Jobless workers demonstrate in Miami Springs in support of continued federal unemployment benefits in the pandemic economy. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
As an Arizonan, I’ve become accustomed to my state placing near the very bottom on important measures of a state’s long-term health and stability, such as education and childhood poverty levels. So it’s no surprise that our state is nearly dead last in terms of unemployment benefits.
But I wonder: Could Arizonans finally be ready to turn things around and put the “worst in nation” ratings behind us?
Through no fault of their own, more than 1.6 million Arizonans weathering our pandemic-ravaged economy have found themselves either unemployed or underemployed, facing multiple furloughs or suddenly thrust into part-time work.
When it comes to shared pain, we are truly “in this together,” and it’s in that togetherness that voters might finally realize the importance of electing officials who will fund a safety net.