Tier 5 and extended unemployment benefits: letters to Congress from the long-term unemployed

The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support is holding a hearing this week 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 me to publish. Below are some of those letters. I’ll be posting other letters as I receive permission.

From M. B. in CA:

I lost my job of 20 years as a Software Manager in July of 2008. After several months of intense job hunting, I realized there were few opportunities in my field of expertise and even fewer opportunities for a 50+ woman.

Believe me age discrimination is alive and thriving in this economy! I enrolled in a Microsoft Application Specialist Certification Program in May of 2009 in order to change careers. My prior skills and experience coupled with the Microsoft Certifications should have given me the leg up to secure a position as an Administrative Assistant or an Office Manager. It is now May of 2010, I’ve sent hundreds of resumes to every open position I can find all of which yielded one interview and no job.

I am on the net everyday for several hours searching for jobs on 5 different job sites and local company web sites. My business profile is on several networking sites and I have reached out to past school mates and coworkers with no results. I meet biweekly with the Job Specialist in my local Career Center. I attend every job fair hosted in the area. I don’t know what more I can do. The fact is I’m a 55 year old professional woman and no one wants to hire me. I am overqualified for entry level positions and too old for a position in my field of expertise.

I have exhausted my savings and my unemployment benefits. I have no choice but to pay the early withdrawal penalties so I can cash in some of my 401K Account and pay my mortgage and living expenses for a little longer. When that’s gone I don’t know what I’ll do.

It’s very hard for me to convey the fear and desperation I feel. During the last forty years, beginning as a teen with summer jobs I’ve always been able to find work. Now everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve accumulated during my lifetime is evaporating before my eyes because I can’t find employment.  All my life I’ve done what society has asked of me. I worked hard, lived within my means, paid my bills and taxes, helped others less fortunate than myself, saved for a rainy day, saved for retirement, and now I’m looking at complete and utter financial collapse because there aren’t enough jobs for everyone that needs one.

Congress must pass the Tier V Extension until job creation matches the demand in this country. I know there are many baby boomers like me, finding themselves in similar situations and because we represent such a large portion of the population the decisions we are being forced to make will impact everyone. As our numbers exhaust their unemployment benefits with still no jobs in sight, our homes will join the millions already in foreclosure. With our retirement funds exhausted before we reach retirement age we will become dependent on government programs in our retirement years. As we default on credit cards and loan payments everyone’s ability to borrow will be impacted.

I agree it is a real concern as to how to pay for the extension of benefits, however I truly believe the financial impact of not extending benefits represents a greater threat to the economy. The economy simply needs more time to recover and create jobs. Please don’t abandon the American Workers in their time of need. All our lives we’ve worked and paid taxes often used to prop up economies in other countries. Now we need to do the same for the citizens of the USA.

From M. W. in MA:

Dear Sirs/Madams,

My name is M. W.and I am a resident of Massachusetts and citizen of the greatest country in the world the United States of America. Sadly my life has become that of a bad movie, or of a stereotype I never thought I’d find myself in. My life changed drastically on October 4^th, 2008 when I lost my job of 8 years with Best Buy.

In my 18 years of being eligible to work I worked for 2 Companies Sears and Best Buy. In both companies I started making very little and worked my way up through my excellent performance to a financial level I never thought obtainable. With Best Buy I had even gotten so far as to make close to 6 figures a year.

Two years before I lost my job I purchased my first home and was one of many foolish Americans who were duped into purchasing a dual flexible interest loan (through Countrywide). When I lost my job it began the sad process of me losing my home after over 60k in payments (my daughters college fund essentially) amongst other painful debts that I’ve accrued in some cruel downward spiral. When I worked for Best Buy I was offered dozens of jobs from the competition for more money but I was foolishly loyal and passed on them thinking that I’d be able to retire doing something I loved.

When I was let go by Best Buy it left me in the vast pool of qualified who were essentially locked out of opportunities. Sure Career Builder and Monster.com appear to have job opportunities, and other companies post job openings on their sites but out of the hundreds of jobs that I’ve applied for I’ve gotten only a handful of interviews. I’ve essentially knocked on doors, walked into stores, handing my resume to a store manager. Just hoping, that perhaps my timing would improve and that I’d at least get face time with someone. Instead what little face time I’ve received has been responded with the same retort, “we’re sorry but you’re overqualified for this position.” And despite my explaining that I was willing to start over and earn my way back I’ve been passed over by internal applicants (which I understand them being afraid of the message they’d send by hiring an outsider during such a difficult time in our country.).

