Poverty in America - Page 2

I just had a freakish revelation. I just heard a story on CNN about Wall Street is celebrating because the market is up. The reason that the market is up is that the unemployment figures improved this week.

Do you know why unemployment figures improved all of a sudden this week? In part because there have been temporary (seasonal) minimum wage jobs opening up in retail stores. The other, probably much larger part, is the cycle related to Bush's legislation on unemployment. Because of the extensive unemployment, he signed a law that allowed people who are unemployed for extensive periods of time to extend their benefits for 12 week increments. People have to apply for the extension, and when you file for the extension, you drop off the unemployment ranks during the time it takes to process your application. When I did this in July, it took them 6 weeks to process my application.

Most states pay for 6 months of unemployment during a year. Anyone who lost their job in 2009 got state funded thru the end of June. When people filed for the Bush extension, that extension ran out the end of last week. Unemployment ranks dropped. People haven't found jobs, they just lost their unemployment insurance, which actually should increase poverty levels.

What made me sick about this news is the fact that people in Wall Street are celebrating poverty in America. The people finding part time temporary jobs are not really recovering. The people that fell off unemployment just got poorer. And yeehaw, the people rich enough to invest in stock are getting a better dividend for Christmas. On the backs of the poor. And the irony is that the people earning those dividends don't even really need them.

And please don't think that Christmas hiring is going to help the situation. I've been putting 5 applications a day for those jobs and have only received 1 response in the last few weeks. The ratio of people looking for jobs to open jobs is about 7 to 1 right now.

The thing that tees me off more than anything right now is the fact that politicians are running on platforms that don't include how to fix the unemployment situation. Poverty will not be fixed by repealing health care, nor from reducing the deficit, nor by extending tax cuts to the rich (that hasn't done anything for jobs in 10 years). And don't get me started on the argument to protect "small businesses". Do you realize that companies like Bechtel (largest construction company in the world), Fidelity, Chicago Tribune and other huge corporations are classified as "small businesses"? A small business is so classified not because of its revenue (some make multi-billions in profit a year), but because of the number of owners?

Fix the job situation and poverty ranks will decrease. And be suspect when Wall Street celebrates.

Another CNN article this morning on unemployment. I'm posting here because unemployment is adding to the poverty levels in this country.

They interviewed a number of businesses (I think it was in New York) with Help Wanted signs posted in their shop windows. They were all small, independently owned retail stores and I think we all realize that a sales job at a store like that isn't going to pay much more than minimum wage.

The owners were asked what type of people were applying to their jobs. The answer was generally "high powered" people - doctors, lawyers, bankers, IT people, and other normally high(er) salaried positions. People are getting so desperate for money that they risk losing the homes that they've worked so hard for all their lives by taking these jobs. These are the people that probably spend the most discretionary income and without having that income to spend, more businesses will be in jeopardy. The cycle of poverty is going to continue to spiral.

If anyone doesn't have empathy for these people, then realize that you should have even less empathy for the ultra-rich people having their tax breaks expire at the end of this year.

One thing that people can do is to simply buy things made in this country and stop the market for things made overseas. If you keep the money within this country until it starts to heal, we all help to fight against poverty.

most of my friends and family have been fortunante to keep jobs. My parents both worked at the same factory, which shut down about 5 or 6 years ago. Mom found herself another good job easily.. dad took a small part time job and then eventually "retired" (he has MS, so it was bound to happen eventually). They get by comfortably.

One of my friends had to move down to FL in order for her hubby to find work. He just wasnt having any luck up here in OH. But they seem to be doing well down there. I think her health has improoved since the move too, so it worked out well for them.

the few friends/family that cannot seem to get or maintain jobs, unfortuantly, dont seem to be applying themselves well enough to do so. There's plenty of other people who want to work.. no reason for an employeer to take on someone who just doesnt seem that interested in it.


I do have quite a few co-workers who complain about the lack of hours tho.

Hartford is full of people like you are describing. A lot of the folks in my neighborhood have a "Ph.D." in working the system. I never used to care about stuff like this, but here am I paying property taxes and my own medical insurance each month while most of the people on my street have never worked a day in their lives and are provided with everything for free or heavily subsidized. I live next to a pre-K, which is also heavily subsidized, but the parking lot is full of SUV's and the like.

There will always be abuse in a system, but what irks me about some of this discussion is that it almost assumes that most people dependent on this income is milking the system. I know it is easier to point out when things don't work over when it is actually working.

In my neck of the country, every single person that I know who has lost their jobs is not abusing the system. They are actively trying to find jobs and are using the income as the insurance it was intended for.

So even if 10% of the people are abusing it, what about the 90% who are legitimate? I'm one of the 90% and the implication that because I'm on unemployment, I'm automatically milking the system really does bother me.

Not attacking anyone here, just want to point out the other side of the coin.

I think it's part of how people like to separate themselves (mentally) from others. Making everyone out that has to depend on unemployment to be near criminals and bad and they themselves better. And the reason I suspect many do this is because no one likes to think that they could lose their jobs and end up just like you are right now.

I haven't seen anyone yet mention (in this thread and the SSI one) how many drunk or high people come to banks, stores, or credit unions to cash their checks from their jobs. I'm willing to bet there's just as many, if not more.

Nope, sorry, you are wrong. I have not seen ANY like that.

Really? I've been in the bank dropping off deposits in the mornings and smelled alcohol and pot on people. Must be my super sensitive nose. I'll also see many cashing their checks at the grocery stores in town and they'll have obviously had a few beers - plus a 30 in their cart.

Must just be my area. Drinking and drug abuse is rampant in small town Oklahoma.

Don't you think there is a difference between someone who earns their paycheck using it for booze as opposed to someone who is using tax payer dollars to buy it?

My opinion has NOTHING to do with making me feel better about myself and I take offense to you implying so.

At the end of the day an alcoholic and a meth user are still the same no matter where they get their money...

And it's human nature to vilify groups of people. It's rather impossible for a human not to do it. You're human, you do it too, you can't help it.
It's like a lot of people on here making snide comments about republicans, the tea party, and democrats.

Who is saying that here? Aren't you being over-sensitive? You've earned your unemployment and you are entitled to it. I lost my job in 2004 and loved receiving unemployment. I felt totally entitled to it. Then the unemployment benefits ran out and now I live on my savings. Not wishing the years away, but looking forward to social security payments starting at 62. It will be nice to have a monthly check again.

I was never sensitive to the situation until I found myself in it. When people talk about unemployment, it is almost always about the people that abuse it. When you hear current media reports, it is usually about people who are refusing jobs just to stay on unemployment. The discussion all around me comes down to this: accepting unemployment makes you a irresponsible person.

You don't hear cases where unemployment was used for its intended purpose very often. Thus, it makes those of us that aren't abusing the system highly sensitive to it. We are judged as guilty by association, and it does make you feel bad. People who lose their jobs through no fault of their own don't need anything more to make them feel bad about their situation. It's emotionally draining enough to be unemployed, let alone have society suggest that you are being irresponsible about it.