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Speaker Summaries
“Do You Need a License to Kill Buzzards?
Ask Your Senator!
But, he doesn’t know either which Sen. Mark Warner freely admitted when a constituent posed that question.
However, your Senator’s staff will find out for you whether you can just go out and shoot a buzzard.
Ann Rust, State Services Director for Sen. Warner, gave the buzzard question as an example of what constituents expect a senator’s office to know when she and three other staff members spoke at the June 2 Richmond First Club meeting.
While they may not have a specialist in the legality of buzzard shooting, Mrs. Rust explained that the Warner office is set up so that various staff members have specialties. So a bird question would likely be referred to a staffer most equipped to know or either who knows how to find out.
Mrs. Rust first worked for Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, a Northern Virginia Republican, for 14 years. Her husband is a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
She explains: “This not about party. It’s about the people.” “We serve all the people. We are the people on the ground without any regard for party (that constituents belong to.)”
“What we need are people who understand agencies (federal) very well.” As an example, she said, the Sen. Warner housing specialist is located in Norfolk. Housing questions are referred to Norfolk, one of six offices around the state and including Washington, that provide services for constituents.
While some Democrats and Republicans questioned Rust’s appointment to Sen. Warner’s staff, there is no question that she brought valuable expertise to his operation.
Likewise, Joann Pulliam, now on Sen. Jim Webb’s Richmond office staff, first worked for Sen. Chuck Robb for 12 years heading his casework. When he was defeated, she was asked to set up Sen. George Allen’s constituent service which she did for three years.
“There are 100 senators and 100 models of how to run a Senate office,” said Conaway B. Haskins III, state director, based in Richmond, for Sen. Jim Webb. Field representatives do community engagement. Caseworkers work on individual situations that might involve Social Security or veterans issues, he explained.
A ‘special project’ that a staff member is assigned to is exploring economic development opportunities for the Franklin International paper plant that is closing, he said.
In Sen. Robb’s 12 years in the Senate, his staff handled 52,000 cases. Sen. George Allen dealt with 13,000 in three years. Sen. Webb’s office has already, in just three and a half years has handled 26,000 cases. “That number keeps going up,” Haskins said.
Sen. Warner’s office, with four staff members took 500 calls in one day at the height of the health care debate. “No one ever calls us when they’re happy,” Ann Rust said.
Courtney Dozier, outreach director for Sen. Warner in his Washington office, said staff members who work for Virginia senators are lucky because the state adjoins Washington. If she worked for a South Dakota senator, she said, “I’d be doing my job there.”
“We are in unprecedented times. There is a lot of misinformation—from the stimulus on to health reform concerns. But we’re at a point now, where we have our sea legs under us, Ms. Dozier said. Patrice Lewis in Richmond will help. “If your grandson becomes an Eagle Scout, let us know, we want to send him a letter.’
“Warner on Your Corner,” Ms. Dozier said, is an attempt to “take staff where we don’t have an office.” Constituents should look for notices that Sen. Warner staff members will be at a location, possibly a library, and visit to discuss concerns.
But all four staff members agreed, constituents write Virginia senators, primarily, when they are upset, have opinions they want to relay or issues they want or do not want the senators to support.
That goes with the territory, they said.
How best to contact your senator?
- The anthrax precautions are still underway. Letters to Washington must be cleared.
- That is not the case with letters sent to regional offices.
- Telephone calls to local offices or Washington to express opinions are carefully are kept and records are provided to the Senators.
- Emails, likewise.
Here is what Haskins of Sen. Webb’s staff recommends:
“Due to on-going security concerns, constituents should be aware that mail sent to Washington, DC congressional offices is subject to additional screenings which may delay their receipt by the member of Congress. For persons who desire an immediate response to their individual needs, contacting a regional office may prove more effective. Telephone calls and emails to local offices or the Washington office that express opinions on legislative matters are duly noted and responded to appropriately.”
Staff members recommend going to the Senators’ websites to obtain contact information. Statewide offices are listed with addresses, phone numbers and email.
Go to; http://webb.senate.gov http://warner.senate.gov
Real Estate Jolts Took a Toll On the Richmond Region
When Laura Lafayette ran an ad recently for a staff opening at the Richmond Association of Realtors, she received 200 applicants. Only one in the lot was working.
