CA: Strategies for helping the unemployed

SJ Mercury News ^ | 01/02/03 | Margaret Steen and Mike Zapler

[NormsRevenge]

Marsha Adams says the unemployment checks are paying her rent. The rest of her money comes from selling off pieces of her extensive Alice in Wonderland collection, including this snow globe, on eBay.

For thousands of unemployed workers, the end of the federal extension of unemployment benefits last week is a political issue made intensely personal. For some, it creates an almost immediate financial crisis. Others find themselves one step closer to life-changing decisions, such as selling the house and leaving Silicon Valley.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Others find themselves one step closer to life-changing decisions, such as selling the house and leaving Silicon Valley.

How horrible! They might actually have to LEAVE and find a job elsewhere! Oh, the humanity!

[2banana]

I wonder if she will ever equate the socialist policies of the state of California with increasing unemployment?

[Poohbah]

She wasn't smart enough to figure out that the unemployment benefits would run out sometime, and that's WAY more obvious :o)

[Lichgod]

Someone help me understand how unemployment money works. I have held a job since I was 16 (now 39) except for 2 months when I left the Army and took some time to find a good job.

From the article, you can get $330 dollars for 26 weeks (CA period) plus 13 weeks (fed period). And someone in congress wants to add another 19 weeks? So, 26 + 13 + 19 = 58 --> that is one year plus six weeks of the government paying you not to work. How does one quailify for this deal? Can I flip burgers for a day (week, month?) at the local burger joint, get fired (quit?) and sit on my petunia for a year-plus?

No wonder the local mall and fast food joints have help wanted signs. Also, if we had no illegal invaders then look at all the jobs that would open up. Ya, the pay may not be the best, but at least you would be getting something rather than begging the government to give you another year of free cash.

Oh, the article mentions a 60 year-old financial planner who is broke and relying his fellow taxpayers to supply his gravy. I don't know about you, but I would hesitate to hire a money expert who is broke at 60.

[NormsRevenge]

Good thing ya didn;t file that claim yet!

As of the New Year, the maximum is $370 a week for new CA claimants.

I flip a damn mean burger myself BTW. :-)

No, you do have to pay into the system for awhile and work for at least a fairly lengthy period or have been fairly consistently employed to collect.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Silicon Valley hired tons of people from India (Ravi perhaps) on the H1-B visa....and now they are unemployed and taking USA benefits. Thanks a LOT!

They could have hired good old USA people...but no! There's a high cost to all of this.

[clamper1797]

Actually the H1B's are virtually the only ones working here in Silicon Valley. It's the American worker who is jobless out here.

[psjones]

Don't people know to save?

[NormsRevenge]

I don't think that Money and Common Sense 101 is a required class in California public high schools ... nor would most school boards approve, I'm afraid.

By the magnitude of the deficit, you know the socialzits in the state legislature and the Gub shur din't attend economics or ethics classes... Sad .. all that money gone to waste educating the sheeple.

We'd get a better return educating only the illegals kids. /sarc

[1redshirt]

And how much exactly should they save ????

[clamper1797]

Well rule of thumb is 6 months salary ... which of course has run out for people who have been out of work longer than 6 months (and a LOT of people have). I was out 9 months. Hard to make a mortgage payment on $330 a week in Calif.

[Republic of Texas]

BTW, news is that the Pubbies will cave, and extend unemployment, at Bush's urging. Sad.

[ErnBatavia]

Don't people know to save?

No

[Republic of Texas]

The H1-B situation does need to change, but that is no excuse for sitting on your ass accepting welfare from your fellow citizens.

[psjones]

6 months, or even a year, for someone in his 50s or 60s, you'd think they'd have enough money saved to last quite a few months. Many people get severance pay when laid off, at least 2 months, sometimes more, depending on the severance package and sometimes for long time employees it could amount to quite a few months.
$330 a week unemployment tops is not much if you live in CA. In addition to that, my husband got paid for about the first 4 weeks and for a week after that did not get anything, for whatever reason, the state did not pay a week of unemployment for the 2 months he was eligible.

[Blood of Tyrants]

And the Bush fanatics will declare it a victory because that wiley George W stole another one of the Rats issues.

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