DPG Issues Statements on State’s Recent Jobless Report and Georgia Republicans’ Economic Failures

Release:  Friday, September 19, 2014                                                                                            

 

Democratic Party of Georgia Issues Statements on State’s Recent Jobless Report and Georgia Republicans’ Economic Failures

 

Atlanta, GA – Today, Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter and Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Labor Robbin Shipp issued the following statements in response to news that Georgia now has the highest unemployment in the country—dead last behind all other states and the District of Columbia.

 

At a press conference yesterday, Gov. Nathan Deal floated a bizarre conspiracy theory that outside influences were to blame for his economic failures.

 

Said Deal: “It’s ironic that in a year when Republican governors are leading some of the states making the most progress, that they almost, without exception, are classified with having a bump in unemployment rates. And states under a Democratic governor’s control are all showing that their unemployment rate has dropped. And I don’t know how you account for that. Maybe there is some influence here that we don’t know about.”

 

“Nathan Deal has cut job training, cut education funding, and refused to make serious investments in our state’s infrastructure—particularly transportation—and this is the result,” said Chairman Porter in a statement. “You know it’s bad when Mississippi is saying ‘Thank goodness for Georgia.’”

 

“Governance is about accountability and priorities,” continued Chairman Porter. “Anytime Nathan Deal is held accountable for his failures, he shirks responsibility and blames someone else. His priorities have nothing to do with working Georgians or those seeking jobs—but he definitely makes the time to scheme new ways to shift responsibility.”

 

“Jason Carter has his priorities straight—putting Georgians and their families first,” concluded Chairman Porter. “I look forward to the day that we finally have a governor who believes in a Georgia that works for everyone.”

 

Yesterday, Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Labor Robbin Shipp said of the current administration: “Our current Labor Commissioner has squandered his opportunity to help the citizens of Georgia. Instead of working with federally funded programs aimed at helping small businesses or helping out veterans get back to work when they return from battle, he has failed to implement the changes necessary to get Georgia’s economy back on track…The choice is clear: Butler and Deal must go.”

 

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BACKGROUND

 

Bureau of Labor of Statistics – Unemployment Rates for States

 

AJC 9/18/14 – In a surprise, Georgia unemployment rate rises again

 

AJC 9/18/14 – Three candidates, three views on jobless rate hike