Lafayette, CEO of the Realtors trade organization, used her experience with a job opening as an example of how hard hit the Richmond area has been in jobs. She ticked off the large companies that have down-sized or departed—Circuit City, Land America, Wachovia, Quimonda. The assault on Richmond’s job market has “dented our psychological psyche,” she said.
The price appreciation of housing was clearly not sustainable, then came the “creative financing” and finally the crash.
Steps taken such as the first time home buyer tax credits “did what they were supposed to do. The real estate market is beginning to move. But “09 was a tough year for real estate. We slogged through,” Lafayette said.
Ahead is an inevitable interest rate increase. “Smart sellers put the right price on their homes the first time. Interest rates will go up and when they go up, buyers need to worry, not about the price, but what will it cost me.”
Foreclosures will continue, she said. “Foreclosures are demoralizing and stressful. The social toll is something we want to avoid.” She described the distress of families being uprooted when they lose their homes and must move to smaller quarters or with friends and family. Children may have to change schools.
The value and importance of affordable homes will be an outcome of the housing trauma of the last few years. The “next general of buyers will want affordable homes.”
Lafayette predicts that this trend will encourage investing in existing houses, using infill lots and general community revitalization. Areas such as Manchester and Blackwell, she said, will be “the next area to explode.”
The housing she envisions serves an array of buyers, it is close to jobs and transportation is integrated into the neighborhoods.
To accomplish new thinking on housing that appeals to all income levels, Lafayette said, “The challenge doesn’t rest with the city or the county but with all of us. I am bullish on the Richmond metropolitan region.”
Leaders must come forward who are “willing to take some arrows.” Providing housing that serves all markets will require “a little courage’ and civic engagement.
Some tools to accomplish that? Affordable housing ordinances. De-centralizing poverty through mixed use. Incentives.
And some advice for dealing with elected leaders: “When we don’t lean on our elected officials, they listen to the whiners.”
Pleading Poverty Doesn’t Work: Numbers Show City Inequities
“We can’t say ‘We’re poor.’ That doesn’t work,” said Kelly Harris-Braxton, executive director for Virginia First Cities. What does work, is hard information, charts, numbers that demonstrate the funding plight of cities, she said.
Harris, speaking at the April meeting of Richmond First Club, described why Virginia cities came together in 1999 to form a “loose coalition” of cities to seek more success at the Virginia General Assembly.
Virginia First Cities is able to narrow the focus to larger cities with unique problems unlike the Virginia Municipal League that represents all cities. She highly praised VML, however.
Locked into their boundaries by the moratorium on annexation, Virginia cities have more costs than counties, Harris said. “Our (state) policies encourage suburban sprawl. That forces the cities to a higher tax rate.”
Harris-Braxton ticked off some of cities’ unique problems.
- Tax exempt property. Fifty percent of the property in Portsmouth is tax exempt. In Richmond, about 25 to 30 percent of the property is tax exempt.. Tax exempt property is generally government owned property.
- Cities contain brownfields, old buildings, old industrial properties, once productive, but now part of blight .
- Poverty rate in Richmond is 20 percent, three times higher than Chesterfield County.
- Free lunch measure in Richmond, 75 percent; Chesterfield 20 percent.
- Localities are being funded at 2006 rates forcing local governments to pick up the losses with their only source—real estate taxes.
- Road maintenance funding must be paid by cities while counties rely on the state.
In the recent General Assembly when war broke out over the Local Composite Index, the complicated formula that determines school funding for local governments, Virginia First Cities played a significant role. VML had to back off because the proposals of Governors Tim Kaine and Bob McDonnell affected cities differently with competing results for local governments. However, VFC “did one thing that was pivotal.” VFC created a chart that showed the impact of the proposed LCI changes on member city governments . Legislators were shocked, Harris-Braxton said when they saw how the proposals would affect their constituents.
The “education” of legislators resulted in compromises that were more fair than either Governor’s original proposals, she said.
Keeping watch on legislation and its outcome for city governments has been effective, she said. “Policies often don’t make a lot of sense. We were able to save $7 million for the City of Richmond.” A House Appropriations proposal would have eliminated ‘at risk’ funds based on free lunch numbers that are “a big benefit for us.” VFC warned about the impact of the proposal and it was abandoned.
