Due to receiving more than 200 letters thus far from those who submitted letters to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support , I need to create multiple posts.

The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support is held a hearing on June 10 titled: Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment. I asked readers of Rochester Unemployment Examiner to send me letters they wrote to the Committee that they also wanted to have published here.* Below are some of those letters. I’ll be posting other letters as I receive permission.

There is still time to write; you can submit letters to House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support is holding a hearing until the close of business on June 24.

I want to thank all of you for including me in your letters to the Hearing. I will do my best to reply to each and everyone of you in a timely fashion.

From D.W. in NY:

Dear Senator McDermott:

Hello, my name is DW, a life-long resident of New York State.

In April of 2007 I was involuntarily separated from Eastman Kodak Company due to down-sizing in Rochester, New York.

My husband retired from A.T.& T. in 2002 and is now on a fixed income. I needed to be employed as my income from Eastman Kodak immensely contributed to our household expenses.

Since becoming unemployed we now rely on my husband’s pension check from A.T.& T., which we receive once a month. We have many obligations, including our mortgage payment, all utilities, heating oil, car payment, plus gasoline and maintenance. Not too long ago we had two vehicles, but had to take one off the road because the cost of having two vehicles was too great.

Grocery shopping has become a joke. We try to keep basic staples in the house. Once a month we do a shop that hopefully will hold us over for another two to three weeks. Not to leave out the fact that my husband has a chronic heart condition, and his prescription costs are outrageous! He is on long-term disability and not able to work. I sometimes wonder how we manage to squeak by each month.

When I initially was “let go” from Kodak I was sure I would be able to secure a job easily. I soon found out that this would not be the case. I sent out so many resumes that I eventually lost count, at the least maybe over 250 or more. I used every avenue I had available to me.

I eventually managed to snag three interviews through this nerve-wracking process. Nice “little chats”, “short tours” of their work areas and always the promise that they would get back to me one way or the other. I always sent a follow-up letter thanking them for the interview, and “touched base” two to three times after that. I waited and hoped with my fingers crossed. I NEVER RECEIVED ONE RESPONSE! I sent e-mails to some of these would be employers and was blatantly ignored! Would be employers do credit checks now and I am sure this put a hold on any chance of me being hired. I could go on and on! This has been one of the worst periods in my life. Very, very disheartening.

I received my last unemployment check week ending April 4, 2010. I definitely appreciated the extra boost that my unemployment benefits provided to keep our household afloat.

I continue to search for work but I am not getting very far. I sometimes wonder if I am being discriminated against because of my small stature (not very strong) age and a low credit score. It certainly is starting to feel that way! I know that jobs are few and far between. If there are jobs out there, none are coming my way!

Something needs to be done, I need help, like so many others who are out there struggling to keep their heads above water. The most appropriate word for all us “99’ers is DESPERATE! I can only hope that someone out there will hear us this time!

If I am lucky enough to receive further unemployment benefits until the end of this year I may be able to secure a retail position during the holiday season.

Thank you so very much Senator McDermott for letting me pour my heart out. I am praying my hopes will not be dashed again!

*PLEASE HELP*

*WE NEED A TIER V*

*THANK YOU*

Sincerely,

From T.E. in OH:

My name is T.E. and I have been unemployed since January 25, 2008. Since then, I could count how many responses to my applications/resumes on both hands, much less an interview.

I am a single mom, who has all but depleted my 401k and my pension that I had to rollover to where I could withdraw funds to keep food on the table and a roof over my daughter’s head. Exhausting my unemployment insurance of 99 weeks has been devastating. Hearing members of my elected government state that 99 weeks should be sufficient, that people like me are “deadbeats” and “lazy” are horrid people. Not all unemployed people choose to be. FYI … The “deadbeats” didn’t just mysteriously appear the past couple of years! We’ve been supporting them for years. We are the one who put you in office. We are the ones who pay your salaries. We are the ones whose backs this country rests upon.

It’s humiliating to go to family services to ask for help when you are used to providing for yourself, and then to have those of you who are not in touch with reality say that I just don’t want to work. It wasn’t my fault you allowed the banks to go hog wild lending or that jobs were allowed to go overseas so we could help the economy in other countries.

You worry about the deficit. You say we should worry about our children “tomorrow.” That’s hard to do when you are barely surviving today. The loss of our retirement, savings, and 401k should be sufficient evidence that worrying about tomorrow is a crap shoot. Tomorrow may never come. If an earthquake happened in Chile, India or China, I bet millions would be sent immediately…no vote…no question. We would not only provide for rescue, but for rebuilding. How about helping US? You remember US? YOUR CITIZENS…THE ONES WHO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE????? You kick us to the curb like a stray dog.

When you go to dinner tonight, think of those at the free store. When you pull in your drive, think of those whose home has a foreclosure notice on the door. When you go to bed, think of those who sleep in a shelter. THEN, AND ONLY THEN SAY WE ARE MILKING THE SYSTEM.

Sincerely,

From L.A. in CA:

Dear Committee on the Ways and Means,

I am a 99er and have been out of work since August of 2007. I lost my job from Countrywide Home Loans after going home to Texas to attend to my Father’s final illness and death at age 92. With Father’s day coming up he would be honored to know I am standing up for my rights to work and live the wonderful American Dream that we all want to achieve. As a Veteran of WWII my Father was in the service for our Country and the survival of our way of life, that all of you in Washington enjoy today. People knew how to serve one another and pull together as a nation in those days. No wonder they are called the Greatest Generation. Don’t let our Generation fall into the cracks and that becomes our legacy.

My benefits ended beginning of April 2010. I have applied for countless numbers of jobs. Hundreds and hundreds times, I have sent my resume and had very few responses. I have been on only 4 or 5 interviews and have no luck getting hired. I am as single female and have no one else to fall back on for support. My Mother is age 88 thank God she’s still alive, and fighting cancer, and crippling scoliosis. So I am involved with taking care of her as well as searching for work. So it stresses her everyday that I am earnestly looking for work. And having 30 yrs of work experience seems to be more of a hindrance than helpful. I spent approx. 25yrs in the Film Industry in So. California, Los Angeles. And have had no luck returning. It is very frustrating and I have knots in my stomach wondering how I will pay my bills. We all have a heartbreaking story to tell, which are increasing in severity and numbers each and every day that goes by with no extended benefits passed to help us survive.

Older workers (myself) are passed over for younger less experienced and cheaper priced workers. Also passed over for jobs are workers who have been out of work the longest amount of time. I have signed up with numerous temp agencies, but have found me nothing and say they are getting very few calls for work per week. But are continually bombarded by job seekers. I don’t know how I will continue to pay for my rent if I don’t have a TIER 5 or EXTENDED BENEFITS. I will become homeless once my Retirement savings is all gone. Remember that for every $1.00 of UI benefits received, we put back $1.90 into the economy. So with No JOBS & NO BENEFITS Millions of Americans are suffering.

I don’t think my Father would understand this new America that he cherished and served so bravely to protect. This new America where you work hard all your life and do the right thing only to see your made redundant on the job, suddenly your out of work and everything you worked for disappear and crumble away before your eyes. Yet where Bankers and Wall-Streeters can be bailed out with our tax money and rewarded with high salaries and obscenely huge bonuses. As for the Long-Term Unemployed workers, we are left in the abyss to climb out for ourselves.

We call on you Chairman McDermott and the Subcommittee to help end our suffering and see the plight of the Unemployed today! We need you to call for a new Stimulus package to prevent a Double Dip Recession from occurring as your economists are telling you. Please as well, add weeks of EU benefits until June 2011 for THE LONG TERM UNEMPLOYED WORKERS. Our prayers are always with you. God bless and keep each of you.

Sincerely,

From G.M. in AZ:

To Whom It May Concern:

Just a little over two years ago I was felt my world was moving happily along. I was achieving some of my long term dreams and had hopeful plans for my future. I was in a new career after having been a homemaker and part time teacher. I was in my second year of what I thought was a secure job with Wells Fargo in their boarding services mortgage department. I had just been given a promotion and was on track to becoming a loan processor on my way to working as an underwriter. My 23 year old son had a stable job with Discover Card and was in college part time. My 29 year old daughter had a solid, well paying job as an executive administrative assistant and had moved back home to save money for a house of her own.

Then the bottom fell out. Instead of saving for her own home my daughter is now paying for mine, she is helping me to keep it and not become homeless. This happened through no fault of my own but all because of the bad decisions of the people in charge. I lost my “secure” job along with 60 other co-workers on December 13, 2007 and even though I have gone back to school to reeducate myself in administrative assistant work, I still cannot find even temp work. After my 3 month severance ran out I signed up for unemployment. A year later I signed up for food stamps. I have no health coverage.

On March 30th, I received my last unemployment check. All I have now is food stamps. You can’t live on food stamps. Now I am told to magically make a job appear out of nowhere. Why did the unemployment money stop? Has the unemployment rate gone down? Nope. Have jobs become more available? Nope. Then why isn’t my government willing to help me the way it has helped the big banks, big car manufactures and other countries for crying out loud? I don’t know.

I do know this. Once I was thriving, now I am sinking deep. I got hit with a big blow, losing both my job and career choice, and now while I am down and barely making ends meet with my $240 a week, I get kicked again. The ending of Tier 4 unemployment payments is the last straw for me and my family. Now in order to keep me afloat my daughter is going into debt. I have had to ask my son for help and he is barely making ends meet with work and college. Where once we were getting by we are now sinking, and it’s not one who is sinking but three. Think about this Congress. If you don’t come forward and do the right thing by us “99’ers” and keep unemployment coming until there are jobs to be had, you take down others and create more of the poverty and debt for America you say you don’t want.

