GOP Governors Turning Down Stimulus Money?

The Huffington Post reported that six republican governors have considered turning down money from the federal stimulus package.

A handful of Republican governors are considering turning down some money from the federal stimulus package, a move opponents say puts conservative ideology ahead of the needs of constituents struggling with record foreclosures and soaring unemployment.

Though none has outright rejected the money available for education, health care and infrastructure, the governors of Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alaska, South Carolina and Idaho have all questioned whether the $787 billion bill signed into law this week will even help the economy.

I am really dumbfounded that anyone would consider this an option and agree with Atlantic blogger, Ta-Nahisi Coates, that this is “politically stupid.”

How do you tell your citizens, yes the federal government was going to give us billions to repair our schools and create jobs, but I said no? Especially given the economic conditions of these states:

Unemployment Rates

• South Carolina - 9.5 percent (Ranked 49^th)
• Mississippi - 8.0 percent (Ranked 40^th)
• Alaska - 7.5 percent (Ranked 35^th)
• Idaho - 6.4 percent (Ranked 22^nd)
• Texas - 6.0 percent (Ranked 17^th)
• Louisiana - 5.9 percent (Ranked 16^th)

This is probably just a play for press coverage. But if they are seriously considering refusing the money, they should listen to constituents like Ruby who wrote the following comment to this post:

Governor Stanford,
Given the percentages of the unemployment rate in South Carolina and the number of families who will, if not already, lose their homes through unemployment, how will you help these people stay in their homes. Building one retail mall will not cut it. Maybe you and your supporters are feeling the pressure of a failing economy but believe there are more people who would benefit from the stimulus package than from your pride and possible other hangups. That old southern mentality needs to be put on the shelf. The good ole boys way of thinking will get the people of S.C. nowhere, unless of course you have a few billion dollars lying around to bail out the people in S.C.