Closing Ashland’s unemployment office is illogical, especially with AK Steel layoffs

According to Gov. Matt Bevin, he never threatened to hurt Rep. Kevin Stinnette’s district if Stinnette didn’t change parties. Yet he is closing the unemployment office in Ashland.

So, I find it extremely difficult to believe he’s telling the truth, regardless of his claims to be a Christian.

Ashland has more than three times the population of Morehead. Though Ashland itself has an unemployment rate of 1 percentage point less than Morehead, several cities that use this office are well above both.

By the time the Ashland office is closed next month, more than 600 workers will be laid off from AK Steel, one of our few higher-paying businesses. Thus, the loss will trickle down, causing other businesses to close.

Also, many in this region don’t have reliable transportation. Often they walk, take a bus or ask a friend for a ride. If the unemployment office closes here, receiving services will be next to impossible for so many.

Bevin has yet to give a logical reason that Morehead was chosen over Ashland. Being more centrally located doesn’t mean anything if the majority of the need is in the northeast.

This story was originally published January 27, 2017 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Closing Ashland’s unemployment office is illogical, especially with AK Steel layoffs."