% THANKS VERY MUCH.
% >> NO, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
% APPRECIATE IT.
% >> FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF A
% NON-BINDING REFERENDUM ON THE
% STATEWIDE BALLOT IN THE APRIL 4
% ELECTION, WHERE MORE THAN THREE
% QUARTERS OF VOTERS SUPPORTED A
% QUESTION ABOUT GOVERNMENT
% BENEFITS THAT READ, SHALL
% ABLE-BODIED CHILDLESS ADULTS BE
% REQUIRED TO LOOK FOR WORK IN
% ORDER TO RECEIVE TAXPAYER FUNDED
% WELFARE BENEFITS?
% ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS THIS WEEK
% PASSED A SLATE OF BILLS, MOSTLY
% AIMED AT UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.
% THE SIX BILLS INCLUDE TIGHTENING
% UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, WORK
% SEARCH REQUIREMENTS, AND DRUG
% TESTING, AS WELL AS BADGER CARE
% ELIGIBILITY.%FOR MORE, WE GO
TO ONE OF THE
% AUTHORS, REPUBLICAN
% REPRESENTATIVE JERRY O'CONNOR.
% THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
% >> THANK YOU
% >> SO WHY ARE THESE PROVISIONS
% IN THESE BILLS NEEDED?
% >> I COME FROM THE PRIVATE
% SECTOR, I'M A FIRST-TERM
% REPRESENTATIVE.
% I CAME OUT OF POSITION AS A
% COMMUNITY BANK PRESIDENT AFTER
% MANY YEARS.
% I REALLY LOOK AT THIS AS GOING
% BACK AND LOOKING AT A SERIES OF
% POLICIES AS THE PRIVATE SECTOR
% WOULD DO AND SAYING, OKAY, WE
% HAVE SOME ISSUES HERE.
% SO IF WE'RE GOING TO UPDATE
% THESE ISSUES, LET'S TAKE A LOOK
% AT A BROADER SECTION AND SEE
% WHAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE THEM.
% ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET TO
% UNEMPLOYMENT.%THAT FUND IS F
UNDED BY
% EMPLOYERS, AND TO THAT EXTENT,
% THEY'RE THE ONES THAT BEAR THE
% BURDEN.%AT THE STATE LEVEL,
WE HAVE A
% FIDUCIARY DUTY RESPONSIBILITY TO
% MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE MOST
% EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE
% PROGRAM AVAILABLE AND WE JUST
% HAVE SOME AREAS WE NEED TO
% TIGHTEN UP
% >> IS IT YOUR SENSE THAT THE
% 25,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE CURRENTLY
% GETTING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
% RIGHT NOW IS TOO MANY PEOPLE?
% >> I WOULDN'T SAY THAT.
% I WOULD SAY THAT, AS IN MOST
% THINGS, WE CREATE LAWS,
% POLICIES, AND STATUTES TO
% ADDRESS A FEW IN OUR SOCIETY.
% MAYBE THE BEST EXAMPLE IS WHEN
% YOU GO TO THE AIRPORT AND YOU GO
% THROUGH THE METAL DETECTORS AND
% YOU WAIT IN LONG LINES, NOT
% BECAUSE EVERYONE IS A TERRORIST,
% BUT BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO
% FIGURE OUT, WE NEED TO WEED OUT
% CERTAIN OR IDENTIFY CERTAIN
% CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE A
% PROBLEM.%AND THAT REALLY IS W
HAT THIS
% BILL DOES.
% SO I WOULD SPEND LESS TIME
% TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO DOESN'T
% QUALIFY IN TERMS OF PERSONALITY
% OR CHARACTERISTICS, BUT IT'S
% MORE IMPORTANT WE HAVE LAWS IN
% PLACE AND WE WANT TO ENFORCE
% THEM AS THEY EXIST OR IMPROVE
% THEM AS THEY NEED TO BE
% >> IS THE MESSAGE THAT PEOPLE ON
% UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ARE
% GAMING THE SYSTEM, AS ONE OF
% YOUR COLLEAGUES SAID ON THE
% FLOOR, OR LAZY?
% >> I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE
% REPRESENTATIVE.%I WOULD SPEA
K FROM WHAT I GET
% FEEDBACK FROM THE GENERAL
% PUBLIC, AND THAT WOULD BE OVER A
% PERIOD OF TIME THAT THEY'RE
% CONCERNED THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF
% MONEY AT THE STATE LEVEL OR AT
% THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WHERE THE
% MONEY IS UNACCOUNTABLE.
% WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S WORKING,
% WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO
% THE RIGHT PLACES.
