ST CLAIR SHORES — Yesterday, the state Unemployment Insurance Agency revealed that 1100 Michiganders filed bankruptcy after being falsely accused of fraud by the faulty MiDAS computer system. Last year, Democrats proposed funding a victims compensation fund to provide resources to those individuals falsely accused of fraud to make them whole, but the proposal was rejected. In response to this report, state Rep. Kevin Hertel (D – St. Clair Shores) issued the following statement:
"Michigan families are hurting – wages have not kept up with inflation, our roads are broken, and millions of dollars in handouts to wealthy corporations and CEOs haven’t resulted in any kind of a comeback for working families. That was made even worse for thousands of individuals who were fighting to make ends meet when they were falsely accused of fraud by a faulty computer program and forced into bankruptcy.
"Time and again, Democrats proposed solutions to help these families get their lives back, and time and again those proposals were slow-walked or flat-out rejected by Republican leaders in Lansing. Kicking the can down the road is not only unacceptable, it is a total dereliction of the responsibility we have as legislators to solve problems for Michigan families. These people have already suffered long enough. The fact of the matter is, the money is there to make individuals whole now; before Republicans raid those dedicated funds for other projects it is only right that we fully address the wrongs that have been done to these families."