Help us!! Please!! Keep unemployment going until the rate goes down and there are jobs to be had. I look for work every day. I network. I am even trying to make money doing hobbies. I need a real income and hope for my future and the future of my children. Help us please!!

Sincerely,

From B.M in WA:


I have been unemployed since December 31, 2008. I received notice on November 21, 2008 that my job would be going away. Since that date, I have been working full time just looking for work. Prior to my last day on the job, I knew I would no longer be able to afford my home on little to no income. I fought for my home. I was able to get a loan modification through my mortgage company at that time in February 2009. I signed my final modification documents in April 2010, only to learn that 2 days later my loan was sold to another mortgage company. This NEW company is now requiring me to start the entire modification process over again. Biggest problem (besides not having a job with steady income) is that my current benefits will be exhausted on July 10, 2010. This means when the new mortgage company does their income verification, I will not have any and the year and a half I fought to KEEP my home will be for nothing – only to lose my home and scramble while STILL looking for work and raising my two kids on my own.

I called my unemployment office in Olympia, WA less than 2 weeks ago and I was told that my benefits will expire on July 10 because I still have a balance as of May 22. I asked what happens after that and I was told I would be done. No more extensions, no more help. Sorry. But come July 10, I’m screwed!

I work harder than ANYONE I know to find full time work. Washington State requires me to make three (3) job contacts a week. THREE! If you’re only doing 3, you’re not trying! I average 6-10 applications/submissions a week for employment. I also belong to 2 networking groups in my area. One meets bi-monthly and the other meets monthly. Both groups have helped me get to know people in my community and connect me to people who know people. When I apply for a job, I send out a notice to both my networking groups asking if anyone knows anyone there and some basic information. In addition to that, I use social networking online to try to get myself in the door of my next employer. LinkedIn.com and Facebook are my most common sites I use. For example, I will find someone in the company I just applied for, find them on LinkedIn and introduce myself.

I was appalled to read the quote by a Senator that said, “99 weeks is sufficient enough.” WOW!! This coming from a man with a job, doesn’t have to pay the household bills, buy food, buy gas for transportation, pay for clothes for the kids, etc. like “real world” people out here.

If I don’t get help with Tier 5, I will once again fight not to lose my home and lose this time. My kids will starve, we’ll be homeless, I’ll lose my vehicle, and all my possessions. I don’t have family to fall back on, no savings, no other money accounts as I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck for most of my life. My mother is unemployed and trying to get disability for her medical conditions that prevent her from working. She’s living on her savings and has been for the last year.

If we can afford to pay for everything else this country has going on, why don’t the unemployed who work their asses off looking for work get the help we need?

I work TOO hard to find a job to be told that I don’t NEED anymore help. WHAT??????!!?!?!?!?!

Maybe something should be done like, checking job logs of the unemployed and see who’s actually EARNING their benefits. Like me! I know some who only do the bare minimum and they piss me off. I need a job! I want a job! I just need more time to make ends meet and GET that job!

Not passing Tier 5 will be a HUGE MISTAKE! Millions of Americans will suffer, find themselves at the end of their rope, starve to death, lose even MORE homes and who’s going to be to blame? Washington! We take better care of aliens coming to this country than we do our own born and raised “family” of Americans.

Please do something….

Respectfully and scared for the near future,


From K.H. in PA:


Title of Hearing: Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment

Dear Congressional Committee:

My story is a long one. I am 42 years old and have worked since I graduated from high school in the year of 1985. When I graduated I would have liked to go on to further my education, but because of family financial problems I could not. I started working at TRACO at the age of 17 in 1985 and continued to work there until the year of 1999. I left because I found a better job that paid more and was less physically demanding on my body.

I worked for Asten Johonson, which is a forming fabric manufacturer. In 2006 the company told us that they were closing our plant and moving operations to China. I was devastated, as was my family too. I was making a good income for manufacturing, $40,000 + a year. It was great, we had 3 of our 4 children heading to college and we thought we were doing financially well. My husband works at TRACO as a glass manager and also makes a good salary of $50,000 + a year. We THOUGHT we were doing financially well. My last day at Asten Johnson was the day before Thanksgiving in 2006.

I was lost and I didn’t know what to do. I had NEVER in my whole life of working collected unemployment. I signed up. A good friend of mine that was laid off before me took advantage of the TRA to get a good education and with her help I decided that this too was what I wanted to do. At 40 years of age I graduated with an associate degree in Computer Information. Throughout the entire 2 years that I was going to college I maintained a 4.0 and was on the President’s list ALL 4 semesters! After I graduated I would have liked to have gone on to get my bachelor’s degree but I was reluctant to put my family that much in debt. So in May of 2009, I set out to find a job.

It is now June of 2010 and I have yet to find a job. My husband took a 25% pay cut in November of 2009 and my unemployment ran out in April. I am one of the 99ers. In the last few years I have watched both of our 401 k accounts diminish to almost nothing because of this economy so even if we do pull out of this recession, we will have no retirement money left. We have practically drained our savings accounts and are barely getting by on what he makes. Our youngest daughter graduated from high school this past week and I’m wondering how we are going to help her with college. I’m wondering if we’ll make our mortgage payments, I’m wondering how our government can abandon us like this.

How did my family go from a $100, 000 + (gross) a year to under $40, 000???? Who is going to take responsibility for this? People are losing their homes, their cars, their lives…..It’s a very depressing situation. Every day I send out resumes and applications. Sometimes I get calls, sometimes I get interviews, but never a job. I don’t know if it is because of my age, or maybe because I worked in manufacturing all of my life and now I’m trying to get a job in computers.

Our money is running out. Little by little our lives are being destroyed. Our jobs have been lost because of no fault of our own. Our government out sourced our jobs to other countries…..but what they didn’t realize was they weren’t just out sourcing our jobs, they were out sourcing our lives, our families, and our financial futures. Please do whatever you can to help us get another tier of unemployment so that we may continue to keep our homes, and maybe part of our lives until this economy gets better and there are more jobs available to us. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.


From J.A. in MD:


Re : Hearing to respond to long term unemployment
I was laid off as a Security Manager as part of The Hertz Corps’ corporate downsizing in Feb 2007.
I then lost my apartment after I went through the unemployment benefits and my 401K. I moved into my vehicle, which was impounded due to no insurance or registration, both of which I obviously couldn’t afford. This resulted in my setting up a tent near an old landfill site in Baltimore County. It should be noted that all through this horrendous ordeal, I have walked to the County Library to search the internet for employment on a daily basis however I suspect that my age (52) may be playing a factor in my job search.
Aside from the fact that I do not have proper facilities, in which to bathe and launder my clothes, for any possible interviews, which are non-existent.  The current count for resumes that I have submitted is somewhere in the neighborhood of 750 plus. I strongly urge favorable consideration be given to a TIER 5 Extension. Thank you for this opportunity to relay this.


From G.B. in KY:

Regarding: Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment

Congressman McDermott,

I wish to submit a written statement for inclusion in the Subcommittee hearing record.

I live in Northern Kentucky, adjacent to Cincinnati, Ohio. I am single and currently unemployed.

In June, 2006, I completed and was awarded a Doctorate of Education in Instructional Design and Instructional Technology from the College of Education and Human Services at the University of Cincinnati.

Through my doctorate, I had trained to teach college teachers how to incorporate technology into their teaching, to provide support for their efforts and to myself teach instructional design and technology classes at the university level.

I lost my job in August of 2008, through no fault of my own. At that time, I was working as a technology coordinator for the College of Education at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, KY.

Though the current economic crisis did not have a direct bearing on losing my job, it has had a very direct bearing on my subsequent attempts to find employment in my field of Instructional Design and Instructional Technology in Higher Education.

In October of 2008, an instructional designer position was advertised at a nearby private college. I was told that the position had been unfilled since late 2007, due to budget difficulties that the private college experienced. The college subsequently made a decision to delay filling the position until the summer of 2009. In the spring of 2009, I interviewed for the position, but was not hired for it.

In January of 2009, I applied for an instructional designer position at the University of Cincinnati. In February, I had a screening interview for the position. The hiring manager told me that I was exactly what they were looking for, given my unique doctoral work and background. However around that same time, the State of Ohio underwent a severe budget crisis. The budget crisis was passed down to many agencies, including public universities. The University of Cincinnati made a decision to not fill any open positions. I wondered whether that applied to the position that I had applied for. Finally in August of 2009, I received official notification that the position had been cancelled.

In January of 2010, I was contacted by a friend who worked at the Clermont College Campus of the University of Cincinnati. She told me that the college was looking for an instructional designer and would I be interested. I stayed in touch with her, but she eventually informed me that a new dean at the college had postponed the position, apparently due to budgetary considerations.

These were the types positions for which I had specifically trained, but they weren’t the only ones I had applied for. Among other positions, the local Kentucky community college advertised training positions for electronic medical records (in support of the President’s electronic medical records initiatives), but I did not qualify for those

I should also note that the State of Kentucky has gone through recent budget shortfalls; those have also resulted in budget cuts at Kentucky public (state supported) universities.

I worry about my future employment prospects. I try to keep up with current trends in the field. But after awhile, potential employers are going to look at me and say “he’s been out of work and out of the field for too long. He’ll never be able to catch up. Let’s hire someone who hasn’t been out of work as long for as he has.”

