Less than a week after House Republicans thwarted his attempt to extend unemployment insurance to more Virginians, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is taking his fight for additional stimulus funds directly to the people.
And while he's at it, he's taking another shot at GOP lawmakers.
"These are Virginians who are struggling to make ends meet and to keep a foothold in a very difficult economy," Kaine writes in an e-mail to the mailing list of his political-action committee, Moving Virginia Forward.
"And instead of getting a hand across the aisle from the House Republicans, Virginia got the back of their hand."
The governor then urges supporters to sign on to an e-mail petition demanding that GOP lawmakers return to Richmond for a reconvened session and "do the right thing."
Last week, the General Assembly, fueled by the Republican majority in the House of Delegates, defeated Kaine's amendments that would have enabled Virginia to collect an additional $125.5 million in federal stimulus funds.
Virginia would qualify for the funds only if it changed the rules of who qualifies for unemployment benefits to include both part-time workers who lose a job and unemployed workers who are enrolled in job-training programs.
Backed by business groups, most GOP lawmakers opposed the legislation. They said it would be a disincentive for part-time workers to seek full-time work. They said it also would increase already rising unemployment insurance costs to businesses once the stimulus funds run out.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate R. Creigh Deeds yesterday called Republican candidate Bob McDonnell's opposition to the unemployment legislation "a heartless act."
McDonnell's campaign yesterday called for an end to "political posturing" and said McDonnell is working to find a way for the federal government to remove the requirement that would force Virginia to change its unemployment program to qualify for the funds.
"The long-term impact of the current mandate will be harmful to job growth and economic development," spokesman Tucker Martin said. He said McDonnell is calling on all leaders to "stop the politics and put the focus on the people of Virginia."
Del. William R. Janis, R-Henrico, said Kaine's letter was "a political stunt" that was "contrived and calculated to generate a partisan, political issue in an election year, not to build bipartisan consensus for policy change that would benefit Virginia's unemployed."
Contact Jim Nolan at (804) 649-6061 or jnolan@timesdispatch.com.
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