The present economic situation could have some positive outcome, Harris-Braxton said. But strategy is needed to seek positive results. “It would make sense to regionalize. It would save money,” she said.
“Sometimes, necessity makes things change.” That could happen, she said, “based on localities that are willing to work together.”
Kelly Harris-Braxton previously was director of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations and Assistant City Attorney for the City of Richmond. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia and William and Mary’s Marshall-Wythe School of Law. She is the mother of two sons and is married to George Braxton, former Richmond School Board chairman.
February 2010 Luncheon: "Citizens Must Come Forward"
Speakers: James D. Campbell, R. Michael Amyx, James Regimbal
Some politicians have suffered at the hands of their opponents or voters because they voted FOR the Warner administration one half cent sales tax increase that brings in $1.2 billion a year. That increase, prompted in 2004 because of an economic downturn, has been completely “blown”, well, “neutralized” is the word that Jim Regimbal uses.
“Tax relief”has come in many forms--historic rehabilitation tax credits, low income tax relief, land preservation tax credits, reduced sales tax on food, estate tax repeal. These and a few others add up to $1,830,000 general fund tax losses. The biggest chunk of committed state general funds is the car tax refund that takes nearly two billion to pay local governments for car taxes they collected until the Gilmore administration car tax change.
That 2004 “bump” in state revenue has been given away.
And therein lies just one part of the sad tale of how Virginia got in the worst financial mess it has been in since the early 30s. But there is much more, and worse.
Regimbal, a veteran of the Senate Finance Committee and now a consultant for the Virginia Association of Counties (VACO) and the Virginia Municipal League (VML), gave the Richmond First Club February 3, a primer on the state budget. He was joined by Jim Campbell, CEO of VACO, and Mike Amyx, CEO of VML.
This was just one of many bleak pictures presented by the three governmental finance experts.
The three long-time observers of Virginia finances are clearly troubled.
“Citizens need to come forward,” Amyx said when asked what the public can do about the serious financial situation. They need to understand what is at stake, Campbell added.
Governor Tim Kaine, in the last two years, had to cut drastically from the state budget as resources shrank. His proposal to eliminate the state funds provided localities to reduce car taxes and increase the income tax by one percent was turned down immediately by the new administration and the House of Delegates.
The McDonnell administration, then, faces making further cuts education and other state services to balance the budget before the General Assembly adjourns in March.
“Here is part of the problem,” Campbell said, “We’re blending four budgets.” Governor Kaine presented his budget as he left office. But now the new Governor and the House and Senate will each come up with their own versions to balance the state budget. “We haven’t heard anything from McDonnell or the House or Senate. They’re playing close to the vest.”
Budgets Will Be Melded
But the cards will have to be put on the table February 21 when the Senate and House of Delegates conferees meet in conference committee to try and meld the proposals of both governors and their own proposals into a single budget.
One outcome Campbell said, to expect is a new spelling for taxes and it is “F E E S”.
“Virginia is 41st nationally in per capita income,”said Amyx. “We’re a no-frills state. . . “We’ve reached a critical point in public policy questions. We’re started to hear ‘we need to raise taxes.’ But we have a philosophy in the House of Delegates that we will not raise taxes.”
“We’re going to see some real erosion going forward,” Amyx said.
With state resources diminishing from all directions--fewer people working means less income tax. Fewer people working means fewer people spending--lowered sales tax receipts. Yet cost, such as Medicaid, continue upward. “Medicaid is driving our budget,’ Regimbal said. Stimulus funds delayed the impact but they’re going to be gone. Lowering Medicaid payment to servers when Virginia already is one of the lowest Medicaid payment states has serious results. “Doctors won’t take Medicaid patients--the pay is too low.”
Only Colorado, among all the states is tighter on Medicaid payment than Virginia. “Ïf we cut Medicaid, we lose the federal match,” Regimbal said.
Some examples of hits on the budget include:
State debt service is going up by 5%. Borrowing is out because the state’s highly protected AAA bond rating would be threatened. Virginia has already been borrowing and the rating is already at risk.
Constitutional officers--sheriffs, police, commonwealths attorneys--have already taken a 20 percent cut.
Cuts in state funding will come to education and payment to the state retirement system.
