Our Fellow Brothers and Sisters in Wake of Our Current Economy

Where are the powers to be? Why they do not listen nor hear the voices of the common man crying out for help in these troubled times. I see and hear many that voice their plight. My good paying job is gone along with my health and dental insurance. My job was shipped over seas. My job was downsized due to the failing economy. My home is gone. My car is gone. I am working, but my paycheck is not keeping up the increases in the cost of living. I have trouble keeping gas in my car.

We have men and women who have worked hard all their lives and turn around and find themselves in situations they have never dreamed of. What is happening to our beloved country where if you worked hard you will be able to have the necessities and some wants in life? There is no such thing as company loyalty. A job is gone in a matter of days when the CEO finds a country that has workers that would do the job for less pay. What kills me is that if you send products to be made over seas for mere trinkets and bring them back to America with a big price tag; whom do they (Big Business) expect to buy all these things? Between you and me; I don't think they had gotten to that point yet, but it will soon hit them (Big Business) when they least expect it. Our country right now is still working on the fat it has stored up over the years, but fat can only last for so long.

Next we have our so-called LOW unemployment rate. This low unemployment rate is an understatement. Quiet as it is kept; the powers that be have made it harder to collect unemployment. When you have people that have exhausted their unemployment along with some people not being able to get it; it gives a false number in the unemployment rate because the people that fall into this category are not counted.

The federal government had past a law that if you collect food stamps you are to go to your nearest employment office to find work. The stipulation is that you would need to find employment working 30 hours or more a week. Food stamp recipients are required to complete a work search log that requires them to make 4 employer contacts per week totaling 16 contacts within a 28-day period. If they do not find employment working 30 hours or more they are to complete a total of 2 work search logs. Some of the people that are referred from Family Support Service claim they are not able to work. In this case the customer is referred back to the case manager. The case manager requires a doctor's statement from the food stamp recipient in order to get an exemption from the work search program. In many cases recipients state the case manager knows they are disabled. Is there something wrong with this picture or is it just me.

Majority of the recipients truly want to find work, but cannot. Many end up of on food stamps due to exhausted unemployment benefits are lost a job in such a fashion that unemployment benefits were not awarded to them. Many are homeless and just by looking at them you could never tell unless they tell you.

Powers to be; where are you?