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 6^th, 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 8^th, 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 5^TH 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 31^ST 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!

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 27^th 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 99^th 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

“A second stimulus should be the one they should have done the first time, something that is relatively fast and thoughtful,” said Phillip Swagel, a professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Mr. Swagel, a former Treasury assistant secretary for economic policy under President George W. Bush, said a more-effective package could include more assistance to struggling state and local governments and personal tax cuts.

“This was supposed to be about jobs, jobs, and jobs. And the fact is, it turned into nothing more than spending, spending, and more spending on a lot of big government bureaucracy,” House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Many Democrats, too, said they’re disappointed with the recovery program so far but, for now at least, are resisting calls for a second package. “I don’t think anybody can honestly say that we’re satisfied with the results so far of the stimulus,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D., Md.) said on “Fox News Sunday.” But he said it was too soon to push for more. “We certainly want to see how this develops over the next few months.”

via Calls Grow to Increase Stimulus Spending – WSJ.com.

“The problem is, there have been trillions of dollars printed and spent since last autumn, but none of it to speak of has landed in the hands of consumers, no major income tax rebates, no new meaningful jobs from infrastructure projects, no repeal of property taxes, no health insurance reform such as allowing a cheap “catastrophic only” insurance protection option to families for $200 a month. Has anyone seen anything tangible result from Central Planner intervention? Bridges getting rebuilt? New highways? New supertracks for high speed trains? Energy technology? New parks? Jobs programs? It has all gone to large corporations, to government purchases of corporations.”

To be fair, I’ll point you to a couple recession is ending reports that refute the more dire predictions of many who have called this financial mess so far and I’ll leave it to you to decide where things are headed in the near term:

Dilbert

US/Canada:

• Caraco slashes 52 pct jobs (350), cites production stoppage
• New Chron Presses Running; 230 Jobs Lost
• Tellabs-layoffs 150-tlab-

International:

• BASF to cut 3,700 jobs as part of Ciba takover
• Oracle to cut 1,000 jobs in Europe

Navigation links to today’s stories:

Microsoft/Google/IBM and other Rumors/News
General Economic News
Government Layoff News
US and some Canada Layoff News
International Layoff News
Hiring News and News You Can Use

- Microsoft/Google/IBM and other Rumors & News -

- But last week, Mr. Jobs returned to work on a part-time basis, precisely when he said he would. Experts with only a general knowledge of his treatment suggest his prognosis is good.

via The Media Equation – Only the Nosy Are Fixated on Steve Jobs’s Health – NYTimes.com.

- General Economic News -

- WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The service sectors of the U.S. economy contracted at a slower pace in June, the Institute for Supply Management reported Monday. The ISM nonmanufacturing index rose to 47.0% from 44.0% in May. The decline was better than expected. Economists were looking the index to rise to 46.0%.

via U.S. June ISM services stays on upward trend – MarketWatch.

- JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — With its IOUs and plans to close state offices three days a month, California gets all the attention as lawmakers fight to write a budget set off balance by a $26.3 billion deficit.

But the dozens of states that made spending cuts, tapped into reserves or relied on federal stimulus funds to patch together budgets that took effect this past week are hardly free from worry. Many of those spending plans are based on tax revenue projections that have been wrong throughout the recession — and may be unreliable again.

via The Associated Press: Missed revenue forecasts pose more woes for states.

Matt Davies

- Government Layoff News -

- With states facing a $121 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year, a growing number of them have turned to squeezing their workforce for savings, and effects are being felt, both great and small.

In Hawaii, some criminal trials will likely have to be rescheduled because public defenders are being furloughed — or forced to take unpaid days off — three Fridays a month. In New Jersey, about 5,000 parolees went unmonitored for a day in May and June as their parole officers were forced to stay home.

via Maine among 21 states to use furloughs.

- SACRAMENTO—Sacramento firefighters have agreed to freeze their salaries for two and a half years, averting layoffs for at least a year.

via Sacramento firefighters agree to salary freeze – San Jose Mercury News .

