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Governor says 9 of 10 Democrats too stupid to use unemployment system made application errors

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https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-
politics/article242772076.html

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Floridians waiting on unemployment checks have 
themselves to blame for not filling out their applications properly.

During an exchange with a reporter during a Friday news conference in 
Jacksonville, DeSantis expressed frustration with news stories that quote 
Floridians who have been unable to receive either state or federal 
benefits.

The governor said that for people who applied in March or early April, 
Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity follows up with them and 
learns that their applications weren’t filled out properly. DeSantis said 
some people haven’t entered their Social Security number or their wages.

“DEO goes through this, and 9 times out of 10, the application’s 
incomplete,” DeSantis said. “And I think if you have applied in that time 
period, and your application’s complete, and you qualify, I think 99.99% 
of those folks have been paid.”

The statement was roundly criticized on Twitter by Democratic lawmakers 
and out-of-work Floridians who have been maddened by Florida’s byzantine 
and broken unemployment system.

A request for clarification from the Department of Economic Opportunity 
and the governor’s office was not immediately returned.

Many applicants have been waiting up to two months for unemployment 
benefits. Some have told reporters and lawmakers that the process has left 
them desperate. A few say they have considered drastic measures such as 
suicide. Florida has been the slowest state in the nation to process 
claims through the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state’s website has been crippled by the workload and is routinely 
down for maintenance, leaving many Floridians to have to make hundreds of 
attempts to apply. Phone lines to speak with a representative have been 
clogged, despite the state spending up to $110 million on call service 
contracts.

Glenn Barca, a professional chauffeur from Wesley Chapel, called the 
governor’s comments Friday “laughable” and disputed that people have been 
paid.

“It depends on your definition of ‘paid,’ ” Barca said.

Barca tried to apply on March 22, but wasn’t able to complete his 
application until March 25. He was one of more than 260,000 Floridians who 
had to reapply in April after the state was unable to process their 
applications.

Just hours before DeSantis’ comments, he received his first payment — 
$600. But in reality, he should have been paid every week since March 29, 
for a total of $4,875, he said. Under federal law, he’s owed that money.

“If I owed the state of Florida $20,000, and I sent them a $20 bill, would 
they say I’ve paid?” Barca said.

There is no way in the state system for him to claim those earlier weeks, 
however. Other Floridians the Herald/Times has spoken to said that they 
also have not been able to claim their past weeks.

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Governor says 9 of 10 Democrats too stupid to use unemployment system made application errors The Nut Party <queers@cnn.com> - 2020-05-16 07:02 +0000

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