Bill Minor – Mississippians lose millions with refusal of stimulus funds

Mississippians lose millions with refusal of stimulus funds

JACKSON – Anyone who thinks jobs are soon coming back in Mississippi is whistling Dixie. State economic research just out shows that the jobless rate for blacks will hit 17.4 percent and 10 percent overall by the end of this year.

More bad news on the job front is that our own state leadership is balking at accepting federal stimulus money that would lessen the hardship of Mississippians out-of-work or having severe cutbacks in their work weeks. These latter ones will suffer the brunt of Gov. Haley Barbour’s refusal to let lawmakers make slight reforms in state unemployment insurance laws so the state can qualify for $56.1 million in stimulus benefits.

Bill Minor
9/6/11