- The Troy-Miami County Public Library announced Monday it will lay off six workers, reduce employee hours and modify operations as it faces a budgetary drop of more than $770,000.

via Troy/Miami library to eliminate six jobs – Dayton Business Journal: .21:19:13

- CITY HALL — As a part of the shift in the city’s Park Ranger program, six part-time rangers who are at-will employees of the city, will be terminated as of July 15, city officials said Monday.

via Glendale News Press > Politics.21:21:23

- TROY — Hoping to keep up with funding cuts, the Troy-Miami County Public Library will lay off six staff members, reduce hours for most others, park its bookmobile, increase fines and close one day per week.

via Troy library cuts staff, parks bookmobile.21:26:32

- US and some Canada Layoff News -

-The company, which said it would cut 350 jobs, added that JPMorgan Chase Bank has informed the company that its $10 million line of credit was not available to be drawn down upon until the regulatory matter was resolved.

via UPDATE 1-Caraco slashes 52 pct jobs, cites production stoppage | Industries | Healthcare | Reuters .

- That means about 230 union jobs at the Chronicle’s Union City printing plant are now gone.

via New Chron Presses Running; 230 Jobs Lost – mediabistro.com: BayNewser.

- SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Meridian Automotive Systems is idling a central Indiana factory, putting 295 people out of work.

The company told city officials on Thursday that it was closing the Shelbyville plant for an indefinite period. The announcement came less than month after Meridian announced a planned layoff of 198 people at the plant in stages over the summer.

via The Associated Press: Auto parts maker shutting down Indiana plant.

- GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Genesys Regional Medical Center is moving forward with plans to lay off than half of the licensed practicing nurses on staff — and replace them with nursing assistants — unless their union can win a last minute reprieve, reports WNEM (Channel 5). According to the report, 54 nurses will receive pink slips next week.

via Genesys moving forward with layoff plans for nurses – Flint News – The Latest News, Blogs, Photos & Videos – MLive.com .

- The company wants 25 workers to voluntarily take up to three months off because business has yet to pick up.

via Pa.’s Channellock looking to voluntary layoffs | AP | 07/03/2009.

- Credit-card giant Discover Financial Services LLC has told state officials it plans to begin cutting 55 jobs at its New Albany call center on Tuesday.

via Discover Financial cutting 55 jobs – Business First of Columbus: .

- The owner of most of the Bay Area’s newspapers said Friday it would lay off another 18 journalists in the East Bay this summer.

via More Bay Area journalists to lose jobs – San Francisco Business Times:

- Sanofi-Aventis’ restructuring plans may not include forced layoffs in Europe, but about 60 workers in the U.S. were told they’d be out of work by year’s end, BNet Pharma reports, and these weren’t “voluntary separations.” Report

via Sanofi tells 60 U.S. workers they’re out of jobs; Hong Kong finds Tamiflu-resistant case; – FiercePharma.

- Western Corporate Federal Credit Union eliminated 30 San Dimas, Calif.-based employees last week, adding to the 60 branch processing staff the NCUA had previously announced would be let go over the next 12 months. WesCorp’s staff will drop by roughly 22% from January 2008 to mid-2010.

via WesCorp Eliminates Jobs .14:50:08

- Sunoco announced Monday they will permanently shut down the ethylene unit at their Marcus Hook Refinery that was damaged in an explosion and fire in May, and lay off 40-50 workers in the process.

via Sunoco to shut down ethylene unit, ax 40-50 jobs – The Delaware County Daily Times : Serving Delaware County, PA(DelcoTimes.com).14:52:23

- Sun Microsystems recently dismissed 61 employees in Dallas as part of a broader restructuring, according to a company filing with the Texas Workforce Commission.

via Sun Microsystems lays off 61 in Dallas – Dallas Business Journal: .14:53:08

-In what’s being described as an “administrative reorganization” unrelated to the recession, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP has slashed 23 members of its support staff.

via Law Times – Monday, July 6, 2009.14:58:03

- Wyle Laboratories is cutting 67 Austin high-tech jobs at the end of the week, but most will move over to another company that won a government contract Wyle previously held.

via Wyle cuts Austin jobs, but workers get new employer | Statesman Business Blog.14:59:38

- MYRTLE BEACH — Steel mill union officials last week rejected pay cuts and other concessions that mill owners had said could help stave off the indefinite shutdown planned for July 12.

via Steel mill set to shut down indefinitely July 12 – The Post and Courier.15:03:29

- Medtronic Inc., VML Co. LLC and Shelby County government all filed letters notifying the department that they will lay off a sum of 105 workers.

