The Conservative Cave
Current Events => The DUmpster => Topic started by: franksolich on October 06, 2009, 11:57:34 AM
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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=227x2369
Oh my.
Paper Roses (119 posts) Mon Sep-28-09 12:54 PM
Original message
Visit to unemployment office this AM. Very discouraging talk.
Like millions of others, I was laid off last winter and have not been able to find a job. The time came that I had to reapply for benefits. I had state benefits for 26 weeks, then the federal extended benefits. Today I had to reapply. Simple enough procedure but during my conversation with the unemployment representative today, I was given the information that elder workers are having the hardest time of all groups trying to find work. This certainly did nothing for my moral. I guess I knew it but when you are told that your peers are having such trouble, it certainly does nothing for your self-esteem.
I have been looking for jobs on my skill level and reviewed others for which I would have been overqualified years ago. I have received very few responses to my on-line applications and those few have been negative and also, the replies have been a long time coming. I know I have to take a cut in pay and probably find a part time job instead but there does not seem to be much out there in any category. My unemployment check is not large but is more than a part time job would would generate.
Anyone else found this to be the case? I'm trying to keep the roof over my head but it sure is hard. Never thought I'd see the day.
A quick edit: I am 68.
Okay, what's with this being 68 years old and having to file for unemployment?
Where's the social security retirement check and medicare?
The primitive should be sitting pretty, with all these freebies.
So what's the problem?
And besides, the primitives promised this would all change, in the twinkling of an eye, at 11:01 a.m. central time January 20, 2009.
That was a long time ago now, last January.
What's the holdup with Bo dealing with the matter?
barbtries (1000+ posts) Mon Sep-28-09 01:08 PM
Response to Original message
1. good luck, and don't give up. i was 52 when last hired almost two years ago. making more money than in my life to that point. now my co-worker, who is only 33, has taken a cut in pay to work here. but jobs are scarce and we do have a better situation than probably 75-90% of the folks out there.
craigslist has been very useful in my experience.
temp agencies might be a good start.
Alameda (590 posts) Mon Sep-28-09 01:21 PM
Response to Original message
3. Yes.....I was only recently laid off...it's been less than 4 weeks
.........but I have noticed in looking at Craigslist, and other places, the pickings are pretty thin..and the compensation is low low low. I can't believe what they are asking for such low wages!
I'm still waiting for my first unemployment check. My interview isn't until October the 6th...and I was laid off August 28th. I will have to wait until after the interview for a check.
I am lucky to have put a little away, but it will be two rents, before I get any check.
thecrow (1000+ posts) Mon Sep-28-09 01:25 PM
Response to Original message
4. I have 40 years experience and am a master at my craft
I'm a master wax modelmaker. When I was 50 I had a stroke.
Rehabilitated myself... still have a lot of issues... driving, standing, speaking, balance issues.
For the past 9 years I have worked at home but for my employer...
I have worked for him for 15 years. The business turned south last december.
No work was coming in.
When my unemployment runs out I will most likely lose my home and go into bankruptcy if I have any debt.
I will have no credit, and no money to rent as rentals around here are more expensive than my mortgage.
There are NO jobs here or anywhere for me.
We are going through our stocks and life savings at this point.
WTF am I supposed to do?
Get me a sugar daddy? (My SO is also jobless.)
Pitch a tent?
Commit suicide?
To have worked all these years and now carry this despair around with me is just awful.
What's a "master wax modelmaker?"
Speck Tater (1000+ posts) Mon Sep-28-09 01:26 PM
Response to Original message
5. My last job phased out gradually with hours getting reduced for several months running.
Since I was about to turn 62 and had no prospects in sight, I applied for early SS retirement. It's tight, but I manage, and not worrying about finding a job is rather liberating. My stress level is down and so is my blood pressure. I spend a lot of my free time now growing fruits and veggies in my garden and mini-orchard.
FWIW: I have a masters in comp sci and I made good money coding aerodynamic simulations. But the job got outsourced to Poland. There is nothing out there that's comparable for somebody my age. I don't envy people who are "older" but not old enough for retirement. It's a tough spot to be in.
Okay, now the Barbie doll primitive asks franksolich's original question:
barbtries (1000+ posts) Mon Sep-28-09 07:12 PM
Response to Original message
7. you're 68
can't you get SS?
