Democrats urge Schwarzenegger to fill vacancy at state employment agency

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Four Democratic assemblymen are urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to appoint a director for the Employment Development Department -- a job that has remained vacant since November when Patrick Henning resigned.

The Democrats say the vacancy ‘highlights a serious case of neglect’ by the governor. EDD administers unemployment benefits for out-of-work Californians.

California’s unemployment rate remains at 12.5%, according to the most recent statistics from the department. EDD has come under fire in recent months for delays in handing out unemployment benefits. The department has also been plagued with faulty telephone systems that have made it difficult for out-of-work people to reach EDD agents, file claims or seek guidance from department officials on how to collect unemployment benefits.

[Updated at 5:18 p.m.: A Schwarzenegger spokeswoman, Rachel Arrezola, said the administration was ‘working to fill the position with the most qualified candidate as quickly as possible.’]

You can read the letter here.

-- Anthony York