I’m not looking for a handout. I’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars contributing to state/federal taxes over the years and until recent had never asked or received any type of support from the government. I’ve even had to get Food Stamps during the gaps when I was unsure if I’d get an extension over the course of my unemployment. Even with the maximum reimbursement I’m still making 40% of my last salary and my bills haven’t dwindled to 40%. I am a single father of the most beautiful 7 year old girl. She is an excellent student and just wonderful human being and it pains me to think of the consequences that lay ahead of something doesn’t change. I need this. She needs this. We need this.

Truly,

M. R. W.

Proud father and American Citizen

From M. M. in TX:

My name is M. M. and I have been looking for a new position since August 6, 2007.  I am 55 years old, divorced, no children and this extended unemployment has taken a personal toll on me from which I may never economically recover.  In the past three years, I almost lost my house to foreclosure, but by the Grace of God managed after two failed offers, to sell the house for at least 30 thousand under what I paid for it.  At the moment I lost my job, the housing market began to fall in Los Lunas, New Mexico where I was working.  I went thru my savings to try to continue paying my bills and mortgage and cut back on many things.  Finally in December of 2007 I gave up and moved back with my elderly eighty-six year old mother, sister and her children.

In the past three years several times unemployment has run out and I have been forced to sell all but fifteen boxes in assorted sizes of my belongings because my family could provide a roof over my head but could not afford my expenses and food.  I give them when I have money what I can, but I cannot thank them enough for all they have done for me, for their faith and encouragement.  I could have been out on the streets, but I was blessed to have a wonderful family.

I have applied for hundreds of jobs, full time and part time.  I have a master’s degree in Engineering Management and watched our manufacturing sector shrink over the years.  I am not proud, I have applied for any positions I feel I am remotely or “over” qualified as my father who was a migrant farm worker when I was a small child taught me that honest work is good work no matter what it is.  I have had maybe eight interviews in the past three years and one, well went down to a disappointing finish where I was jerked around for three weeks and then told that the company hired a friend of someone who worked in the company as they liked to use referrals.

In this past three years my credit has been destroyed as I was unable to pay my credit card bills. This very factor will make future employment almost impossible in some areas and reduce my options even further. So now I am being penalized more for something I had no control over..  The second mortgage was not written off like the balance of the first but instead hangs as a $27,000 dollar debt on my credit report.  That one I do not understand as I provided them the hardship information but then Washington Mutual was not cooperative in any fashion causing me to lose the first offer.  By the way, my house was not some fancy beyond my means house.  It was a small three-bedroom house in New Mexico that IF I had been able to find another position, I could have continued to live in, instead of living in a small room filled with my remaining things and memories of a better time.

I have also lost my car, not to repossession because it was ten years old and paid for, but from a hailstorm that came through Austin, Texas and destroyed my windows and frame of the car with golf ball sized hail.  I was unable to purchase even a “commuter” car because I had to use the money to eat.  Oh yes I am on food stamps, but goodness for people who have a steady income, try juggling food on that amount allotted in stamps.  I do not eat fancy and haven’t eaten dinner out in at least a couple of years.  I do the best I can with what I have.

Forget health insurance, as I have not been to a doctor in three years, unable to afford it and in the state of Texas I do not qualify for any health help.  I have lost two teeth and a third one is cracked and there isn’t anything I can do except pray that my health and teeth hold up.  I am sure the level of stress is very detrimental to good health.

I am grateful for the unemployment and sick of reading all the discouraging news articles about how people my age and length of employment may never find another position, will have to take menial jobs or some other awful fate for us.  I will not give up because I am not a quitter, but I am amazed that we can send hundreds of millions of our tax dollars to countries like South Africa for AIDS help but cannot provide medical help for people like me.  I am sick of work visas given to foreigners while many of us are out of work.  I am sick of illegal residents receiving benefits we paid for with our work and taxes while the rest of us scrape by wondering what we will do next.

We are not lazy people enjoying a life of leisure.  We are simply displaced workers who are trying to live and trying to be viable members of society.  You think discrimination doesn’t exist in subtle forms?  Try being a 55 year old divorced woman with a graduate degree who is seen as not an asset to a company but a liability because she may leave for a better job (as though younger people don’t do this all the time), she is too old to train (I have taught myself how to design a website) or she may retire (laughs on that one as she will never be able to afford to retire).

