After an eye-opening experience at the hands of a big box retailer for whom I had been employed for the past two weeks assisting them with a move into larger, more spacious digs at an area strip mall, it occurred to me that there seems to be mass corporate delusion in this country insofar as why we are where we are economically.
We have large, national retail corporations which somehow have gotten the idea that their employees, the faces which serve the public in most instances, are instead of an asset, actually more of a liability...or profit generator...
Or at least one of their expenses which bears scrutiny and continual monitoring...
If you haven't heard of the TALX forms (as in "talks"), you might want to look it up, along with the FTC complaint which was filed against them and a NY Times article dedicated to their agendas when employees are terminated or laid off.
They have been retained by many Fortune 500 companies whose sole purpose is to drag out and/or deny outright employee claims for unemployment compensation.
At most companies, you are requested to fill out and "consent" to a screening by their representatives of your personal history, employment history, and each and every dollar you may be receiving for public assistance both prior to employment, or thereafter if your employment is terminated for any reason whatsoever.
A third party contractor, as it were, so that you are forced to deal with them through the unemployment offices, rather than the company directly.
Which scenario can and appears does lead to the "whose on first" game during those unemployment interviews or hearings.
So far, several states have now made moves to curtail their activities but many have not. But this is a booming industry and business in this bust economy, to be sure.
Below you will find the links.
As one who worked in the labor/employment law field for many, many years and for probably the foremost labor law attorney in the nation (who was responsible for counseling Wal-Mart stores management through his retirement, eventually sitting on the Board of Directors), I certainly can see where this might be appealing to many national chains.
After all, there are quite a few fraudulent unemployment claims; however, for every ten there is the one employee who ends up living on the street while this process works it way through the unemployment review process.
And one in which it clearly takes a lawyer in order to assist such an employee, which of course then reduces his benefit amounts considerably. Or leaves him dependent on relatives for his day to day living, or out on the street until the conclusion of the government "process."
But maybe that is the point.
Each and every government office that denies claims or benefits from unemployment, or social security, Medicare, or whatever does so with the caveat "you can always hire a lawyer."
If you can find one for those minor claims but claims that mean the difference between life and...you know...
I know that during my tenure in the field of labor/employment law, this was not the case...
In fact, my boss treated me with the utmost respect, and listened to my point of view on many matters as an employee...
He, in fact, counseled that the employees were an employers greatest asset, and that in order to develop a loyal and dedicated workforce you did need to make the effort to treat them with both respect, and compensate them adequately for time worked - whether in the form of direct compensation, or "shares" of the profits of the company - for those lower paying positions also.
Reducing the "golden parachutes" as it were for top level management, and instead using those sums to compensate the "boots on the ground" at the store levels.
And All the way to the lowly janitor (or sanitation superintendent).
Profit sharing has gone the way of the dinosaur, although in order to feel any type of "ownership" of your job and the company, that clearly is the route that develops the best workforce.
401(k) plans and pensions don't have a direct impact on performance, or "ownership" status.
Sam Walton understood that, at least during those early years.
Before the banks and politicians got involved.
In fact, most of those early Wal-Mart employees became multi-millionaires as Wal-Mart grew and expanded throughout the country from its roots as a rather small, family run business in Bentonville, Arkansas.
And this entire debate over health insurance also has its spins with employers begging for "relief" from those huge health care costs.
Funny, though, in all my years of employment it really was I, not the employer, that paid those premiums for the most part. If not for my own, definitely for any dependent or spousal coverage I might need.
I got a better rate due to the "group" plans I was under, but still paid nonetheless.
So there was little out of pocket expense to those employers.
It really is the small businessmen that need that relief, those with few employees, and I just wonder why the small business administration or private sector isn't offering low cost health insurance to small business owners as part of their coverages and "mission."
That certainly would be one solution to the amount of uninsured we now have.
Along with bringing back those charity hospitals that were built with donations, (many of which have progressively been "privatized" after being built with donations or taxpayer grant monies and sums) or those community health hospitals built with all those property taxes back in the 60's and 70's.
There were earmarked sums on my property tax bills for those hospital costs, believe me, for over twenty years at the county level.
It seems to me that the corporate mentality is that employees are just another "fixture" or method in which to up corporate profits, with all the company tshirts that are sold (at their cost) or those covered parking fees...or gym memberships...
At least for the low to mid level employees.
I wonder, do they even consider just why it is that employee unions came into being to begin with?
Could it be that those sweatshops of the past which have disappeared for the most part here, are being used by modern day corporate America in China and Mexico instead as a thumb in the nose to the American workers?
Surely, that cannot be the case...
Or could it?
No wonder those ballyhooed reports on the number of unemployment claims are now hitting the papers and getting lower (artificially, of course)...this is, after all, a BOOM industry - outsourcing "managing" unemployment claims defense to third party (corporate) subcontractors.
By the way, all these articles are easily searchable and in the public domain, but I have included the links just to educate yourself while looking for those few, very few, jobs that are around in most states throughout the nation at this time....
The workplace certainly HAS changed....but is this a positive change, I wonder?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/us/04talx.html?pagewanted=2
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/talx.shtm
And here is an article on a Chinese manufacturing plant that highlights some of the points made in this article about just how this outsourcing is killing both the U.S. economy, and undermining the American workforce...at the cost of the many, for the benefit of the few...there IS a middle ground, and Constitutional remedies if Washington would only "rewind."
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/apple-sweatshop-problem-16-hour-days-70-cents-172800495.html
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Monday, March 19, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
First Person Perspective: Why Americans Are Unemployed
Due to all the massive spins which continue to be bantered around among Mr. Obama, the challengers, and the mainstream media, as one of those currently unemployed, I thought I would address this situation from a better, more clearer, perspective.
As one formerly in the middle class for a good part of my life, but who is at over 50 no longer from a personal perspective just what has transpired to place me in this position post 9-11 and our current economy.
My former home was for most of my life in Arizona. It is no longer, and has not been since the National Guard was called out to help secure the border in 2006 during the Iraqi War and subsequent surge when, according to media sources, then President Bush was offering border agents extra pay and bonuses if they would go overseas to secure Iraq's borders, rather than our own.
An initial move to the Midwest proved to be futile, since as an asthmatic during the summer months it was rather difficult to breathe during planting season and was a much harder adjustment at over 50 than it had been when I had lived there a short time during a spouse's graduate studies many years ago.
So I headed South, where I have extended family only to be then caught there during one of the major hurricanes in 2008, and living in weekly rental rooms at that point. Whatever the amount of equity I got out of my home upon an enforced sale, was pretty much gone after the medical bills and living expenses while I was then recovering and added expenses of then subsequent moves. This was my second move in less than a year.
It took over a year to even start to feel a bit better, and another move back West (not to Arizona, however) where I could recuperate until my lungs healed. I am deathly allergic to mold and when all those roofs were pulled up to replace, the mold which had grown out of control after the hurricane was then released in the air, and I got the mother of all lung infections.
While West and recuperating, on my good days I attempted to seek help from the Social Security office.
But since I wasn't old enough to claim my benefits, and wasn't injured to the point where they could determine it would be "permanent," nor missing a limb, I was shown the door and advised I could hire a lawyer and challenge their decision in front of a government Administrative Law Judge. That would take about a year, I was told, to go through the "process."
I continued to deplete whatever savings I had left while I continued to heal, and then found a job after nine months of looking sporadically when I could in a call center during a ramp up. A third party provider for a major cell phone carrier.
I was there all of four months before there was a massive layoff of almost all the people who were hired during that ramp up due to a slowed economy.
Especially the older workers (over 35), and any and all where drug testing, or misdemeanor offenses could then be used to whittle down the workforce (even though drug testing and background checks were undertaken upon filling out those lengthy application forms).
In the state where I was working, medical marijuana use with THC in the bloodstream during the testing period was a cause for immediate dismissal. So were juvenile possession and misdemeanor criminal offenses, although in some people's cases occurred decades before, or even misdemeanor traffic offenses. The older, of course, you got the more likely it was that at one point in your life due to the shear number of laws on the books there was something there that could be used.
Especially since in most states at this point, there are no statutory expungements for criminal offenses, even misdemeanors. With progressively also more and more victimless civil offenses now classified as criminal.
This was not a right to work state, but as of yet this center was not unionized.
But as one who formerly worked in that field, I can certainly see that day coming fairly quickly, which may be why most call centers are now "outsourced."
There may be a reason at some of those locations they are jobs Americans don't want, or can't have for just such hiring practices.
Of course, the working conditions there left much to be desired from a labor/management perspective, and from what I understand there have been lawsuits which filed over failure to pay employees for time worked, and also mandatory overtime not paid.
My time came for the boot primarily because I believe I asked far too many questions for their comfort as having worked in the labor relations field for many years. Or maybe because I was one of those "older" workers targeted anyway since my style of customer service was foreign to their management.
During my training I was warned not to become a "target" by the instructors, in failing to follow the dress code or grievance procedures, which procedures were similar to those in the military - using the "chain of command" verbiage to explain them to the new hires. Meeting with anyone in Human Resources was the last step in the chain.
Although it wasn't my real choice of job to begin with, but one taken out of shear desperation and necessity. For a little over minimum wage, after over twenty five years banking, legal and travel industry experience.
I moved again, due to the inability to get work to a state that had a little better unemployment rate.
I signed up with two or three local job centers and completed all their testing.
It is not that I am not computer savvy, having owned and managed my own website based small business for several years, and having also taken continuing education classes through the years.
I had worked with some senior students at DeVry who developed my website in 2004, and also worked with me during the process so that I could subsequently maintain it for a product line of children's footwear I had developed before the economic and political roof caved in Arizona and throughout most of the nation in 2005-06 and as a single mom with teenagers working from home.
In over seven months, only one or two referrals for minimum wage positions in this "lower" unemployment rate state.
That's it.
I also started combing the ads and internet myself.
I went to one company that was looking for sales personnel for a cruise line packager. I had worked for a major vacation packager in Arizona prior to a layoff in '99 when they deemed the rent too high there, and moved to Coral Gables, Florida - another high humidity, hurricane prone state in which at that time I could not live with also an asthmatic daughter who would not have done well there (nor as a divorced mom, could move there without "court" permission, I was told, due to a shared custody arrangement with my ex for our minor children).
There I was informed that it would cost me $500 for their training materials, and then $200 to rent desk space at their offices annually. I was then to receive a 20% commission on my sales, from the 10% commission the company made from the cruise line company, and would be paid after the cruise line company was paid by the customer prior to their departure.
I figured on a $2,500 cruise (standard) at 10% commission for the agency, my 20% of 10% would be $50.00. I would get $50.00 for each cruise I sold. They would get the rest. Hours of calls, and hand holding until that ship finally departed (especially after this latest cruise line sinking) and I would receive $50.00.
Less taxes.
I got one call the other day from an agency I had basically written off.
It was a one day assignment, but the agency needed to know one important question first.
Did I have an IPhone, or smart phone capable of taking photographs, and then emailing them from my phone?
I, of course, at this point unable to really afford even your basic flip phone (although trouble shooted those IPhones for two months), had to tell her no, I did not.
But I did have access to a digital camera that I could download and then email.
That wasn't what the client wanted.
So sorry.
Wake up, Washington...and the state legislatures...there is much, much more to this than meets the eye.
Or those candidates can even begin to comprehend.
Or just maybe, they do know and not to be politically incorrect or anything...
But Obama, Mitt and Newt just may be like those little Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil monkeys (deaf, dumb, blind) I remember from childhood. (Of course, that children's analogy sure isn't used in "politically correct" America anymore)
Or maybe, in this stage managed political arena we now live in where politicians resemble more and more "B" movie actors...
The director(s) in global corporate America, simply don't give a ****...
People are now nothing more than commerce, after all...
As one formerly in the middle class for a good part of my life, but who is at over 50 no longer from a personal perspective just what has transpired to place me in this position post 9-11 and our current economy.
My former home was for most of my life in Arizona. It is no longer, and has not been since the National Guard was called out to help secure the border in 2006 during the Iraqi War and subsequent surge when, according to media sources, then President Bush was offering border agents extra pay and bonuses if they would go overseas to secure Iraq's borders, rather than our own.
An initial move to the Midwest proved to be futile, since as an asthmatic during the summer months it was rather difficult to breathe during planting season and was a much harder adjustment at over 50 than it had been when I had lived there a short time during a spouse's graduate studies many years ago.
So I headed South, where I have extended family only to be then caught there during one of the major hurricanes in 2008, and living in weekly rental rooms at that point. Whatever the amount of equity I got out of my home upon an enforced sale, was pretty much gone after the medical bills and living expenses while I was then recovering and added expenses of then subsequent moves. This was my second move in less than a year.
It took over a year to even start to feel a bit better, and another move back West (not to Arizona, however) where I could recuperate until my lungs healed. I am deathly allergic to mold and when all those roofs were pulled up to replace, the mold which had grown out of control after the hurricane was then released in the air, and I got the mother of all lung infections.
While West and recuperating, on my good days I attempted to seek help from the Social Security office.
But since I wasn't old enough to claim my benefits, and wasn't injured to the point where they could determine it would be "permanent," nor missing a limb, I was shown the door and advised I could hire a lawyer and challenge their decision in front of a government Administrative Law Judge. That would take about a year, I was told, to go through the "process."