I currently keep busy with unpaid volunteer work for the Cincinnati Museum Center, conducting research into local history, and providing consulting on evaluating their educational programs. I dare say that I would be interested in doing this for the Museum on a paid basis. But they have also been hit by their own budget crisis, resulting in job cuts and increased reliance on volunteer help.

A number of circumstances relevant to the economic crisis have had a direct bearing on my subsequent attempts to find employment.

In May of 2008, I refinanced my house in order to address some of the debt that I had acquired while working on my doctorate. This had the effect of “resetting” my mortgage and transferring equity to pay off the aforementioned debt. At the time that I did this, I assumed that I would remain employed. My mortgage is a conventional mortgage, so at least I don’t face any severe mortgage provisions, as long as I make my monthly payments. That’s at least one bright spot.

Another bright spot was that in October, 2008, I began receiving unemployment compensation. Thanks in large part to the various extensions, I continued to receive unemployment compensation until mid-April, 2010, when those payments ceased.

I also had some savings, now depleted; credit cards, and an IRA retirement account. I have used the credit cards to pay for necessities such as food and gas for the car. I suddenly find myself in debt again, similar to that which I had before I refinanced my house. I have also been forced to make withdrawals from my IRA account. In case you aren’t aware, the federal government charges me a ten percent (10%) penalty for any amount that I withdraw.

I also have no health insurance. In spite of the COBRA subsidy that was passed, it did not help with my health insurance. The type of policy that I had in place prior to losing my job was a bare-bones policy. I ended up finding that I gave a lot of money to the insurance company and received little adequate coverage in return.

My primary physician has been very helpful and supportive, giving me sample medications as needed, keeping my office visit rates manageable, and supplying documentation so that I can get certain higher priced medications from pharmaceutical assistance foundations.

On the other hand, I require a colonoscopy every two years to check the status of my Crohn’s disease and to screen for colon cancer. As I have no insurance, I cannot afford to pay for the colonoscopy. I am one year overdue for a colonoscopy.

I am home most of the time. I continue to find things to do around the house to keep me occupied. However, I don’t relish continuing doing this. I hate not being productive and not contributing to the educational needs of my community. Sitting around has a definite negative impact on my well-being. I have tended to avoid my neighbors, since their question upon seeing me is invariably “have you found a job yet?” Nearly two years of continually hearing that question is enough to drive me up the wall.

For the past year or more, I have been faced with a quandary. Do I try to stay put and ride this crisis out? Or do I give up the house and try to find a job somewhere in another state?

Here are the concerns that impact that decision:

  1. Other houses in the neighborhood have been on the market unsold for eight to twelve months.
  2. When those houses finally sold, they sold for below their original value (I can verify this through the local online county property valuation office).
  3. If I move to another state, and cannot sell my house, I face foreclosure, personal financial crisis and potential bankruptcy.
  4. If I more to another state, and can sell my house, but at below its current value, I still face personal financial crisis and potential bankruptcy.
  5. What happens if I move to anther state to take a job, and six months later, that state faces a budget crisis, resulting in me losing that job?
  6. I stay unemployed for now, and continue to stay in my house, paying for it with money from my retirement account. This only postpones the inevitable. At the very least, it means that I will have to work longer until retirement, and after retirement face a reduced income and circumstances because I depleted my retirement early.
  7. Or do I say put and try to ride this out.

It seems like each of these options creates chaos for me; the only choice seems to be that I can choose the degree of chaos that I prefer. At least any chaos only impacts me, and not any family members.

Unemployment benefits have been instrumental in continuing to support myself through this period of time. It has helped pay my mortgage, college loan debt, utilities, and minimum payments on my credit card. I would have lost everything if it had not been for the continued unemployment and its extensions. But I will also remind you that these payments ceased in mind-April.

However, certain voices in the country seem to say that I would prefer to not work, sit at home and collect unemployment insurance. That can’t be farther from the truth, at least for me. I suppose that I could go find a temporary job, or some low wage job. But I’ll remind you that I possess a Doctorate in Education. Why would I want to waste that either sitting at home or performing some low paying job? I also found that I did receive more money (though still not enough to get by) from unemployment than I would from performing a low paying job.

I have worked in educational and related settings for most of my life. My dream has been to find ways to improve teaching through instructional technology. Fulfilling this dream has the impact of improving teaching by teachers and learning by students. Why would I want to let this dream lie fallow, all so that I could collect unemployment that doesn’t even meet all of my financial needs?

I do not live an extravagant lifestyle. My house is a simple house, by no means expensive or extravagant. Neither is my car.

I would challenge those who would accuse me of being lazy and taking the unemployment money. I would also take out my ire on the people in the financial industry who created this economic crisis in the first place through their avarice. They are the ones who are being lazy by taking government money and leaving none for the average citizen.

I am disappointed that Congress is not doing a better job of dealing with the needs of the average citizens. When those certain voices claim that they are worried more about the deficit than they are about people who are out of work, I am appalled that they actually exhibit an indifference to people who are really struggling. I can’t help but suspect that this so-called “concern” for the deficit actually masks an agenda that they won’t publicly discuss. Thirty years of tax cuts for the rich have only continued to strip our country to the bone in terms of taking care of all citizens – not just the rich ones. I also sense a certain hypocrisy in Congress for continually pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into two wars without worrying a budget deficit – but now worrying that extending unemployment will break the country.

A number of prominent columnists, including Paul Krugman and Bob Herbert of the New York Times have called for government programs, similar to those of the 1930’s to rebuild our nations crumbling infrastructure. Pennsylvania’s governor has advocated the same. I would add to that programs to rebuild public schools, provide newer and expanded funding for colleges and universities, and funding for improved teacher training at the primary, secondary and post-secondary levels. Finally, I would add money for every student who wants to get a college education.

Yes, we have been faced with a crisis that only someone of my father’s age has experienced before. Yet, we have the opportunity, as the country did then to make something better out of it. We can either let our county slide deeper into chaos, or we can use this opportunity to make ourselves something better.

I read a book this past year that offered some important insight into the economic issues that this country faces:

Wilkenson, Richard; Pickett, Kate. The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger. New York, Bloomsbury Press, 2009. (ISBN: 9781608190362)

Through a massive analysis of statistical evidence, they have shown that economic inequality in developed (first world) countries has a highly negative impact upon the lives of its citizens. Their statistical analysis shows that the United States is at the highest level of economic inequality, and thus has the most serious impact upon our quality of life. They relate this to quality of health, crime, drug abuse, obesity, mental illness, teenage pregnancy, high school dropouts, life span, and so on. What is also interesting is that economic inequality equally negatively impacts the well-off as well as the poor.

I thank you for the opportunity to enter my experience as well as my thoughts into the record. I hope and pray that we will find our best way out of this, and not just some way that benefits the few who have the power and the means to influence decisions in this country.

Respectfully,

From R.S. in PA:

Good Afternoon;

I am writing to you in good faith with an extreme sense of urgency requesting you to please add a Tier V to the UCEB extensions.

I am a displaced (former) newspaper executive that was in the newspaper publishing business for over 33 years. I lost my job, through no fault of my own, on 09/28/2008 as a result of budget cuts/expense savings. In short, my position was eliminated.

I am currently 60 years old and have been unemployed since my displacement. I was informed that I may receive two more UCEB checks (I was on the Pa. UCEB mail-in program), but have not received them, as of yet.

I have very proactively conducted a nationwide search for employment, but to no avail. I fear that I am too old to be hired and too young to retire.

I have managed to pay my mortgage for June but without either gainful employment or further UCEB extensions; I fear that I will face foreclosure to my home. I have no savings, exhausted my retirement funds, sold my car and am selling personal possessions to stay current with my mortgage. I negotiated for over 15 months with my mortgage provider (Wells Fargo) in hopes of qualifying for HAMP, but was informed just recently that I did not qualify because I was unemployed. If they had acted more expediently; I would have had well over 9 months of unemployment compensation available as a guideline established by the Treasury Department last September.

I have not seen a Dr. or Dentist in almost two years and cannot afford to pay for COBRA.

I shall continue to work hard to find employment but am respectfully urging you to please make provisions to make available to all of us long term (older) unemployed Americans additional UCEB extensions, most specifically in the form of a Tier V. If our government can afford to spend money on wars and corporate (corrupt) bank bailout, then why can’t unemployed (formerly hard working tax paying) Americans be helped? We feel abandoned…PLEASE HELP US!!!

From D.A. in CA:

Chairman McDermott

I am responding to problem with unemployment. I have

Been unemployed since June 13, 2008. I worked in the Car Dealerships for 20 years. I loved my job. When I took vacations with some of my family, it was not a vacation. When I got back to work I felt I was on vacation. I loved my job in the Car Dealerships so much that when I worked it built energy in me, so that when I got home after 8 hours of work at the Car Dealership I still had energy to work at home.

I first became unemployed in Oct. 2006 when Ojai Ford in Ojai, Ca. was shut down by Ford Motor Company because it was a small Ford Dealer. I then went to work for Mel Clayton Ford in Santa Barbara, Ca. in Nov.2006 and was I let go buy Mel Clayton Ford in April 2007 because again Ford Motor Company shut Mel Clayton Ford down because it was not selling enough new Vehicles.

Then in July 2007 I went to work for Cars 101 in Oxnard Ca. I worked for them for a couple of weeks just to find out they were shutting down. Then in Oct. 2007 I went to work for Todey Chevrolet in Oxnard, Ca. I was let go there in June 2008 because Vehicle sales had slowed way down.