Paper Roses (119 posts) Tue Sep-29-09 08:19 AM
Response to Reply #7
10. Yes, I get a SS check and it is not much. I have to save $400.00 a month from that check for my house taxes and live on the rest for all my other expenses. The unemployment check is a big help as I look for another job. If I do not find one soon, I will be living on less than $1000.00 a month for everything. Have cut down to bare bones living just to pay bills like utilities, insurances, taxes, necessities. No luxuries here.
The conversation at the unemployment office was very discouraging. Lots of us face the same thing and are trying to cope. I knew that I could never really retire but certainly never expected things to be as they are for so many of us.
Oh.
One suspects the primitive (a) lives in a blue state because of those taxes and (b) has all during her adult life voted for politicians wanting to raise taxes--so it's all her own fault, sorry. One reaps what one sows.
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No luxuries here.
Unless they are posting from the library, I call BS.
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Paper Roses (119 posts) Tue Sep-29-09 08:19 AM
Response to Reply #7
10. Yes, I get a SS check and it is not much. I have to save $400.00 a month from that check for my house taxes and live on the rest for all my other expenses. The unemployment check is a big help as I look for another job. If I do not find one soon, I will be living on less than $1000.00 a month for everything. Have cut down to bare bones living just to pay bills like utilities, insurances, taxes, necessities. No luxuries here.
How in the hell does one get both Social Security AND Unemployment. Doesn't Social Security mean that you're retired and no longer looking for work? This asshat's DOUBLE-DIPPING from the Federal and State Treasuries and yet still isn't satisfied with the amount of free shit he's getting on someone else's dime. :censored:
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For the love of Pete. Did none of these folks think they were going to grow old?! Where was the planning during the Hay Days of Clintoon. Or Carter .....
Sheesh.
KC
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For the love of Pete. Did none of these folks think they were going to grow old?! Where was the planning during the Hay Days of Clintoon. Or Carter .....
Sheesh.
KC
No Kidding. Social Security is not meant to provide for all that you might want and need after retirement, it is meant to supplement what you have saved for yourself.
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Unless they are posting from the library, I call BS.
The internet is a necessity if one intends to find a job. Besides $20 a month ain't exactly splurging. I can pick up that many cans!
My question is, does it live alone? If so, I'm quite sure a part time greeter at Wally World, plus it's SS, would fit right into this dino's plans.
I'm pretty sure if I gave up my vices, I could live quite comfortably on my SS and a part time job that paid $8/hr. Alas, I have no plans to give up my Red Label or my cigs for that matter. Guess I'll just continue to sell hardware part time for 13 bucks/hr, tend the Ranch, and catch an occasional bond skipper. The last one is purely for my own entertainment. Lol!
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For the love of Pete. Did none of these folks think they were going to grow old?! Where was the planning during the Hay Days of Clintoon. Or Carter .....
Sheesh.
KC
I wondered about that too. How do you get to be 68 years old and not have savings, 401K, annuities, IRA's, etc.? Methinks he probably pissed his money away throughout life and now wants the taxpayers to pay for his mistakes. Who said DUmmies were opposed to bailouts? :whatever:
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How in the hell does one get both Social Security AND Unemployment. Doesn't Social Security mean that you're retired and no longer looking for work? This asshat's DOUBLE-DIPPING from the Federal and State Treasuries and yet still isn't satisfied with the amount of free shit he's getting on someone else's dime. :censored:
Once you reach 65, you can start collecting SS whether you continue working or not. Don't know about unemployment but that is a state program.
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One suspects the primitive (a) lives in a blue state because of those taxes and (b) has all during her adult life voted for politicians wanting to raise taxes--so it's all her own fault, sorry. One reaps what one sows.
I live in one of the lowest-taxed states in the nation, and even I find it hard to believe the primitive is paying $400/mo (or $4800/yr) in property taxes. Hell, I don't pay that much, and property taxes are the largest source of revenue for the state of NH and the towns within.
I just found out that the assessed value of my property just DROPPED $45K since I bought 3 years ago, and just out of curiosity I called my town's tax assessor to find out how much the rate would be going up (it was just under $20 per $1000 assessed last year). I was told to expect 13-15 percent, as the appraised value in our town went down by over $300 MILLION, and that money has to be made up somewhere.
