The Connecticut General Assembly

House Democrats

For IMMEDIATE Release Contact: Todd Murphy

December 30, 2009 (860) 240-8519

REP. HOLDER-WINFIELD WANTS GOVERNOR TO AID

THE STATE’S UNEMPLOYED
State website cannot handle the volume of unemployment claims

State Representative Gary Holder-Winfield (D-New Haven) today sent a letter to

Governor M. Jodi Rell on behalf of unemployed Connecticut residents who have been
unable to file unemployment insurance claims on the state Department of Labor’s
website due to the site’s inability to handle the increased volume of claims. The
department has assured Rep. Holder-Winfield that the website would be upgraded by
spring of 2010 – leaving many of the state’s unemployed without access to their benefits
for three to four additional months.

Rep. Holder Winfield said, “A fix by spring time is inadequate while thousands of
Connecticut residents lose their jobs and depend on their unemployment benefits. At
every level of government we knew that unemployment would rise this year. It was the
state’s job to be prepared and we were not.”

In his letter to the governor, Holder-Winfield stated, “May I ask, of you Madame
Governor, that you make it clear that this situation must be fixed now. May I also ask
that you speak with your commissioner to figure out how we can greatly accelerate the
timetable for a fix.”

According to the state Department of Labor, Connecticut had an unemployment rate of

8.2% in November of this year, a decrease of 2,600 jobs from October 2009 – a decrease
of 62,000 from the November 2008 numbers.

****Letter attached****

###

Room 4100 • Legislative Office Building • Hartford, CT 06106-1591 • (860) 240-8500 • hdo@po.state.ct.us
December 30, 2009

Governor M. Jodi Rell

Room 202 - State Capitol
Hartford, CT 06106-1591

Dear Governor,

I hope this letter finds you well during this holiday season. I write you because, while you and I may be
doing well, there are people in our state who cannot say the same and we can help them.

After a number of days of hearing from many individuals and the problems they have when attempting
to file unemployment claims, on November 30th, I sent a letter to the Commissioner of the Department
of Labor (DOL) expressing my concerns with this matter. The issue has evidenced itself at both the
department’s site and phone system but I chose to focus on the site hoping that if this was a bandwidth
issue that the solution could be resolved quickly.

I am in receipt of a response from the DOL Commissioner’s office regarding my inquiry and the matter
at hand. I appreciate the response and acknowledge and believe that the issue is being worked on but a
fix by spring time is inadequate.

At every level of government we knew that unemployment would rise this year. It is that knowledge
which undergirds the current resistance to cutting programs that is at the heart of the debate between
your office and the legislature. Knowing this, it was the state’s job to be prepared and we were not.

I believe that when we are allowed the privilege of serving we enter into an implicit agreement with the
people that we, if we do nothing else, will make sure they are secure. When the unemployment benefit
is not accessible we create a situation of insecurity. I know that, like me, you understand this concept
and that it guides what you do.

May I ask, of you Madame Governor, that you make it clear that this situation must be fixed now. May I
also ask that you speak with your commissioner to figure out how we can greatly accelerate the
timetable for a fix.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully,

Gary A. Holder-Winfield
State Representative – 94th District