We want jobs.  We do not want charity.  We want to have a name and a face again in society instead of being in the shadows.  We want the truth about what is happening with job creations and if we are still giving credit to corporations who send jobs overseas.  We want justice and to be treated fairly.  After all when we work, we pay taxes, but more importantly we keep America strong and viable.

Thank you.  Respectfully M. M.

From D.S. in CA:

Dear Chairman McDermott,

I am a 56 year old female, a 99 week benefit exhaustee that has had the rug pulled out from under my life and my future. Hope of ever recouping the items lost at my age is looking more hopeless as the months pass.

Through no fault of my own I was laid off in Sept 2007 from my position as an office manager for real estate publishing company. The economy started to take a turn for the worse as I watched over 31 employees loose their job that year even before I was let go. We tried everything to stay afloat but I knew I was soon to be next to be let go… and I was.

Since then, I have sent out hundreds and hundreds of resumes and in 2.5 years have had only 2 job interviews that I was very qualified for but was not hired. Companies are not hiring in or around my town and definitely not hiring in my age group, but that is a different issue… for another day, that I hope will be addressed in my lifetime. The likelihood of ever recouping the items lost at my age is looking more and more hopeless as the months pass.

We already lost our home in 2008 and now barely hanging onto the car, and by the grace of god my one son who 36 years old has moved in to help with expenses, he’s not thrilled with it and places strain on him and our relationship. Being unemployed is bad, running out of benefits is frightening and indescribable. You know what? It was NOT suppose to be this way when you get to your senior years! I feel I was robbed of being able to continue to work and to look forward to my retirement, and now I will have nothing to look forward to. I loved to work and have done so since I was 16 years old! Living in worry, stress and frustration is exhausting and is taking a toll on me and my entire family.

Since being unemployed I have not been able to afford medical check-ups, medical attention when needed, have not seen my optometrist for a new pair of glasses, have not been to dentist, cannot afford 2 meals a day, let alone 3. I have used up my savings on necessary items such as rent, food, utilities, etc. I cannot afford to buy my Grandchildren a birthday present or an ice cream cone. Life is miserable and when I turned to agencies in the County, there is no help since I do not have a child to link me into the system for help.

Please help us! Please don’t sweep away the millions of people that have exhausted their benefits and please don’t think we are lazy or enjoy being in this situation that we were thrown into.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and hope you recognize that the long term unemployed have been suffering for years and now with NO benefits we are destitute, surely someone in Congress will

find the answer for us soon?

Something must be done to pull all of the unemployed people that have exhausted their benefits from the bottomless pit we have been thrown into, we did nothing wrong. Please do not forget us.

Sincerely,

From C.W. in OR:

My story

Re: Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment

I am a 61 year old female who was laid off in November, 2008 from an executive assistant position I performed successfully and loved for nearly nine years in a small insurance company.

I have been searching for work ever since. Initially, I wasn’t too worried because throughout my entire working life, I’d never encountered difficulty finding a job. However, given the severity of this recession and my age, I quickly encountered difficulties.  The situation is so bad here in Oregon that there are sometimes over 100 applicants for a given job, which leaves many otherwise, qualified applicants out in the cold without any consideration. In this climate, getting an interview is as difficult as landing a job.

Within a few short weeks of losing my job, I realized I would likely not be able to find a good-paying job before it was time for me to retire, so I began searching to jobs outside of the admin support positions I’d held all my life. Thus far, I’ve applied for retail clerk, customer service, and many other positions with no luck! I was told just last week that I was over-qualified for an office clerk’s position, despite the fact that I would have been grateful and honored to do it!

I have diligently searched for work every day since being laid off, and moved closer to metropolitan areas to increase my opportunities. I’ve networked, submitted apps online and in person, and applied for many jobs outside my area of expertise. I’ve had a few interviews, but no success.  More often than not, I don’t hear anything and don’t even get an interview. In a few months my EB benefits will run out, and if I don’t find work by then I may be homeless. My savings is nearly gone, and like everyone else, my 401K has been sacked, and there will be a six-month gap before I can apply for early retirement at 62. Never in my life have I wanted to be older, until now.

