A hungry child begging for food

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Friday October 08, 2010 · 12:45 PM PDT

2010/10/08 · 12:45

Yesterday evening, I stood by the counter waiting for my order in a non-chain fast food restaurant in the shadow of Wrigley and the Nettlehorst School on the eastern edge of Rahm's old Congressional district. I didn't notice the boy sidling up to me until he spoke, "Please,...I'm hungry...." Taken aback by the oddity of this slight 9-11 year old African American boy alone at this time, in this restaurant, in this youthful, hip neighborhood, I only caught every 5th word of his murmurings. I glanced around in the restaurant but didn't see any parent. Was his parent waiting outside to collect any money the child this child could beg, like the romany beggars use their children for sympathy and money in Europe?

GenXProgress

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Wednesday July 21, 2010 · 8:48 PM PDT

2010/07/21 · 20:48

How many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry
The answer my friend is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind

Friends, I'm crying tonight. I've reached the real bottom of the barrel with my savings (everything is empty now), the bills are unpaid, and I don't know where to find any hope. And I know it's worse for many of the other almost 3 million who've been denied benefits while Congress dithered and much worse for the 99'ers.

And where is the light at the end of the tunnel: "There's no good answer [to when the unemployment extension checks will finally go out."

GenXProgress

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Friday July 16, 2010 · 11:52 AM PDT

2010/07/16 · 11:52

"I'm not sure yet it's sunk in with the political class (outside of economists) how horrible the prospects are for bringing the unemployment rate back to pre-Great Recession levels any time soon. And by soon, I don't mean November 2010. We're talking more like November 2015 or November 2020." -- David Kurtz about a Brooking Institute report

Need a Job...not Unemployment

I worked in a factory for 21 years and just before the recession we were all laid off and the company closed its doors. I got no pension because the company went into bankruptcy and paid its creditors first and no pension to its former employees!

...I am 52 years old and have looked for work all over my city. I now am at my wits end because my unemployment benefits have run out and do not know where to turn to next.

I am single so no husband or partner to rely on! The senators who say we are lazy and do not want to work have no idea at all what it is like with no money & no medical. I am scared, but not lazy!!

GenXProgress

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Thursday July 15, 2010 · 8:59 PM PDT

2010/07/15 · 20:59

Financial reform passed, the oil cap may be working, new jobless claims this week dropped to the lowest number in 2 years, and another vote on the extension of unemployment benefits* has been scheduled for next Tuesday, BUT it's still the economy, stupid.

There are still 14.6 million unemployed Americans. Can you contact the President, your Representative and Senator again to let them know that now is the time to turn their efforts to fixing our broken economy?

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity
Yes we can heal this nation
Yes we can repair this world
Yes we can

We know the battle ahead will be long
But always remember no matter
What obstacles stand in our way
Nothing can stand in the way of the power
Of millions of voices calling for change

*Thank you for all the calls, letters, and emails from Kossacks and fellow progressive who've finally gotten the President, some Senators, and some media to pay attention to the need to pass the extension.

GenXProgress

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Wednesday July 14, 2010 · 5:02 AM PDT

2010/07/14 · 05:02

An updated version of a State of the Unemployed diary I prematurely posted.

"Every day Americans don't receive unemployment insurance is another day more American workers and families will slip into poverty. That's not only a human tragedy; it's an economic blow our country can't afford." --Senator Sherrod Brown

BUT the unemployment extension will be further delayed at least another week; meanwhile the unemployed are:

Scared out of my wits

Creditors call every day all day long, the worry has put me into a deep dark depression, I can't pay my bills or feed my kids like they're accustomed to, and I'm scared out of my wits. I have thought about killing myself, but my kids stop me as they need me.

"Scared out of my wits" is one of 1894 unemployment stories that have been posted on About.com. More few excerpts from some of the most recent tales follow after the jump.

GenXProgress

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Monday July 12, 2010 · 10:07 PM PDT

2010/07/12 · 22:07

Edit: Can anyone repost this in the morning? I accidentally published too soon.

BUT the unemployment extension will be further delayed at least another week; meanwhile the unemployed are:

Scared out of my wits

Creditors call every day all day long, the worry has put me into a deep dark depression, I can't pay my bills or feed my kids like they're accustomed to, and I'm scared out of my wits. I have thought about killing myself, but my kids stop me as they need me.

"Scared out of my wits" is one of 1888 unemployment stories that have been posted on About.com. More few excerpts from some of the most recent tales follow after the jump.

GenXProgress

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Monday July 12, 2010 · 1:44 PM PDT

2010/07/12 · 13:44

Today's update: I'm very pleased that Ridemybike's diary on unemployment has gotten most rec status! Please read his very important call to action diary. As he tells, the appalling inaction of our Senators leaves millions starving now and homeless next.

PLEASE PLEASE heed his call to action. Please also contact the Democratic Party and let them know that passing the unemployment benefits extension needs to be top priority.

