Gov. Says Florida’s Unemployment System Was Designed to Create ‘Pointless Roadblocks’
Another parting gift from Florida’s ex governor, Rick Scott.
Amid staggering job losses in March and April, Florida’s unemployment system was the slowest in the country to process claims. Residents described nightmarish experiences as they tried to get benefits. By April 20, just 6% of Floridians who had applied for unemployment benefits had received a check.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said that result was by design.
“Having studied how [the unemployment system] was internally constructed, I think the goal was for whoever designed, it was, ‘Let’s put as many kind of pointless roadblocks along the way, so people just say, oh, the hell with it, I’m not going to do that,’ ” DeSantis told a Miami CBS affiliate this week.
Florida’s online system, known as CONNECT, debuted in October 2013 during the administration of DeSantis’ fellow Republican Rick Scott, now a U.S. senator.