I continued to deplete whatever savings I had left while I continued to heal, and then found a job after nine months of looking sporadically when I could in a call center during a ramp up. A third party provider for a major cell phone carrier.
I was there all of four months before there was a massive layoff of almost all the people who were hired during that ramp up due to a slowed economy.
Especially the older workers (over 35), and any and all where drug testing, or misdemeanor offenses could then be used to whittle down the workforce (even though drug testing and background checks were undertaken upon filling out those lengthy application forms).
In the state where I was working, medical marijuana use with THC in the bloodstream during the testing period was a cause for immediate dismissal. So were juvenile possession and misdemeanor criminal offenses, although in some people's cases occurred decades before, or even misdemeanor traffic offenses. The older, of course, you got the more likely it was that at one point in your life due to the shear number of laws on the books there was something there that could be used.
Especially since in most states at this point, there are no statutory expungements for criminal offenses, even misdemeanors. With progressively also more and more victimless civil offenses now classified as criminal.
This was not a right to work state, but as of yet this center was not unionized.
But as one who formerly worked in that field, I can certainly see that day coming fairly quickly, which may be why most call centers are now "outsourced."
There may be a reason at some of those locations they are jobs Americans don't want, or can't have for just such hiring practices.
Of course, the working conditions there left much to be desired from a labor/management perspective, and from what I understand there have been lawsuits which filed over failure to pay employees for time worked, and also mandatory overtime not paid.
My time came for the boot primarily because I believe I asked far too many questions for their comfort as having worked in the labor relations field for many years. Or maybe because I was one of those "older" workers targeted anyway since my style of customer service was foreign to their management.
During my training I was warned not to become a "target" by the instructors, in failing to follow the dress code or grievance procedures, which procedures were similar to those in the military - using the "chain of command" verbiage to explain them to the new hires. Meeting with anyone in Human Resources was the last step in the chain.
Although it wasn't my real choice of job to begin with, but one taken out of shear desperation and necessity. For a little over minimum wage, after over twenty five years banking, legal and travel industry experience.
I moved again, due to the inability to get work to a state that had a little better unemployment rate.
I signed up with two or three local job centers and completed all their testing.
It is not that I am not computer savvy, having owned and managed my own website based small business for several years, and having also taken continuing education classes through the years.
I had worked with some senior students at DeVry who developed my website in 2004, and also worked with me during the process so that I could subsequently maintain it for a product line of children's footwear I had developed before the economic and political roof caved in Arizona and throughout most of the nation in 2005-06 and as a single mom with teenagers working from home.
In over seven months, only one or two referrals for minimum wage positions in this "lower" unemployment rate state.
That's it.
I also started combing the ads and internet myself.
I went to one company that was looking for sales personnel for a cruise line packager. I had worked for a major vacation packager in Arizona prior to a layoff in '99 when they deemed the rent too high there, and moved to Coral Gables, Florida - another high humidity, hurricane prone state in which at that time I could not live with also an asthmatic daughter who would not have done well there (nor as a divorced mom, could move there without "court" permission, I was told, due to a shared custody arrangement with my ex for our minor children).
There I was informed that it would cost me $500 for their training materials, and then $200 to rent desk space at their offices annually. I was then to receive a 20% commission on my sales, from the 10% commission the company made from the cruise line company, and would be paid after the cruise line company was paid by the customer prior to their departure.
I figured on a $2,500 cruise (standard) at 10% commission for the agency, my 20% of 10% would be $50.00. I would get $50.00 for each cruise I sold. They would get the rest. Hours of calls, and hand holding until that ship finally departed (especially after this latest cruise line sinking) and I would receive $50.00.
Less taxes.
I got one call the other day from an agency I had basically written off.
It was a one day assignment, but the agency needed to know one important question first.
Did I have an IPhone, or smart phone capable of taking photographs, and then emailing them from my phone?
I, of course, at this point unable to really afford even your basic flip phone (although trouble shooted those IPhones for two months), had to tell her no, I did not.
But I did have access to a digital camera that I could download and then email.
That wasn't what the client wanted.
So sorry.
Wake up, Washington...and the state legislatures...there is much, much more to this than meets the eye.
Or those candidates can even begin to comprehend.
Or just maybe, they do know and not to be politically incorrect or anything...
But Obama, Mitt and Newt just may be like those little Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil monkeys (deaf, dumb, blind) I remember from childhood. (Of course, that children's analogy sure isn't used in "politically correct" America anymore)
Or maybe, in this stage managed political arena we now live in where politicians resemble more and more "B" movie actors...
The director(s) in global corporate America, simply don't give a ****...
People are now nothing more than commerce, after all...
Friday, September 2, 2011
No New Jobs In August: How Many Were Lost?
As a baby boomer who has been seeking employment for the better part of six months currently, after working several months for a call center for a major cell phone carrier and then being subsequently "laid off" from there, I found the current jobs report again missed the mark on just what is occurring in the job market as a whole.
I have worked most of my adolescent and adult life in various industries and professions.
My first jobs were "starter" positions.
The first while in high school after my father's 1970's layoff was working for a major hamburger chain based out of Texas running their sales figures daily and crunching numbers.
The second after graduation was working for a "Million Dollar Roundtable" whole life insurance agent whose clientele consisted of many professional basketball players and consisted of doing all his clerical work, running his car to the car wash and picking up his laundry when needed, and combing the obituaries in order to obtain information on the recently deceased's widows in order to then cold call to sell them on whole life policies for my employer.
It lasted about six months until I could not stomach the invasion of their privacy and grief to continue making those calls.
I then worked for a bank again crunching numbers, and then for a major credit card company typing letters eight hours a day to cardholders, and eventually working for one of the Directors of their Western Regional Operating Center.
A company whose credit cards were and are a status symbol of sorts for the wealthier Americans.
Consequently, I have no problem even with my illustrious resume of positions I have held since that time (a corporate paralegal, and after a divorce a travel consultant) with doing what is now considered "menial work."
In fact, I recently worked for one of those dreaded "call centers" for a time, making not a whole lot of money in order to simply pay for my weekly rental room, and gas.
I've submitted at this point dozens and dozens of applications (an hour each to complete), and signed up at one of the local employment agencies in the area.
I've gone on interviews for movie theatre positions for minimum wage, and a government contractor and another call center for "technical" support where I was made to complete a IQ test for a position that simply required me to contact subcontractor technical support representatives to repair computers for governmental agencies and others from a list of "approved" vendors.
What the IQ test had to do with that one, I guess I'll never know since I must not have passed since that position was filled with another that suited the position a little better, or whose IQ test I assume was higher than mine.
I've even meet with the small business counselors in the area for an idea I have had for many years due to the declining health and hospitalizations of both of my elderly parents, but alas, was informed there simply is no money for new start ups in this piss poor economy.
The job situation has not improved except for the tech industries, and medical support positions I was also informed.
Or computer programmers (although I did have and maintained my own website based small retail business for over three years), but am not an "expert" in computer troubleshooting or programming.
I did get a solicitation recently from AARP to sign up for their resume classes through an online tutor at no cost, whose offices were in Washington.
Since tax credits are being given to employers who focus their efforts on hiring the returning military, Latinos, and those under 40, I just wonder why AARP is not fighting for the boomers and the discriminatory practices against generational Americans, or the under 65 or 70 crowd, which are being facilitated by Washington's apparent existing "jobs" agenda, rather than sending solicitation letters.
I hope during the summer break, those in Washington spent some of that time visiting the local job center offices.
To enlighten them as to just why those August job figures were so dismal.
And why the American economy IS NOT rebounding with this progressive depression.
I have worked most of my adolescent and adult life in various industries and professions.
My first jobs were "starter" positions.
The first while in high school after my father's 1970's layoff was working for a major hamburger chain based out of Texas running their sales figures daily and crunching numbers.
The second after graduation was working for a "Million Dollar Roundtable" whole life insurance agent whose clientele consisted of many professional basketball players and consisted of doing all his clerical work, running his car to the car wash and picking up his laundry when needed, and combing the obituaries in order to obtain information on the recently deceased's widows in order to then cold call to sell them on whole life policies for my employer.
It lasted about six months until I could not stomach the invasion of their privacy and grief to continue making those calls.
I then worked for a bank again crunching numbers, and then for a major credit card company typing letters eight hours a day to cardholders, and eventually working for one of the Directors of their Western Regional Operating Center.
A company whose credit cards were and are a status symbol of sorts for the wealthier Americans.
Consequently, I have no problem even with my illustrious resume of positions I have held since that time (a corporate paralegal, and after a divorce a travel consultant) with doing what is now considered "menial work."
In fact, I recently worked for one of those dreaded "call centers" for a time, making not a whole lot of money in order to simply pay for my weekly rental room, and gas.
I've submitted at this point dozens and dozens of applications (an hour each to complete), and signed up at one of the local employment agencies in the area.
I've gone on interviews for movie theatre positions for minimum wage, and a government contractor and another call center for "technical" support where I was made to complete a IQ test for a position that simply required me to contact subcontractor technical support representatives to repair computers for governmental agencies and others from a list of "approved" vendors.
What the IQ test had to do with that one, I guess I'll never know since I must not have passed since that position was filled with another that suited the position a little better, or whose IQ test I assume was higher than mine.
I've even meet with the small business counselors in the area for an idea I have had for many years due to the declining health and hospitalizations of both of my elderly parents, but alas, was informed there simply is no money for new start ups in this piss poor economy.
The job situation has not improved except for the tech industries, and medical support positions I was also informed.
Or computer programmers (although I did have and maintained my own website based small retail business for over three years), but am not an "expert" in computer troubleshooting or programming.
I did get a solicitation recently from AARP to sign up for their resume classes through an online tutor at no cost, whose offices were in Washington.
Since tax credits are being given to employers who focus their efforts on hiring the returning military, Latinos, and those under 40, I just wonder why AARP is not fighting for the boomers and the discriminatory practices against generational Americans, or the under 65 or 70 crowd, which are being facilitated by Washington's apparent existing "jobs" agenda, rather than sending solicitation letters.
I hope during the summer break, those in Washington spent some of that time visiting the local job center offices.
To enlighten them as to just why those August job figures were so dismal.
And why the American economy IS NOT rebounding with this progressive depression.
Friday, June 3, 2011
U.S. Jobs Report Is In: Bleak Prospects for Many
Well, the latest jobs report is in and the picture for the average American still seeking work in this depressive U.S. economy isn't pretty.
It was announced through the mainstream media that jobs are down over 9% since the last report.
Of course, you do need to double that figure since it is reported artificially lower than the true statistics, since those which are now unable to continue to collect unemployment, or have been denied benefits for whatever reason, or who owned their own businesses which have since gone under are not included in those statistics.
Recently, I had another of those "aha" moments those insurance companies (affiliated with the financial and banking sectors) advertise on most prime time and cable news stations.
As one who has a travel and hospitality certification from a now defunct travel school which was operated by American Express back in the 90's (who, I am sure, received government taxpayer grants for its operation, and in which my tuition was over $2,500 for my study), I recently stopped by a cruise line company affiliated with a Canadian website based travel company.
The franchisers of this retail operation had just recently opened, and were seeking sales and marketing representatives both at their retail location, and also mobile agents who worked from their home.
We discussed my background, having worked for over five years for a foreign domiciled vacation package retailer, in which eventually I moved from being one of their top sales agents to working in their yield management division and actually programming and developing packages for this company's U.S. market. I eventually left when this foreign domiciled company decided to move from its offices in Scottsdale, Arizona to Coral Gables, Florida for all non-reservation agent personnel for budgetary reasons.
Apparently, the rent in Scottsdale was too high although to many of us it was difficult to see where the rent in that particular part of Florida would not have been similar. Certainly, renegotiating their lease space or seeking cheaper digs would have been much more cost efficient, but then who was I to say?
The retail position this cruise company envisioned consisted of selling cruise packages under their banner with all the sales agents independent contractors, owning their own client base, as it were. Working at the franchise location merely consisted of paying a $500 up front "licensing" fee to this foreign based business and its U.S. franchisee. In addition, their share of any and all eventual bookings would be 60%, with the sales agent getting the remaining 40% (or 20% less U.S. taxes on that commission). These outrageous fees and costs, and low commission ratio was offset by all the access to the database and walk-in clients the retail agents would be receiving, and access to all the internet webinars which would be required to keep up to date on packages and promotions.
Although while I was there for over an hour not one individual came by or inquired about a future vacation.
The mobile agents (or those working from home) had it a little better.
Lower upfront costs (since the franchisee could not charge for desk space, apparently) of $200, and they then got to keep 70% of their commissions, with 30% going to the global parent company and franchisee. Although those not based at the company provided desks and computers would have to pay for their own marketing materials and such. Although, of course, could then write them off on their tax returns as independent contractors.
This is the new job scene.
Doesn't appear much research is also going into just what "new" jobs are actually out there, or just who is profiting off the backs of the unemployed. Including those selling their expertise in writing Facebook ads for the unemployed at $50 bucks and more a pop, who hang out at all those job center offices being funded by the many jobless too in the boomer and Gen X generation.
Since not a single individual in the job center office I visited recently searching on the 100 computers available was under 40.