The Senators say we are lazy so they are removing our unemployment. We are not lazy as you can see from my jobs as Dealers closed their doors. The banks, Car companies, and other finance houses received bail out money from our tax money that we did not Ok. Wall Street and these companies are the reason we are out of jobs and we get called lazy. I went back to school taking classes on line while looking for work June 2009 and finished the class in Medical Billing in April 2010, because I knew I had to get into a line of work that I would not be losing because of shut downs, and now I am told I need to know Spanish to get in the Medical Office’s. This is not right our language is English, and people coming here should learn English not us being told I am sorry but you do not speak Spanish so we cannot use you. We do not enjoy not having jobs. We want to work; unemployment is not going to prepare us for retirement. The ones of us in our 50’s may not be able to retire thanks to Wall Street and the banks.

From T.M. in CA:

To Whom it May Concern:

I am a 99r, I never wanted to belong to this club, but here I am after 99 weeks and still unemployed. I am in the transportation industry and although we are “suppose to be” coming out of the recession, I find that there are no jobs yet in my field (I have also tried other fields) and in my area.

So you say, if there are jobs in other areas, why don’t you move, well let’s think about that for a moment. If I am lucky enough to find a position in another state, I can’t go work in that state, because that takes money. There are fees for re-licensing, there are cost to move, there are expenses in finding a new place to live, such as first, last and deposits. Without having an unemployment check, I am limited on where I can look to find employment and that goes back to there just not being any jobs in my area. Without my check, I don’t even have the money to put gas in my car to attend interviews. So tell me how do you really expect for people to find employment without the means to get to apply and interview.

I was not getting rich on my bi-monthly check, every cent is returned back to the economy in the means of paying bills, and purchasing bare necessities and when I say “bare” I mean “bare”. The ironic part about all of this is that the benefits we receive are taxable, so the federal government does see part of the funds back in the form of taxes.

I also have a concern, because they say that “Oh unemployment numbers have gone down” no they haven’t, where is the accounting for all of the people that have dropped off of the system, they haven’t all found jobs, they have just ran out of checks. How is the federal government accounting for all of us? We no longer receive any claim forms, and therefore we have been forgotten. I say that eventho we may not be eligible for benefits, you should still send out a modified form, simply asking are you still unemployed, let’s find out how many people have really found jobs and what the true unemployment numbers.. LET US BE COUNTED.. and Help the American People with a Tier 5 or further weeks added to Tier 4, people are dying out here.


Please visit Rochester Unemployment Examiner to review unemployment information, data and details that you don’t find in the main stream media. You can also add comments about your current situation and what you think needs ot be done to improve the job market and unemployment benefits system. I hope to see you there.

*Due to issues such as software compatibility, the letters posted here may contain some minor formatting edits to improve readability.

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Due to receiving more than 200 letters thus far from those who submitted letters to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support , I need to create multiple posts.

The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support is held a hearing on June 10 titled: Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment. I asked readers of Rochester Unemployment Examiner to send me letters they wrote to the Committee that they also wanted to have published here.* Below are some of those letters. I’ll be posting other letters as I receive permission.

There is still time to write; you can submit letters to House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support is holding a hearing until the close of business on June 24.

I want to thank all of you for including me in your letters to the Hearing. I will do my best to reply to each and everyone of you in a timely fashion.

From M.H. in KS:

Re: Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment

To ALL members of the U.S. Congress & the President of the United States of America

I am a 57 year old male who has worked for over 43 years.

I have always paid my Income Taxes, and paid into the Social Security System, as outlined by our government.

Like so many MILLIONS of other Americans, through no fault of my own, I was laid-off from my most recent employer of over 16 years, on October 6th, 2008. I was the Quality Manager of a manufacturing company that went from a 24/7 operation to one 8 hour shift.

I am a divorced father with custody of my 14 year old daughter. (Due to what will be stated in this letter, I MAY be forced to give custody to my ex-spouse…that, I should NOT be forced to do…my daughter deserves better from HER country)

I am not someone who has looked to my government to “pay my way”, and have never approved of what many Americans referred to as the “American Welfare System”.

Again, like millions of other hard-working, dedicated Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of our own, I have found that companies do not want to hire a 57 year old, divorced, white male, who hasn’t worked for over 1 & ½ years. The daily frustrations that I have experienced cannot be put into words. One has to “live it” by being in this position and by reading comments from the “still-employed” Americans, who think that anyone who hasn’t found new employment after this length of time, must be lazy, unmotivated, worthless, looking for the old Welfare scams, and only wanting to be on full-time vacation. If they only knew how far from the truth this is for MOST, if not ALL of us. I have sent resumes, had interviews, made phone calls, have visited companies that aren’t advertising any current openings just to have an application on file “in case” something becomes available…I can’t even keep track anymore of the hundreds (thousands?) of these over the last year & ½.

I have received Extended Benefits through the “Unemployment” system, Tiers I, II, & III, but the State of Kansas did not have a Tier IV, as some other states put into place. I have exhausted all benefits made available to me, and am still unemployed as of this writing.

I was one of the “lucky” Americans, who after working many years, was able to live the so-called “American Dream”, of owning my own home, along with owning 2 vehicles.

Due to the state of the economy, and the decision by Congress to no longer “HELP” Americans such as myself, I was forced to file bankruptcy. I lost my “dream”..our 4-bedroom home..our new car..health insurance (as well as health, in general), dignity, respect, good credit rating, and many, many other things.

Not only did we have to move from our house (our HOME) to an apartment, I now can no longer afford to pay the rent, buy food, pay for gasoline for my “used” 2002 VW, or pay utilities (which includes phone & computer, and they are my last resorts for further seeking of employment). All of this because Congress has decided that I am not entitled to receive any further assistance from my country.

This is while I continue to read of the BILLIONS of dollars my country is giving to foreign countries to assist them through the “disasters” they have encountered… or “bailing out” the Banking & Auto industries with BILLIONS because “we can’t afford to let them fail”…

What about us???… the Americans who have encountered this “disaster” in our lives…do you honestly feel it’s OK to let US “fail”, and that we don’t need the help of OUR OWN COUNTRY?

H.R.4213 does NOT address the “Long-Term” unemployed, those of us without further available “Tiers”. It only addresses giving the “shorter-term” unemployed an additional amount of time to file for an extension of their benefits. Even this hasn’t PASSED Congress – YET.

While you’re on vacation, or approving your own pay raises, some of us are on the brink of becoming completely homeless…What did WE do wrong??? … and “vacation”? What is that?  I can’t even imagine that “luxury” anymore.

Do we NO LONGER EXIST to the people we elected to Congress to help lead our country. If what I have read is correct, and I believe it is, those of us who have exhausted ALL benefits, are no longer “on the books”, so we aren’t included in the figures/Unemployment % reported to/by the Press. We should be included, not FORGOTTEN!!! What is the TRUE percentage if you INCLUDE us? We ARE unemployed…Why play with the numbers to make the economy look like it’s improving, when in fact, it is NOT for some/most  Americans…Tell the American public the TRUE NUMBERS…we DO exist, even if Congress wants to ignore us, or at a minimum, not want to deal with us.

As we all know, the oil damage in the Gulf of Mexico currently has the main focus of the Press, but please give the “damage” to the American people YOUR main focus…we deserve to NOT be forgotten.

There are internet blogs that I have read that are quite disturbing, and show the true desperation of some Americans. Some have said they are going to commit crimes just to have a “roof over their head” and to have their children become “Wards of the State” so that they will receive care & housing that the parent can no longer supply…Others have stated they are ready to commit suicide so that their children will receive life insurance and/or “survivor benefits” rather than see them forced to “live on the streets”…  How much of this do we need to see actually start happening before this desperation is realized?

PLEASE help us…we NEED your help…we DESERVE your help…we were NOT the cause of the current state of our economy, or the loss of OUR AMERICAN DREAM….

“Jobs Programs” will be a great benefit to the entire country, when & if they work, but that will take quite a lengthy time to re-employ all who have lost employment.

Of course employment several months (or longer) from now is better than “not at all”, but…PLEASE include a TIER V to the Extended Benefits program and add it NOW, and to ALL states…not after 3 months of additional debate, and to only a select group of states, using incomplete data of the TRUE Unemployment %…we can NOT survive that long without help from our country…

I could write for days on this subject, but I know it would most likely be placed to the side without review, so I will end here and state…

… I believe in MY country and hope that my country believes in those of us who needs “her” help….

“… OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, AND FOR THE PEOPLE…”

Respectfully & Sincerely

From L.T. in SC:

RE:  Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment

Dear Senator McDermott,

I am writing this letter in response to ANOTHER 4 hour day at the Unemployment Office in South Carolina.  Suicide is becoming more and more attractive each day I survive.

I recently turned 53 and up until three years ago I felt my life fairly blessed.  I started working @ 12 as a babysitter and officially was on the Social Security books in 1973.

