Deeds commits to restoring lost unemployment stimulus funds

Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee for governor, on Tuesday committed to pursue legislation next year that accepts $125 million in unemployment stimulus funds. The money will help Virginians who lost their jobs participate in workforce-training programs and assist the unemployed and their families as they search for work in the worst economy since the Great Depression.

“By leading the partisan charge to oppose $125 million in stimulus funds to extend unemployment benefits, Bob McDonnell turned his back on Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Sen. Deeds. “This unemployment stimulus money will retrain Virginians to improve their job skills and help the unemployed temporarily put food in the fridge and gas in the tank.”

“I voted for Gov. Kaine’s proposals and I still support them,” continued Sen. Deeds. “I intend to start the process on my first day in office to accept these funds should our hard economic times continue.”

Bob McDonnell opposed modest changes to the law that would have allowed roughly 9,000 part-time Virginia workers – and workers in training programs – to qualify for benefits.

“But it’s about what you’d expect from a candidate whose spokesman tells Virginians they’d rather be on welfare than have jobs,” said Sen. Deeds, “and who thinks that George W. Bush created an ‘economic revival.’”

Sen. Deeds looks forward leading a bipartisan effort to reintroduce legislation to lock down these funds and get Virginians back to work. Virginia has until August 2011 to accept the money.

Sen. Deeds continued his “Deeds Country Tour” today in downtown Danville and spoke with small business owners and employees on Main Street. He discussed his support of unemployment stimulus funds and his economic plan to help small businesses create jobs. Danville’s unemployment rate is currently double the state average.

“As I continue to fight for stimulus funds to help Danville’s unemployed workers retrain and find work, my economic plan will support businesses by providing a tax cut for any company in Virginia that creates even one job,” said Sen. Deeds. “My opponent’s plan requires small business owners to hire fifty workers – twenty-five workers in this region – to gain tax credits, even though their businesses here typically employ less than fifty people.”

Under Sen. Deeds’ plan to jumpstart Virginia’s economy, immediate solutions for small business owners and workers would:
– Provide tax incentives for businesses that create jobs;
– Help unemployed workers purchase emergency health insurance;
– Double the Governor’s Opportunity Fund and put $10 million into job training;
– Create a Rural Business Fund to help small businesses in distressed communities;
– Finish the last mile of broadband by 2013;
– Boost investments in the tourism industry;
– Cut red tape in the small business permitting process;
– Increase state contracting for small, women- and minority-owned (SWAM) businesses;
– And train people for jobs in science and technology related fields.

To read more about Sen. Deeds’ plan to jumpstart Virginia’s economy, please visit http://www.deedsforvirginia.com/Issues/Economy.