Hope those statiticians and analysts start digging a little deeper into some of those "new jobs" created figures.
Fox recently had another propaganda piece on its pay station about some young man that held 50 jobs in 50 days.
One as a dietician.
Of course, with no education or certification as a dietician just wonder how he got THAT job?
Perhaps as a FOX employee researcher or "educator" whose real salary is provided by more public grants or stimulus monies?
It was announced through the mainstream media that jobs are down over 9% since the last report.
Of course, you do need to double that figure since it is reported artificially lower than the true statistics, since those which are now unable to continue to collect unemployment, or have been denied benefits for whatever reason, or who owned their own businesses which have since gone under are not included in those statistics.
Recently, I had another of those "aha" moments those insurance companies (affiliated with the financial and banking sectors) advertise on most prime time and cable news stations.
As one who has a travel and hospitality certification from a now defunct travel school which was operated by American Express back in the 90's (who, I am sure, received government taxpayer grants for its operation, and in which my tuition was over $2,500 for my study), I recently stopped by a cruise line company affiliated with a Canadian website based travel company.
The franchisers of this retail operation had just recently opened, and were seeking sales and marketing representatives both at their retail location, and also mobile agents who worked from their home.
We discussed my background, having worked for over five years for a foreign domiciled vacation package retailer, in which eventually I moved from being one of their top sales agents to working in their yield management division and actually programming and developing packages for this company's U.S. market. I eventually left when this foreign domiciled company decided to move from its offices in Scottsdale, Arizona to Coral Gables, Florida for all non-reservation agent personnel for budgetary reasons.
Apparently, the rent in Scottsdale was too high although to many of us it was difficult to see where the rent in that particular part of Florida would not have been similar. Certainly, renegotiating their lease space or seeking cheaper digs would have been much more cost efficient, but then who was I to say?
The retail position this cruise company envisioned consisted of selling cruise packages under their banner with all the sales agents independent contractors, owning their own client base, as it were. Working at the franchise location merely consisted of paying a $500 up front "licensing" fee to this foreign based business and its U.S. franchisee. In addition, their share of any and all eventual bookings would be 60%, with the sales agent getting the remaining 40% (or 20% less U.S. taxes on that commission). These outrageous fees and costs, and low commission ratio was offset by all the access to the database and walk-in clients the retail agents would be receiving, and access to all the internet webinars which would be required to keep up to date on packages and promotions.
Although while I was there for over an hour not one individual came by or inquired about a future vacation.
The mobile agents (or those working from home) had it a little better.
Lower upfront costs (since the franchisee could not charge for desk space, apparently) of $200, and they then got to keep 70% of their commissions, with 30% going to the global parent company and franchisee. Although those not based at the company provided desks and computers would have to pay for their own marketing materials and such. Although, of course, could then write them off on their tax returns as independent contractors.
This is the new job scene.
Doesn't appear much research is also going into just what "new" jobs are actually out there, or just who is profiting off the backs of the unemployed. Including those selling their expertise in writing Facebook ads for the unemployed at $50 bucks and more a pop, who hang out at all those job center offices being funded by the many jobless too in the boomer and Gen X generation.
Since not a single individual in the job center office I visited recently searching on the 100 computers available was under 40.
Hope those statiticians and analysts start digging a little deeper into some of those "new jobs" created figures.
Fox recently had another propaganda piece on its pay station about some young man that held 50 jobs in 50 days.
One as a dietician.
Of course, with no education or certification as a dietician just wonder how he got THAT job?
Perhaps as a FOX employee researcher or "educator" whose real salary is provided by more public grants or stimulus monies?
Saturday, May 14, 2011
New Jobs Created Under Stimulus Bear Scrutiny
As one of the literally thousands of Americans over 40 looking for work in prior fields of experience and endeavor, it has been interesting, to say the least, in my quest for employment in this depressive U.S. economy and viewing just where most of the stimulus monies have gone, and for what purpose.
Most of the states received and accepted huge amounts under the stimulus, and apparently those sums have gone primarily to creating more government positions and jobs, and increasing benefits for the existing work force in the public sector.
A great deal has gone to buying more and more computers for local public sector employees and departments, and also in establishing "workforce centers" throughout the country so that the unemployed at least have the tools now required by this progressive agenda (a computer) in order to seek viable employment.
On one such day I visited the local workforce center in this community, over 75 computers were full and an overflow room of 25 was also humming. Although some of the computers were not operating due to an overload on the server which meant many were also waiting their turn to browse the few jobs available for those former secretaries, retail sector employees, and college graduates whose degrees and monies went toward getting re-educated during the 90's or later but whose former careers also have been hard hit during this economic tsunami.
Throughout the center there were also flyers by a local university which also received grant monies in order to "study" the unemployed or underemployed in order to "get their story" for their graduate study program.
For a short time when I was at the end of my own personal resources during the winter here, I ended up answering a mass call for customer service representatives for a third party contractor for one of the major cell phone companies which involved five weeks of training, eight hours per day, six days per week for $10.00 per hour. If you missed more than one day of training during that time period, the next trainee would be assigned your computer for their training.
This company was a "minority" business created or expanded under that stimulus, although its "contract" for its provision of its outsourced contract was "negotiated" between this business and the major cell phone company which retained it in order to provide bodies to answer all those calls from mostly disgruntled customers.
From my short time working there, I truly would have loved to meet the lawyer that "negotiated" that contract, and I suspect those monies which were handed out to this major global corporation had many, many strings attached which were then passed down to the third party global corporation which eventually was retained to provide for those customer service needs.
It appeared that this "government" contractor's contract provided those sums based on the number of hours and people trained, the weekly then "coaching sessions" which were then given during call monitoring by supervisory and quality control staff (who were "let go" two months into my employment there for "budgetary reasons") and the amount of calls handled by those agents.
There was a "scientific formula" for handling those inbound calls and five step process and pattern to providing "good customer service." Deviating from the script at any time involved intervention from supervisory personnel, who were monitoring 12 agents sitting in open bays surrounding the supervisory station. An interruption in the pattern could throw an agent off their call matrixes and stats by the customer, and made it difficult then to get back "on track," for the remainder of the call.
Call times and transfer rates were the largest concern of those who had jobs in "workforce" - people who walked the bays and floors with walkie talkies, and if you were on a call longer than the seven minutes proscribed to handle that call, a tap on the agents shoulder while on the call was the workforce "reminder" that calls were waiting to be "handled."
Transfer rates were to be kept at less than 7% of calls handled, which meant that trouble shooting calls were meant to be handled by the agents of this third party contractor, and not transferred back to the "tech support" people directly employed by this major carrier for such tasks.
In effect, if agents were attempting to carry out their jobs and priorities according to the "transfer rate" matrix, their then call handling time went up, which was then also brought up at the next "coaching" (critiquing) session.
No quarterly or bi-annual reviews of work performance here, but WEEKLY simply due to the terms of that "contract" for those stimulus monies which were to be received through the major cell phone company and its taxpayer handout.
An "audit" by the major carrier was held earlier this year in which for a week representatives of the "government contractor" major cell provider visited the site, and went through procedures, and stats.
During this time policies were initiated that called for "clean desks," (only two personal items per desk), and putting all the agents through additional background checks and drug testing, because apparently the drug testing which was conducted prior to training did not include sufficient data, although no agent was informed of the results of the testing in my training class or suspended during the time they were in training.
Over 350 of the 600 hired for a holiday ramp up were let go based on the results of these investigations, which also precluded even those with misdemeanor traffic offenses from working at the call center represented by the third party contractors as a provision of this government contract.
Since it would appear that the older a worker is, the more likely they are to have had at least one misdemeanor or offense due to the increases in simply the amount of state and federal laws which have been passed this past twenty years seems it just might preclude a great many Americans from holding on to those positions long term. Or even our youth who most likely have had one traffic violation or another during their "learning curve" driving years. Or youth, even though crimes committed years and years ago but not automatically expunged from records after the punishment for the "crime" was fulfilled were also solicited for these checks.
But no matter, since in my experience it didn't appear that most of the boomers or the over 30 generation were cell phone addicts, or ceased to be after their initial experiences with a great many of these devices for their communication needs, and marketing appears to be mostly targeted at those under 30 in all those television ads, or miss the mark in their marketing and product line for the over 30 crowd.
Or focused on the "toy" aspects of the phones in games, books and apps that can be added, at greater cost, of course, as "all in one" portable computers, with the actual phone provisions secondary or even thirdly relevant with the cameras now included.
The "holding company" for this third party contractor is a "global" corporation that provides call centers throughout the world, many located in India also. Although do wonder if those in India are "drug tested" to the degree those in the U.S. are, or if there are "background checks" for misdemeanors, including traffic offenses or victimless misdemeanors, in that country?
All call times and clocking in and out are done through the computer system, and monitored by "workforce" for violations of the break and amount of hours agents are to be on the phone, and does take the agents about 15 minutes per day to simply log into the "system," a system for which during my short time there "went down" numerous times, and during which time agents were expected to answer calls but inform the callers that the "system was down" and to call back if their question was one in which their account information was needed.
During my months there, not once did the Human Resources Director or staff ever visit the floor, or solicit employee concerns of either the matrixes used in order to evaluate their performance, the working conditions, or even so much as got on the phones themselves to actually be able to relate to the tasks assigned under that "contract." Nor most of the "area directors" whose job it was to supervise the supervisors.
Each pay period there were at least half the workers with pay issues, either not being paid for time worked, or not receiving a check at all. And the payroll was also "outsourced" to a payroll providing company which employees had to monitor also through their system and correct prior to the end of the payroll period during those lunch, break or down times.
The second month there, I appeared to fulfill my commitment and time on the phone handling those customer calls, and was told due to "call volume" I was being given a VTO (Voluntary Time Off) without pay. I worked the 2nd shift, so had the afternoon and evening off although still had those rent and bills to pay. And some outstanding medical bills. And upkeep and expenses on a 16 year old car after having moved four times in the past five years from my former home state of Arizona after the National Guard was called out in 2006.
This coincidentally also occurred during the "audit" by the major cell phone carrier when it appeared there were many "not needed" during the audit period.
I was then informed I could file for unemployment for the lost hours under my own "contract" by the Human Resources Department.
Of the six hundred hired during the winter holidays, fewer than 200 remain and yet with the economy still in the tank, the training classes are full and at last report, ongoing.
After all, it is the training that is the bread and butter of those third party providers, not job satisfaction or employee retention of the existing personnel. Or shifting call volumes to other regional centers if one isn't performing under those matrixes satisfactorily to also then meet those contract requirements passed down by the government under those stimulus monies and terms.
These are the jobs provided under that much disputed stimulus, before they too are outsourced to India as "jobs Americans don't want."
And seems overall, most of those sums are remaining at the top, since even of those training dollars far less than half was actually being paid to those agents being trained since it was represented during training that each agent represented $4,500 in "investment."
Or those workforce centers and their double dipping state workforce and career counseling soon close due to lack of funding, leaving those public employees to join the private sector ones on those breadlines eventually since recently there were notices posted also there to support the extension of those sums for the centers to state representatives.
The number of jobs which have been either outsourced, or lost due to this "technology" focus and those government contracts is imploding this country from within. Computers are now actually hiring or screening America's workforce, and those most qualified for the few jobs remaining clearly aren't getting them, or the standards and qualifications bear no relevance at all to the actual jobs and finding suitable or qualified candidates.
Even those Americans working for the companies which received those monies in the billions, headed by minorities which then in turn sold those companies to global corporations.
While gasoline is now over $3.50 a gallon in most areas of the country, in order to "stimulate" Americans to purchase those hybrid automobiles to save money on gas - at a cost of over $30,000 per car for these "technically and environmentally" superior forms of transportation.
And the number of jobs in banking, insurance, and a host of others are now filled by HAL.
This "Space Odyssey" turned nightmare is breaking America progressively.
Text your Congressman or Senator, if you agree, on their government contractor provided cell phones.
The ones made in China, mostly serviced by those centers which are booming in India, whose workforce have lower costs of living, and different hiring standards, or different matrixes for agent performance.
Standard text messaging rates apply.
Most of the states received and accepted huge amounts under the stimulus, and apparently those sums have gone primarily to creating more government positions and jobs, and increasing benefits for the existing work force in the public sector.
A great deal has gone to buying more and more computers for local public sector employees and departments, and also in establishing "workforce centers" throughout the country so that the unemployed at least have the tools now required by this progressive agenda (a computer) in order to seek viable employment.
On one such day I visited the local workforce center in this community, over 75 computers were full and an overflow room of 25 was also humming. Although some of the computers were not operating due to an overload on the server which meant many were also waiting their turn to browse the few jobs available for those former secretaries, retail sector employees, and college graduates whose degrees and monies went toward getting re-educated during the 90's or later but whose former careers also have been hard hit during this economic tsunami.
Throughout the center there were also flyers by a local university which also received grant monies in order to "study" the unemployed or underemployed in order to "get their story" for their graduate study program.
For a short time when I was at the end of my own personal resources during the winter here, I ended up answering a mass call for customer service representatives for a third party contractor for one of the major cell phone companies which involved five weeks of training, eight hours per day, six days per week for $10.00 per hour. If you missed more than one day of training during that time period, the next trainee would be assigned your computer for their training.