In November of 2006 my beloved Mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer & given 6 months to live.  In January of 2007 I lost my job as a Licensed Customhouse Broker, (my original license was issued in 1986 by the then U.S. Treasury Dept., now “Homeland Security), a career I had for over 20+ years.  In April 2007 my husband of 13 years abandoned me.  I’ve lost my home, car, even my pets.  I have NOTHING.  I have little to no family as I was unable to have children and my family is extremely small.  In fact I only really have a Aunt in Maine, (who is also suffering due to the economy) and a sister in Charleston with two children ALSO not able to help me.  If not for the blessing of a friend I would be on the streets!  Literally!  I’m sure you are not aware, (it’s another one of American’s dirty little secrets), but there is NO WHERE for a WOMAN to go, (shelter), unless they are physically abused or have children.  I do not fall under either of the two “qualifications”.  There ARE men shelters.  Can “someone” explain this to me?  Never mind, that’s another issue and not the purpose of this letter.

This being said my last date of “employment” was June 8th, 2009.  I held a couple of jobs working for “call centers”, (I would describe these positions very close to being operated the same way as “sweatshops”), but other than that I can’t get a job ANYWHERE.  I have moved four times in the past year, (in South Carolina and Florida), living with friends.  No home.  No Job.  No Security.  No family.  No feeling of worth.

Unfortunately having had a somewhat unorthodox career I “pigeon-holed” myself where my skills are somewhat limited albeit I’m pretty sure I could flip a burger.  Did you know that when you apply on-line, (which 98% of places I have applied to require), that McDonald’s does not even offer an application or a place to “paste” a resume.  Instead you answer a 50+ “assessment” questionnaire.  I’ve done so many with so many companies but I think a question such as “Do you think smoking is harmful for your health?” is not only mundane but asinine as well.

So, here we are.  10 million, 20 million, 30 million?  Really, does anyone really know how many of AMERICANS are unemployed?  How many have just given up?  How many HAVE committed suicide?

My experience with the South Carolina Employment Commission, (or whatever they are calling themselves now since the discovery of how inept the offices are), has been overwhelming.  I went from February of this year until May without receiving a single dime.  I myself initiated my four month quest by going into the Charleston, SC office, (where I had lived for 20+ years), to ask WHY I had not been called in for an “eligibility” review.  Out of 16 weeks I was either in the Charleston or Greenville “One Stop” office 14 times!  By the way, The Greenville News, recently had a headline story that aside from the “Commission” being “run amok” the reporter also quoted that of the 1100 S.C. agency employees, 300 of them had returned to work after retirement.  These retirees returned to jobs that were NEVER posted for us regular folk.

In closing I am “grateful” my Mother did not live to see what has happened to my life.  I am “grateful” she will never have to know I had to pawn her jewelry in order to “survive”.  Most of all I am “grateful” she never had to see what America has become.  I grew up in Leesburg, VA..  I know what goes on “inside” the beltway.  I watch CSPAN and see NOTHING going on.

I am pleased to see you are on “our” side.  Of course you are only one Senator and of course you have never experienced, (nor will any of your children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren), experience what “normal” AMERICANS are losing or have lost.  This is NOT my America.  Greed and Politics have won.  No wonder the comparison’s to the fall of the Roman Empire.  We’re there!

WE NEEDA TIER V!

Thank you for your time and consideration in reading this letter.  I pray “someone” on your staff will point out MY letter and help me to regain a life and perhaps just a little bit of dignity.

Sincerely,

From N.M. in FL:

URGENT—-URGENT  — URGENT —-URGENT——-URGENT

WE NEED UNEMPLOYMENT AND COBRA 65% DISCOUNT TO BE EXTENDED UNTIL THE END OF 2010

THE HEALTH CARE BILL DOES NOT KICK IN FOR 4 YEARS,

IF PREXISTING CONITIONS WERE NOT BLOCKED FOR THE NEXT 4 YEARS  AND PRICING WAS FAIR AND UNEMPLOYMENT WAS EXTENDED OUT UNTIL THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE  WAS DOWN, I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET AFFORDABLE INSURANCE- BUT DUE TO THE WAY THE HEALTH CARE BILL IS- I CANNOT AND NEITHER CAN OTHERS.

WHAT GOOD IS THAT?

WE NEED EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT TO A LONG TIER V.AND 65% COBRA EXTENDED IMMEDIATELY.

IT IS URGENT THAT YOU EXTEND COBRA 65% BENEFITS OUT FOR THE UNEMPLOYED. IT IS ALSO URGENT THAT YOU IMMEDIALTLY EXTEND UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR ALL AMERICANS WHO HAVE OR WILL BE ENDING TIER 4.

TIER 5 FOR ALL IS A MUST AND VERY QUICKLY FOR BOTH.

PLEASE READ MY STORY

I AM 63 YEARS OLD, MY 3 WEEKS OF EB EXPIRED JUNE 5, 2010

(I DID NOT GET THE 20 WEEKS IN FLORIDA, I ONLY GOT 3 WEEKS BECAUSE OF THE JUNE 5TH END DATE AND TIER 3 CAME IN SO I NEVER STARTED MY 20 WEEKS OF EB UNTIL TIER 4 RAN OUT.)

AND  MY COBRA 65% DISCOUNT EXPIRED MAY 31ST 2010, UNLESS IT IS EXTENDED TO SAVE US I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO…

WE TOOK OUR SOCIAL SECURITY EARLY ONLY SO WE COULD PAY OUR BILLS AND NOT DEPEND ON MEDICAID HOUSING ASSISTANCE ETC.WE THEREFORE LOST A LOT OF OUR FUTURE IN BENEFITS.

WE WERE PAYING $578.00 PER MONTH FOR THE TWO OF US.

I JUST RECEIVED MY CONVERSION PLAN FOR MYSELF AND IT IS $1288.00 PER MONTH FOR 1 PERSON. MY HUSBAND IS ALSO UNEMPLOYED BUT HE GOES ONTO MEDICARE JUNE 1, 2010 AND MUST BUY A SUPPLEMENT TOO.

I CAN’T EVER PAY THIS $1288.00

THE ONLY OTHER WAY OUT IS TO DIVORCE MY HUSBAND AND GET ON MEDICAID.HOW SAD, HE IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE.

I AM AN INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETIC AND NO ONE ELSE WILL COVER ME. THE INSULIN IS OVER $200.00 A BOTTLE PER MONTH

I USE 2 BOTTLES OF 70/30 AND 1 BOTTLE OF REGULAR- SO THAT IS OVER $600.00 A MONTH PLUS MY OTHER MEDICATIONS SUCH AS ADVAIR @ OVER $200.00 A MONTH AND AVAPRO 300 AT ABOUT $100.00 A MONTH.

I HAVE PRICED THIS ALL WITH A DISCOUNT CARD AND IT COMES TO OVER $600.00 A MONTH. THERE ARE OTHER MEDS, BUT THEY ARE GENERIC BUT MY LIFE SAVING INSULIN, BLOOD PRESSURE AND ASTHMA DRUGS I CANNOT AFFORD.

IF UNEMPLOYMENT WERE EXTENDED OUT UNTIL WE CAN FIND WORK IN FLORIDA, A STATE WITH OVER 12% UNEMPLOYED WE AND OVER 1 MILLION OTHERS IN FLORIDA WOULD BE SAVED FROM DESTITUTION.

I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS PLIGHT, MILLIONS WILL BE BEGGING IN THE STREETS, STEALING AND DYING JUST FOR MEDS & FOOD &HOUSING.

OVER GOVERNMENT MUST HAVE A HEART AND A CONSCIENCE!!!

IF ANY OF YOU TRIED TO LIVE ON 275.00 A WEEK +$25 FOR EVEN A MONTH YOU WOULD KNOW HOW HORRIBLE IT FEELS. WHY NOT TAKE AWAY EVERYTHING YOU HAVE AND TRY IT FOR A FEW MONTHS.

IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT ANYONE FROM THE PRESIDENT TO CONGRESS AND THE SENATE COULD ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN TO THE PROUD AMERICANS WHO GAVE YOU YOUR JOBS, BENEFITS, PENSIONS, HOUSES ETC.

WE ARE PROUD AMERICANS, BUT WE NEED HELP FROM THE PEOPLE WE VOTED TO PROTECT US!

THIS GREAT COUNTRY HAS BAILED OUT  EVERY OTHER COUNTRY, GIVEN MONEY TO  COUNTRIES IN NEED, BAILED OUT OUR BANKS, AUTOMAKERS AND BIG BUSINESS- YOU NEED TO HAVE A CONSCIENCE AND HELP THOSE OF US STILL UNEMPLOYED.

YES, IT APPEARS THAT THEM FIGURES OF THOSE COLLECTING UNEMPLOYMENT IS DOWN, BUT THE TRUE FIGURES ARE NOT THERE, BECAUSE IT IS DOWN BECAUSE THEY CAN NO LONGER COLLECT.

MY UNEMPLOYMENT ENDS IN 1 WEEK, WHEN I FILE FOR MY 1 WEEK, THEN I WILL BE APPLYING FOR FOOD STAMPS, MEDICAID, RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND ANYTHING ELSE I AM ELIGIBLE FOR- JUST TO SURVIVE. I AND MILLIONS OF OTHERS DID NOT PLAN FOR THS- EVERYONES SAVINGS ARE GONE,

OUR LANDLORD WAS NICE INTAKING PAYMENTS, BUT ONCE UNEMPLOYMENT IS GONE, THERE WILL BE NO WAY TO MAKE THOSE PAYMENTS UNTIL I CAN FIND A JOB WHERE I DON’T HAVE TO LIFT 50 LBS AND STAND ON MY FEET ALL DAY( I AM IN NO MEDICAL CONDITION TO DO THAT WITH HEART, DIABETIES, ASTHMA AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE—AND NOW I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO TO DOCTORS OR GET MEDICATION.

