Posted on 08/02/2010 3:18:07 PM PDT by reaganaut1
...
Ms. Jarrin is part of a hard-luck tribe of jobless whose members have taken to calling themselves “99ers,” because they have exhausted the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits that they can claim.
For them, the resolution recently of the lengthy Senate scrum over extending jobless benefits was no balm. The measure renewed two federal programs that extended jobless benefits in this recession beyond the traditional 26 weeks to anywhere from 60 to 99 weeks, depending on the state’s unemployment rate. But many jobless have now exceeded those limits. They are adjusting to a new, harsh reality with no income.
With long-term unemployment at record levels, about 1.4 million people were out of work for 99 weeks or more in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not all of them received unemployment benefits, but for many of those who did, the modest payments were a lifeline that enabled them to maintain at least a veneer of normalcy, keeping a roof over their heads, putting gas in their cars, paying electric and phone bills.
Without the checks, many like Ms. Jarrin, who lost her job as director of client services at a small technology company in March 2008, are beginning to tumble over the economic cliff. For them, the last vestiges of their former working class or middle-class lives are gone; it is inescapable now that they are indigent.
Ms. Jarrin said she wept as she drove away from her old life last month, wondering if she would ever be able to reclaim it.
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Nevertheless, the political appetite to help people like Ms. Jarrin appears limited.
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She says none of her three adult sons are in a position to help her.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Are these people so utterly stupid they believe this is the majority of Americans?
Ya know what I think? I believe there are a lot of pompous people out here that are well taken care of, that have *never* been on the brink, that yap bucket fulls of BS about how good they are, and about how hard they work, while suggesting all these millions of other Americans are lazy good for nothings. Pumps up their pomp.
I think you misread my post. I can assure you, I'm definitely not jumping on the "the unemployed are lazy" bandwagon. There's a lot of people suffering out there. There are no jobs. Now there are no more checks either. My point was that desperate means will lead to desperate measures and there's a lot of Americans who are each day joining the legions of the desperate. And when this happens, there's going to be a lot of Americans doing things they never thought themselves capable of doing, --because they're not going to just sit and starve to death.
Good post, I like it.
As bad as the economy is, there actually are a fair number who view unemployment as an extended vacation, and milk it for as long as it lasts, merely going through the motions as far as required applicatons for employment. We see them all the time.
These are in the minority right now, though. Things are pretty bad, people who have never drawn unemployment in their entire lives, who are desperate to find a job, can’t find one, with months turning to years. They’ve paid in all this time, I don’t begrudge them.
So, there’s some underlying truth to the pomp and bloviation from those who clearly have never feared losing everything they have, but the utter lack of empathy makes me think they’re the sort of so-called “conservative” who believes US citizens to be somehow overpaid and lazy anyway. The cheap labor crowd.
>> And get rid of AA
Alcoholics Anonymous? American Airlines? Anti Aircraft? Or wut?
lol...I knew a guy in graduate school who took a picture very similar to that. His statement was, “Oh G— D-—, she was BEAUTIFUL last night! The whole darkroom bunch fell out laughing. It was just too funny.
Please....
Lemmme tell ya, the only people with that mind set would have to be living at home with their folks, rent free for the most part...
Otherwise, they are not going to be paying for food, utilities, their mortgages, rent payments, car insurance car payments, health insurance, repairs, gasoline, credit cards, medical insurance etc etc etc....
Collecting unemployment just don't pay for all that stuff...
It's a fast death and anyone over 20 years old with real life expenses, knows this all to well.
Just try to collect unemployment for 3 months, with real life expenses.....You're done, cooked, game over.....
Affirmative Action.
>> Affirmative Action.
(slapping forehead) Of course!
I agree completely. Carry on!
Please yourself. I see them coming through the door daily, no interest in an actual job at all (and we actually do have openings unlike most in the area), just going through the required motions to keep the ESC happy.
How they’re supporting themselves is not something I’ve spent much time speculating upon, but the majority are women. Medicaid, foodstamps, added benefits for children, subsdized housing ... it no doubt can be done because there they are. Of course you can rent a cheap little two bedroom house on the bad side of town for less than $400.00 a month here, so maybe that has something to do with it.
Nevertheless, the political appetite to help people like Ms. Jarrin appears limited.
...
She says none of her three adult sons are in a position to help her.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Excuse me? They are ‘not in a position to help?’ What are they doing that they can’t help their mother through this? And if they’re unemployed themselves, I’d suggest they start growing food NOW in their backyard and everywhere they can raise food. And if they don’t have land, they’d best find those long lost relatives, they may have dissed as country bumpkins and see if they need help on the farm.
I just can’t believe she and they have no options, or are ‘not in a position to help.’ My grandparents and parents used to say ‘where there’s a will there’s a way.’
I think there are some that are doing as RC maintains and there are many that are in desperate straits. Honestly, I think there are large numbers of people that just couldn’t believe this could happen in America. They assumed that we’d have been long out of this recession by now - and when they had an opportunity to save for a rainy day in the past (or for a protracted recession/depression), they did not do it. To some degree it’s people’s lack of foresight, lack of discipline in not caring to have foresight and planning, and assuming that the Fed Government was going to ‘take care of them’ that has caused this huge chunk of people to now be on the abyss.
Where’s the outcry against obammy? I guess we’re seeing his poll numbers continue downward and we’re seeing the outrage of the growing number of Tea Party adherents.
People need to deal with where they are to survive right now. Right now they need to press into their family support systems, their churches and synagogues, go to pea patches, volunteer to work at food banks and shelters so they themselves can benefit and stay alive - people like these need to get creative.
It’s no longer time for pride - it’s time to SURVIVE and live to transition into another time.
And for God’s sake, if you voted for Obama, and are now being humbled, please, please consider this a life lesson.
OK, I’m done. ;)
“What would the pioneers and the people that built this nation say about such people?”
Can you imagine - once the wagon wheel fell off, do you think they’d wait for the federal calvary to come to the rescue? Wow, sure recipe for poverty and death, hmm? I do feel for your brother, but heck, hopefully they can learn a life lesson here, tighten the belt, grow some food, learn to can, etc.! And take a couple $10/hour jobs!
If this woman attends church regularly she’d be more likely to get help.
That’s why I included God. The churches can’t help everyone, especially since government has taken that role for a small fee. People need to be a part of a church when things are going good, not just when they want a handout.
“You could lower the minimum wage $1.50 today, and it’s not going to fix this economic disaster.
Deport several hundred thousand illegals every week from the U.S., and reform the endless chain immigration, lower business taxes, and dramatically reduce the size of the federal government and only then you’ll start to see some improvements.”
Right. It’s bad. And it aint gettin’ any better with some bandaids - ‘specially not obammy’s brand.
“I love it when people say ‘get 2 jobs ya bum’ when someone is saying ‘I can’t find even one’. Ivory tower thinking of the worst kind.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Ivory tower thinking is a tradition with some on FR!
Good post and I agree.
We need to get rid of illegal immigrants and rethink the overall immigration policy, that wont happen under Obama or the Rhinos though.
//Deport several hundred thousand illegals every week from the U.S., and dramatically reduce the size of the federal government//
Yes entire departments need to go away from the Fed, with the Dept of education being the first one to go.
Video: George Carlin -- "Who Really Controls America"
Bravo for George Carlin. He was miles and miles ahead of the other alleged pundits and gurus.
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