It’s embarrassing to be on unemployment for such a long time, but I am very grateful for it. I honestly thought we’d have a stronger economic turnaround by now with job creation and growth. But it’s just not going to happen before my and others’ benefits run out. I would ask that you (1) consider extending UI benefits for older, displaced workers who, in truth, no one wants to hire, and (2) consider allowing those of us who are close to age 62 to file for SS a little early. I’d love to find a way to go back to college for retraining, but if I can’t find part-time work to support myself, I’m not sure how to accomplish this.

Please help all unemployed workers by extending UI benefits, as well as the plight of older Americans who are facing an uphill battle finding work in this Great Recession.

Thank you for all you have done to help us and for all you will do for us in the future.

The following letter was written by Cindy Paoletti and here’s her latest update:

The letter/testimony to the Ways and Means Committee has been sent. It had 130 names on it and represented 28 of the 50 states. You can watch the hearing live on the ways and means website this Thursday. It begins at I believe 9:30am eastern time. Now, we all should say a prayer that this hearing will help the hundreds of thousands of people who no longer receive UI benefits. To those that sent me their stories, please dont give up. Although it seems like your lives are over, they are just beginning, for the second time. I responded to some of you, and will not forget what you are going through. I’d appreciate it if you would keep in touch with me and let me know how things are progressing for you. Just remember, you are not alone in this nightmare. We will come out on top! Thanks to everyone that got involved and God Bless.

Here is Cindy’s original letter:

Mr.  Jim McDermott: We are a group of long term unemployed who have exhausted all 99 weeks of unemployment benefits.  We have been without any income since March, (some January and February) and are still unable to find employment.  We spend every day sending out resumes and applying for jobs, 90% of the time we don’t even receive an acknowledgement that our resumes and applications were received. We call ourselves the 99’ers.  There are over one million of us, and that number continues to grow each week as more people join our plight. The last two extensions of dates, have not included us.  (HR 4213 being the second extension of dates).  We have no health insurance, no jobs, and no income.  Many of us have gone through all of our savings and have had to pay penalties and withdraw our retirement IRA’s in order to try and survive.  There are people who are selling their blood to blood banks so they can feed their families. This has made our American dream become an American nightmare.

Age discrimination has played a significant role in us not being able to land a job.  Most of us are in our late 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.  That, coupled with being over qualified for any low paying job we apply for is killing the baby boomer middle class. Lately, there have been temp agencies that have told us their clients do not want to hire anyone that has been unemployed for a long period of time.  What are we supposed to do?  We have been pleading with Congress, the Senate and President Obama to help us by adding a Tier 5 or adding more weeks of benefits to Tier 4 so we do not end up homeless and starving.  The Department of Labor advised us to go on Welfare.  Many of us do not qualify for Welfare or Food Stamps.  We have no parents we can move in with, and no one who can help us.  All of our efforts have fallen on deaf ears.  In her legislative briefing last week, Nancy Pelosi actually laughed at the long term unemployed along with her audience of reporters over the faxes, phone calls and emails we have sent begging for help.  We are humiliated by American citizens who are employed, calling us lazy and living on handouts. To have the Speaker of the House laugh at us was not only an insult, but a hard slap in the face.  We believe she owes us a public apology.

The suicide rate has increased almost 75% from 2008. Many of these cases are unemployed Americans who can no longer cope with losing everything they worked their entire lives for, and being unable to support their families.  Our government does not care about us. We have been left empty handed with no safety net for over two months now.  We have nothing left except the necessities we need to continue to search for jobs.  Once our internet connections are gone, our phones are disconnected, and we are out on the streets, we will never see a normal life again.  Many are already in this situation, and it is inhuman that our government could let American citizens fall to this level.  We were all hard working Americans who have worked for over 40 years.  We lost our jobs through no fault of our own.  You’ve bailed out banks and Wall Street, you’ve sent money to Haiti, you’ve spent billions on two wars and no one worried about the budget and the money that was being spent.  Now, to help people that put you all in office, you argue over where the money will come from and force us into poverty.  We want to be recognized as the hard working Americans we once were. You have taken away our dignity, our love for our country and the faith we once had for the lawmakers we voted into office.

The long term unemployed who have exhausted all benefits need a bailout, and we need it immediately. We are no longer in a position where we can wait. We are scared, and at the end of our ropes. Please, do something to help us.  Waiting around for job creation to take place is not an option for us anymore. We have run out of time.  We’ve paid dearly into this country for years;  we should not be treated like we no longer exist.  Please show us some compassion.

Thanks for your time and efforts, Cindy.

