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 FUNDED 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 WHAT 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 SPEAK 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.