This company was a "minority" business created or expanded under that stimulus, although its "contract" for its provision of its outsourced contract was "negotiated" between this business and the major cell phone company which retained it in order to provide bodies to answer all those calls from mostly disgruntled customers.
From my short time working there, I truly would have loved to meet the lawyer that "negotiated" that contract, and I suspect those monies which were handed out to this major global corporation had many, many strings attached which were then passed down to the third party global corporation which eventually was retained to provide for those customer service needs.
It appeared that this "government" contractor's contract provided those sums based on the number of hours and people trained, the weekly then "coaching sessions" which were then given during call monitoring by supervisory and quality control staff (who were "let go" two months into my employment there for "budgetary reasons") and the amount of calls handled by those agents.
There was a "scientific formula" for handling those inbound calls and five step process and pattern to providing "good customer service." Deviating from the script at any time involved intervention from supervisory personnel, who were monitoring 12 agents sitting in open bays surrounding the supervisory station. An interruption in the pattern could throw an agent off their call matrixes and stats by the customer, and made it difficult then to get back "on track," for the remainder of the call.
Call times and transfer rates were the largest concern of those who had jobs in "workforce" - people who walked the bays and floors with walkie talkies, and if you were on a call longer than the seven minutes proscribed to handle that call, a tap on the agents shoulder while on the call was the workforce "reminder" that calls were waiting to be "handled."
Transfer rates were to be kept at less than 7% of calls handled, which meant that trouble shooting calls were meant to be handled by the agents of this third party contractor, and not transferred back to the "tech support" people directly employed by this major carrier for such tasks.
In effect, if agents were attempting to carry out their jobs and priorities according to the "transfer rate" matrix, their then call handling time went up, which was then also brought up at the next "coaching" (critiquing) session.
No quarterly or bi-annual reviews of work performance here, but WEEKLY simply due to the terms of that "contract" for those stimulus monies which were to be received through the major cell phone company and its taxpayer handout.
An "audit" by the major carrier was held earlier this year in which for a week representatives of the "government contractor" major cell provider visited the site, and went through procedures, and stats.
During this time policies were initiated that called for "clean desks," (only two personal items per desk), and putting all the agents through additional background checks and drug testing, because apparently the drug testing which was conducted prior to training did not include sufficient data, although no agent was informed of the results of the testing in my training class or suspended during the time they were in training.
Over 350 of the 600 hired for a holiday ramp up were let go based on the results of these investigations, which also precluded even those with misdemeanor traffic offenses from working at the call center represented by the third party contractors as a provision of this government contract.
Since it would appear that the older a worker is, the more likely they are to have had at least one misdemeanor or offense due to the increases in simply the amount of state and federal laws which have been passed this past twenty years seems it just might preclude a great many Americans from holding on to those positions long term. Or even our youth who most likely have had one traffic violation or another during their "learning curve" driving years. Or youth, even though crimes committed years and years ago but not automatically expunged from records after the punishment for the "crime" was fulfilled were also solicited for these checks.
But no matter, since in my experience it didn't appear that most of the boomers or the over 30 generation were cell phone addicts, or ceased to be after their initial experiences with a great many of these devices for their communication needs, and marketing appears to be mostly targeted at those under 30 in all those television ads, or miss the mark in their marketing and product line for the over 30 crowd.
Or focused on the "toy" aspects of the phones in games, books and apps that can be added, at greater cost, of course, as "all in one" portable computers, with the actual phone provisions secondary or even thirdly relevant with the cameras now included.
The "holding company" for this third party contractor is a "global" corporation that provides call centers throughout the world, many located in India also. Although do wonder if those in India are "drug tested" to the degree those in the U.S. are, or if there are "background checks" for misdemeanors, including traffic offenses or victimless misdemeanors, in that country?
All call times and clocking in and out are done through the computer system, and monitored by "workforce" for violations of the break and amount of hours agents are to be on the phone, and does take the agents about 15 minutes per day to simply log into the "system," a system for which during my short time there "went down" numerous times, and during which time agents were expected to answer calls but inform the callers that the "system was down" and to call back if their question was one in which their account information was needed.
During my months there, not once did the Human Resources Director or staff ever visit the floor, or solicit employee concerns of either the matrixes used in order to evaluate their performance, the working conditions, or even so much as got on the phones themselves to actually be able to relate to the tasks assigned under that "contract." Nor most of the "area directors" whose job it was to supervise the supervisors.
Each pay period there were at least half the workers with pay issues, either not being paid for time worked, or not receiving a check at all. And the payroll was also "outsourced" to a payroll providing company which employees had to monitor also through their system and correct prior to the end of the payroll period during those lunch, break or down times.
The second month there, I appeared to fulfill my commitment and time on the phone handling those customer calls, and was told due to "call volume" I was being given a VTO (Voluntary Time Off) without pay. I worked the 2nd shift, so had the afternoon and evening off although still had those rent and bills to pay. And some outstanding medical bills. And upkeep and expenses on a 16 year old car after having moved four times in the past five years from my former home state of Arizona after the National Guard was called out in 2006.
This coincidentally also occurred during the "audit" by the major cell phone carrier when it appeared there were many "not needed" during the audit period.
I was then informed I could file for unemployment for the lost hours under my own "contract" by the Human Resources Department.
Of the six hundred hired during the winter holidays, fewer than 200 remain and yet with the economy still in the tank, the training classes are full and at last report, ongoing.
After all, it is the training that is the bread and butter of those third party providers, not job satisfaction or employee retention of the existing personnel. Or shifting call volumes to other regional centers if one isn't performing under those matrixes satisfactorily to also then meet those contract requirements passed down by the government under those stimulus monies and terms.
These are the jobs provided under that much disputed stimulus, before they too are outsourced to India as "jobs Americans don't want."
And seems overall, most of those sums are remaining at the top, since even of those training dollars far less than half was actually being paid to those agents being trained since it was represented during training that each agent represented $4,500 in "investment."
Or those workforce centers and their double dipping state workforce and career counseling soon close due to lack of funding, leaving those public employees to join the private sector ones on those breadlines eventually since recently there were notices posted also there to support the extension of those sums for the centers to state representatives.
The number of jobs which have been either outsourced, or lost due to this "technology" focus and those government contracts is imploding this country from within. Computers are now actually hiring or screening America's workforce, and those most qualified for the few jobs remaining clearly aren't getting them, or the standards and qualifications bear no relevance at all to the actual jobs and finding suitable or qualified candidates.
Even those Americans working for the companies which received those monies in the billions, headed by minorities which then in turn sold those companies to global corporations.
While gasoline is now over $3.50 a gallon in most areas of the country, in order to "stimulate" Americans to purchase those hybrid automobiles to save money on gas - at a cost of over $30,000 per car for these "technically and environmentally" superior forms of transportation.
And the number of jobs in banking, insurance, and a host of others are now filled by HAL.
This "Space Odyssey" turned nightmare is breaking America progressively.
Text your Congressman or Senator, if you agree, on their government contractor provided cell phones.
The ones made in China, mostly serviced by those centers which are booming in India, whose workforce have lower costs of living, and different hiring standards, or different matrixes for agent performance.
Standard text messaging rates apply.
Friday, April 1, 2011
AP Reports Traffic Deaths At Lowest Levels Since 1949
It was announced by the AP and National Transportation and Safety Administration that traffic deaths last year were at the lowest levels since 1949.
Many factors were attributed to this statistic heralded by the NTSA Director, such as seat belt use and raising drinking ages, safer cars and so forth.
But to this writer none of those statistics I feel are primarily responsible in the decreasing levels since '49.
The largest factor would appear to be that there are fewer drivers really on the highways progressively also traveling since air travel has become the preferred method since that time for most business travel and families, due to less time to get from here to there as also a consequence of our increasingly higher stress lifestyles, and also the fact that the boomers, the largest segment of the population, are aging and thus don't appear to be drag racing anymore on the streets and highways.
They are the ones most often getting the finger from the more aggressive drivers still left on the roadways.
Primarily, of course, our youth or even the police who seem to exceed the speed limit in most metro cities far more than those boomers driving their grandkids or themselves to the nearest work force center, many of whom after vast years of experience are still seeking work for which they are more than qualified even given the excessively tech focused job scene and market and all those jobs they formerly held lost due to the advent of the computer age.
While, of course, they are being interviewed by their children or those even younger than their children for many of those few jobs.
It was announced once again that there was a gain in the available jobs, and the unemployment rate had decreased.
Not surprising given that most of those benefits have run out for many, and the jobs which have been created most likely are those now tied into expanding our even increasing military due to the recent headlines in our involvement now in Libya and its civil war.
Those statistics also fail to recognize all the monies poured into expanding our highway and freeway systems since '49, so it would not appear that this statistic would be surprising in the slightest since there are better roadways also for those truckers and cars to traverse from state to state.
But ignoring the obvious does appear also to fit the agendas once again of those whose hold those questionably Constitutional jobs and functions, which also does not explain then the higher and higher insurance rates which are now off the charts in most parts of the country.
Maybe the biggest factor is also the progressively higher and higher gasoline rates and those ever increasing taxes, such as the recent 35% plus increase in the cost of gasoline, which has left quite a few Americans with the only remaining transportation left to them.
Walking to their next job interview.
Many factors were attributed to this statistic heralded by the NTSA Director, such as seat belt use and raising drinking ages, safer cars and so forth.
But to this writer none of those statistics I feel are primarily responsible in the decreasing levels since '49.
The largest factor would appear to be that there are fewer drivers really on the highways progressively also traveling since air travel has become the preferred method since that time for most business travel and families, due to less time to get from here to there as also a consequence of our increasingly higher stress lifestyles, and also the fact that the boomers, the largest segment of the population, are aging and thus don't appear to be drag racing anymore on the streets and highways.
They are the ones most often getting the finger from the more aggressive drivers still left on the roadways.
Primarily, of course, our youth or even the police who seem to exceed the speed limit in most metro cities far more than those boomers driving their grandkids or themselves to the nearest work force center, many of whom after vast years of experience are still seeking work for which they are more than qualified even given the excessively tech focused job scene and market and all those jobs they formerly held lost due to the advent of the computer age.
While, of course, they are being interviewed by their children or those even younger than their children for many of those few jobs.
It was announced once again that there was a gain in the available jobs, and the unemployment rate had decreased.
Not surprising given that most of those benefits have run out for many, and the jobs which have been created most likely are those now tied into expanding our even increasing military due to the recent headlines in our involvement now in Libya and its civil war.
Those statistics also fail to recognize all the monies poured into expanding our highway and freeway systems since '49, so it would not appear that this statistic would be surprising in the slightest since there are better roadways also for those truckers and cars to traverse from state to state.
But ignoring the obvious does appear also to fit the agendas once again of those whose hold those questionably Constitutional jobs and functions, which also does not explain then the higher and higher insurance rates which are now off the charts in most parts of the country.
Maybe the biggest factor is also the progressively higher and higher gasoline rates and those ever increasing taxes, such as the recent 35% plus increase in the cost of gasoline, which has left quite a few Americans with the only remaining transportation left to them.
Walking to their next job interview.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Mr. Obama: More Jobs In December? Duh!
Gearing up once again (already) for the 2012 run for the roses, Barack Obama announced from a politically determined location in the hard hit industrial north that the economy is improving and December saw the unemployment rate "dip" to 9.4% from 9.8% the month before.
Since December is a month when there are additions of lower paying temporary retail jobs in the private sector for the holiday season, this announcement should come as no surprise to most Americans whose reaction most likely was similar to mine.
A "duh" moment.
Mr. Obama credits the recently passed legislation reducing tax burdens on capital expenditures for businesses, and other perks which were included in the extension of the Bush tax cuts, including those for the wealthy and large, global corporate conglomerates, as the source rather than the obvious.
Of course, with little monies earmarked for American small businesses and start ups, this new job growth can only be a political maneuver on the part of Washington since nothing really has changed at all in the housing market, banking industry or Wall Street to address the actual problems which created this depression/recession to begin with.
Absolutely nothing.
Except pass more and more backdoor taxes in the form of those global carbon taxes, and health care taxes favoring global industry at the cost of the average American which have not kicked in as of yet, but will impact each and every American on a massive basis in just a few short months, or years.
There has been little, if any, of the promised redlining of our huge bureaucratic public sector jobs and their costs, especially in that newly created massive drain on the public post 9-11, Homeland Security, which also has increased the costs and time for most Americans to even travel in all those new airport taxes for all those body scanners that are now being utilized, while our southern and northern borders remain open and the hugely expensive Middle Eastern war continues.
But what can you expect from a so out of touch Washington that is so far left leaning that the Constitution is not only a "thing of wax" but has been utterly destroyed progressively, and never more so than since the 1960's under both political parties' leadership.
Get ready for more spins, since it appears it is "looks" and "lies" that will once again be a major factor in the next election cycle.
Some things NEVER change.
Since December is a month when there are additions of lower paying temporary retail jobs in the private sector for the holiday season, this announcement should come as no surprise to most Americans whose reaction most likely was similar to mine.
A "duh" moment.
Mr. Obama credits the recently passed legislation reducing tax burdens on capital expenditures for businesses, and other perks which were included in the extension of the Bush tax cuts, including those for the wealthy and large, global corporate conglomerates, as the source rather than the obvious.
