I Want a Job! - Ranting Ramble

The labor market has shrunk from 65.7% to just 58.6% in President Obama’s first term.  The U6 “real unemployment” number now sits at 14.9%.  Black unemployment is at 14.4%.  Unemployment for young college graduates is 16.8%.

In 2008 I was working at a job I loved, living in a city I loved. In 2009, I was out of work and unable to afford to pay rent and live in New York City.  I was making a decent living doing what I loved and then Obama came into Office. Is he directly responsible? I think so. When the the job I was working downsized I immediately sought out a new position as an Executive Assistant. For the first time in my life I was unable to find work. ANY Kind of work that would enable me to keep my apartment.  It wasn't that I was picky or thought I was too good for some sort of work.  I have always believed I am not defined by my job, rather I am defined by HOW I do my job. But there was nothing that was enough to pay rent and continue to live in the city I loved.

Thank God for my family. I gave away everything I owned because I simply couldn't afford to move it somewhere. Granted it wasn't much, I had lost everything I owned during Katrina in 2005 and what I had replaced was in storage in northern LA.  Times had been really tough after Katrina and I had been thrilled by the opportunity to move back to New York City again and work as an executive assistant at a major bank.  I felt blessed that my life was back on track and then came the beginning of Obama's blight on our country. No matter how bad the economy had been before I still was always able to find a job. I am an excellent employee. I have a work ethic that has always served me and my employers well. But there just wasn't anything to grab hold of. So my wonderful Aunt offered for me to come live with her in West VA...

It took almost six months but I did find a job at $9.17 an hour working for AT&T at one of their call centers. However, it was still not enough to move into my own apartment and while I continued to try to find employment in a position where I could put to use my 30 plus years of experience the economy was even worse by then.

I really don't want much. I just want to be able to NOT live off of someone else. To have my own small apartment and be independent and not a burden to anyone.  I did NOT in any of that time claim unemployment or welfare or foodstamps or any other government subsidy.  Am I hard-headed and prideful, perhaps but it just seems wrong to fall prey to living off the government. I am healthy, I am an excellent worker, I have a value in the workplace. There is NO good reason for someone else's sweat to be drained away to support me... Except, that is exactly what is happening... My family pays the price not my fellow citizens and it is hard to bear at times.

My younger sister and her amazing husband live outside Richmond, VA.  A bigger job market than a small town in West VA. They offered their home and help so over a year ago I moved here in the hopes of finding a job that paid a living wage. Meaning a wage where a person is able to rent a small apartment, feed themselves and not drain anyone else.  Almost a year passed by before I was able to find anything and it doesn't pay a living wage but it does pay enough that my sister and her husband are not paying my car insurance, and storage fees for the few things that I own still in storage in LA. They did cover this for almost exactly a full year.  Now I am a hostess and bartender for a tavern in Colonial Williamsburg at 10.00 an hour  and only 30 hours a week. It is a service bar position so it isn't supplemented by tips. It isn't enough to rent an apartment.  I also drive 62 miles each way just to go to this job but I was not about to turn down any job. And with the crazy increase in gas that costs me 100.00 a week in gas.  My bi-weekly pay check is usually around 525.00 minus the 200.00 for gas I am left with around 325.00 or 750.00 a month.  And I feel blessed to have that job. BUT...

I want a position that pays me a living wage... I WANT to work and work hard.  In the four years Obama has been in office I went from making 70,000 when he came into office to being unemployed for two of the four years he has been in office and underemployed for the other two.

I am joined in this by 28 million other Americans. If you are one of the 28 Million Americans like me who Is NOT doing better under Obama, or if you know or love one of us please help, not by paying higher taxes but rather....

Please vote Romney/Ryan in November.

I really want a position that pays a living wage and to not be homeless and being a burden on those I love.