The following letter was sent to the Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment. by T.M. in Texas. I have removed personal identification information for privacy concerns.

Today, June 6^th, 2010, I’ve been unemployed for 16 months & 10 days.  I was laid off my job as an office administrative assistant at a great company on January 26^th, 2009.  After struggling, sleeping in my car, not eating, etc. for over 6 weeks while waiting to finally be approved for unemployment I was able to finally get an apartment and buy groceries.  I have sent out thousands of resumes and filled out just as many applications in the 16 months that I’ve been unemployed, only to receive 2 interviews.  The last interview I went to in February, I was told that they had over 600 applicants for the position.  I am told that if the state that I live in has a 3-month unemployment rate less than 8.5%, we will not qualify for a 4^th tier of benefits.  I live in Texas, where the unemployment rate is at 8.3%.  I have 7 weeks remaining of extended benefits before I completely exhaust all the unemployment I’m eligible for.  I’m not sure where to apply for a job at next.  I’ve applied everywhere from fast food restaurants & gas stations to medical clinics & government positions.  If I’m not hired in the next 7 weeks and my unemployment benefits end, I will once again be homeless.

I grew up in foster care, I do not have family to support or help me in anyway. It has taken me all the strength I have to get to where I am today.   I’ve applied for a care credit card, which will pay for doctors office visits, etc. and I was denied.  I cannot get credit.  I have Type 1(Insulin dependent) diabetes and barely make it monthly paying out of pocket for my prescriptions with what unemployment money I do receive, I won’t make it if I’m not receiving income.  The only reason I write this to you is because I am indeed desperate.  I’m desperate enough that I’m willing to accept work anywhere that will have me; the problem is no one is hiring me.  I don’t know where to turn.  Please don’t end my unemployment benefits.  Please send me a job; I’m desperately searching & I do have fine skills, only not as fine as the other hundreds applying for the same positions.  I beg of you to please not discontinue unemployment benefits for me, as doing so would cut off my one and only life line.  I am only 27; I don’t want to die this young.  Please help me.

Best Regards,

T.M. from TX

The next letter is from S.M in Ohio:

Today is Sunday June 6, 2010:    My name is S.M. and I live in Chicago and IL has a unemployment rate of 11.3%.   I will be 59 years old in a few weeks and have been jobless for almost 2 years;   I have had a STRONG and STABLE work history of over 34 years with only 4 Employers including my last job which was a Temp position for almost 3 months.  I have exhausted the last Tier IV of unemployment benefits in March and I am trying to make arrangements through a State “Rent Assistance” program to have my rent for May paid, thereafter I am moving from my 1 bedroom apartment because I can’t afford to keep it any longer and have no source of income but a Pension from my first Employer that is only $205 a month.  I am desperate and very upset that my Government can treat the unemployed with such distain as if it’s our fault we are in this mess; I have applied hundreds and hundreds of times within my Industry and outside of my Industry but to no avail.   I have played by the rules of law and paid my taxes for 34 years BUT when I need help with further extending jobless benefits for those of us unemployed for almost 2 years I get nothing but political games.    I have nothing, what I had it gone and I am virtually homeless trying to find a one room apartment somewhere because my limited family has no room.   I need your help, so many of us are suffering because our Tier IV exhausted in March and many of these States programs have freezes and aren’t any help.  Please help me and help the MILLIONS of others like myself through no fault of our own, have and still are in one hell of a mess!

From A.L. in NY:

June 04, 2010

Dear Committee Members:

My name is A. L.. I am married and have a 3 year old. I live in NY.

The reason for my letter today is I am not quite sure the impact that not receiving anymore unemployment benefits (I am a 99er as we are now called) is fully understood.

Let me share with you the position that I am now in since my benefits have ended. I am 2 months behind on my mortgage payments, electricity payments, cable payments and car payments. I receive daily calls along with letters of threats to foreclose on my home, reposes my car, and cut off my cable and electric. We pay 900.00 a month in medical insurance as my husbands employer does not contribute plus 135.00 for my daughter. I will be canceling our health insurance and pray that we do not get sick. I have high blood pressure and have to take 4 medications daily to keep it under control; this alone is 200.00 a month.

There are no savings whatsoever as that had to be used during the “gaps” of unemployment. I have been unemployed for over 2 years now. I have sent over 600 resumes. I was working at WAMU as an administrative assistant for the mortgage bond traders and was told of my layoff the day I returned back to work from maternity leave.