via 105 Shelby County workers to lose jobs – Memphis Business Journal: .16:08:25

- East Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – Twenty-five people were notified last week that they’re going to be laid off from The Bristol-Myers Squibb facility in East Syracuse.

via 25 employees laid off at Bristol-Myers Squibb – NewsChannel 9 WSYR .16:09:32

- ProHealth Care, which operates Waukesha Memorial Hospital and Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital, announced Monday it would eliminate 50 positions.

via ProHealth Care to cut 50 jobs – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: .21:17:34

- In a restructuring announced Monday, Naperville-based communications equipment manufacturer Tellabs Inc. disclosed it will lay off about 150 more employees.

via Tellabs-layoffs-tlab- — chicagotribune.com.21:18:18

-Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center has laid off 33 employees and reassigned 44 others as part of a broad budget-cutting effort at the hospital.

via Providence lays off 33 at Sacred Heart | Spokesman.com | Jul 6, 2009.21:22:32

-Last month, about 40 employees were given temporary layoff notices, reducing the workforce to about 20 at present, according to Tanja MacIsaac, office manager for Modus Modular Structures in Swift Current.

via Modus modular in Swift Current lays off staff .21:23:50

- World Vision has laid off about 50 employees, between 4 and 5 percent of its U.S. workforce, saying a decrease in cash donations in the first half of 2009 has forced it to make some painful cost cuts.

via The Business of Giving | World Vision lays off more than 4 percent of U.S. staff | Seattle Times Newspaper.21:24:29

- TORONTO — The Toronto Star says it’s cutting six full-time and 21 part-time positions at its classified department as sales for the section decline.

via The Canadian Press: Toronto Star cuts 6 full-time and 21 part-time jobs in classified department.21:25:14

- International Layoff News -

- FRANKFURT, July 6 (Reuters) – BASF (BASF.DE) plans to cut 3,700 jobs as part of the integration of Swiss rival Ciba and may sell or close as many as 23 of Ciba’s 55 sites, it said on Monday.

via UPDATE 1-BASF to cut 3,700 jobs as part of Ciba takover | Industries | Energy | Reuters .

- Oracle plans to lay off up to 1,000 workers in Europe, despite strong revenue growth compared with other enterprise software suppliers.

via Oracle to cut 1,000 jobs in Europe | 6 Jul 2009 | ComputerWeekly.com.

- This morning Bookseller reported that Penguin UK will lay-off around 100 people in the publisher’s London offices. As the publisher restructures, Penguin UK managing director Helen Fraser will retire, and be replaced by Tom Weldon as deputy chief executive.

via Around 100 Layoffs at Penguin UK – mediabistro.com: GalleyCat.

- The National Union of Journalists has condemned Trinity Mirror’s plan to make a further “savage” round of 66 job cuts in the north-east of England.

via Trinity Mirror plans 66 more job cuts in north-east England | Media | guardian.co.uk .

- The company said it will cut 26 jobs, mainly in drug discovery, from its current workforce of 82.

via Swiss Santhera cuts jobs to slow cash burn | Industries | Healthcare | Reuters .21:20:08

- Hiring News and News You Can Use-

- - STEP 1. Categorize your spending: You can’t budget if you don’t know how you’re spending your money. Pull together bank and credit card statements from the last three months, said Barbara McMahon, a financial adviser in Kansas City, Mo. Lump the line items into broad categories, such as food, housing, debt repayment, savings and entertainment.

via Budgeting in 6 easy steps — chicagotribune.com.

- TORONTO — Video game developer Ubisoft is coming to Toronto as part of a deal with the Ontario government that will create 800 jobs over 10 years.

via The Canadian Press: Video game maker Ubisoft to set up in Toronto, creating 800 jobs over 10 years.

- Wal-Mart is seeking 200 people to work at a new store opening in the fall in Tempe, the company said Monday.

via Wal-Mart hiring in Gilbert for Tempe store | Tempe News | eastvalleytribune.com.

- The U.S. Census Bureau in October will open an office in Gardiner that will employ 1,000 part-timers, according to the Kennebec Journal.

via Census bureau to hire 1,000 in Gardiner | Mainebiz.

Mike: Till Tuesday……………

David Horsey

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Those are only a few examples of the twisted logic of the bailouts and how they helped the rich stay rich at the expense of the needy, poor and middle class.  I’ll add to this list as time allows, but I hope this makes a point of how the system has been so corrputed by bad money and bad politicians that it no longer can effectively meet the needs of those who need help most.