Counties are going through their reserves. Chesterfield has one of the worst problems. Reliance on real estate taxes is a major Chesterfield problem but, also, the county’s payment from the state’s complicated composite index has affected education funds as well.
Possible Cuts in Education
Regimbal gave examples of possible school division budget reductions. They are:
- Elimination of teacher training programs.
- Increase in ‘no transportation” zones and policies.
- Fewer special education, alternative education and other specialty programs (gifted and advanced placement offerings).
- Staff reductions.
- Pay reductions.
- Larger class sizes and fewer teachers.
- Reductions in summer school, pre-school and tutoring programs.
- Pay and benefit reductions for employees.
When a questioner asked why education costs can’t be left to the localities, Campbell explained that Fairfax County, for example is already paying 80% of its school costs.
But, he said, “The state constitution requires the state to supply education to local governments.”
“What can we do?,” another questioner asked in response to comments that the public doesn’t seem to understand that schools, roads and other government services cost money. Ïs it a lack of civics education?,” Karen Raschke asked.
A better educated public would help, Campbell said.
“We Want Our Leaders to Get Along!”Mayor’s Chief of Staff Says
Mayor Dwight Jones’ Chief of Staff, Suzette Denslow, told Richmond First Club members January 6 that her boss is working toward ‘getting along’.
“He reached out to the new Governor. They’re not of the same party, but ‘who cares?’ Richmond is the capital city,” she said. Likewise, he visited the boards of supervisors of Chesterfield and Henrico counties. Previous mayors have not done that, she said. With the Richmond City Council, “We’re working together when we can and we’re civil about it.”
“We have to focus on the good things,” she said. And she reeled off a very long list of “good things” that are happening or have happened in Richmond. Included were Mead Westvaco and Altria locating in Richmond, Riverfront housing, the Hilton Hotel, baseball, James River Canal Walk.
"Leaders make it happen,” she said. “The leadership has to convince people to come to Richmond. We have so much to offer.” "We have to focus on the good things,” Denslow said but used examples from the Richmond Times-Dispatch to suggest that that doesn’t always happen.
Her greatest concern was how the news was played that Richmond has dropped 50 cities from 49th to 99th in city crime rankings. The ranking by Congressional Quarterly Press was based on 2008 crime data.
The story was played as a short under the Metro listing of “News Near You” on December 5. That, she said, is a perfect example of “good news” that was practically ignored in newspaper coverage. The one paragraph short said the Quarterly Press ranked Richmond fifth in crime nationally in 2005. The astonishing drop to 49th from fifth in four years was attributed by Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood to community partnerships, close work with the commonwealth’s attorney’s office and the Cooperative Violence Reduction Partnership that includes local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
In two other examples of what she believes are unfair portrayals of Richmond city crime, she provided copies of murder reports in the Times-Dispatch on the same day, April 14, 2009. A front page story reported on a Henrico murder with the headline, ‘Delivery driver was a ‘good person’. The story was about the robbery and killing of a Chinese food deliverer.
On the Metro front a very large headline read, “Man Killed in Richmond.” Was the Henrico man a good man and the Richmond man wasn’t , Denslow asked?
A Richmond First member said, yes, there is a lot of good going on in the city but unemployment continues to be a serious problem. “What is the mayor doing to address unemployment?,” she said.
Denslow replied, “We’re looking at workforce needs and the education system. “We want the drop-out rate to go from 31 percent to zero. We all know people who are looking for jobs.”
Richmond will be celebrating its sesquicentennial, she said. But, before that, she invited Club members and the public to attend Mayor Jones” State of the City annual address Tuesday, Jan. 26, at Richmond Center State, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
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Limitations on Virginia Governor and Government Hurt the State
December speaker summary - Bernie Niemeier and Mike Brooks on the Dillon Rule, Two-term Governors and more
“Virginia’s governor has about 18 months to accomplish anything.” And that isn’t long enough, according to Bernie Niemeier, the new owner and publisher of Virginia Business magazine.
As the only state in the nation that doesn’t allow the governor to succeed him or herself, Niemeier told the Richmond First Club December 2 that Virginia’s governors have control of their own budgets for only two of their four years in office.
Niemeier and Dr. Mike Brooks, professor emeritus of urban planning at VCU, spoke about handicaps to governing in Virginia.