Of course, with little monies earmarked for American small businesses and start ups, this new job growth can only be a political maneuver on the part of Washington since nothing really has changed at all in the housing market, banking industry or Wall Street to address the actual problems which created this depression/recession to begin with.
Absolutely nothing.
Except pass more and more backdoor taxes in the form of those global carbon taxes, and health care taxes favoring global industry at the cost of the average American which have not kicked in as of yet, but will impact each and every American on a massive basis in just a few short months, or years.
There has been little, if any, of the promised redlining of our huge bureaucratic public sector jobs and their costs, especially in that newly created massive drain on the public post 9-11, Homeland Security, which also has increased the costs and time for most Americans to even travel in all those new airport taxes for all those body scanners that are now being utilized, while our southern and northern borders remain open and the hugely expensive Middle Eastern war continues.
But what can you expect from a so out of touch Washington that is so far left leaning that the Constitution is not only a "thing of wax" but has been utterly destroyed progressively, and never more so than since the 1960's under both political parties' leadership.
Get ready for more spins, since it appears it is "looks" and "lies" that will once again be a major factor in the next election cycle.
Some things NEVER change.
Monday, November 8, 2010
America Subdivided: Washington Politicos Selling Off America?
While Barack Obama spends this last week after the disastrous election last Tuesday in India posing in front of some of India's architectural wonders, a country who has gained immeasurably by the generosity of both Republicans and Democrats in jobs and industries sold off bit by bit to foreign interests in order to "balance" the global economy at the cost of America's own, perhaps it is time to reflect on just what other industries, and America's own natural resources have been sold off to foreigners or foreign countries also progressively:
1. Our banks and currency regulation - Great Britain (London) through the Federal Reserve
2. Our oil reserves - Great Britain
3. Our gold mines - South Africa, Canada and Great Britain
4. Our independently owned or franchised hotels - India
5. Our auto industry - Mexico, Canada and China
6. Our state and national forests - now "controlled" or "wildfire" burned, in order to then honor those free trade agreements and import more Canadian lumber and timber domestically.
7. Our nuclear reactors - now foreign owned through various globally traded holding companies
8. Our clothing, apparel and durable goods (including those sovenirs) - China
9. Our cattle ranches - Korea, Japan
10. The Port of New Orleans - Great Britain
11. The Garden District and French Quarter real estate post Katrina - primarily BP execs, Britain
12. Our construction industry workforce - Mexico
13. Our agricultural workforce - Mexico
14. Our tech workforce - India
15. Our medical doctors and surgical staffs - more and more, India and South America
16. Our airlines - all globally traded, thus foreign owned
17. Our private hospitals - many "networks" globally traded, thus foreign owned
Does it really take an economist to calculate just why the American economy is continuing to spiral ever downward? Are there any American economists employed by this administration or the last several, or are they all "foreign" experts also more concerned with the world's economy than this country's, and has that industry also been "outsourced" as has been much of our television and print media?
This also does not factor in the contribution that other political branch and benefactor, the judiciary, have in their increased wealth as globalism believers in all the "corporate friendly" laws and statutes which have given "privileges and immunities" to not simply U.S. domestic global corporations, but even those foreign owned banks, insurance companies and financial institutions, PROGRESSIVELY under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Protectionism does work for America, and always has in providing both jobs, and new industry, and in removing the personal income tax per those founder's intent on domestic production and labor in order to protect this country's economy, and placing it back on foreign production and labor, it can work again.
If an American citizen or American corporation wants to hire foreign workers or buy foreign goods, so be it, and those prices will be higher as a result, but if an American citizen or domestic corporation wants to outsource they SHOULD have to pay more for those goods and services, and would also result in domestic products and services being on par or at least more competitive in the process.
THAT would actually BE a global market based economy domestically, rather than one that we have now run by the foreign Global Governors in that G-20 who are for the most part Europeans and driving this country into the ground in the process, and bankrupting the American citizenry for their ultimate dominion and gain due to their also primarily regulating and controlling through those globally also traded U.S. banks our currency rates.
And in the mortgage banking and educational loans, imposing even their own currency (the British LIBOR) on those sums through the U.S. banks, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac even.
The Chinese definitely are not the only problem, America.
These are allies?
Euro-scavengers is more like it.
Subdividing America during those Global Governor's meetings.
1. Our banks and currency regulation - Great Britain (London) through the Federal Reserve
2. Our oil reserves - Great Britain
3. Our gold mines - South Africa, Canada and Great Britain
4. Our independently owned or franchised hotels - India
5. Our auto industry - Mexico, Canada and China
6. Our state and national forests - now "controlled" or "wildfire" burned, in order to then honor those free trade agreements and import more Canadian lumber and timber domestically.
7. Our nuclear reactors - now foreign owned through various globally traded holding companies
8. Our clothing, apparel and durable goods (including those sovenirs) - China
9. Our cattle ranches - Korea, Japan
10. The Port of New Orleans - Great Britain
11. The Garden District and French Quarter real estate post Katrina - primarily BP execs, Britain
12. Our construction industry workforce - Mexico
13. Our agricultural workforce - Mexico
14. Our tech workforce - India
15. Our medical doctors and surgical staffs - more and more, India and South America
16. Our airlines - all globally traded, thus foreign owned
17. Our private hospitals - many "networks" globally traded, thus foreign owned
Does it really take an economist to calculate just why the American economy is continuing to spiral ever downward? Are there any American economists employed by this administration or the last several, or are they all "foreign" experts also more concerned with the world's economy than this country's, and has that industry also been "outsourced" as has been much of our television and print media?
This also does not factor in the contribution that other political branch and benefactor, the judiciary, have in their increased wealth as globalism believers in all the "corporate friendly" laws and statutes which have given "privileges and immunities" to not simply U.S. domestic global corporations, but even those foreign owned banks, insurance companies and financial institutions, PROGRESSIVELY under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Protectionism does work for America, and always has in providing both jobs, and new industry, and in removing the personal income tax per those founder's intent on domestic production and labor in order to protect this country's economy, and placing it back on foreign production and labor, it can work again.
If an American citizen or American corporation wants to hire foreign workers or buy foreign goods, so be it, and those prices will be higher as a result, but if an American citizen or domestic corporation wants to outsource they SHOULD have to pay more for those goods and services, and would also result in domestic products and services being on par or at least more competitive in the process.
THAT would actually BE a global market based economy domestically, rather than one that we have now run by the foreign Global Governors in that G-20 who are for the most part Europeans and driving this country into the ground in the process, and bankrupting the American citizenry for their ultimate dominion and gain due to their also primarily regulating and controlling through those globally also traded U.S. banks our currency rates.
And in the mortgage banking and educational loans, imposing even their own currency (the British LIBOR) on those sums through the U.S. banks, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac even.
The Chinese definitely are not the only problem, America.
These are allies?
Euro-scavengers is more like it.
Subdividing America during those Global Governor's meetings.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Global Governor Obama Visits India
Global Governor Barack Obama's trip to India has received wide press reporting this past week, a trip which was undertaken within 24 hours of Tuesday's election and apparently another scheduled vacation week after spending most of the last few months on the campaign trail for various Democratic candidates.
I'm just wondering, have the American taxpayers been paying for all the political junkets, and these vacations to foreign countries this past two years?
I mean, it does appear that the jobs of the foreign ambassadors at this point are nothing more than "cake" jobs at the expense of the taxpayers, since during this entire Administration both Mr. Obama and Ms. Clinton have been out of the country more than they have been in it.
While the United States is still mired in one of its deepest recessions ever (absent the propaganda in the mainstream media pointing to the recession "officially" ending in June 2009, since they clearly must be referring to the global economy and not that of the United States in any coherent manner whatsoever).
The latest reports on the added new jobs since October pointed to the retail sector, restaurants and bars, and medicine primary. Of course with the holidays coming up, these "seasonal" jobs for the most part will be gone by January.
Mr. Obama has been also attempting to put a spin on the number of U.S. jobs that have been outsourced to India during this week long vacation. And just what a few billion dollar trade deals with the U.S. will eventually provide in the way of jobs for Americans.
I wonder what jobs the East Indians can provide for Americans? I mean, their entire tech industry has been one huge massive gain for that country's economy after all the monies both this and the last Administration has poured into Silicon Valley only to have those taxpayer sums then used to hire the East Indian workforce for the most part.
I mean, even the food stamp program in many states is "administered" by companies that are hiring workers from the call centers in New Delhi.
Heads up, Mr. Obama: Global governance is what is killing this country.
And the East Indian workforce needs far less a stimulus than that of the U.S. workforce. I mean, I'm sure all those cell phone companies are making a bundle off the East Indian workforce and the U.S. citizens both that could be then used to reduce the U.S. citizens tax burdens by imposing once again those "import" taxes on foreign goods and labor and reducing the personal income taxes of all but the top 10% earners, since those earners are the ones also gaining their profits at the public's general expense in these free trade deals, and also those taxpayer grants and gimmes.
I mean, it takes Americans twice as long on their cells now to clear up some of those billing errors in those calls to New Delhi. So the U.S. citizens are being hit with treble damages on those cell phone bills as it is.
First for the jobs lost, second for the added call time on their bills, and third for those "income" and added assundry taxes even on those bills passed off to the public that the Indian workforce are not required to pay but they are.
Maybe it's time to phone home for a reality check.
I'm just wondering, have the American taxpayers been paying for all the political junkets, and these vacations to foreign countries this past two years?
I mean, it does appear that the jobs of the foreign ambassadors at this point are nothing more than "cake" jobs at the expense of the taxpayers, since during this entire Administration both Mr. Obama and Ms. Clinton have been out of the country more than they have been in it.
While the United States is still mired in one of its deepest recessions ever (absent the propaganda in the mainstream media pointing to the recession "officially" ending in June 2009, since they clearly must be referring to the global economy and not that of the United States in any coherent manner whatsoever).
The latest reports on the added new jobs since October pointed to the retail sector, restaurants and bars, and medicine primary. Of course with the holidays coming up, these "seasonal" jobs for the most part will be gone by January.
Mr. Obama has been also attempting to put a spin on the number of U.S. jobs that have been outsourced to India during this week long vacation. And just what a few billion dollar trade deals with the U.S. will eventually provide in the way of jobs for Americans.
I wonder what jobs the East Indians can provide for Americans? I mean, their entire tech industry has been one huge massive gain for that country's economy after all the monies both this and the last Administration has poured into Silicon Valley only to have those taxpayer sums then used to hire the East Indian workforce for the most part.
I mean, even the food stamp program in many states is "administered" by companies that are hiring workers from the call centers in New Delhi.
Heads up, Mr. Obama: Global governance is what is killing this country.
And the East Indian workforce needs far less a stimulus than that of the U.S. workforce. I mean, I'm sure all those cell phone companies are making a bundle off the East Indian workforce and the U.S. citizens both that could be then used to reduce the U.S. citizens tax burdens by imposing once again those "import" taxes on foreign goods and labor and reducing the personal income taxes of all but the top 10% earners, since those earners are the ones also gaining their profits at the public's general expense in these free trade deals, and also those taxpayer grants and gimmes.
I mean, it takes Americans twice as long on their cells now to clear up some of those billing errors in those calls to New Delhi. So the U.S. citizens are being hit with treble damages on those cell phone bills as it is.
First for the jobs lost, second for the added call time on their bills, and third for those "income" and added assundry taxes even on those bills passed off to the public that the Indian workforce are not required to pay but they are.
Maybe it's time to phone home for a reality check.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The New America: Socializing The Workforce
As an American who due to piggy-back financial reversals which have occurred during this U.S. economic tsunami (and even really before due to progressive legislation that has occurred at both the federal and state levels in the past 10-20 years), has been attempting for literally months to re-enter the job market to put my life back together in later middle age, the changes which have occurred in even the job search process have been an eye opening experience for this boomer.
I had been a semi-retired single mom who had started a small business with my savings mostly from a lifetime of working in the legal profession, and then travel and hospitality fields. I have been involved in at least three "start-ups" of small or family owned businesses personally (in the corporate law field, my ex-spouses new professional practice, and my own website-based retail business) during my working career.
But even having worked in the employment and corporate law fields, and I guess especially so, I have been literally taken aback by the process that is now utilized by most of the major employers and industries in all sectors of commerce at this point.
It isn't a jungle out there anymore and you really aren't competing with the user at the computer station next to you for that open position.
It's a network.
Hour long (and longer) internet employment applications, follow-up questionnaires, disclosure forms for drug, credit and background checks, "big brother" affirmative action forms requesting information on race, ethnicity, veterans status - yada, yada, yada.
No matter what is represented, HAL from 2000: A Space Odyssey is doing the hiring, that much is clear.
From checking your credit scores, investigating your personal history for those background checks through unregulated Internet security firms for infractions and the like, to crunching your resume into "key words" for filtering before it ever even gets to a human being, HAL is at the helm.
And some of the questions!
