Michiganders Blast Gretchen Whitmer over Unemployment System Failure: ‘Governor Doesn’t Give a Hoot About Any of Us’
Working Michiganders displaced by the coronavirus pandemic are confronting a new frustration: A failing unemployment computer system.
“My encouragement for folks is, keep attempting to get that application in,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) told reporters on Thursday.
“But, know that we understand the incredible strain on the system, the incredible number of people that have been impacted, and we are going to work to make sure people get the unemployment that they need to get through this crisis.”
One resident, Kathy Mooradian,
told the
Detroit Free Press she has been trying to file a claim “for days,” that she ran out of patience, and that “our governor doesn’t give a hoot about any of us.”
“We understand the frustrations and we appreciate the patience people have shown,” Jason Moon, a spokesman for the state Labor Department said, according to the paper. “We are experiencing an unprecedented historical demand on the system.”
Mooradian, meanwhile, was more direct, demanding Whitmer “fix the damn 800-number,” a play on the governor’s promise as a candidate to “fix the damn roads.”
The Michigander said the unemployment system “cannot complete my call, is too busy sometimes it answers and I get to press 1, then it just hangs up.”
She added, “This has happened over 100 times.”
On Tuesday, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (DLEO) posted an alert on Twitter acknowledging the failure of the Unemployment Insurance Agency.