Jason Delgado
Several Democratic Senators gathered on the steps of the Florida Capitol building Friday and called for a series of sweeping changes to Florida’s burdened unemployment system and election laws.
The conference served as a call for action directed at Gov. Ron DeSantis as he readies the state for Phase Two of reopening and announced Friday a “Full Phase One,” bringing gyms and large venues back online.
“While some in our state have chosen this as a time to be more optimistic, we recognize that those we represent are still in a state of crisis,” said Democratic Leader Designate Gary Farmer. “The struggles that Floridians are facing today are the direct result of two decades of failed conservative policies.”
To correct course from the “failed conservative policies,” the lawmakers echoed the need for DeSantis and legislative leaders to call the Legislature back for a Special Session.
“Let the Legislature get back to work, just as Floridians will be going back to work,” Farmer added.
The group spoke in depth about the flaws within the state’s unemployment system and laid the blame at the feet of former Governor and now U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.
“We gave everyone the burden of staying home,” Sen. Jason Pizzo of Miami said. “We all accepted it. I accepted it. But we didn’t give them the benefit of the promise that was made both by the state and the companies they work for.”
Pizzo also took issue with the slow pace by which the state is moving.
“We keep waiting to the midnight hour on all these decisions, Pizzo said. “We had to push, push, push to get an announcement that the eviction moratorium would be extended.”
Sen. Victor Torres, who represents Osceola County and portions of Orange County, also lamented the unemployment dysfunction.
Torres said he has worked with Disney workers and unions, and many of them have yet to receive checks despite supposed coordination between the company and the state.
“I call it a hoodwink,” Torres said. “Didn’t happen. Many are still unemployed and not getting their checks.”
In response, the Senators called on DeSantis to pay all claims retroactively to the day the worker was unemployed.
Additionally, they demanded raising the weekly maximum of $275 for those on unemployment to at least $400 per week and the duration extended from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
“The Governor can fix the issue of extending the number of weeks people are eligible today with the stroke of a pen, but he refuses to do the right thing for the people of Florida,” Torres said.
Sen. Perry Thurston of Broward County said he and his Democratic colleagues expressed doubts about the unemployment system when it was implemented in 2011.
“We voted against it because we knew that it was wrong,” Thurston said. “We voted against it because it’s wrong to pay people the basic minimum that you can pay them. These are not people who don’t want to work, these are people who have been laid off.”
5 comments
Don'tRepeatMistakes
May 15, 2020 at 2:57 pm
The Democrats, as usual, want to spend billions of dollars to change a system that has actually worked for years, until the virus pandemic put a strain on the system, that overloaded it.
If a new, costly system, is put into place to accomodate this unusual time, we will spend money (we don’t have) to put a system into place that will soon not be needed.
Over the years, the election system has been upgraded and millions spent, mainly due to problems in Democrat run areas. Each time millions in upgrades were bought, and each time, the new system failed. Now, we are asked to once again to be foolish with our limited resources, for political purposes.
This is exactly why most of the areas in America, that have the highest taxes, and the worst results from them, are in Democrat controlled States and cities.
Ocean Joe
May 15, 2020 at 5:09 pm
So screw the unemployed. That was the original intent of the current system’s creator…to discourage people from filing. So if we apply your standard, then why is the performance of Florida’s unemployment compensation system ranked last in the entire country (if we are a Republican controlled state with lowest taxes and best results)?
WR
May 15, 2020 at 7:48 pm
You have not got a clue about what you are talking about. I come from Massachusetts (nicknamed Taxachusetts for many years)and have been in Florida for about 20 years now. What Massachusetts has in Taxes, Florida more than makes up for in FEES for everything, so even though Florida calls them fees, they are really taxes. I have been unemployed in Mass and unemployed in Florida. Mass pays more and treats you as a human being, not a freeloader like Florida does for the peanuts they give you. Mass gives you your benefit when it is warranted, unlike Florida that tries to cheat you out of it. If Florida did the same as Mass, they would not have to be asking for a special session and better benefits. Florida Republicans have brought this on themselves for trying to outsmart their citizens. And in summary, you and people like you are what is wrong with this system.
Deborah Deyell
May 16, 2020 at 6:19 pm
Thank you to all of you that are standing up for the hard working people. Please don’t give up. The government is dishonest and selfish and I hope karma come back to them. This money is for the hard working people give it to them. I filed 3/15 still no money. I can’t go back to my job it’s closed. I care for my elderly 82 year old mother.
Harvey
May 19, 2020 at 4:50 pm
Doesn’t the Cares Act signed by Trump on March, 29 also include an extra 13 weeks of benefits at the state rate?
Isn’t there also something that adds weeks to Florida unemployment based on the state unemployment rate?
I am not certain if the state has the option of opting out to these additional benefits
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