I am one of the 1.2 million people who have lost their unemployment insurance. I was due to start the first extension last week, but the born-again "fiscally conservative" Republican Senators (along with the clueless Ben Nelson), who didn't blink an eyelash while Bush was raiding the coffers for his wealthy trust-fund-baby buddies and war mongering corporate benefactors, have decided to throw my jobless brethren and me under the bus to make sure the economy is in the crapper before the November midterms.
Oh yeah. I know. I'm a stoner whom Orrin Hatch (hey, isn't he a Republican who thinks government is too big and should stay out of our lives?) suggested a provision to the unemployment extension that all people receiving unemployment benefits should be drug tested by the nanny state because, as you know, the first thing we do with the weekly $300 we get is buy an ounce of marijuana. To hell with the mortgage, food, gas, utilities, car insurance, life insurance, COBRA payments. We're all a bunch of "spoiled lazy leeching stray animal hobos" who are living large on the backs of all the taxpaying Americans.
Of course, what Hatch and a lot of other easily manipulated and perpetually fooled Americans who think the same way forget is, we unemployed paid taxes when we had jobs. Me, for the past 30 f-ing years!!! But the sanctimonious hypocrites who don't have the brains to even consider, "There but for the grace of God go I" are blaming us for Wall Street's greed and the financial collapse that led to a lot of companies going under or cutting back on payroll expenses to stay solvent. All over the net, vitriolic posts condemning us as "free-loaders" and accusing us of vacationing on lavish cruises with our benefit checks abound. They accuse us of not bothering to save for a rainy day and instead, purchasing houses that are too big, HD TVs and all the latest electronics. The comments are quite hilarious, actually, if one can manage to detach oneself from the vitriol and pity the people for their ignorance. I really hate to break it to them, but I do happen to have several thousand dollars saved and investments I can tap into if things get really bad, so they needn't worry about my well-being. (snark mode off)
For the record, not that it's anyone's business really, I spend about $20 every three weeks for a gram of pot. But since the morally superior Hatch thinks drug testing is the way to go, I say -- in the immortal words of that paragon of "fiscally conservative" presidents -- "Bring it on." With my weekly benefit check, I'll purchase weight, re-sell it, and if I get arrested, no big deal. I'll just go to prison where there's three squares a day, a roof over my head, and plenty of time to write because I won't be worried about finding a job, which I probably wouldn't get anyway because the new Irish in the "need not apply" discrimination game are the unemployed.
And if I do manage to sell my memoir and make a whole bunch of money, I'll be sure to hide it in an off-shore bank account so that any taxes I would have to pay will not go to finance the Senators' six figure salaries, gym memberships, healthcare, free parking spaces, pensions, etc. that they get, all for sitting around on their fat butts all day saying "NO."
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ChristinaD
Mission
Colony of Losers
noah tawls
Brassawe
Launie Kettler
Salon.com
Comments
I try not to be cynical, but I have come to believe that many of "our" representatives, especially at the federal level, are fundamentally not on our side. When corporations need a bailout, or a tax break, or less regulation, Congress leaps into action, and the speed at which they respond is astonishing. But when millions of their fellow citizens fall into the abyss, they shrug their shoulders, or even blame the victims.
So it has been an education. At least we now know what the game is, and whose side they are on.
I know that sounds simplistic; but anyone voting against continuing unemployment is riding into town wearing a big ole black hat.
Good luck in the job hunt and with the writing!
I do have a good job prospect that I've working hard on the past couple of days. No time for my book. :(
My accountant insisted I buy a house. So in 2007 I took all my savings (about $100,000) and put every dime into rehabbing a long abandoned hunting cabin the bank apprised at $200,000 and I bought for $100,000. I was promised $100,000 back in equity money.
Four months after purchase my bank went under and the new bank came and apprised my house at $110,000 and offered me $4,000. Next month, I was laid off.
My life savings is gone, I'm living in it. My unemployment is 1/4 my former pay and when it stops in two weeks, I could lose everything.
Never mind I lived alone and worked like a dog for more than 25 years. I may be homeless, without a savings, or insurance. But hey, living on a beach somewhere will give me plenty of time to write.
Quick rough math: I paid about $700,000 in taxes over my working life. I received $40,000 in unemployment (only used it once, these past two years), and the bank may end up receiving an unlivable hovel I turned into a lovely house with $100,00 0f my savings.
(Insert large string of expletives here).
Final note: I have zero credit card debt, no TV at all, and have not been on a vacation in over ten years. Being single is very expensive, I could not afford anything excecept to save for retirement, which I spent on the house.
And lemme tell you, I'm living large in 500 square feet on a dirt road, hauling water in by hand. No wonder congress wants to cut me off.