Thanks Rick, tax on businesses to triple,

[white cloud]

They finally put a pencil to it Sonia. Sad

GOP Gov. Rick Perry earlier this year stood against the state taking $555 million in additional federal stimulus money for unemployment benefits because taking it would have required expanding jobless benefits. Critics have said taking the money would have cut the amount employers must now pay, but Perry and backers of his move, including the Texas Association of Business, have said rejecting the money was proper because the costs associated with expanded coverage would have remained after the stimulus funds were gone.

AUSTIN – Two-thirds of Texas businesses will see the unemployment taxes they pay per employee per year nearly triple – from $23.40 to $64.80 – under rates announced today by the Texas Workforce Commission.

The minimum tax is paid by nearly 255,000 employers, or 67 percent of those who have been in business for at least a year, according to the commission.

The taxes feed the state's unemployment trust fund, which has been depleted by a high number of jobless claims. The state already has borrowed about $1 billion interest-free from the federal government to help keep the fund afloat.

Just counting state-paid unemployment benefits – not federally funded extensions – Texas is paying $68.6 million a week in unemployment benefits compared with $33.6 million a year ago. >>>>>
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6759214.html

[sonias]

1. Yea, thanks Pricky Perry!

And frankly I don't see it ending there either. This is just the first rate adjustment. You know it's still going to get worse before it gets better.

And when Obama tries to step up again and create jobs in Texas - what do the Republicans like John Corndog say - "absurd"

San Antonio Express 12/08/09
Obama jobs plan lauded by S.A. leaders
December 8, 2009

(snip)
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas called spending any of it "absurd" and added that if "the president truly wants to encourage the private sector to begin hiring, he should restore fiscal discipline in Washington and abandon job-killing initiatives."

In his speech, Obama accused Republicans of failing to take responsibility for the current economic crisis. He said he was forced to tackle it upon taking office "largely without the help of an opposition party, which, unfortunately, after having presided over the decision-making that had led to the crisis, decided to hand it over to others to solve."

:grr:

Sonia

[Aragorn]

2. but but...

If Texas secedes they can print their own money to pay for it all!