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Why Stand with Mississippi? Standing with Mississippi is a campaign to inform concerned citizens about Gov. Haley Barbour's rejection of nearly $60 million in unemployment insurance benefits provided to the people of Mississippi as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This campaign empowers people to voice their support for providing every available dollar to help Mississippians who have lost their employment through no fault of their own. By standing together we hope to set Mississippi on a path to economic recovery that will help Mississippi’s most vulnerable, consequently enhancing the quality of life for all Mississippians. The Recovery Act offers Mississippi a $56 million opportunity to update its unemployment insurance system by making more hard-working families eligible to receive greater benefits. These federal funds will help 39,600 hard-working Mississippians weather the recession for up to four years -- without committing the state to any future tax increases. A Broken System The current Unemployment Insurance system provides no benefits for workers who leave a job because of compelling family reasons, such as caring for an ill family member or due to domestic violence, and does not provide benefits while employees seek job training to prepare themselves for future employment. While the economic recession has created hardships for many Americans, nowhere is the pain more deeply felt than in Mississippi. Thousands of Mississippi families are in desperate need of funds to purchase food, pay for shelter and provide basic necessities for themselves and their children. Job Losses Higher in Mississippi Based on information provided by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, unemployment in Mississippi stood at 10.6 percent in December 2009, compared to 5.9 percent in February 2008. Nationally, unemployment averaged 10.0 percent in December 2009. Industry sectors registering significant employment losses were construction and manufacturing. During the past year, the largest employment decreases were noted in manufacturing, trade, transportation and utilities, and professional and business services. How to Take Action Please join us in standing with Mississippi and asking Governor Barbour to accept these much needed Unemployment Insurance funds. We, in turn, pledge to keep the pressure on our elected officials and hold them accountable for providing every opportunity for Mississippians to recover and prosper. This petition effort is sponsored by the Mississippi Center for Justice, a nonprofit, public interest law firm committed to advancing racial and economic justice. Supported and staffed by attorneys, community leaders and volunteers, the Center develops and pursues strategies to combat discrimination and poverty statewide. To learn more about our work on behalf of Mississippians, please visit www.mscenterforjustice.org. |
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