Page 29 - Florida Sentinel 6-5-20

State News
Florida’s Failed Unemployment System Faces New Scrutiny
JACKSONVILLE, FL --- The fact that Florida’s unem- ployment checks are among the lowest in the United States is well known. But more dis- turbing is that 1.2 million Floridians filing claims brought on by the corona pan- demic cannot navigate the state’s online system to get paid.
They spend hours, days and weeks trying to do the on- line application for unemploy- ment without success. Worst of the process of filing was so frustrating applicants give up. This system was implemented under former Governor Rick Scott well before the virus. And it resulted in the state reporting unusually low unemployment numbers in the past and up until March of this year.
Democrats have demanded that Governor Ron DeSan-
tis investigate the bidding process and contract of De- loitte, the company that built it. And Deloitte says the sys- tem was designed per the state requirements. DeSantis has the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigat- ing, meanwhile efforts to crank out claims has not im- proved much and continues to frustrate people in need.
Florida Senate Demo- cratic Leader Audrey Gib- son says the Governor’s agency has to do better.
“We continue to see that people haven’t been paid,” Gibson says adding that more has to be done to repair the failed system and that means transparency.
“They have to find the tools to pay people. People don’t need anymore excuses from the Governor; they need to see the numbers. They need
AUDREY GIBSON Florida Senate Democratic Leader
transparency.”
Gibson was among the
early challengers of the unem- ployment payout system that has collapsed under the weight of the Coronavirus pandemic. Although DeSantis knew of the intentionally flawed sys- tem when he took office in
2019, but never tried to fix it until recently. Now, what changes implemented by his agency are not working.
Governor DeSantis has been under tremendous pres- sure recently for a variety of is- sues surrounding the Coronavirus. A Florida De- partment of Health employee says she was fired because she would not alter COVID-19 data. He stopped the Florida Surgeon General from updat- ing reporters on COVID-19 safeguards and state statistics. Black lawmakers have yet to receive an accurate number of
African American deaths in Florida resulting from the virus.
DeSantis recently lashed out at reporters who ques- tioned the state’s inability to process claims. He said that many claims have errors and that reporters should do the vetting. Of course, that is not a reporter’s job.
Senator Gibson is pro- viding her own transparency by keeping count of the num- ber of paid claims made. You can check the numbers on the senator’s twitter account, capi- tol@ senadudrey2eet.org.
FAMU’s SJGC Division Of Journalism Earns ACEJMC Reaccreditation
TALLAHASSEE, FL - The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACE- JMC) voted to fully re- ac- credit the Florida A&M University (FAMU) journal- ism program.
"I want to commend our team in the School of Jour- nalism and Graphic Commu- nication and those in the Office of the Provost for their efforts that led to the reaffir- mation of accreditation by ACEJMC," said President Larry Robinson, Ph.D.
The ACEJMC Site Team revisited the School of Jour- nalism & Graphic Communi- cation (SJGC) Division of Journalism in January and found the program in compli- ance regarding two accredit- ing agency Standards that
were under review: Standard 5 - Scholarship: Research, Creative and Professional Ac- tivity; and Standard 9 - As- sessment of Learning Outcomes. The Division's ac- creditation had been on pro- visional status.
According to the Revisit Site Team Report, FAMU's Division of Journalism fac- ulty increased its faculty re- search and student assessment activities, while adhering to ACEJMC core values.
In 1982, FAMU's Jour- nalism Program was rec- ognized as the first historically Black College and University (HBCU) program to earn accredi- tation.
The Acting Dean is Bet- tye A. Grable, Ph.D.
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