Florez slams failure to get benefits to unemployed
Majority Leader tells Governor to declare emergency and use those powers to speed aid

SACRAMENTO – After listening to hours of Senate testimony on how the crisis at the Employment Development Department is keeping California’s unemployed from obtaining their unemployment insurance benefits in a timely manner, Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter) has called on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare an economic emergency and use his powers to aid the state’s job seekers.

In a letter today, Florez called the inability of job seekers to access funds from the safety net they worked for years believing would be there if they needed it “the single largest failure of government that I have encountered during my tenure in the legislature.”

Florez noted that, while the Governor declared a fiscal emergency in January and December of 2008 and unemployment was steadily on the rise for eleven months, Schwarzenegger did not take advantage of his emergency powers under that declaration to help EDD prepare for the onslaught which was imminent.

Further frustrating Florez, testimony at last week’s hearing indicated computer and call center issues have gone unresolved despite an influx of federal funds seven years ago.

Florez is urging Schwarzenegger to take corrective action before more Californians go without meals, destroy their credit or even lose their homes due to the state’s failure to pay them benefits they are due.  He asks that the Governor use his emergency powers to redirect state government staff to EDD, reevaluate job requirements to facilitate hiring, authorize overtime or flex hours and accelerate needed upgrades to EDD’s computer system and call center.

In his letter, Florez also reiterates his disbelief that the Acting Secretary of Labor refused multiple requests to testify before the Senate regarding the failures at his department. Florez promised future hearings to follow up on progress made at EDD.

Read a copy of today’s letter from Florez to Governor Schwarzenegger by clicking here.

For Immediate Release                                      Jennifer Hanson
April 7, 2009                                                     916-651-4016

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