So even at a tax rate of, say, $23 per $1000, I'm still looking at a tax CUT on my property taxes next year. Oh, woe is me!
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It's tight, but I manage, and not worrying about finding a job is rather liberating
welfare mentality?
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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=227x2369
What's a "master wax modelmaker?"
For making parts out of metal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_wax_casting
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Its pretty sad when going from unemployment to a job is called a "pay cut". I know he means from his last position, but its still dumb.
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I live in one of the lowest-taxed states in the nation, and even I find it hard to believe the primitive is paying $400/mo (or $4800/yr) in property taxes.
I dunno. I pay $3,600/yr. in property taxes (plus another $1,200/yr. in homeowner's insurance)......and that's in a low-tax state in a fairly modest house.
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I dunno. I pay $3,600/yr. in property taxes (plus another $1,200/yr. in homeowner's insurance)......and that's in a low-tax state in a fairly modest house.
Clarification--our taxes as a percentage are actually quite high, being that we have no sales or income taxes, and the state and towns have to get the money SOMEWHERE. But even then, this state has been more frugal than most.
I actually paid just over $5100, minus my veteran's credit. If the tax RATE had stayed the same, I would have been looking at over a $1000 reduction, but since they're upping the rate to make up for lost assessed value, the 12-14 percent the tax assessor told me about this morning is most, but not all of that.
However, $5K is a healthy hunk of change for property taxes unless, as Frank stated, you're in a blue state, in which case it's likely much worse. My homeowner's policy is another $600/year. Those two are more than 30 percent of my "total nut" (PITI).
And really, when one retires, their income needs go DOWN, not up. Any decent financial planner will tell you to save to where you're bringing in 70-75 percent of what you made before retirement, due to less wear and tear on vehicles, meals, etc.
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In Louisiana, property is assessed at 10% of the value. Senior citizens taxes are frozen so mine can never go up but they can go down if the property is assessed at a lower value. LA and AL have the lowest property taxes in the nation.
Sounds like this person needs to sell the house and move to a smaller house or to a state that has lower property taxes.
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Sounds like this person needs to sell the house and move to a smaller house or to a state that has lower property taxes.
The problem with that, though, sir, is that the primitive, when moving, is going to take her old voting habits with her, adding one more tax-and-spend Democrat to the red state.
We surely don't want that.
I think primitives should have to stay in their own nests they fouled.
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The problem with that, though, sir, is that the primitive, when moving, is going to take her old voting habits with her, adding one more tax-and-spend Democrat to the red state.
We surely don't want that.
I think primitives should have to stay in their own nests they fouled.
Let them move to Detroit.
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I dunno. I pay $3,600/yr. in property taxes (plus another $1,200/yr. in homeowner's insurance)......and that's in a low-tax state in a fairly modest house.
Damn, I feel like I'm slumming. I just got my real estate/personal property tax tickets in the mail today.
About $205 for the entire load, FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. Half of that is my real estate taxes on the 3.85 acres I own. All due by December 5th, or face a 5% penalty and 2%/month on top of that until paid....
The county gets you again in April, when the vehicle stickers are due. For me, that 4 vehicles at $20/pop, and you have to have your re/pp taxes paid before you can get the stickers....
However, my little brother works for the county, he's their I.T. man, and he wrote some code for the treasurers office that let me slide one year. Cost me 60+ hours helping him work on his pet project (he's building a HUMMER from a kit. This thing is HUGE!)....
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Damn, I feel like I'm slumming. I just got my real estate/personal property tax tickets in the mail today.
About $205 for the entire load, FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. Half of that is my real estate taxes on the 3.85 acres I own. All due by December 5th, or face a 5% penalty and 2%/month on top of that until paid....
Well, if this $113,000 has a school tax of $1615 for the year and thats probably going to be around the same as the county property tax, thats $2,230. So based on this your $205 tax bill should belong on an $11,000 house or something. :naughty:
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The future of the Obameconomy
[youtube=425,350]4n9mCcpatig[/youtube]
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The future of the Obameconomy
[youtube=425,350]4n9mCcpatig[/youtube]
Do you realize how many would die off if we head back into that kind of depression? And leftist government will make darn sure to keep as many Democrats alive as possible on the backs of a struggling and shrinking middle class.
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Hope and Change in action!