It's getting ugly out there (and maybe some good news)

[The Straight Story]

Good news being I had a second interview today that went well for a job starting in Mid January, will hear more tomorrow (they are hiring 15 techs).

Now to the ugly side of things as I have seen them of late:

1. Been trying for weeks for First Link to get a case # so I can go to food pantry - it has been busy everyday for hours on end. Other agencies have told me I am not the only one upset about this, but the call volume is so high they cannot handle it.

2. Trying to get HEAP to help pay electric bill before Dec 23rd shutoff - HEAP is out of funds and not taking any more applications (government can fund billions in bailouts but not fund HEAP?) Obviously a lot of people are hurting like hell.

3. Applying for welfare/foodstamps - not only a very long wait to get into see someone, but they will count my unemployment as income...see #4.

4. CA UE - every time I call I get the same message, we have more calls than we can handle call back on wed/thu - which I have done and still I get the message and it says goodbye and hangs up. Gov's office gave me a more direct number but still nothing - so here I sit being owed 8k by CA and they have not paid me anything yet but it counts as income because my claim is open and valid.
Reason: They are overwhelmed with new claims due to so many layoffs (and closed all their offices in Kern county where I used to live, to cut costs).

5. Homeless shelters here in Columbus (OH) are full and have a waiting list for people to stay there, same issues with food lines/soup kitchens. They can't keep up with demand.

Add your own observations from what you have seen. I have seen it bad before, but never like this. I was on welfare for a short time in the 90's after an accident and I was in and out, got foodstamps easily and quickly, and the salvation army had a plethora of food.

The avg American is in desperate need of a bailout, from more funding for free lunches at school to HEAP and so on.

(Angel Food network seems to be ok, but it is $30 for a week for a family of four, great deal - but when your car is nearly on empty and you have no income....well, you get the picture.)

I have survived due to the kindness of others, not because our government is efficient and caring enough to do the right thing - they made this mess, and once again the rich get bailed out with no questions while we suffer.

And it will only get worse.

[hfojvt]

1. a day or two ago I saw a guy walking home with a case and bag from SA

that's all I have seen locally.

[NMDemDist2]

2. ....

:hug:

I started this out with a string of curses that you have to go through all this.

but instead I'll just offer the hug

[glowing]

3. Lines are long everywhere, govt offices are closing to save money, the

govt offices that are open are overwhelmed. The fastest way to get help on mainstreet is for all of us to choose one month and NOT pay a single solitary bill. OR if at least 60% of us don't pay a single solitary bill, we will see relief finally. The banks, c.c., phone companies, cable, internet, electric, etc... will be running to congress to pass an emergency bailout for those who subsidize their companies. BUT it has to be a majority, and people have to do it.

[Waiting For Everyman]

4. Pumping money into these programs fast would be the best stimulus

we could do. It would be the equivalent of raising incomes on the bottom. If Obama doesn't do this in a big way, on minute-one, I'd be very disappointed in his perception.

Also funneling money to states to hire MORE employees than normal would help. I see these two things as "ahead in the line" over even building projects. It would be effective, and fast. And very, very much needed.

In fact I think the allowed income for food stamps and fuel assistance etc. should be increased to allow more people to qualify. And hiring staff to go with that of course.

Did you know that some states OFFSHORE food stamp call centers? If anything was ever an atrocity, that is. All of our tax dollars, both local and Federal, should be spent here BY LAW, always.

[mike_c]

5. yes, it will get worse, I'm afraid....

I saw a couple of young men sitting on the street corner yesterday afternoon, holding up the ubiquitous panhandling sign. Spare-changing for a living is a way of life up here on the north coast, where the weather is usually temperate and the dope is world class. Anyway, both those young men were apparently healthy-- the sorts of folks we call "travelers" here when we're being friendly and, well, other names when we're tired of being hit on for spare change ten times a day.

I really wanted to stop and tell those guys to get their acts together now if they can, because in six months I fear folks will be starving on the streets and it won't be a good place to be if they can avoid it. I didn't, of course-- nobody appreciates that kind of advice from a well fed middle-aged dude. But it is indeed getting a bit scary. Social services here are strained pretty badly.

Good luck to you!

[kgnu_fan]

6. I don't write often but I just want to say

I have been sending you lots of good energy ....

[The Straight Story]

10. Thank you and welcome to DU

Much appreciated my friend.

[sandnsea]

7. Hang in there

I think it is probably that bad here because I was at the dollar store yesterday and there were only 4 people there. In the afternoon. A week before Christmas. FOUR. Oregon unemployment hit 8%. There is almost no work here. I've seen it close to this bad around 1980, but I think it is going to get a lot worse.

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. 99 cent store here wasn't too crowded either. n/t

[Hatchling]

8. Have you tried either of these two agencies?

Catholic Charities or Jewish Family Services. I get food from both organizations in California and I'm not Catholic or Jewish.

[The Straight Story]

11. Will look them up locally

Thanks for the tip!