IS EVERYONE IN WASHINGTON BLIND TO WHAT IS HAPPENING??

WHY  IS IT THAT THERE IS FUNDING THAT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE REPAID FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION IF YOU WANT TO GO FOR A COLLEGE DEGREE. BUT IF YOU ARE IN YOUR 60’S AND WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE CAREERS BY TAKING A COURSE FOR YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE LISCENCE OR A REAL ESTATE LISCENCE, WHICH TAKES A MUCH SHORTER AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET AND LESS MONEY  HAS TO BE PAID FOR THESE LISCENSES, WE MUST PAY FOR THEM OUT OF POCKET?

BECAUSE  THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT HELP US PAY FOR THIS AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY, THEREFORE ANOTHER AVENUE IS SHUT OFF FOR US.

IF THESE WERE INCLUDED IN THE GOVERNMENT STIMULUS WITH THE EXTENSION OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND 65% DISCOUNT OF COBRA, MANY OF US WOULD BE MAKING  MONEY NOW.

I WATCH THE NEWS AND EVERYDAY I SEE MORE ROBERIES, PEOPLE BEING SHOT AND KILLED FOR A FEW DOLLARS FOR FOOD ETC. IS THIS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT FOR OUR COUNTRY??  THE CRIME RATE IS UP AND IT WILL BE MUCH HIGHER AND DESPERATE PEOPLE DO DESPERATE THINGS.

WE DESPERATLY NEED THE 65% COBRA  EXTENDED NOW PAST 18 MONTHS- I END ON MAY 31,2010 AND THE HEALTHCARE BILL DOES NOTHING TO HELP ME UNTIL I AM ALMOST 68 YEARS OLD.I WILL NOT MAKE 68 IF THERE IS NO HELP

AND UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENDED UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR SO WE CAN GET BACK ON OUR FEET-( I STILL BELIEVE IN THIS COUNTRY. WITHOUT UNEMPLOYMENT I CAN’T PAY FOR COBRA.

HELP US!

PLEASE

RESPECTFULLY,

From V.M. in MI:

My situation is by no means unique: I am divorced; 55 years old; have been unemployed since November 2007; can’t afford health insurance and am too young for Medicare; am on food stamps; have used up most of my IRA (for which I’m penalized for early withdrawal),

More than anything, I want gainful employment. I’ve applied for a variety of jobs–from entry-level to professional–and no luck. I’m an attorney and have a master’s degree in business. I’m also an actor, artist, photographer, and writer, and I’ve been doing some freelance jobs, but they are few and far between. I cannot find one meaningful paid job in any of those categories. The paid positions out there are part-time or temporary, have no benefits, and pay very little. Clearly, employers are taking advantage of this situation.

I would be happy working as a file clerk, but rarely do I get an interview and when I do, the interviewers are often half my age and don’t give serious consideration to my qualifications. I never hear back from them. Age discrimination is rampant.

When I hear politicians and others say that people like me are lazy and will be more motivated to find work if there were no more unemployment benefits, I wish that I could afford to move away to a country, such as Canada or New Zealand, that values its citizens and offers health care to everyone.

Why do our politicians not bat an eye when bailing out Wall Street and GM, and keep funding a war that has no end, but abandon those who desperately need an extension of unemployment benefits? We’re not asking for handouts—we’ve paid into the unemployment insurance

I, and millions of others like me, need your help.

Thank you.

Kind regards,

From G.H. in CA:

Senator McDermott and Members of Congress:

I have been unemployed for almost two years. I’ve sent out more resumes than I can count, since losing my job as an executive assistant at a law firm in 2008. I’ve had only two or three callbacks, and only one interview. It is bleak. I am almost out of unemployment. Time is growing short for me. For many people, it’s already happened. They’re defaulting on the debts, losing their cars, their homes, their dignity.

I have solid resume, a broad and experienced skill set, a college degree, and have been working since I was 14 years old. In fact, I held two jobs while also attending high school. I worked full time while earning my college degree. I can work. I will work. I like to work, and see the benefits of my labor. I think that most people do.

The government and industry is failing us. We need the lifeline of unemployment continued until the unemployment rate comes down, significantly. Everybody knows it. There are no jobs.

From M.C. in CT:

I and my wife have been unemployed, out of no fault of my own and have exhausted all our unemployment benefits as of last month or before.  I have lost so much in the last two years and now if you do not add ADDITIONAL WEEKS beyond continuing the programs I AND MY FAMILY WILL BE HOMELESS AND WITH OUT TRANSPORTATION AND CELLPHONES! There are no jobs out there no matter what News stories try to portray!

Look in any major local paper at the job classifieds (nationwide)-1/2 page or 1 page is the norm instead of 10-15 pages in the past! Hundreds attend the few openings!

So please support the American people like you have the Banks/Wall St. and so many big $$ bailouts and wars. As we all know things will get better, but jobs are nowhere to be found now! All you have to do is look at the market diving in the USA and worldwide when the latest JOBS NEWS CAME OUT THIS WEEK!

How can you ignore the AMERICAN PEOPLE who elected you?

It will take support from Congress for the remainder of 2010 and early next year!

Don’t let any Democrat or Republican state that you shouldn’t help because of the deficit or because unemployed people are lazy and milking the system.  I would love to see any of them try to live like so many Americans on unemployment or no funds coming in!

We the good people of America WANT TO WORK!  But we need the help of additional weeks now!

Help us out and expand tier 4 or add a tier 5 to do a long term extension.

THIS IS EMERGENCY SPENDING DIRECTED AT THE UNEMPLOYED ON MAIN ST!

Without additional unemployment benefit weeks added, every day/week/month the # will grow,its already huge but by Election time!~ LOOK OUT!  MILLIONS WITH NO SUPPORT AND HOMELESS.

We have used up all of our 401k,savings-lost our credit cards and credit and can barely feed ourselves.

I have had to go to food pantries and my kids are not eating well and you can see it in their physical look!

PLEASE HELP US I BEG YOU TO BE DECENT AND ACT IMMEDIATELY TO ADD A TIER 5 OR ADD TO TIER 4!

Thank you M, S/J /C and Emily

OUR FAMILY IN NEED!



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Due to receiving more than 200 letters thus far from those who submitted letters to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support , I need to create multiple posts.

The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support is held a hearing on June 10 titled: Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment. I asked readers of Rochester Unemployment Examiner to send me letters they wrote to the Committee that they also wanted to have published here.* Below are some of those letters. I’ll be posting other letters as I receive permission.

There is still time to write; you can submit letters to House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support is holding a hearing until the close of business on June 24.

I want to thank all of you for including me in your letters to the Hearing. I will do my best to reply to each and everyone of you in a timely fashion.

From A.L. in FL:

HELP! – 99ers Need TIER 5 TO SURVIVE

I have been actively searching for work for over a year. I have sent out over 400 resumes and have been interviewed a total of 9 times. At these interviews I always ask, how many others are being considered for this position? The answer has never been less than 18. Three times, after going through the interview process the job was frozen or canceled.

I am presently working for the Census. This will end on June 27th and then I will once again have no income. There have not been any new listings on any of my job search sights in over three weeks. I keep hearing about new jobs. Where are they?

Last April, my benefits hit the 99th week. At that point I had no income, my savings are completely exhausted and I am in great fear of losing my first house – which I was finally able to purchase only two years ago. I put $50,000.00 down on an $80,000.00 house – it is insane that I cannot afford my mortgage payments. Government programs are of no help to me – since I have no other debt and no dependents. I have done everything ‘right’ all my life and there appears to be no aid for people like me.

There are NO jobs. Not part time, full time or temporary in southwest Florida.

Tier Five needs to be put in place ASAP and last for a minimum of 20 weeks or until jobs begin to appear again. All the unemployed need your support to add Tier 5 to unemployment benefits.

Thank You,

From M.N. in AL:

Dear Chairman McDermott:

My name is M.N.  I wrote you on June 07, 2010 via email.

I thought I was on my tier 4, but apparently I was drawing the rest of my HEB benefits in Alabama.  I received my final Payment notice today in the mail.  My question is what do I do now?  I have been unemployed since June 15, 2008.  I had two more weeks on my HEB, but can not even finish drawing that because the Senate will not pass the bill the House has already passed.

I have a 6 year old son and a 6 year old grandson that resides at my residence.  What do I tell them?  Oh, we don’t have electricity because Mommy/Grand Mommy can’t find a job in this economy.  We may be on the streets in a couple of months because I can’t pay the mortgage that I have paid for almost 20 years now.

I can’t get a loan because my credit is shot from all of this.  I love them dearly as I know you love your family.  I am not embarrased to say I am crying while I write this letter.  I do not know what our future is.  If it were just me it would be different, but I have those two little boys that count on me.

If I would have been able to keep up my life insurance policy premiums, they might would have had a chance in this cruel world.  I don’t even have that to offer them.  I have nothing to offer them at this point.

I have already sold everything that had any value except my television, because I believe they deserve to at least be able to have that entertainment.  I’ve kept my computer to be able to to file my unemployment and for information, but I guess those things will be next, if I can find a ride to the pawn shop.  You see my car just blew a head gasket and I don’t have the money to fix it.  So, I have been getting rides from who ever I can to seek work and buy groceries.

I draw food stamps, but if I don’t have a address I won’t even get that.  Welfare is only $187.00 a month here.  That won’t even touch my mortgage much less my utilities.

