“Residents in the state are reporting a meltdown in its safety net just as the US’s unemployment figures rise to unprecedented levels. Nearly 17 million people have lost their jobs across the US. Officially 472,000 people in Florida filed for unemployment within the last three weeks. The true number, thanks to failing Connect, is much higher. And in this swing state the mess has handed the Trump administration a giant headache ahead of November’s elections.”
“Florida residents who successfully file for unemployment are eligible for a maximum $275 weekly benefit to compensate for the loss in pay. Congress, in its recent stimulus package, also guaranteed an additional $600 a week starting whenever a person filed their claim.”
“But a person cannot get either payout unless they have been processed and approved by the state’s system. Unable to file an application, many are left without compensation and fear they will miss out on weeks of essential paychecks. People have been lining up for miles to receive food from food banks.”
Medicynical Note: Full bore Conservative/Libertarian belief dismantles Federal government services except for possibly defense. This is disastrous when done without careful consideration of the consequences of the cuts in other services–some of which we are now experiencing in the Trump era.
Blindly following the radical conservative/libertarian playbook Trump cut taxes for the wealthiest in the country and in this case created record debt in the “best of times.” At the same time along with many other bizarre roll backs of policy, Trump and his cronies destroyed the ability of the government to anticipate and respond to the predicted inevitable epidemic/pandemic. As happened time after time in my medical career if we didn’t think something was possible sooner or later it happened.
Not only did the conservative/libertarian brain-trust undermine our medical capabilities in the NIH, CDC and the NSC, but they also cut to shreds the safety net for citizens. In Florida their staff cuts and inadequate support systems make accessing benefits for the newly out-of-work at least inconvenient and at worst impossible.
In the future if these folks get their way you can bet there will be major cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaids as well as a dissolution of the Affordable Care Act and undermining of the pre-existing illness protections. Trump has already indicated these are his intentions by his budget requests and legal actions.
Full implementation of any -ism whether libertarianism, liberalism, or communism without balancing the needs of the citizenry, will lead to consequences, some unintended and often disastrous. Instead we need a balanced approach with an understanding by government and citizenry of the scope of necessary services and the needs of the great majority of citizens. The current group’s main concern seems to be the welfare of corporate entities and the 1% highest income groups (i.e. big campaign contributors) in the country. Not good.
Medicynic 