Please send along your thoughts.

Onto today’s news.

- Larger layoff announcements and important economic reports:

US/Canada:

Tom Toles

International:

• Largest lay-off operation in Dutch history at TNT (11,000)
• Siemens to axe 900 jobs in Czech Republic

Navigation links to today’s stories:

Microsoft/Google/IBM and other Rumors/News
General Economic News
Government Layoff News
US and some Canada Layoff News
International Layoff News
Hiring News and News You Can Use

- Microsoft/Google/IBM and other Rumors & News -

- General Economic News -

- Tom Silver, senior vice president of Dice.com, told us this morning that Dice.com is reporting a 44% year-over-year drop in job listings for the month of June. May’s year-over-year decline hovered around 45%.

via Dice Reports Murky Waters For Tech Jobs – washingtonpost.com.

- Government Layoff News -

-  SPRINGFIELD – The state budget mess is starting to be felt here at home.

The Sojourn Domestic Violence Shelter in Springfield was forced to lay off eight workers Wednesday and is now

via Domestic Violence Shelter Lay Offs.

Chris Britt

- US and some Canada Layoff News -

- MICHIGAN CITY – Sullair Corp., 3700 E. Michigan Blvd., laid off 50 workers on Tuesday as the economic downtown has continued to shrink market demand for air compressors.

via 50 more laid off at Sullair.

- The Faculty of Arts and Sciences has eliminated 77 staff positions and reduced work hours for another 15 employees as part of the recent University-wide downsizing, Dean Michael D. Smith announced Wednesday.

via The Harvard Crimson :: News :: FAS Lays Off 77 Staffers .

-NEW BRIGHTON — New Brighton-based Tegrant Corp., formerly Tuscarora Inc., has laid off a dozen management employees as part of a company consolidation.

via Beaver County Times & Allegheny Times Online – Top Stories.

- Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Ruden McClosky has laid off eight more attorneys as part of a cost-reduction effort that included 18 percent pay cuts for most of its lawyers, according to firm and other legal industry sources.

via Law.com – Ruden McClosky Slashes Pay, Lays Off 8 Lawyers .

- IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Public Radio has bought out, laid off or reassigned five employees and will leave four other positions unfilled in an effort to cut costs.

via Iowa Public Radio announces job cuts, cites revenue dropoff from state and universities – WQAD.

- In a memo distributed to employees Thursday, Cincinnati Enquirer Publisher Margaret Buchanan wrote that the newspaper will lay off up to 100 people in the next few days. The Gannett Co., The Enquirer’s parent firm, is bracing for about 1,400 layoffs in its newspaper division before July 9. Buchanan’s memo is the first indication about how the cutbacks will affect Cincinnati’s only remaining daily newspaper.

via 100 Facing Layoffs at Enquirer.

- International Layoff News -

- 11,000 mail deliverers and sorters will be made redundant at TNT Post, the Netherlands’ former national postal service announced in its staff magazine on Thursday. The company, which is struggling with new competition and high wages, says a reorganisation is unavoidable after the unions turned down a deal to cut pay instead of jobs.

via nrc.nl – International – Largest lay-off operation in Dutch history at TNT.

- Engineering group Siemens (SIEGn.DE) will cut the 900 jobs at its Prague rail car factory in August, a spokesman said on Thursday, the latest jobs loss as central European industry struggles to gain orders.

via Siemens to axe 900 jobs in Czech Republic | Industries | Industrials, Materials & Utilities | Reuters .

- Anglesey Aluminium is offering 140 staff voluntary redundancy because a new power deal that gives them cheap electricity has not been reached.

via BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | North West Wales | 140 redundancies at metal plant.

- UP to 1,000 staff on short-time temporary contracts of less than a year are to be let go by the HSE. The move will allow the creation of the same number of permanent posts to improve a range of services including child psychiatry and care of the elderly.

via 1,000 HSE temporary staff laid off as new jobs filled – National News, Frontpage – Independent.ie.

- Hiring News and News You Can Use-

- COLUMBUS, Ind. (AP) — Cummins Inc. is recalling 400 laid-off workers as it resumes production of the Dodge Ram engine at a central Indiana factory.

via 9&10 News: Cummins recalling 400 workers at Indiana plant.

Mike Luckovich

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http://alphainventions.com/ for a look at websites from around the globe.