Democratic Party contact form

GenXProgress

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Sunday July 11, 2010 · 12:12 PM PDT

2010/07/11 · 12:12

The real problem here is how Washington has chosen to deal with the topic -- namely, cutting off unemployment benefits in the name of austerity. Frankly, I don't see how that can last more than a few months without all the people in Congress getting a really nasty earful from the folks back home. [Emphasis added] However, I could be wrong -- we are talking about Washington, after all.

Months? Months for the populace to wake up and give Washington an earful? Let's prove to Hale "Bonddad" Stewart of FiveThirtyEight that we're better than he thinks and give our Senators an earful today.

Poll

40 votes Show Results

I will...

40 votes Vote Now!

I will...

give the politicians in Washington a nasty earful and tell them to provide benefits

10 votes

continue to ignore the plight of the unemployed

15 votes

I will not be silent: I'm contacting (already contacted) politicians, organizations, and the media.

15 votes

UPDATED State of the Unemployed (Mothership Wannabe)

GenXProgress

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Saturday July 10, 2010 · 3:51 PM PDT

2010/07/10 · 15:51

The numbers: - 9.5% unemployment rate

- 14.6 million unemployed

- nearly half, 6.8 million of the 14.6, have been unemployed for longer than 6 months

- An additional 2.6 million people are unemployed (total of 17.2 million!) and want to work but were not counted in the statistics because they've given up looking for work

- An additional unknown number of older unemployed have taken early Social Security retirement or Social Security disability

(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 2 release)

GenXProgress

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Thursday July 08, 2010 · 7:52 PM PDT

2010/07/08 · 19:52

There are currently 2 million Americans who are out of money, out of work, and out of hope -- the unemployed Americans for whom our Senators did not extend unemployment benefits. And this number is increasing each week, while our Senators vacation (fiddling while Rome burns?)

Reid could have refused to recess until benefits were passed. Nelson's feet could have been held to the fire by his Senate leader, the Party, and the President. But even many those democratic leaders supposedly in our corner, don't get it. More below the jump --

Poll

60 votes Show Results

Many of our democratic Senators (not all)

60 votes Vote Now!

Many of our democratic Senators (not all)

are lazy

3 votes

are enjoying their vacation ignoring the needs of their constituents

19 votes

don't know that getting a job is harder than getting legislation past the Minority

14 votes

should walk their talk by becoming unemployed through primaries

14 votes

like to eat PIE

2 votes

should eat humble pie

3 votes

I'm unemployed and therefore not worthy of voting rights

5 votes

Where's our telethon?

GenXProgress

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Thursday June 24, 2010 · 1:50 PM PDT

2010/06/24 · 13:50

Donations flow as celebs join Larry King's Gulf telethon

Large and small donations flowed in Monday evening as dozens of celebrities answered phones for Larry King's telethon to help the people of the U.S. Gulf Coast suffering from the oil disaster.

"A hundred dollars? Wow! Thanks you so much," rocker Tyson Ritter told one donor who called in.

The two-hour CNN show raised more than $1.81 million, with proceeds going to three charities deeply involved in the efforts to help humans, wildlife and the environment

Meanwhile, the 15 million unemployed in the US are ignored. While I am outraged by the oil spill and have empathy for those impacted financially -- at least those people have an option for claims against BP. And the impacted people are far fewer than the 15 million of us who are unemployed.

And it's not just the MSM that has forgotten us. Where is our mothership diary on unemployed on Dkos?

Poll

14 votes Show Results

If we forget about the unemployed, ....

14 votes Vote Now!

If we forget about the unemployed, ....

the problem with go away (ok, starvation will take a while but eventually death)

3 votes

isn't it funemployment? get me some of that!

1 vote

they'll enter nirvana (all the drugs they're taking)

0 votes

they'll get off their lazy butts and get jobs

3 votes

I remember!

1 vote

I'm unemployed and therefore not eligible for benefits, voting, or even this poll

5 votes

pie

0 votes

humble pie (unemployed only)

1 vote

Chase won't accept my mortgage payment

GenXProgress

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Monday May 17, 2010 · 3:40 PM PDT

2010/05/17 · 15:40

No, it's not a situation, where the friendly Chase folks are trying to reach out a helping hand. It's not, please Gennie keep your meager $.

Seriously, folks, a great problem with our mega-evil, too-big-to-fail banks is that they have no negative repercussions. If I pay on time, Chase gets my money. If I default, Chase gets our tax money and tax breaks for the "loss"....oh, and then it will lend the money back to the government by purchasing bonds -->>> even more of our tax money. And if Chase forces my payment to be late, as it just did to me, then Chase also gets $56 in late fees.

After the jump, I detail today's experience with Chase's "Let us help you default" system.

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A hungry child begging for food

Before he can hear people cry

Light at the end of the tunnel...delayed until 2020? State of the Unemployed

No we didn't (yet) - State of the Unemployed

Hungry, Tired, and Angry. This is America?

This is America? State of the Unemployed

State of the Unemployed: A Call to Action

State of the Unemployed - Daily Earful

UPDATED State of the Unemployed (Mothership Wannabe)

Democratic Senators and Obama Don't Get It - Updated

Where's our telethon?

Chase won't accept my mortgage payment