Posted on 02/20/2010 7:20:19 PM PST by Red in Blue PA
BUENA PARK, Calif. — Even as the American economy shows tentative signs of a rebound, the human toll of the recession continues to mount, with millions of Americans remaining out of work, out of savings and nearing the end of their unemployment benefits.
Economists fear that the nascent recovery will leave more people behind than in past recessions, failing to create jobs in sufficient numbers to absorb the record-setting ranks of the long-term unemployed.
Call them the new poor: people long accustomed to the comforts of middle-class life who are now relying on public assistance for the first time in their lives — potentially for years to come.
Yet the social safety net is already showing severe strains. Roughly 2.7 million jobless people will lose their unemployment check before the end of April unless Congress approves the Obama administration’s proposal to extend the payments, according to the Labor Department.
Here in Southern California, Jean Eisen has been without work since she lost her job selling beauty salon equipment more than two years ago. In the several months she has endured with neither a paycheck nor an unemployment check, she has relied on local food banks for her groceries.
She has learned to live without the prescription medications she is supposed to take for high blood pressure and cholesterol. She has become effusively religious — an unexpected turn for this onetime standup comic with X-rated material — finding in Christianity her only form of health insurance.
“I pray for healing,” says Ms. Eisen, 57. “When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got to go with what you know.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Years without jobs? I don’t think so. There is no way in Hell Americans who are out of work, running out of money and hope are going to put up with ‘’years without jobs’’, no way. This is going to get ugly as people get desperate. If Obama and his thugs think this is going to play well for them they’re mistaken. Unemployed, angry people want jobs and financial security fast, not ‘’hopey, changey’’ bs. Obama hasn’t a clue to the tidal wave coming.
Being other than religious and moral is what expanded the government and decimated jobs. People who follow the word of God are INDIVIDUALS who follow the precepts handed down to them. They succeed individually but are a community and as such lift one another in lifting themselves.
Saving and hard work are just two very simple precepts the moral and religious have held themselves to, which create jobs. If everyone with a job began saving and cutting some of the high life-on-credit the resultant capital would go looking for work. If those who are out of work cast off despair and trust in God by keeping their nose to the grindstone in looking for ways to develop their skills or develop something others need, then sooner or later they and all of that loose capital will find one another. This simple synergy is one of the things that pushed America to the pinnacle of national achievement in all of history.
That is not politically correct!
Well, unless a person in their late 40’s/early 50’s is a government employee, they ought to have enough good sense to vote conservative or at least Republican by that age; regardless of bailouts or anything else.
What people in this country (and, indeed, the world) have to realize is that the bailout(s) of Wall street bankers are going to cost them several additional years of work before they will able to retire. *That* is the sobering thought, as far as I’m concerned. These bailouts will represent a non-subtle dimunition in the quality of life for each and every American not a direct beneficiary thereof.
Understand that a bailout of Greece is in the works. I believe I read that the average retirement age in Greece is 56. In Germany, 59. So Germany and by extension Germans, the people, will go further into debt in order to subsidize the early retiremenet of Greeks. Oh yeah, I’m sure that will go over well.
Technically, it is not public assistance. It is an insurance policy paid for by the employee and the employer. The benefits are meager and compared to what was paid in, obscene.
Sorry, but I don't see any evidence of low-wage jobs in our area. McDonald's - not hiring. Home Depot - not hiring. Grocery stores - not hiring. Landscaping companies - not hiring. Walgreen's - not hiring. Brake shops, tire shops, lube shops - not hiring or downsizing.
Think you could point me to the jobs you were referring to? My son-in-law has been looking for over a year. He's an experienced construction and roofing worker in Colorado.
I lost my job and my house. I am scrabmling constant to feed my family and keep a roof over their heads.
Everytime I see Obama’s mug on TV I want to throw up. He gives billions to his friends, but won’t get out of the way and let small businesses survive.
I refuse to collect government aid. I work three jobs and get very little sleep. I plan to make my anger known in the midterm elections and 2012.
If the Republican Party were led by someone like Ronald Reagan, I might agree. But if the Republican Party is led by some guy with inherited wealth from his northeastern country-club ancestors, can you expect some working-class guy to identify with that? Remember that we may be polticial junkies who know what everyone stands for, but the average swing voter gets his info from the MSM. My neighbors (God bless them) would never go for a sleek “suit” like Romney. They might go for Sarah Palin or Duncan Hunter.
The Obama Plan working to a T....
“Saul Alinsky on “Change”...
From Rules for Radicals, Alinsky outlines his strategy in organizing, writing”
That works well if it deals with peasants, not with the middle class which is being destroyed.
That’s the flaw.
I washed clothe diapers, fatigues, and clothes in the bathtub when we didn't have money for the laundry mat.
The services provided by illegals was geared to the booming economy where people could afford hotels and resturants, new houses, and lawn services. That makes about 20 million illegals permanently unemployed. We are going to look like Mexico with beggars in the streets unless Obama and McCain can make them all into citizens and put them on welfare or conservatives come to power and ship them back to their own countries.
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