Here are a few, for those who have not gone through the "New Age" application process:
1. What percentage of politicians do you think are dishonest? (multiple choice: retailer)
2. If you were offered a position by another company at a greater salary, would you accept? (multiple choice: retailer)
3. How often do you use the Internet? (Survey after application and questionnaire, voluntary but would be appreciated)
4. How many rings before answering do you feel are a demonstration of good customer service ( multiple choice: secretarial position)
5. Have you EVER pled guilty or even no contest to a misdemeanor or felony offense (not even been convicted anymore?) (All applications)
6. Have you ever had a bad day (multiple choice: all)
You most likely will never know why you weren't hired, but it just might be that traffic ticket from three or four years ago or unpaid parking fine. Or an identity theft that has messed with your credit score, or losing a home, being unemployed itself and thus late with your bills just might prevent you from being able to secure employment to even attempt to rectify that situation in any respect at all.
Forget work experience. Only the past ten years or so matter in this "science based" hiring process. Even for those fast food restaurant jobs, or seasonal work positions.
As one who was employed for many years in the employment law field, experiencing this first hand at this stage of my life has truly been mindblowing.
It just may not be that there aren't enough jobs out there at all for the available workforce.
Maybe, there just aren't enough HALs that match HALs formula.
Seems maybe our discrimination laws have missed the mark in 21st Century America and may need updating.
I had been a semi-retired single mom who had started a small business with my savings mostly from a lifetime of working in the legal profession, and then travel and hospitality fields. I have been involved in at least three "start-ups" of small or family owned businesses personally (in the corporate law field, my ex-spouses new professional practice, and my own website-based retail business) during my working career.
But even having worked in the employment and corporate law fields, and I guess especially so, I have been literally taken aback by the process that is now utilized by most of the major employers and industries in all sectors of commerce at this point.
It isn't a jungle out there anymore and you really aren't competing with the user at the computer station next to you for that open position.
It's a network.
Hour long (and longer) internet employment applications, follow-up questionnaires, disclosure forms for drug, credit and background checks, "big brother" affirmative action forms requesting information on race, ethnicity, veterans status - yada, yada, yada.
No matter what is represented, HAL from 2000: A Space Odyssey is doing the hiring, that much is clear.
From checking your credit scores, investigating your personal history for those background checks through unregulated Internet security firms for infractions and the like, to crunching your resume into "key words" for filtering before it ever even gets to a human being, HAL is at the helm.
And some of the questions!
Here are a few, for those who have not gone through the "New Age" application process:
1. What percentage of politicians do you think are dishonest? (multiple choice: retailer)
2. If you were offered a position by another company at a greater salary, would you accept? (multiple choice: retailer)
3. How often do you use the Internet? (Survey after application and questionnaire, voluntary but would be appreciated)
4. How many rings before answering do you feel are a demonstration of good customer service ( multiple choice: secretarial position)
5. Have you EVER pled guilty or even no contest to a misdemeanor or felony offense (not even been convicted anymore?) (All applications)
6. Have you ever had a bad day (multiple choice: all)
You most likely will never know why you weren't hired, but it just might be that traffic ticket from three or four years ago or unpaid parking fine. Or an identity theft that has messed with your credit score, or losing a home, being unemployed itself and thus late with your bills just might prevent you from being able to secure employment to even attempt to rectify that situation in any respect at all.
Forget work experience. Only the past ten years or so matter in this "science based" hiring process. Even for those fast food restaurant jobs, or seasonal work positions.
As one who was employed for many years in the employment law field, experiencing this first hand at this stage of my life has truly been mindblowing.
It just may not be that there aren't enough jobs out there at all for the available workforce.
Maybe, there just aren't enough HALs that match HALs formula.
Seems maybe our discrimination laws have missed the mark in 21st Century America and may need updating.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Job Hunting In The 21st Century
News from the front lines on the jobs situation and American economy in this 21st Century.
Things have really, really changed even absent the economic impact of what is occurring now throughout the U.S. in the job market.
As one who has held a job since she was a mere 15 years old in some form or another, even while raising three children, and as one who also has been attempting to rebuild after the mortgage and foreclosure mess in the Southwest, it doesn't seem there are a lack of jobs in certain industries, simply a lack of jobs for those either over-qualified, without "degrees," or ill suited for those which have been given the most "stimulus."
I began my working career as most teens do, working for a fast food chain in the Southwest.
I got the job through the business department of my local high school, and crunched sales reports daily for the various locations during the after school hours, and during the summers in addition worked in one of the restaurants during the busy lunch hours, and in the afternoons then made cold calls to businesses and homes in the areas offering tokens for discounts through their small local ad agency representatives.
It paid $1.60 per hour, and helped me save for my first car, a used Toyota.
I subsequently then went on to working for a "national" bank, a life insurance agent and agency, and then a credit card company before the age of 20. I was "playing the field" and also bulking up my resume in scope, or so I believed.
Today, that is "job hopping." Marketing yourself according to your experience and worth in different areas in order to expand your knowledge and experience is passé and not an attractive quality for those in the front offices of at least quite a few industries.
Although, now due to the exhaustive tests that are also given through employment agencies, it would appear that the costs for training new workers have even gone down due to the prescreening processes in many labor intensive and other industries. Fireman, for example, already go through exhaustive physical standards and training for their positions. Health care workers now are "graduates" of colleges of higher learning even in the nursing and support positions. I was a candy striper also in my youth, (serving meals, delivering flowers and running errands, making beds, and wheeling out patients as a volunteer, and that position no longer even exists in most hospitals today).
I married, and we moved in order for my spouse to pursue his degree with less than $1,000 and all our worldly possessions in a U-Haul, arriving in the Midwest just as Nixon gave his resignation speech on the White House lawn. We were lucky since it was August, and within the first two days found an apartment complex that catered to students without credit checks, and found a "reduced rent" apartment in a large complex run by the onsite owners. We even got a twelve month lease with free rent the last month, but as a one bedroom was $20 a month more than the apartment we had in the Southwest. At least utilities were paid.
I searched the want-ads daily then, and got an interview at a local law office.
Legal secretaries were actually the highest paid in the clerical field, and I had worked for an executive at American Express prior to the move being promoted from the typing pool (typing letters eight hours a day almost non-stop), and so was confident I was up to the job.
I was first interviewed by the Supervisor of the "section" seeking to fill the position, and then was asked to speak with the attorney for whom I would be working - one of the managing partners whose practice was in labor and employment law. At the ripe old age of 21.
We hit it off, as he also had family living in my former state (a son) and was impressed with my keyboarding most of all (typing tests were mandated for all new hires, the only test I was required to perform). He was a few years older than my own father, and was a mentor also and due to his busy, busy travel schedule, pretty much had the responsibility to be the "face" for our existing clients while he was traveling conducting seminars and advising local management personnel and owner/operators throughout the country.
The job lasted over six years, while my spouse obtained his undergraduate and graduate degree, and involved many, many extra hours over and above the call of duty and girl Friday duties in trips back and forth to the airport too, picking up mailed documents for filing and preparation also while he was on the road, but for which I was truly grateful as during that time I also became a new mother, and my "boss" was demanding, but fair and considerate, and even provided us with a car when ours was on the fritz one winter, and a month's bonus pay at Christmas every year.
In the corporate world then, the martini lunch was standard for most mid to upper level management, wining and dining potential new clients, and in office meetings of the lawyers on various client matters, and at one point during the start-up phase when my new "boss" left a 200 attorney practice to set out on his own with several others from our former firm, I even performed receptionist duties for those visiting the office, and prepared all the month billings and statements for our client load.
Flash forward to 2010.
I have been hitting the local unemployment offices and resource centers and they are packed to the gills.
Computers lined up in one full room for those seeking job listings and any assistance that might be needed with resume writing (I didn't even have a resume for my early positions, simply filled out the standard two page front and back application).
Computer literacy is not simply a plus, but a necessity even in seeking a job.
Online applications are now preferred for even minimum wage jobs, and take a good 45 minutes to an hour to complete with all the questions that are included, and waivers included as part of the application process for requested testing over and above those tests which might be needed for the particular position applied for, and "background checks."
Many involve lengthy questionnaires even.
One recent one I filled out for a large big box company included a question that asked: "How many politicians today do you feel are dishonest?" and another that asked "Have you ever had a 'bad day?'
Occasional grumpy people, apparently, need not apply. Or those who might have reservations about at least a few of our political leaders, and given those polls it would seem that just might knock out about 70% at this point that might believe at least a good percentage of them just might be in political office for all the wrong reasons.
And if you are an experienced, or "older" worker, don't include anything that isn't part of your employment history prior to 2000.
The last ten years is all that matters, not the experience you gained from the varied positions I myself have held throughout my lifetime at this point.
Traffic tickets or other missteps with the law, even if you have "paid the price and done your time," or pled "no contest" in order to either not lose work time, or incur even added expenses for bench trials, not jury trials, or cannot afford a lawyer for many of these lower level offenses with hefty fines and penalties on more and more civil and criminal offenses, also are requested to be disclosed, except in about three states.
Which does tend to favor a younger workforce and population, since the question is preceded with "ever" meaning throughout your life, and of course the odds would go up the longer you live that at some point you have had a run-in with the law over something or other, since even the number of laws which have been passed progressively have increased in leaps and bounds.
Some even contradicting previously passed legislation, or placing citizens in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" position with respect to especially those low level DUI laws and blockades nation-wide based again on "science based" fallable technology, and evidentiary standards that are now at the point where you need a degree in science in order to even argue a speeding ticket anymore, since those are becoming more and more based on evidence that is not "witnessed" but "recorded," like those sports playbacks, although only from a single "fixed" angle, and in which the worlds "reasonable and prudent" means at times even driving the maximum speed on a snowy day won't result in a "speeding" ticket, but driving 11 miles over the speed limit on an abandoned highway in favorable, mild weather can.
The job search itself is now almost a full time job for many, and few that can meet some of those benchmarks.
Credit reports are also used routinely for almost any position, and if you are seeking work in this economy due to having also been impacted in a big way in either losing a home, or prior job, or need to get back into the workforce after an absence due to rising costs of living and expenses, those scores can mean you are dead in the water without the money to hire a lawyer even to assist with getting those reports to reflect the circumstances behind the debt, other than that one line explanation that really doesn't affect those ballpark scores at all.
And even one such as myself, who actually paid off all my credit card debt five years ago after an identity theft and during a refinance on a home, the fact that you have no debt or haven't had any in a number of years due to satisfying all your creditors through those highly advertised "home equity" loan programs also counts against you when it comes to attempting to re-establish or obtain any credit after more than a five year "debt free." You haven't had credit, so there are now brownie points, is how it now works, and most of those larger businesses pay the lower price for the "score" rather than the full reports, since drawing the full reports has also affected applicants, since pulling the reports themselves can also count against you in the number of reports pulled.
I went to a local job fair recently. I was seeking work in prior fields in which I had experience in the private sector.
The tables that were manned consisted of mostly universities seeking students for their educational programs and their grants tied in to the number of students they could encourage to go back to school and get re-educated, banking and finance companies seeking BAs in business or finance for some of those credit companies, hospitals and health care clinics seeking medical staff and personnel due to the new healthcare legislation (which definitely was a boom for their industry at the cost of the public and even the older generation who have paid local and state property taxes for many of the community hospitals that were built in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's, and with now almost a hospital or health care clinic on every corner), a Mary Kay representative, a local television station "sponsor" with its fall lineup, and the local police force since there is a great deal of former military that are being recruited for local and state police forces throughout the nation (who are also demand for the government contractors for the infrastructure repair and jobs in the last federal jobs bill after working on rebuilding Iraq, in addition to many of the illegals in the West, Midwest and Southwest it seems).
It did appear that the job seekers were being mostly marketed to, in point of fact, by many there rather than those seriously seeking workers.
Keywords are stressed the most on those resumes and applications, and terms like those who "think outside the box" or are innovative, creative type individuals are now passé. Multi-tasking also seems to be out of vogue. The ability to "stay on task" is the 21st Century ideal. Some at the educational booths indicated that the largest hiring source now appears to be more and more "tech" jobs in the public sector, not private.
There are also new questions with respect to race, national origin, ethnicity, and disability, including whether or not you are collecting under any programs providing any benefits under state or federal programs, although some of those questions are merely asked to be provided voluntarily, although there isn't much room for explanations on some of those questions in order to further clarify anything other than the multiple choice answers.
Hiring definitely has also now become a "science," and it may be "science" once again that is preventing many of those workers who are truly qualified, and who need the work in all age brackets from finding it. Or a past due parking ticket, maybe. These "screenings" do seem to be geared toward also ferreting out those individuals whose dog may have eaten the parking ticket five years ago without "warrants," in these shared job resource pools from state to state in updating the movements of many now who are having to go from state to state at this point in order to get even interviewed or hired.
Migrant workers are not simply agricultural workers anymore.
And there are now even overlapping agencies that have taken up residence in many of the spaces at local malls formerly held by retailers that are not like to old jobs centers and boards with posted announcements and such, but provide resume writing classes, "test" interviews, and even clothing and fashion advice.
There seems to be a booming economy now, in another new industry.
Counseling and coaching the unemployed in order to recast them into "job material."
I wonder what Edison, Franklin, Grandma Moses, the Wright Brothers, or Albert Schweitzer would think?
Things have really, really changed even absent the economic impact of what is occurring now throughout the U.S. in the job market.
