As Southern governors play politics, children go homeless
The index for this week's Facing South e-newsletter looks at the declining economy. While governors of several Southern states turn down millions in federal stimulus funds, the residents of those states continue to experience some of the worse economic fallout from the current recession.
Number of jobs lost in the U.S. over the last six months: 3.3 million
Rank of South Carolina among states with highest unemployment rate in the country: 2
Amount of federal stimulus funds South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) has pledged to decline because of disagreements over how it should be used: $700 million
Number of South Carolina teachers that a state Republican official estimates will be laid off if the federal stimulus funds are declined: 4,000
Number by which the number of unemployed people grew each day in Louisiana in December: 430
Amount of federal stimulus money for unemployment insurance that Gov. Bobby Jidal (R) has stated he intends to refuse: $98 million
Unemployment rate in some counties of Mississippi: 19%
Amount of federal stimulus money for unemployment insurance that Gov. Haley Barbour (R) has stated he intends to refuse: $50 million
Percent of members of the Mississippi House that voted in favor of a bill stating their "intent to request and use all" of the federal stimulus money offered to their state: 57%
Number of homeless children in the United States: 1.5 million
Percent of America's identified homeless children that live in just 11 states: 75
Number of those states in the South: 9
Number of children homeless in Louisiana, the state with the highest percent rate of child homelessness in the nation: 204,053
If you're not receiving the newsletteryet, please sign up in the box at the upper-right-hand corner of thissite. All sources for these figures on file with the Institute for Southern Studies; for moreinformation, e-mail sue@southernstudies.org.
Number of jobs lost in the U.S. over the last six months: 3.3 million
Rank of South Carolina among states with highest unemployment rate in the country: 2
Amount of federal stimulus funds South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) has pledged to decline because of disagreements over how it should be used: $700 millionNumber of South Carolina teachers that a state Republican official estimates will be laid off if the federal stimulus funds are declined: 4,000
Number by which the number of unemployed people grew each day in Louisiana in December: 430
Amount of federal stimulus money for unemployment insurance that Gov. Bobby Jidal (R) has stated he intends to refuse: $98 million
Unemployment rate in some counties of Mississippi: 19%
Amount of federal stimulus money for unemployment insurance that Gov. Haley Barbour (R) has stated he intends to refuse: $50 million
Percent of members of the Mississippi House that voted in favor of a bill stating their "intent to request and use all" of the federal stimulus money offered to their state: 57%
Number of homeless children in the United States: 1.5 million
Percent of America's identified homeless children that live in just 11 states: 75
Number of those states in the South: 9
Number of children homeless in Louisiana, the state with the highest percent rate of child homelessness in the nation: 204,053
If you're not receiving the newsletteryet, please sign up in the box at the upper-right-hand corner of thissite. All sources for these figures on file with the Institute for Southern Studies; for moreinformation, e-mail sue@southernstudies.org.