“But,” Niemeier asked, “Is there the political will to take it (allowing two terms) on?” If two-term governor legislation had passed last year, the first time a governor could succeed himself would be 2017. Some fear the lengthier term would give too much power to the governor.
Career politicians, career lobbyists and bureaucrats hold too much power now, he said.
Niemeier believes the one-term limit stymies accomplishment and leadership.
He also believes that the moratorium on annexation, now extended to 2018, creates financial challenges for cities that have led some, such as South Boston, to become towns to operate under county governments. Fairfax County, he said, is exploring becoming a city because it is larger than any of Virginia’s independent cities. The independent city and county system creates unfair collection and distribution of resources, Niemeier said.
In response to a question about the seeming ability of Hampton Roads governments to work together more cohesively that the Richmond region, Niemeier agreed. “Hampton Roads is different because of its diversity. That is probably the influence of the military.”
Virginia Business has an office in Hampton Roads so he is there frequently. He cited a regularly sponsored Hampton Roads regional meeting that attracts about 1,100 attendees. Compare that to Richmond’s second Crupi report presentation that drew about 300 people. “We don’t see the same level of civic engagement that you see in Hampton Roads.”
They would say that they don’t have regional cooperation, he added. “But Mayor Paul Fraim (Norfolk) has done a wonderful job. They have a very, very impressive downtown.”
Mike Brooks Laments Failure to Use Survey Results
A former president of Richmond First Club, Brooks reviewed the results of a study on the Dillon Rule (resulting from an 1868 court case that local governments have only those powers given them by the state) by the Club in cooperation with the Virginia Municipal League and the Virginia Association of Counties.
Conducted eight years ago, Brooks said the results were never made available to the public. The 19 per cent response rate was low. However, the 131 responses were revealing. Surveys were sent to local governments across Virginia.
“We got a long list of things they wanted to do but couldn’t do,” Brooks said. “The list was the most valuable part of the report.” The list included such items as the inability to make local laws on guns in bars or signage.
Asked about preferences for home rule or sticking with the Dillon Rule, 49 percent preferred home rule, 39 percent had no opinion and 12 percent wanted to retain adherence to the Dillon Rule. They were mostly small town governments, Brooks said.
The Dillon Rule has long been praised by the state Chamber of Commerce and it is highly favored by lobbyists, he said. On controversial issues, it is much easier for lobbyists to deal with one entity—the state—rather than individual local governments. Brooks used gun legislation as an example. The National Rifle Association can kill state level legislation much more easily than would be possible if gun bills could be handled by local governments.
Dysfunction in Virginia is a result of the Dillon Rule, Brooks said. Leadership and advocacy for change is required to eliminate Dillon. That hasn’t surfaced.
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Suit tells Richmond First Club that change will come quickly with new administration
Terrie Suit was still exuberant from the Republican victory celebration of the night before when she spoke to Richmond First Club Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Change would start immediately, she said. A McDonnell staff member told her at the victory party that the first planning meeting for the new administration would be at 7 a.m. the next morning.
Suit, a former Republican delegate who represented Virginia Beach was Invited to speak on redistricting because of her former membership on the Privileges and Elections Committee when she served in the House of Delegates. Nonpartisan redistricting is an issue of emphasis for Richmond First Club.
At the lunch meeting, Suit read from the McDonnell campaign website: “Whether through legislation or a Blue Ribbon Governor’s Panel, Bob McDonnell will ensure bipartisan citizen involvement in the state legislative and Congressional district redistricting process in 2010-11.”
“He keeps his word,” she said. Richmond First members were urged to contact the McDonnell transition team to relay support for the last opportunity for 10 years to change the redistricting process. “Bob’s creation of a commission will have a huge impact.”
Since re-districting was not a bigissue in the campaigns, Suit said it will be important for supporters to press the governor to follow his promises.
Suit was on the subcommittee that killed legislation in 2008 that would have set up a commission. Political voting districts are changed every decade after the census. “The process is inherently political,” Suit said. Some P & E committee members are totally opposed to a bipartisan plan. But, she pointed out, there will be new members of committees after this election.
Asked how to get the attention of the new administration, she advised, “Send multiple letters multiple places.”