As one who has held a job since she was a mere 15 years old in some form or another, even while raising three children, and as one who also has been attempting to rebuild after the mortgage and foreclosure mess in the Southwest, it doesn't seem there are a lack of jobs in certain industries, simply a lack of jobs for those either over-qualified, without "degrees," or ill suited for those which have been given the most "stimulus."
I began my working career as most teens do, working for a fast food chain in the Southwest.
I got the job through the business department of my local high school, and crunched sales reports daily for the various locations during the after school hours, and during the summers in addition worked in one of the restaurants during the busy lunch hours, and in the afternoons then made cold calls to businesses and homes in the areas offering tokens for discounts through their small local ad agency representatives.
It paid $1.60 per hour, and helped me save for my first car, a used Toyota.
I subsequently then went on to working for a "national" bank, a life insurance agent and agency, and then a credit card company before the age of 20. I was "playing the field" and also bulking up my resume in scope, or so I believed.
Today, that is "job hopping." Marketing yourself according to your experience and worth in different areas in order to expand your knowledge and experience is passé and not an attractive quality for those in the front offices of at least quite a few industries.
Although, now due to the exhaustive tests that are also given through employment agencies, it would appear that the costs for training new workers have even gone down due to the prescreening processes in many labor intensive and other industries. Fireman, for example, already go through exhaustive physical standards and training for their positions. Health care workers now are "graduates" of colleges of higher learning even in the nursing and support positions. I was a candy striper also in my youth, (serving meals, delivering flowers and running errands, making beds, and wheeling out patients as a volunteer, and that position no longer even exists in most hospitals today).
I married, and we moved in order for my spouse to pursue his degree with less than $1,000 and all our worldly possessions in a U-Haul, arriving in the Midwest just as Nixon gave his resignation speech on the White House lawn. We were lucky since it was August, and within the first two days found an apartment complex that catered to students without credit checks, and found a "reduced rent" apartment in a large complex run by the onsite owners. We even got a twelve month lease with free rent the last month, but as a one bedroom was $20 a month more than the apartment we had in the Southwest. At least utilities were paid.
I searched the want-ads daily then, and got an interview at a local law office.
Legal secretaries were actually the highest paid in the clerical field, and I had worked for an executive at American Express prior to the move being promoted from the typing pool (typing letters eight hours a day almost non-stop), and so was confident I was up to the job.
I was first interviewed by the Supervisor of the "section" seeking to fill the position, and then was asked to speak with the attorney for whom I would be working - one of the managing partners whose practice was in labor and employment law. At the ripe old age of 21.
We hit it off, as he also had family living in my former state (a son) and was impressed with my keyboarding most of all (typing tests were mandated for all new hires, the only test I was required to perform). He was a few years older than my own father, and was a mentor also and due to his busy, busy travel schedule, pretty much had the responsibility to be the "face" for our existing clients while he was traveling conducting seminars and advising local management personnel and owner/operators throughout the country.
The job lasted over six years, while my spouse obtained his undergraduate and graduate degree, and involved many, many extra hours over and above the call of duty and girl Friday duties in trips back and forth to the airport too, picking up mailed documents for filing and preparation also while he was on the road, but for which I was truly grateful as during that time I also became a new mother, and my "boss" was demanding, but fair and considerate, and even provided us with a car when ours was on the fritz one winter, and a month's bonus pay at Christmas every year.
In the corporate world then, the martini lunch was standard for most mid to upper level management, wining and dining potential new clients, and in office meetings of the lawyers on various client matters, and at one point during the start-up phase when my new "boss" left a 200 attorney practice to set out on his own with several others from our former firm, I even performed receptionist duties for those visiting the office, and prepared all the month billings and statements for our client load.
Flash forward to 2010.
I have been hitting the local unemployment offices and resource centers and they are packed to the gills.
Computers lined up in one full room for those seeking job listings and any assistance that might be needed with resume writing (I didn't even have a resume for my early positions, simply filled out the standard two page front and back application).
Computer literacy is not simply a plus, but a necessity even in seeking a job.
Online applications are now preferred for even minimum wage jobs, and take a good 45 minutes to an hour to complete with all the questions that are included, and waivers included as part of the application process for requested testing over and above those tests which might be needed for the particular position applied for, and "background checks."
Many involve lengthy questionnaires even.
One recent one I filled out for a large big box company included a question that asked: "How many politicians today do you feel are dishonest?" and another that asked "Have you ever had a 'bad day?'
Occasional grumpy people, apparently, need not apply. Or those who might have reservations about at least a few of our political leaders, and given those polls it would seem that just might knock out about 70% at this point that might believe at least a good percentage of them just might be in political office for all the wrong reasons.
And if you are an experienced, or "older" worker, don't include anything that isn't part of your employment history prior to 2000.
The last ten years is all that matters, not the experience you gained from the varied positions I myself have held throughout my lifetime at this point.
Traffic tickets or other missteps with the law, even if you have "paid the price and done your time," or pled "no contest" in order to either not lose work time, or incur even added expenses for bench trials, not jury trials, or cannot afford a lawyer for many of these lower level offenses with hefty fines and penalties on more and more civil and criminal offenses, also are requested to be disclosed, except in about three states.
Which does tend to favor a younger workforce and population, since the question is preceded with "ever" meaning throughout your life, and of course the odds would go up the longer you live that at some point you have had a run-in with the law over something or other, since even the number of laws which have been passed progressively have increased in leaps and bounds.
Some even contradicting previously passed legislation, or placing citizens in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" position with respect to especially those low level DUI laws and blockades nation-wide based again on "science based" fallable technology, and evidentiary standards that are now at the point where you need a degree in science in order to even argue a speeding ticket anymore, since those are becoming more and more based on evidence that is not "witnessed" but "recorded," like those sports playbacks, although only from a single "fixed" angle, and in which the worlds "reasonable and prudent" means at times even driving the maximum speed on a snowy day won't result in a "speeding" ticket, but driving 11 miles over the speed limit on an abandoned highway in favorable, mild weather can.
The job search itself is now almost a full time job for many, and few that can meet some of those benchmarks.
Credit reports are also used routinely for almost any position, and if you are seeking work in this economy due to having also been impacted in a big way in either losing a home, or prior job, or need to get back into the workforce after an absence due to rising costs of living and expenses, those scores can mean you are dead in the water without the money to hire a lawyer even to assist with getting those reports to reflect the circumstances behind the debt, other than that one line explanation that really doesn't affect those ballpark scores at all.
And even one such as myself, who actually paid off all my credit card debt five years ago after an identity theft and during a refinance on a home, the fact that you have no debt or haven't had any in a number of years due to satisfying all your creditors through those highly advertised "home equity" loan programs also counts against you when it comes to attempting to re-establish or obtain any credit after more than a five year "debt free." You haven't had credit, so there are now brownie points, is how it now works, and most of those larger businesses pay the lower price for the "score" rather than the full reports, since drawing the full reports has also affected applicants, since pulling the reports themselves can also count against you in the number of reports pulled.
I went to a local job fair recently. I was seeking work in prior fields in which I had experience in the private sector.
The tables that were manned consisted of mostly universities seeking students for their educational programs and their grants tied in to the number of students they could encourage to go back to school and get re-educated, banking and finance companies seeking BAs in business or finance for some of those credit companies, hospitals and health care clinics seeking medical staff and personnel due to the new healthcare legislation (which definitely was a boom for their industry at the cost of the public and even the older generation who have paid local and state property taxes for many of the community hospitals that were built in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's, and with now almost a hospital or health care clinic on every corner), a Mary Kay representative, a local television station "sponsor" with its fall lineup, and the local police force since there is a great deal of former military that are being recruited for local and state police forces throughout the nation (who are also demand for the government contractors for the infrastructure repair and jobs in the last federal jobs bill after working on rebuilding Iraq, in addition to many of the illegals in the West, Midwest and Southwest it seems).
It did appear that the job seekers were being mostly marketed to, in point of fact, by many there rather than those seriously seeking workers.
Keywords are stressed the most on those resumes and applications, and terms like those who "think outside the box" or are innovative, creative type individuals are now passé. Multi-tasking also seems to be out of vogue. The ability to "stay on task" is the 21st Century ideal. Some at the educational booths indicated that the largest hiring source now appears to be more and more "tech" jobs in the public sector, not private.
There are also new questions with respect to race, national origin, ethnicity, and disability, including whether or not you are collecting under any programs providing any benefits under state or federal programs, although some of those questions are merely asked to be provided voluntarily, although there isn't much room for explanations on some of those questions in order to further clarify anything other than the multiple choice answers.
Hiring definitely has also now become a "science," and it may be "science" once again that is preventing many of those workers who are truly qualified, and who need the work in all age brackets from finding it. Or a past due parking ticket, maybe. These "screenings" do seem to be geared toward also ferreting out those individuals whose dog may have eaten the parking ticket five years ago without "warrants," in these shared job resource pools from state to state in updating the movements of many now who are having to go from state to state at this point in order to get even interviewed or hired.
Migrant workers are not simply agricultural workers anymore.
And there are now even overlapping agencies that have taken up residence in many of the spaces at local malls formerly held by retailers that are not like to old jobs centers and boards with posted announcements and such, but provide resume writing classes, "test" interviews, and even clothing and fashion advice.
There seems to be a booming economy now, in another new industry.
Counseling and coaching the unemployed in order to recast them into "job material."
I wonder what Edison, Franklin, Grandma Moses, the Wright Brothers, or Albert Schweitzer would think?
Monday, September 20, 2010
Tinkerbell, Fairy Dust and The American Economy
It was announced with great fanfare by economists in Washington today that the "Great Recession" beginning in 2007 was over officially in June, 2009.
Say, what?
Apparently, in a townhall style meeting held by Mr. Obama later the American public just isn't buying it.
Those economists are failing to disclose, it appears, just which economy they are speaking of. The American economy, or the global one?
Could it be that the global economy has recovered, at the cost of the American economy which still is in a freefall, from the looks of those lining up still at the unemployment offices, and social service agencies.
I still am scratching my head, since the American economy began its freefall in 2006, back when the mortgage crisis began and the bubble burst in the West, Southwest, and other parts of the country, and that was in June, 2006.
I should know since I was one of those affected whose "creative" refinanced loan based on British LIBOR interest rates was scheduled to readjust (and for which hefty closing costs on that loan in which I was forced to take out due to escalating costs of ownership during the bubble), and who then watched the value of my home decrease then by the week it seemed while I was attempting to then sell it.
I was luckier than many, although the true circumstances under which I "lost" my home were egregiously assisted by state and federal banking and governmental friendly property statutes that had fundamentally changed even the terms of my ownership since I purchased my small townhouse back in 1994, and a court action then that upheld "the state" and its special interests groups over my property ownership rights in a house I had lived in for over 12 years.
I don't think that GM plant in Detroit has reopened, or am I missing something?
And the new jobs created in Louisiana appear to be coastline cleanup jobs, most held by the former fishermen and shrimpers from that region post Katrina, Gustav and Deepwater.
A member of the Wall Street linebackers attended the townhall, bemoaning the beating the bankers took (although if my memory serves, many of them were soaking up the rays in California with pina coladas with their executive bonuses, weren't they, when this all began?)
Seems that the housing market hasn't rallied, but then the terms under those loans that are now being offered for refinances haven't really changed much at all, simply a half percent or so drop in those lending rates. And fixed rates still, unless credit reports are in the 700's, are rare and hard to obtain.
It is those usurous loans which are now the bread and butter of the banking industry, and apparently Americans still are having a hard time justifying buying even a "cheap" home that they may in turn lose during the next housing meltdown within the next decade or two, since this cycle harkens back to the 70's 80' and even 90's in its scope, although affecting many, many more due to the amount of those loans which were marketed to the public by both East and West coast banking houses.
Foreclosure contracts at the get go, and how many now since so many thousands have been affected can, due to their lack of jobs, savings or bad credit, even qualify for those "interest only," cheap deals, or would have the means or inclination to put much "sweat equity" into those purchases?
Between those affected in both the 90's and this cycle, that removes quite a few Americans from ever having another shot at the American dream.
The jobs which have been created appear to be mostly directed toward those tech, science based jobs, or construction due to all these "disasters" that keep occurring on top of the piss poor economy and many of those jobs are going to foreigners at any rate due to all the insourcing and outsourcing.
So I guess my question is, who's writing these economic reports?
The author of Peter Pan, James Barrie?
Or are these reports actually bi-partisan efforts, since it seems that the only "change" that has occurred since the last election cycle, is simply a change of the face behind the podium, and the supporting players from the blue team now in this global economic rebalancing act.
Or is Robin Hood also a major player here too?
Taking from the poor Americans on balance, and redistributing their wealth, or whatever is now left of it from the formerly middle class private sector minions, globally?
If those dates are correct, must be another new invention of science-based technology.
The Tinkerbell calender.
Say, what?
Apparently, in a townhall style meeting held by Mr. Obama later the American public just isn't buying it.
Those economists are failing to disclose, it appears, just which economy they are speaking of. The American economy, or the global one?
Could it be that the global economy has recovered, at the cost of the American economy which still is in a freefall, from the looks of those lining up still at the unemployment offices, and social service agencies.
I still am scratching my head, since the American economy began its freefall in 2006, back when the mortgage crisis began and the bubble burst in the West, Southwest, and other parts of the country, and that was in June, 2006.