I am 46 years old, I never thought my older years would be like this.  NEVER!  I thought this would be a time that I would be able to enjoy the American Dream I have worked so hard for.

This Country is based on GOD!  I refuse to blame him like alot of other people are doing.  This is SATAN’S work not GOD’s.

This may be the last letter I get to write.  It depends on when they will cut off my internet or how fast I will have to sell my computer.  I realize you are trying to help and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that!  May God bless you and yours!

Respectfully submitted,

From N.G. in TN:

Date: June 10, 2010

Open letter on Tier 5 Unemployment to Congress and the President

RE: Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment

I have now been unemployed since December 2007 when the company I worked for went bankrupt, putting a great many people out of a job.  I had been employed there for close to 10 years.  Having searched for other jobs, I realize I am handicapped now by my age (now 67), and that, even though I am willing and able, none of the companies I applied to seemed to be ‘willing and able’ to hire me.

Our jobs are gone.

In some cases, our homes are gone.

In other cases, our families are gone, split up by the lack of money with which to hold body and soul (and family) together.

In too many cases, all hope is gone for a decent recovery from our long term unemployment crisis.

We are told to ‘sit on the back burner’, ‘don’t rock the boat’, and ‘go find a job, any job’.

There is no shame in ‘flipping burgers at MickeyD’s” but neither is there enough wage to pay the rent or mortgage, along with necessary utilities.

No money to dress children as they need to be dressed in order to send them to school.

No money to feed those same children as they deserve to be fed.

Wholesome and well thought out meals have long ago flown out the window along with our savings, any thought of improvement to our situation no longer enters our dreams at night.

What dreams, you may ask? Those dreams each of us in this great country should be able to have:

1). dreams of a free America,

2). dreams of a supportive America,

3). dreams of an equal-for everyone America,

4.) dreams of a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps America.

It is, however, rather difficult to “pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstrap’s” when:

A.) you have no boots,

B.) you have no inkling of how to get any boots

C). you wouldn’t know what to do with said boots, even if you had them

What is the answer to this dilemma, you ask? Now, if I knew the answer to that question, I would now be richer than Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, combined. And, more famous, than, say, Elvis.

What the answer is NOT, however, I can tell you, should you care enough to ask.  And, should you care enough to listen.

The answer is NOT to cut off unemployment benefits to the thousands, yea, millions, of unemployed workers who are depending on their own government of the “We, the people”, “One Nation Under God” United States of America, to see them through this national catastrophe of unimagined, historic, unequaled lack of jobs in a time of recession such as has not been seen since my own mother, herself, was but a young, married woman, starting a family with my dad in the early 1930’s in this country.

The answer is NOT to sit in a position of power, in our Congress or Presidental offices, and be  glib about those who are out of work, through no fault of their own.

The answer is NOT to say, “OK, we will take care of SOME of these of the unemployed, but the rest of them – the long-term unemployed – will have to wait from June until November before we will address the issue of whether they may live or die”.

The answer is NOT to say, “Oh, but we must FIRST balance the budget before we see that you are fed”.

What to do? What to do?

Each individual, plus friends, family and any who are affected by this national unemployment crisis: Call, write, email to your Congressman, Senator, President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, etc.  Let your own views be known.

We, the People, are not too proud to ask for help, when help is sorely needed.

From J.P. in FL:

Honorable Senate Committee:

I have worked hard, played by all the “rules”—like saving for a “rainy day”—but at the age of 60, I have lost everything!  Gone are my 401(k) s, company retirement, savings, emergency savings, stocks and bonds—everything!  I was laid off, due to no fault of my own, on February 15, 2008.  Since that time, I have applied for hundreds of jobs.  I averaged sending out 3 resumes per day. (I have records to prove this statement).

My profession for the last 15 years has been in the Information Technology field. Until 2008, it was a very lucrative field.  I progressed from systems analyst to Vice President over the years.  I’ve worked as both a full-time employee and as a consultant/contractor for such corporations as:  General Motors, Sprint, AT&T, Wachovia Bank, CSX transportation, General Dynamics, Honeywell Space & Strategic Avionics, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cap Gemini and several others.

In an effort to find work, I offered my services to companies at less than ½ of the six-digit income I’ve had.  I even applied to service companies for minimum large jobs.   Always I was told “you are over qualified” or “you’ll leave as soon as the economy returns” and so forth.

Things are now desperate.  If it were not for the graciousness of my ex-wife, I would be a homeless person.  I’ve received the maximum amount of unemployment and am currently receiving $200.00 per month from Food Stamps.

I’ve seen US companies out-source jobs to specialized companies both here in the US and especially overseas.  It’s ironic.  It seems that the companies where I’ve worked, for the last 10 years, have brought in more and more foreign workers to do American jobs.  These jobs do not lack skilled Americans.  But some of the companies bring over foreign workers on special work visas and pay them half of the regular salary.  They put 3 or 4 foreign workers in two-bedroom apartments.

Now, at 60 years old, I –who at times was either affluent or in the upper-middle class – have nothing!  I worked my way through college, receiving United Defense loans, and academic scholarships.  (My parents who began as share croppers in Alabama moved to Michigan and made a better life for themselves, but were not able to help with college.)

.Now, I’ve worked hard—very hard—and well for many years.  In the last 10 years I’ve averaged between 55 and 60 hours per week.  Now I feel like the old saying: “I’ve been rode hard, put up wet, and put out to pasture”.  I cannot afford Cobra.  So you can guess what’s happening in my life medically.

I’ve tried to find assistance to upgrade my already superb skills by getting a Masters Degree.  But Pell Grants are only for those who do not have a Bachelors degree.

How can Congress finance 2 wars,  the rebuilding of Iraq and Afghanistan, assist Haiti (which I whole-heartedly endorse), bail out Wall Street and failing companies like General Motors, whose CEOs received obscene compensation for failing, but NOT have compassion for those who have exhausted their unemployment? Many of us honest and hard-working Americans have exhausted all Tiers of unemployment benefits (Tiers 1 through 4).  We urgently need a Tier 5 that extends through 2010.

So, I plead with you to extend unemployment benefits for those who want to work, have always worked, but are unemployed due to no fault of their own.  Without help, the future looks bleak!

Help! Please!

Respectfully but Desperately Yours

From G.C. in OH:

Dear Sirs;

I am writing in support of those of us who have been unemployed more than six months.

On October 2, 2009 I was laid off for the first time in my working life, spanning 39 years. Having been a tax paying contributing citizen, it is deeply disturbing to me that myself and millions like me seem to have been forgotten, or treated as castoffs. What I mean by this is, I do not want to be unemployed, I want to go back to work more than I can adequately express in words.

Sometimes I feel so alone, almost as if I were a ghost no one can see. It’s as if the President and Congress don’t care, yet we spend billions on wars, but can’t find a solution for all of us who want to go back to work. I cannot imagine what the people, and their families, who have been out of work for 99 or more weeks must be going through. I urge you not to forget about us for we are all still out here, we still very much want to contribute!!

Now before anyone writes me off as someone who wants to stay on unemployment benefits, let me assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. I am active in three different local job search workshop groups, networking with people and I apply daily for positions, sometimes 4-5 per day. I believe I have a right to find gainful employment and it is very frustrating to be looked upon otherwise.

Sincerely

From C.Z. in NJ:

s is written to express my feelings on continuing the emergency federal unemployment program.

My story is just like many.  I am a single woman, 58 years of age and have been unemployed since November, 2008.  On May 31, 2010, in addition to the many other hardships of being unemployed, I have just lost my health insurance coverage.  I do not know why I should be surprised or upset, due to the fact that I have already lost my home to foreclosure and have exhausted nearly all of my savings just to survive.  I had to relocate to Warren County, New Jersey from Union County, New Jersey due to the change in my circumstances.  I cannot secure employment.  I was advised by someone in NJ Unemployment to “hide my age” by not listing 30+ years on one particular job.  I have applied to every listing for legal secretary, administrative assistant, clerk, clerical worker, salesgirl, etc. that has been posted on each and every website within my area.  I also attempted to secure gainful employment before I was forced out of my home in Union County.  I exhausted my retirement/savings account rather than turning to the government for welfare.  I have never collected any public assistance, but I guess my time has come.  In addition, because I had to use my retirement monies to survive, the IRS is assessing huge penalties on me something in excess of $4,500+, they have only gotten that far as of yet, penalties may be higher.  Amazing!!!!!!!  Apparently, the IRS does not think that I used the money for hardship purposes.  I guess not having a job nor a place to live does not count either. But, all in all, at least I had the funds at the time to exhaust — never realizing that I could have been just like the others who relied on the government to support them.  Now that I need to have unemployment extended for emergency reasons, I must suffer.

I am (or was) a legal secretary with several years of experience (30+ years).  I have attempted to get a job with the State, but was denied employment.  I have attempted to secure employment within a municipality but was denied employment.  I have applied to jobs that are more than one-half less than what I was earning.  I search for a job each and every day and even on the days when I am told “to give it a rest” by family members who are concerned for my health and well being.

I have worked all of my life (since age 17).  I, along with millions, need this extra measure of support as I endeavor to obtain employment.  Without this, we have no means of support.  Where do people in my age bracket go?  Too young not to work but too old to work????? What about the younger people who have children to feed and house?  Where do they go?  I describe myself as frightened and scared.  How do these other people with families to feed and house describe themselves?

There is money for everything else, such as wars, tax cuts, bank bailouts and numerous other things but nothing for the people that have worked all of their lives and really need support.  We must not be abandoned.

