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Economist: Consultant should set unemployment insurance rates

October 15, 2009 By

A South Carolina Department of Commerce Economist says the state needs to hire a consultant to review the tax structure used by the Employment Security Commission.

Economist Dr. Rebecca Gunnlaugsson(gun-LOG-son) says workers at three percent of South Carolina firms receive 30 percent of the state’s unemployment benefits and those firms pay in only eight percent of contributions to the government’s unemployment insurance pool. She says there’s a greater tax burden on employers of low-wage workers than businesses with better-paid employees. She says the current system provides incentives for companies to layoff workers.

Board of Economic Advisers Chairman John Rainey has been meeting with leaders of the Employment Security Commission, the Department of Commerce and others, to develop a plan for paying back the federal government for an Unemployment Insurance Fund deficit fast approaching $1 billion, and for rebuilding the state’s Unemployment Trust Fund. Thursday’s meeting may be the last meeting of Rainey’s work group. He says it’s now up to state lawmakers.

Governor Mark Sanford has called what he is calling an Unemployment Roundtable for Tuesday on similar issues, to which business leaders from all over the state are invited. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, News

LAC reports on Dept. of Corrections

October 15, 2009 By

The General Assembly?s Legislative Audit Council has released its report on the S.C. Department of Corrections.

The audit found no major problems with how inmates are treated, and no major problems in the way prison administrators handled a hostage situation three years ago.

Agency Director John Ozmint says he’s pleased with the report, which he says confirms again that the employees of SCDC are doing a great job under difficult circumstances.

“Even the report points out,” said Ozmint, “that under dire budget circumstances we continue to reduce escapes, and we continue to reduce assaults.”  “So the public is safer than it was seven years ago.   Our recidivism rate remains below the national average.”    

Ozmint says the investigation was thorough.  “We feel like we’ve been to the proctologist and gotten a clean report,” he said. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Legislature, News, Politics & Government

End of extended unemployment benefits will affect thousands

October 15, 2009 By

The South Carolina Employment Security Commission has announced that the state’s Extended Benefits program will end Saturday.  E-S-C Deputy Executive Director Jimmy Jones says the end to Extended Benefits is the result of the federal formula which allowed the state to qualify for the program in the first place.  Jones explains the actual formula that initiates the state’s participation in the program while pointing out that there is a marked difference between the total unemployment rate and the insured unemployment rate. 

“The total unemployment rate considers everybody who claims to be looking for a job who doesn’t already have one. The insured unemployment rate is calculated by only using those people who actually file a claim for unemployment benefits. While the state’s total unemployment rate is calculated to be 11 percent, our insured unemployment rate is less than five percent.”  

Jones says when the state’s insured unemployment rate drops below five percent the Extended Benefits program ends for at least 13 weeks. Jones says the program can recycle back on after the 13-week period is over if the insured unemployment rate reaches over five percent.  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economy, News

SC Health Underwriters battle public option health care

October 15, 2009 By

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee passed a version of health care reform this week, known as the Baucus bill. It does not include a public option. South Carolina Association of Health Underwriters is a health insurance group that serve as benefit specialists. Spokesperson Robert Frazier explained to Charleston affiliate WTMA what he thinks of the government’s public run option.

“Well I’ll be out of business as soon as that is in. The public option is going to be a government run program just like Medicaid and Medicare are at this point at time. Do you think that is financially sound? You’re gonna have doctors leaving their practices, they’re going to be reimbursed, the hospitals are going to be reimbursed less. A huge flood of people, and you’re not doing anything about 14 million illegal immigrants who are not covered under this bill, not intended to buy health insurance whether they are illegal or not. They’re still going to show up on the door steps of the emergency rooms, and as a country we don’t not give people care,” says Frazier. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economy, Health & Medicine, News

Joe Wilson to host three town hall meetings Saturday

October 15, 2009 By

For the first time since his “town hall moment,” Congressman Joe Wilson is hosting a day of town hall meetings.

When Joe Wilson of the Second District yelled “You Lie” at President Barack Obama during a joint session of Congress, it was the “shout heard round the world.” After he apologized to the president, he called the outburst “a town hall moment,” referring to the yelling matches that occurred at such gatherings that were held throughout the country this summer

Town Hall meetings have been a Joe Wilson tradition, and they have been well-mannered events–until the health care debate (and some well-placed hecklers) ignited less-than-civil debate.

Health care will head the agenda as this Saturday, the Congressman is taking on three town halls in his district… in one day. They will be at 9 a.m. at Barnwell High School, noon at North High School in the town of North, and then at 4 p.m. at Wade Hampton High School in Varnville.

Wilson’s office says he is willing to talk about any and all concerns the Second District may have.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, News, Politics & Government
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