I have sold whatever jewelry I had. I have no one to borrow from.  My mom who is receiving SS widow benefits helps me with baby food and milk and diapers at times. I do not have anyone to borrow from. Not only can I not find a job, my husband has been looking for a second job and no luck there either. He works in the restaurant industry and during a recession people do not eat out understandably. His hours have actually been cut.

I had to count change this morning, pennies to buy ½ a gallon of milk for my daughter. I have never felt so humiliated and so insignificant in my life. I have worked since I am 14 years old. I have paid my taxes. I have played by all the rules. So this misconception of the people getting unemployment benefits are lazy is so WRONG.  I know that who ever needs help when I was working received help from taxes I paid. I am fine with that. There is not an ounce of help available for me out there. So here I am waiting to lose it all. How is it that we help everyone else and not our own? This is a very serious matter affect the lives of so many Americans and many more to come as their benefits end. I beg of you do not let me lose my home. I need to feed my child, have electric, my medication and water.  I have actually had to mix water with milk for my child in order to let the milk last longer.

We need a Tier V. Please do not ignore us or forget us. The situation I am in is becoming dire. I do not sleep, I am having anxiety attacks, and to have to ask my mom, a widow for baby food, this should not be happening in this country. I have actually had to mix water with milk for my child in order to let the milk last longer.

We bailed out the car industry, the banks, other countries, tax breaks. The money is there, please help the people. We will end up homeless.

P.S. I had to sell my high school ring and some earrings to buy diapers and baby food a few days ago….Tier 5 is VERY necessary.

Sincerely

A L in NY

From B.R. in NY

To whom it may concern or not: Hearing on Responding to Long-Term Unemployment

My name is B.R. and I’m an American citizen and I’m drowning, please help!

I started my work career at the age of 8 in 1966 delivering the Pennysaver paper up and down 4 long streets in the neighborhood where I grew up.  In those days everyone pitched in to help the family. By 10 I was delivering the Herald Journal and by the age of 13 I was working a 20 hour week in the family business .  After graduating High School I enlisted into the ARMY and spent 4 years on active duty. When I was Honorably Discharged from the service I rejoined the family business where I worked until near the end of 2007.

All of my life I have paid into the system personally through social security taxes and income taxes and on top of that the family business paying unemployment insurance (money that the business most assuredly could have used for other matters)- maybe some rainy day money for someone who might be out of work for awhile.

Oh wait that’s right the government has a program for that, don’t they? Imagine someone taking care of their own needs, but the government doesn’t allow for that does it? Unless of course a business should set up their own separate program ( it would cut into operating expenses to do that , but still…).Wait they can’t do that because then you show more profit and the government will take that away from you too.

I don’t know , what could the answer be, how about we develop a system of government that protects the people, protects a guy who has worked most of his life trying to make a life for his family. I guess maybe we tried that too- it just didn’t work out to well. It seems easy enough for you to come up with monies for social services for people who haven’t put a nickel into the system or maybe some unregistered alien who needs some help. Better yet why not just vote yourselves another raise you certainly deserve it .

You people let trade with China become what it is, you people allowed the big corporations in this country call all the shots. I know how the big corporations keep the well oiled political machine going. After all, big corporations are the ones who employ the American people, right? Getting to know me won’t be a benefit for any politician in office TODAY, I have nothing to offer…

Why if things are so tough do you allow extravagances like: Military aircraft being used to shuttle politicians and their families back and forth, while I’m sitting at here wondering if I’m going to be able to keep my home. I know this point has probably been beaten to death but I’m sure that there are plenty of other such events going on as we speak.

Fact is, if this kind of nonsense wasn’t going on maybe there would be a few more dollars around to help honest hard working Americans get a few more months of unemployment benefits. Just enough time for you the elected officials, to do the job you were elected to do and make this nation the prosperous nation it once was.

If you don’t feel that you are responsible for the state of the economy, then please step down and get out of the way for someone who might take responsibility. Maybe I should run for political office it doesn’t seem that hard to do- all you have to do is make a bunch of promises you don’t intend to keep, make sure you take advantage of all the perks offered, work for maybe 6 months a year. I think I could handle it!

All I want is to go back to work, finish my time out, chill with my family and leave a little something behind.

Thanks for your time.”

B.R. in NY

I’ll post additional letters as I receive them.

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.

Tags: 99ers, laid off, legislation, long term unemployed, Tier 5, unemployment