% WE DON'T KNOW IF THE AGENCIES
% ARE APPLYING THE LAWS AS
% INTENDED.% THE DRUG TESTING
BILL WOULD BE
% PART OF THAT THAT WAS PASSED IN
% THE LAST BUDGET BILL, BUT IT HAS
% NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
% I CAN TELL YOU THE GENERAL
% PUBLIC DOES NOT WANT TO INVEST
% MONEY WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE
% USING THE SYSTEM WITHOUT USING
% THAT SYSTEM TO GET TO THE NEXT
% LEVEL, TO BE EMPLOYED, TO
% GAINFULLY ENGAGE IN THE SOCIETY
% AROUND US IN THAT MANNER
% >> ONE OF THE BILLS, AS YOU
% KNOW, LOOKS TO ACQUIRE MORE
% AUDITS OF WHETHER CLAIMANTS ARE
% DOING THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF
% WORK SEARCHES PER WEEK TO GET
% THEIR PAYMENT.
% THAT'S FOUR PER WEEK, INCLUDING
% DECLINING JOB INTERVIEWS OR NOT
% SHOWING UP FOR ONE.
% ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
% WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, THE
% AGENCY DOES DO THESE WEEKLY
% RANDOM KIND OF AUDITS, BUT IN
% YOUR MIND, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH
% OVERSIGHT?
% >> WELL, IT'S NOT ADDRESSING THE
% ISSUE.
% PART OF THAT ONE GOES BACK TO
% GHOSTING.
% GHOSTING IS A MATTER WHERE
% SOMEONE APPLIES FOR A JOB, SENDS
% IN AN APPLICATION, NOTIFIES THE
% STATE THAT I TOOK CARE OF THAT,
% BUT WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE
% EMPLOYER, THE EMPLOYER IS
% SAYING, WAIT A MINUTE, THERE WAS
% AN EXAMPLE, I BELIEVE IT'S
% AHREN'S CORPORATION, THEY HAD IN
% EXCESS OF 400 PEOPLE THAT SENT
% IN AN APPLICATION FOR
% EMPLOYMENT, BUT WHEN THEY
% RESPONDED BACK TO SET UP AN
% INTERVIEW OR CONDUCT ONE OVER
% THE PHONE OR IN PERSON, THEY
% COULD NOT EVEN GET A SINGLE
% RESPONSE FROM THOSE PEOPLE.
% THAT'S IN A ONE-YEAR PERIOD.
% OR THEY HAD APPOINTMENTS SET UP,
% AND I BELIEVE THERE'S 125
% APPOINTMENTS, PEOPLE SIMPLY
% DIDN'T SHOW UP.
% NOW, IF YOUR OPI YOU'RE THE EMP,
% THIS IS HIGH COST.
% OUR HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENTS
% IN ANY SECTOR ARE TAKING A LOT
% OF EXPENSE TO EMPLOY PEOPLE, SO
% THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ISSUES.
% THIS IS FEEDBACK FROM EMPLOYERS
% SAYING, THIS IS COSTING US A LOT
% OF MONEY, SO I DON'T THINK THE
% REQUIREMENTS FOR THE JOB SEARCH
% HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE
% >> WOULD YOU JUST AS SOON DO
% AWAY WITH THE WHOLE UNEMPLOYMENT
% INSURANCE PROGRAM?
% >> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
% AGAIN, THIS IS -- THE GOAL OF
% THESE BILLS IS TO IDENTIFY THOSE
% PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY NOT
% QUALIFIED TO BE ON UNEMPLOYMENT
% BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT AS AN
% ISSUE.
% AGAIN, THAT'S THE MINORITY.
% WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE THAT --
% THEY'RE NOT OUT THERE TRULY
% LOOKING FOR A JOB.
% NOW, COME BACK TO THE BASIS OF
% YOUR QUESTION.
% I BELIEVE IN AID SCRIPTURAL
% PRINCIPLE THAT SAYS TRUE
% RELIGION IS TAKING CARE OF
% WIDOWS AND ORPHANS.
% THAT'S TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE
% THAT DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO
% TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THEIR NEEDS,
% AND I BELIEVE THERE IS AN
% ABSOLUTE PLACE FOR GOVERNMENT,
% BUT I BELIEVE IT IS TO BE
% EXERCISED WISELY, AND WE LIVE IN
% A TIME WHERE YOU HAVE TO PUT
% MORE RESTRICTIONS OR RESTRAINTS
% OR ACCOUNTABILITY, IS PROBABLY
% MY BEST WORD, IN PLACE IN ORDER
% TO MAKE THAT WORK TO ITS OPTIMUM
% LEVEL
% >> ALL RIGHT.
% REPRESENTATIVE JERRY O'CONNOR,
% THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.