North Carolina Restores Extended Unemployment Benefits – Republicans Outraged

Exactly Whose Side are They On?

The Raleigh News and Observer today reported that North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue signed an executive order restoring extended jobless benefits to about 47,000 long term unemployed residents.  The benefits were funded by federal stimulus money, but had been stopped by the Republican controlled state legislature.  Republicans were using the cessation of benefits as a tool to force the Democratic Governor to accept substantial cuts in the state budget.

The Governor used an executive order to by-pass legislative approval, and benefits are expected to be paid very quickly.  On the other hand,

To no one's surprise, Perdue's executive order raised Republican hackles.

Yes, a state paying unemployment benefits to the long term unemployed with federal dollars, not something any self-respecting Conservative Republican state legislator would countenance.