Note: Opportunity For All Floridians sent this press release to news outlets in the Orlando area, after conducting a series of interviews with everyday Floridians who were struggling to make ends meet because they couldn’t get the state’s unemployment system to pay them the benefits they were owed. This press outreach resulted in several local news stories.

Floridians Throughout the State Report Losing Cars, Homes, Credit, Relying on Friends and Family to Survive

ORLANDO, FL: This week, Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled his legislative priorities for his special session taking aim at what he termed “unconstitutional” vaccine mandates. The legislative package included a proposal that would expand unemployment benefit eligibility to those not complying with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. In response, unemployed Floridians who are still waiting for their own benefits spoke out about the current system. “The system is still broken,” several of them said. “What about us?” 

Musician’s Credit Ruined, Facing bankruptcy, living with mom

William Jones talks proudly about working to build a career as a musician in the tourist industry in Central Florida. “I spent my whole life developing my skill set to get to the point I'm at in my career.” Jones made a steady income working as a drummer for live bands in the Orlando area, but lost his work at the start of the pandemic in March of 2020.  

His last show was on the 22nd of March 2020, when he heard the announcement that Disney and all the parks were shutting down. “It was scary,” he says. From that moment until June of 2020, he didn’t receive any payment. But when he did start receiving payments in June, he says the amounts were incorrect.

He says that he was only able to upload half of his income to DEO’s CONNECT system, “so that only qualified for $125 a week instead of $275 a week.” He estimates that because of that error he is now owed almost $10,000. In the meantime, he burned through his entire savings, his credit is shot and he is facing bankruptcy. “And I'm currently shacked up with my mother. So, a proud moment for a grown adult male.”

He’s frustrated when he hears politicians talk about how easy it is to find work now. “A lot of these politicians are just like, ‘Hey, no big deal man, just give up. Take a huge 50% pay cut. Go get a normal job that has nothing to do with what you've done your whole life and just give up your dream.’”

He points out that he’s not “above” doing other jobs. “I will gladly go back to doing asphalt and doing everything like it. Whatever it takes to pay my bills.” 

He says that the gig workers in the arts and entertainment industry have been taken for granted. “When everything is lifted and there's no quality entertainers or people left in our industry and our industry is sunk, which is a billion dollar industry, if not more. It's just really going to be unfortunate for them to look and just realize how broken and flawed their system was and how simple the fix would have been for so many of us.”  

When asked his opinion about the governor’s plan to provide a new unemployment benefit for workers who lose their jobs because they refuse to get vaccinated, his response was one of disbelief. “The fact that the money's there and we don't know where it's at, but they're talking about giving it to brand new people… and it’s possible the system may work for these people and they'll all get their money right away? And then we're just left in the dust?” Adding that he suspected the Governor’s proposal was about making politicians feel good about themselves, “but for all of us, it's like we’re the island of misfit toys.”

He’s ready to move on with his life, and he wishes the Department of Economic Opportunity felt the same way: “Just take care of the people and just hopefully just be done with it.”

Mr. Jones has work prospects coming up in live music and hopes to start a new job in December.

A March 2020 “Black Hole Victim” finally receives $125 per week

Lisa Kreitzer of Orlando says that it was only through sheer determination and the assistance of unemployment activist Vanessa Brito that she was able to receive any benefits owed to her. She calls her case a “black hole” case: one of tens of thousands from the beginning of the pandemic, when a stream of Floridians were trying and failing to obtain unemployment benefits through the DEO web portal known as “CONNECT.”

After waiting for eleven weeks for the system to pay out nine weeks of unemployment, Ms. Kreitzer was only able to obtain $125 per week. Her opinion of the system: “It's a system designed to fail. It’s as simple as that.”

As for the benefits she did receive, they were clearly not enough to cover her living expenses. Florida has not adjusted its maximum weekly benefit amount since 1998, when it was set at $275 per week. Most applicants do not receive the maximum, and like her, receive a much smaller amount. Legislation introduced in February 2021 by Senator Jason Brodeur (R) of Lake Mary, Florida, would have increased the maximum weekly amount from $275 to $375. Other legislation introduced by Democrats would have increased the amounts even more. Legislation proposed by Rep. Anna Eskamani (D) of Orlando would have increased the weekly maximum to $500, among other fixes. 

Senator Brodeur’s bill was adopted unanimously by the Florida Senate, but was not heard in the House and eventually died. The Democratic bills were not given a hearing.

Ms. Kreitzer equates the struggle to raise unemployment benefits in Florida to the struggle it has taken to raise the minimum wage. She doesn’t have the answer for how to fix it, but she says it is “clear as crystal” that something needs to be done. She insists that Sen. Brodeur’s legislation to raise it “even $100” would have helped. “But somehow we couldn't even seem to give ‘em that. Why? Why?”

“Truly, this experience with unemployment has opened my eyes to a lot of ugly,” she says. Turning to a phrase from the U.S. Constitution, “We The People,” she adds with a wry laugh, “‘We The People’ is getting fleeced.”

“An insult”: unemployed workers react to the special session

Across the state, many unemployed Floridians reacted negatively to the governor’s special session plans. Debbie Sprow of LeHigh Acres, Florida said, “Why don't you take care of the people that are already sitting back waiting to even receive one check?” Ms. Sprow has been waiting since December 9th of 2020 without receiving unemployment benefits. She continued, “You should take care of the people that are backlogged first before you move on to anything else. You already know you have a messed up system.”

“I think it’s an insult,” Mary Staton of Jacksonville stated. “You're going to set up a system to help people who are not vaccinated, will not get vaccinated, will not wear the mask and won't get tested weekly.” “We made national news in Florida for our system being so bad. But now the governor is saying, ‘Hey, I can do something. I can set up a special part of DEO to make sure that we have to get benefits, we help you find employment.’ Where have you been all this time?”

“You don’t treat human beings like this”: Floridians ask where the humanity is. 

Across the state, Floridians are asking why things have gotten so bad. 

Marisel Vega from Hialeah thinks Florida’s system is “very inhumane. You don't treat human beings like this. And it's very unfortunate, and it should have never happened. So I just see DeSantis doing whatever it is he's trying to do as a way to get votes.”

Mary Staton from Jacksonville, Florida, asked “When did we stop being human beings and when did we stop having empathy for people? When did this become political parties and “mask, no mask” takes precedence over if someone eats tonight.”

Ms. Staton added that she was tired of the partisan bickering and ready for solutions. “Hey, Let's take care of some people, let's stop fighting. Let's make sure that we put human beings first.”

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