Technically I am not unemployed but underemployed. I lost my last full-time job in November 2008. I received severance of five weeks salary for a five year stint and had about five days vacation pay. At the time Jeff was between consulting assignments. My main concern was health insurance--our Cobra payment was estimated at $900 a month.
I was lucky to have had a part-time job teaching SAT prep since 2002 that had just started offering a health plan for part-time employees in October 2008. While tutoring was slow that season, I picked up a class and that activated the insurance. I also got some PR work from my old boss that lasted about five months.
Unemployment insurance was a godsend to me. It supplemented my my sporadic work and provided the basics those weeks I didn't work at all.
Once again Congress has let extended unemployment insurance coverage lapse. Why are they attempting to balance the budget on the backs of the unemployed while concentrating all efforts at preserving tax breaks for the very ultra rich? (I am deliberately redundant.)
And those tax breaks--they've been around for nine years and apparently haven't saved the day yet. Why haven't these tax breaks already created all those jobs that the Republicans allegedly care so much about?
Oh right, it's all bullshit. The unemployed can only offer votes--the tax break beneficiaries can offer cash--perhaps enough to buy all the votes needed.
While things are starting to look up, it's the large institutions that are benefiting. Many of the un- and underemployed are existing day to day, check to check.
I am one of the lucky ones. I have the part-time job and Jeff found more consulting jobs. We have a low mortgage payment (thank God we didn't move back in 2006-7.) We also have family members who could help us out and did without us asking.
I know how I need unemployment. Too many others need it more.
Don't cut us off at the knees.
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