Please help

From J.V. in CT:

Dear Committee Members:

RE: Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment

This week is my anniversary, though it’s not a celebratory event.  Instead, it marks the time when two years ago this week, I was let go, downsized from my job of 20+ years.

I started at that company when I was young, in my 20s. I am now 51 years old.

During my unemployment, I’ve continued to hone my skills by taking online classes (both paid and through Department of Labor), upgrading my computer software and I even went back to school at night and earned my web design certification.

I have applied to well over 200 jobs for which I believed I was qualified, or at least qualified enough to be called in to interview.  Some jobs were within my field, and most paid way less than I had been making, and a number of them paid just above minimum wage.

The majority of my resumes were never acknowledged; those that were, never went past the receipt acknowledgement.  A number of my fellow unemployed, in and out of my field, report the same experience.

Is it age discrimination? Is it unemployment discrimination? Is it the fact that there are still millions of “us” looking and just so many jobs?  I don’t know the answer.

I only know that I have worked since I was 14.  I know that I’ve never, in my lifetime, been unemployed this long.

My husband and I refinanced the house. That allows us to stay in our house where we’ve raised our daughter and made our home. He pays for it all now with his paycheck alone.

However, I know that my unemployment benefits have been the only thing to allow our family to continue to live semi-normally: I’m talking food on the table, my daughter’s school activities (like 10.00 field trips, mind you, nothing major), and things like co-pays for “select” doctor and dentist visits. We now have to put a number of medical things on the backburner and cannot take care of some needs. Don’t even talk about car or house repairs or vet bills, etc.

My unemployment will run out shortly. I’ve been giving myself pep talks since I lost my job, but I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that I really am depressed and it’s getting so much harder to try and keep the faith.

Sincerely,

From W.G.Jr. in NY:

Dear Ladies & Gentlemen:

I  W. G. Jr., native born American and Veteran of the USMC Vietnam Era have been unemployed over 99 weeks and my unemployment benefit have stopped.  Senior Mortgage Loan Processor was my Occupation for the last 10 years. After applying for any type office job since May, 2008 when my Mortgage Banker downsized, I remain unemployed.

New York City remains at 9.9% unemployment and I am 63 years old. However with all the younger people out of work, I have been given a low priority by The American Companies. I am in good shape and intended to work till 80+. How can American Companies outsource any job with Americans out of work, then the USA  imports heavily, lead based toys from China, then borrows heavily from China because they are the Country that’s progressing. How can we have a global economy if our local economy is down. What good is NAFTA to me, I can’t afford to buy anything without employment.    I have a wife & 2 daughters that started College. We are on the road to Destitution and losing the American Dream we worked for all our lives. I never thought this would happen to us as Americans.

Please help all of us and restore our unemployment benefit till we find employment. Please create good jobs & bring back our exported jobs, its Patriotic.

Thank You,   W.G. Jr.

At your service

From R.C. in WA:

To Whom it may Concern:

My name is R.C., and I am a long term unemployed citizen. I have 18 years of management experience with three of those years being executive management experience (meaning District Manager or above titles in a company). I have applied every day to positions from customer service, sales, training, management and even executive management. After all of my interviews the most common answer I do receive is for the none management positions, that I am too over qualified and for executive management they want more years of experience. In the store manager roles, some of them as well I get told too over qualified. I look every day for positions and apply to all that are available that I have any background in. I have not declined a job offer, none has been offered. I moved in 2008 from California to AZ thinking that the job market was better, with my 401k. I had not one job offer in AZ. My family moved me from AZ to WA, just in January, I have had the most interviews here so far, I have went to five but not a job offer either. I am married, with two children, my husband just a week ago got a full time job. He was not employed thru this time either, he also was actively daily looking for employment.

My unemployment ended the end of February. A little over a year ago, I did lose my car with just the unemployment it did not pay all the bills and the car payment. I am fortunate that my family can assist me for now so we are not homeless. For many with unemployment ended this is not the case.

I do not understand why there is not enough communication to the unemployed. We have hope that the government will extend benefits, but there should be very direct communication to the public, with good news or bad news. With little communication, it seems a huge lack of urgency in the US Government, the perception this creates to the general public is not positive. Getting state assistance in many states there is a very long wait for section eight homes and benefits sometimes are not given immediately, people have to wait, with zero income coming in. How do they feed their families.

I would appreciate a more sense of urgency, more communication. About this matter. In all my management experience, companies demanded urgency with important matters, with this effecting millions of American Citizens, I think we can request a more sense of urgency and more direct communication for this complicated matter.

Thank you for your time

From S.W. in MN:

Dear Mr. McDermott,

As a U. S. citizen I have worked and paid taxes all my life. In 2001 I was laid off of my job and had to struggle to keep my house, pay my bills and find another job. In 2002 I found a few part time jobs and finally in 2003 was back to full time work. It took me 3 years to pay off debts and get to zero again.

In August 2008 I was laid off of a job I held for 5 years because of the economic crash and the worries of a bail-out. I have been looking for a job for 1 and 3/4 years to no avail. I have had a few interviews but in several cases they decided not to fill the position. I have received unemployment checks until June 6th 2010. Now they say I have run out and will receive no more. Unemployment is what I use to pay my mortgage, utilities and buy food.

A Tier 5 or beyond is definitely needed to keep millions of Americans from losing their homes and going broke. From the reading I have done unemployment benefits stimulate the economy and we need that. If you need a way to pay for it stop the wars, stop the bail-outs to foolish bankers.

We need a Tier 5 and we need support to companies who hire and keep jobs in the United States. Companies who out-source should receive financial penalties if they expect to operate in this country.

Please act as a true representative of the vast majority of unemployed and working Americans. We need unemployment and real jobs not empty phrases about change. My father a World War II veteran told me about the 1st depression and how hard it was on families. We thought we had laws in place to prevent Wall Street from doing this to us again but those laws were slowly eliminated until here we are again. Re-enact Glass Steagall and keep the bankers from ruining this country.

Sincerely,

From C.D. in CA:

Dear Committee Members,

I am writing to urge you to create a new Tier V federal extension of unemployment benefits or to extend the existing Tier V. I am extremely concerned as H.R. 4213 does not provide for an extension of benefits for the long-term unemployed who have exhausted their ninety-nine weeks of benefits.

I am one of those long-term unemployed; after working in the same position for the University of California, San Diego for sixteen years, my contract was simply not renewed—through no fault of my own.  I was four years away from a full retirement.  I am also a woman in my mid-fifties–one of the least desirable and employable categories in a state (California) with record high unemployment. Although I have a Master’s degree and over twenty years of teaching and administrative experience in university writing education, there are almost no jobs in my area and teachers are receiving pink slips even as I write this.

I, and others in my situation, desperately need your help. I have lived frugally on unemployment insurance, retirement savings, and regular savings while diligently looking for a job.  If it wasn’t for the generosity of my family, I would very likely be homeless or living in my car, assuming I still had a car.

I come from a working-class background, learned how to work hard, and put myself through both undergraduate and graduate school.  I have been a dedicated teacher, parent, and citizen.  I have worked since I was a girl, and have always had a job until recently.  In short, I have played by the rules, but now find that the rules don’t apply to me.

It is humiliating and degrading to find myself in this position, when I should be saving for retirement and helping my daughter through college. Instead, I (and others in my position) am the butt of jokes about how lazy and greedy I am for not working at jobs that don’t exist. I have written to almost every member of Congress, but only Dick Durbin bothered to reply. What I hear in the media from other leaders is that ninety-nine weeks is enough and I should be happy they are trying to create jobs; that sad sort of assurance doesn’t keep a roof over my head or buy my groceries.

Our government has funded two wars, bailed out Wall Street, and rescued the automakers; we are even providing bail out money to Greece, a country where workers can retire at fifty years of age!  Certainly we cannot turn our backs on hard-working Americans who find themselves without jobs even though they desperately want to work.  Please support a new tier of unemployment benefits to sustain those of us who are still looking for jobs and waiting for jobs to be created.

Sincerely,

From M.D. in CA:

Senator McDermott

Chairman, Ways and Means Committee

I am one of the 9.9 % of the United States population who is unemployed and I have reached my limit of 99 weeks of unemployment compensation benefits.  I am terrified and I don’t know where to turn.  I have no money to pay my rent or my bills.

I need your help; I need the House and the Senate to provide additional Tier 5 emergency unemployment benefits.

Even though the US economy is beginning to show signs of recovery, the employment picture remains bleak.  I have applied for literally thousands of jobs and the very few replies that I have received have led to only rejection and no work.  I am not lazy, I want to work.  If I get behind on my bills, I will have bad credit and that will make it even harder to find a job.  I fear I will soon be on the streets without more unemployment benefits, I have no money to pay my rent.  Please help me and the many Americans who depend on emergency UC benefits as our lifeline to survival.  Now is not the time to cut these essential benefits that I paid into for over 25 years.  I have never been so scared and unsure of my future.

We need Tier 5 unemployment benefits now, please don’t forget about us.

I am begging you to add Tier 5 emergency UC benefits. I am asking for your compassion and consideration; it is the right thing to do.

Please Help

Please visit Rochester Unemployment Examiner to review unemployment information, data and details that you don’t find in the main stream media. You can also add comments about your current situation and what you think needs ot be done to improve the job market and unemployment benefits system. I hope to see you there.

*Due to issues such as software compatibility, the letters posted here may contain some minor formatting edits to improve readability.

Susan

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