits and administrative costs of the unemployment insurance program are paid by employers through State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA) and the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) payments.”

    http://www.ncesc1.com/individual/ui/UiOverview.asp

    Notice that one must have worked a minimum amount, have lost their job through no fault of their own, are available to work and are looking for work.

    Those who vilify others do not seem to be cognizant of reality; maybe having to experience losing their jobs and needing a hand would soften their hard hearts up a bit.

  8. sharpleycladd

    Unemployment benefits are funded by an insurance program that collects a percentage of wages paid from each employer in the state. Companies with stable payrolls that have been in business a while without laying anybody off pay very little into the fund; companies with gyrating payrolls that lay people off and get into labor-board hassles pay a lot into the fund. I don’t see what the problem is.

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