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Republican 98% 0% 1% 63 total votes

Democrat 6% 93% 0% 47 total votes

Voters 100% 0% 0% 1 total vote

Comments

1) Re: 2011 House Bill 4408 (Increase unemployment benefit fraud damage penalties )  by cen20474 on April 1, 2011 

You SOB are reallity something. If you wanted to save the state money (All you have to do is go to part time Legislator) and the state would save Million of $$$$$$$$$$$$$ 

2) Re: 2011 House Bill 4408 (Increase unemployment benefit fraud damage penalties )  by Admin003 on March 23, 2011 

Senator Pappageorge's statement is as follows: 

 I would remind the previous speaker, maybe folks don't understand how this money works. Each individual 

business owner has an account with the feds and the state, and that business owner pays that money to the feds and 

to the state. We all understand that now? So when you suck money out of every one of the businesses in your 

district, don't ask them to be able to hire or keep more people. They can't do it if we keep sucking the money out of 

that business. Hello? Hello? This is not business versus workers. The only people who pay taxes are individuals. But 

we go out of our way--and have for years--to figure out how to have business collect the money for us. That's what 

is going on. 

 Every one of your businesses--let me say it again--every one of the businesses in your district are paying this bill. 

They need relief. The idea of some magic, federal money comes into the system, and therefore, allows people to buy 

things and businesses prosper is really misguided.  

 This bill extends benefits for 20 weeks. At the same time, it gives relief. Let me say that again: It gives relief to 

every business in your district, and if you're telling me the businesses in your district don't need that relief, I would 

say check again with your businesses. 

3) Re: 2011 House Bill 4408 (Increase unemployment benefit fraud damage penalties )  by Admin003 on March 23, 2011 

Senator Caswell's statement is as follows: 

 Small businesses are job creators, and over 80 percent of our jobs come from them. I ran into an individual who 

owns a factory in my district when I was campaigning. He spent over half of his personal fortune to keep his factory 

open and going. His comment to me was, "Bruce, these people I have working out here are my friends and 

neighbors, and I am going to do everything I can to make sure they continue to have a job." I have compassion for 

that kind of individual who is living the American Dream and doing everything he can in order to keep his people 

employed. 

 I ran into numerous, numerous small business owners who had spent their entire 401(k)s that was their retirement 

in order to keep their business open through the dark days to keep their friends and neighbors employed. They have 

nothing left for retirement. I have compassion for those people who have worked hard every day of their life and 

sacrificed everything when times got tough to keep their friends and neighbors employed. 

 I ran into a flower shop in one of my cities. I walked in and it was 60 degrees in that flower shop. They did not 

have money for heat. They were $3,000 behind in their rent, and the individual who owned the building said, "I will 

let you stay there as long as you keep people employed." And she did. I have compassion for those people who have 

done everything in their power to keep their businesses going and to keep people employed. The stories go on and 

on and on. Small businesses--the job creators--are our friends and neighbors. They employee our friends and 

neighbors. We have to understand that when they live the American Dream, we all live the American Dream. Hard 

work should be rewarded, and success should be rewarded. Each of us should praise those who create jobs and make 

the kind of sacrifices that I just mentioned to keep their friends and neighbors employed. I salute them.  

 Yes, there are a lot of things wrong with unemployment. I will tell you of one. One is that if you are a private 

business owner of a certain kind of business and you shut it down, even though you are required to pay 

unemployment on yourself--full unemployment--you get seven weeks of unemployment and that is it. Oh, you can 

also get a five-week extension, but you are expected to pay fully into the unemployment insurance fund. I have 

compassion for those people who have paid the full bill and can benefit very little from the unemployment insurance 

system. 

 God bless our small business owners, and may we make Michigan a state that you are proud to be in; that we 

welcome success, and we champion those who employ our friends and neighbors.

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