The transition team will be named very quickly. State agencies will prepare briefing books describing what action is underway in each agency so the new administration can become informed on the business of the Commonwealth that it is about to take over.
“It’s like a business that has been sold to a new owner,” she said. “They will have to decide who they put in positions and who they need to keep. There are approximately 300 agency heads and executive branch appointments to be made immediately.”
There wasn’t a great change between the Warner and Kaine administrations because they were of the same party. Between the Allen and Gilmore administrations, changes were fewer as well. The Attorney General’s office, also, will see limited change with the same party in charge, Suit predicted.
She reviewed changes that the House elections will bring about. There will be reorganization as Republicans gain one to two seats on each committee as a result of the eight seats they have picked up.
The 2010 session, she said, will likely emphasize ethics legislation. That will be prompted by the questions involving Del. Phil Hamilton (R-Newport News), a long time delegate and vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, who sponsored a budget amendment for Old Dominion University and also sought a job at the university.
The loss of Hamilton will be felt because of the massive 27 percent of the budget devoted to Medicaid. “Hamilton,” she said, “is the guy who understands it.”
But she was sympathetic with the plight of elected leaders. Financial pressures on delegates are immense. When she decided to run for the House, her employer told her she would have to give up her bank job—the time demand would be too great. She was allowed to stay only after then Governor Jim Gilmore intervened with the bank. Delegates are paid $17,760 yet their service is now year-round for commissions, committees, constituent work and fund-raising.
Excited about the executive branch Republican victory, Suit has no regrets about having resigned from the House to take a lobbying job with Williams Mullen law firm. Her Navy seal husband retired two years ago and the pressures on a politician take a toll, she said.
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Does Virginia need tax reform?
Politicians Need to Look Under the Rocks
Revenue Sources Are There; Cuts Are Killing Va.
(highlights of Mr. Cassidy's presentation to the Richmond First Club on October 7, 2009)
When Michael Cassidy visits the General Assembly during legislative sessions, he spends much of his time in the House Finance Committee. But few folks are there. They’re all in the Appropriations Committee.
Getting the public interested or concerned about resources is challenging, Cassidy told the Richmond First Club at its October 7 meeting.
The House Finance Committee is the body that makes the laws that bring in revenues.The House Appropriations Committee spends the money.
In government, as in all of life, spending is more fun than producing resources.
Candidates running for office need to remember that when governments don’t have money, you’re talking about what pays for police and fire protection, children’s schools, health care and elder care. These public services are at risk with the billions cut from Virginia’s budget with more cuts to come in Governor Kaine’s final budget.
Cassidy is the executive director of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, an organization initiated in 2006 to bring independent analysis to state finances.
He compares the present state financial situation to his large Boston family’s challenge in the 70s. In those tight times, his family cut costs. His father kept the thermostat so low the family shivered. They had to dip into college savings and his mother went back to work.
Likewise, Virginia has cut costs and used savings (the Rainy Day fund) but, Cassidy says, the state has not looked for more revenue sources and they are there.
“In 2009, we had a nine percent drop in state revenues. The state budget needs to grow by six percent a year to keep up with costs. This raises the question of whether we’re cutting so much that we’re damaging our structure.”
“It’s up to us to do some truth telling in the campaigns. Virginia is 48th among the states in spending on Medicaid and 37th on education. As an example of the challenge of trying to find major savings in existing public programs, he said , “The Health Care Commission came up with interesting proposals (for improving health care).” But, he said, even an outside management consulting firm couldn’t find savings in the existing Medicaid program to pay for them since the program is already quite lean.
Politicians have been too quick to grant loopholes. Tax advantages or tax elimination are enacted with no sunsets. “They just go into the (state) code and they stay there. They don’t come under review like the appropriated side of the budget.”
Many of the funds from the 2004 tax reform legislation disappeared. “Almost before the ink was dry, we began giving it away,” Cassidy said. Elimination of the estate tax and tax credits for long-term care are examples of the ‘give away,’ he said.
Internet sales taxes have been successfully passed in some states but to make that and other important tax reforms happen in Virginia, ‘We need a champion. We could use your help.”
Virginia also needs revision of its unemployment laws. Workers getting re-trained or those with part-time jobs are handicapped by laws that restrict payment to those who are available for full-time work. Just four states have more “anemic” unemployment laws, Cassidy said.
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