I should know since I was one of those affected whose "creative" refinanced loan based on British LIBOR interest rates was scheduled to readjust (and for which hefty closing costs on that loan in which I was forced to take out due to escalating costs of ownership during the bubble), and who then watched the value of my home decrease then by the week it seemed while I was attempting to then sell it.
I was luckier than many, although the true circumstances under which I "lost" my home were egregiously assisted by state and federal banking and governmental friendly property statutes that had fundamentally changed even the terms of my ownership since I purchased my small townhouse back in 1994, and a court action then that upheld "the state" and its special interests groups over my property ownership rights in a house I had lived in for over 12 years.
I don't think that GM plant in Detroit has reopened, or am I missing something?
And the new jobs created in Louisiana appear to be coastline cleanup jobs, most held by the former fishermen and shrimpers from that region post Katrina, Gustav and Deepwater.
A member of the Wall Street linebackers attended the townhall, bemoaning the beating the bankers took (although if my memory serves, many of them were soaking up the rays in California with pina coladas with their executive bonuses, weren't they, when this all began?)
Seems that the housing market hasn't rallied, but then the terms under those loans that are now being offered for refinances haven't really changed much at all, simply a half percent or so drop in those lending rates. And fixed rates still, unless credit reports are in the 700's, are rare and hard to obtain.
It is those usurous loans which are now the bread and butter of the banking industry, and apparently Americans still are having a hard time justifying buying even a "cheap" home that they may in turn lose during the next housing meltdown within the next decade or two, since this cycle harkens back to the 70's 80' and even 90's in its scope, although affecting many, many more due to the amount of those loans which were marketed to the public by both East and West coast banking houses.
Foreclosure contracts at the get go, and how many now since so many thousands have been affected can, due to their lack of jobs, savings or bad credit, even qualify for those "interest only," cheap deals, or would have the means or inclination to put much "sweat equity" into those purchases?
Between those affected in both the 90's and this cycle, that removes quite a few Americans from ever having another shot at the American dream.
The jobs which have been created appear to be mostly directed toward those tech, science based jobs, or construction due to all these "disasters" that keep occurring on top of the piss poor economy and many of those jobs are going to foreigners at any rate due to all the insourcing and outsourcing.
So I guess my question is, who's writing these economic reports?
The author of Peter Pan, James Barrie?
Or are these reports actually bi-partisan efforts, since it seems that the only "change" that has occurred since the last election cycle, is simply a change of the face behind the podium, and the supporting players from the blue team now in this global economic rebalancing act.
Or is Robin Hood also a major player here too?
Taking from the poor Americans on balance, and redistributing their wealth, or whatever is now left of it from the formerly middle class private sector minions, globally?
If those dates are correct, must be another new invention of science-based technology.
The Tinkerbell calender.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Top Stories: Obama Jobs Bill, Buffalo Wings Contest
The two top stories this Labor Day weekend were enough to send many Americans outdoors for the last barbecue of the season.
Obama's "Jobs" bill, and the "top" story about the woman who won the New York Buffalo Wings eating contest stuffing her face with 181 wings in 12 minutes.
America, don't you just love it?
Mr. Obama's bill from early reports is focused on providing jobs once again for the construction industry primarily in rebuilding and shoring up our bridges, roadways and railways. Although a great deal of our infrastructure at this point has been privatized which through our "global" economy is owned by foreigners, and of course the real beneficiaries of this jobs bill will be, once again, the large government contractors listed on the global exchange.
While we are already deep in debt rebuilding Iraq, and also the Gulf region after Katrina, Rita, Ivan, Gustav and Deepwater Horizon, and wonder if in the reporting of the new jobs created there will also be offsets in those lost due to those disasters during election time?
I mean, those now unemployed fishermen and shrimpers are the ones now cleaning up the beach down South, for the most part. Trash cleanup jobs seem to be the largest sector which has benefited from what has occurred in Louisiana especially these past five years.
And I'm wondering with all this construction and rebuilding just how much carbon will be spewed into the atmosphere, resulting then also in increased taxation on Americans for those carbon debts in their energy bills locally? Or increased gasoline taxes or those airport taxes on travel which have been collected for decades at both the state and federal levels.
What is the true costs of this bill after the offsets for past taxes collected, and future increases in the provisions of this bill? Are increases in state taxes that will also be levied against the states for the "grants" for this new bill and passed down to the citizenry also part of the fiscal impact study?
As far as the Buffalo wing contest, interesting that with all the focus on obesity that such an event received such wide reporting. I mean this contest based on a throw away part of the chicken must have put most in that audience off wings, at least for a time. I mean, 181 wings in 12 minutes? I wonder, did she swallow those last dozen or simply pack them in her cheeks? Who was counting the bones, since a recount just might in order here. Who can chew and swallow that fast?
I thought the story was missing quite a few details on the winner's chicken wing scarfing technique.
I wonder how that story played in Kansas?
Obama's "Jobs" bill, and the "top" story about the woman who won the New York Buffalo Wings eating contest stuffing her face with 181 wings in 12 minutes.
America, don't you just love it?
Mr. Obama's bill from early reports is focused on providing jobs once again for the construction industry primarily in rebuilding and shoring up our bridges, roadways and railways. Although a great deal of our infrastructure at this point has been privatized which through our "global" economy is owned by foreigners, and of course the real beneficiaries of this jobs bill will be, once again, the large government contractors listed on the global exchange.
While we are already deep in debt rebuilding Iraq, and also the Gulf region after Katrina, Rita, Ivan, Gustav and Deepwater Horizon, and wonder if in the reporting of the new jobs created there will also be offsets in those lost due to those disasters during election time?
I mean, those now unemployed fishermen and shrimpers are the ones now cleaning up the beach down South, for the most part. Trash cleanup jobs seem to be the largest sector which has benefited from what has occurred in Louisiana especially these past five years.
And I'm wondering with all this construction and rebuilding just how much carbon will be spewed into the atmosphere, resulting then also in increased taxation on Americans for those carbon debts in their energy bills locally? Or increased gasoline taxes or those airport taxes on travel which have been collected for decades at both the state and federal levels.
What is the true costs of this bill after the offsets for past taxes collected, and future increases in the provisions of this bill? Are increases in state taxes that will also be levied against the states for the "grants" for this new bill and passed down to the citizenry also part of the fiscal impact study?
As far as the Buffalo wing contest, interesting that with all the focus on obesity that such an event received such wide reporting. I mean this contest based on a throw away part of the chicken must have put most in that audience off wings, at least for a time. I mean, 181 wings in 12 minutes? I wonder, did she swallow those last dozen or simply pack them in her cheeks? Who was counting the bones, since a recount just might in order here. Who can chew and swallow that fast?
I thought the story was missing quite a few details on the winner's chicken wing scarfing technique.
I wonder how that story played in Kansas?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The New Obama BP Settlement Czar
The New Obama Price Is Right BP Settlement Czar
It has been interesting watching the "no change" change which has occurred under the Obama Administration, at this point, which Administration is more like the Bush Administration than even the Bush Administration.
Case in point: With all the campaign rhetoric about "redlining" unnecessary federal agencies and employees, the Obama Administration has been appointing "czars" outside Congressional authority right and left ever since he took office.
But the red pencil must have gotten lost since the majority of jobs which have been created during both the Bush and Obama Administrations have been primarily government jobs mainly in civil spying networks (homeland security jobs, programs and degrees now offered at local colleges throughout the country "certified" by the Department of Homeland Security, no less - even online degrees in this "new" field are being solicited by "new" DHS "accredited" universities).
And of course the biggest sector of jobs created during this recession has been for collection and foreclosure lawyers, mortgage "counselors" (former realtors or bankers) and bill collectors and "credit counselors."
And with the still open Southern borders, the gadget and identity theft industries are booming.
The newest czar:
A well-known and well-heeled lawyer appointed by Mr. Obama to oversee the BP claims from the "reserve" account which BP was ordered to provide also under presidential decree, which was supposed to cover mainly the emergency costs and losses which were affecting those businesses and people living within the affected regions of Louisiana.
Of course, due to the failure to cap those wells sufficiently for over four months, that oil has now spread all the way to Florida, from all reports.
The lawyer chosen was the same lawyer who oversaw the "claims" process over those affected by 9-11.
And, of course, the terms have changed with respect to the filing of claims.
Those filing it now appears in order to get any compensation at all, must sign waivers waiving their Constitutional rights to sue at a later date if their losses multiply, agreeing then that they will not sue BP independently for any additional sums - and must prove their actual losses without taking into consideration potential future losses, and whose settlements will be based upon this czar's using the distance the claimant is or was from the disaster as the primary basis for the final settlement.
So we have a presidentially appointed new "czar" rewriting our Constitution through his own independent judgment and criteria by simply royal edict, as an appointed baron over the Gulf Region, as it were.
Although, of course, the ramifications from this disaster, if Exxon Valdez is any indication, could impact that region and by extension the entire nation for decades to come since this spill has not been contained and the clean up efforts are still ongoing.
And will be for some time.
Appears to this writer that that "reserve" account was established by the Obama Administration most of all in an attempt to attempt instead to "slap" BP, protect or "mitigate" their losses for its protection and the "global economy" in which most of those on the Hill are also significantly invested in those global oil, gas and energy stocks.
Along with many of the unions, public employee's pension plans, etc., etc.
Once again, protecting the "corporate" (and in this case a foreign global corporation illegally given mineral rights to America's precious offshore reserves) over the lives and livelihoods of the "Joe the plumber" average American and poorer and middle class small business owners, who are not significantly invested in this "global" economy at their expense, but touting this reserve initially as a slap at BP and "redress" for those affected.
Although there are still reported over 300 lawsuits pending, most likely for corporate interests which can afford all those advance costs in order to pursue their claims thrush the courts, or as class actions (which were also mandated somehow outside Constitutional authority through federal court rules in order to mitigate some of those losses once again obviously, after publicizing that over 2/3rds the federal district court judges would have to disqualify themselves due to their own personal oil holdings).
My question also is just where in the Constitution does it give the president the authority to bypass the civil process on damages and losses, or attempt to deny those individuals their right to have their "day in court" in front of a jury of their peers, in using this carrot on a stick for the protection of this British global giant who is now responsible for the loss totally of over 40 American lives?
Or the courts in consolidating many of those cases, which may or may not be at all similar in the degree for which those losses will or might be ongoing.
And, for all intents and purposes, it will be every single American impacted in one way or another paying for this disaster whether at the pump, or through their businesses, or gas taxes when after all the dust has settled, those gas prices begin to rise once again along with those federal and state taxes on Americans own oil reserves sold back to them then by the British under those "free trade" leases.
And how can the extent of those damages for most of these individuals be determined when the clean-up efforts are still ongoing, and the actual ramifications of this tremendous oil spill have yet to even begin to be realized?
Since, of course, it will be the entire nation that will be paying the costs for this in higher gasoline prices across the board since BP is a former holding of the British royal family, and does hold the "rights" through a great many of these leases to literally the majority of oil reserves throughout the world.
Outside, of course, those which they lost when the Shah of Iran was removed from power back in the 1970's, and for which it appears at this point that that loss is not something the Crown has forgotten - hence, why Iran continues to be marginalized and targeted at this point due to its development of nuclear power outside royal edict and sitting on a bucket load of oil reserves lost also due to a change in power way back when (and the Brits, royals and their bankers, hold the majority of leases also on most of those nuclear reactors in the world through their ownership of stock in the holding companies for most of those reactors).
I wonder just how much of the Presidential, Congressional and judicial pension plans are invested in AIG, BP and energy stocks, anyway or state and federal public employees at this point?
And just how many extra barrels of oil those Brits were able to scam under those leases the last four months while these "efforts" to contain the spill were continuing?
It has been interesting watching the "no change" change which has occurred under the Obama Administration, at this point, which Administration is more like the Bush Administration than even the Bush Administration.
Case in point: With all the campaign rhetoric about "redlining" unnecessary federal agencies and employees, the Obama Administration has been appointing "czars" outside Congressional authority right and left ever since he took office.
But the red pencil must have gotten lost since the majority of jobs which have been created during both the Bush and Obama Administrations have been primarily government jobs mainly in civil spying networks (homeland security jobs, programs and degrees now offered at local colleges throughout the country "certified" by the Department of Homeland Security, no less - even online degrees in this "new" field are being solicited by "new" DHS "accredited" universities).
And of course the biggest sector of jobs created during this recession has been for collection and foreclosure lawyers, mortgage "counselors" (former realtors or bankers) and bill collectors and "credit counselors."
And with the still open Southern borders, the gadget and identity theft industries are booming.
The newest czar:
A well-known and well-heeled lawyer appointed by Mr. Obama to oversee the BP claims from the "reserve" account which BP was ordered to provide also under presidential decree, which was supposed to cover mainly the emergency costs and losses which were affecting those businesses and people living within the affected regions of Louisiana.
Of course, due to the failure to cap those wells sufficiently for over four months, that oil has now spread all the way to Florida, from all reports.
The lawyer chosen was the same lawyer who oversaw the "claims" process over those affected by 9-11.
And, of course, the terms have changed with respect to the filing of claims.
Those filing it now appears in order to get any compensation at all, must sign waivers waiving their Constitutional rights to sue at a later date if their losses multiply, agreeing then that they will not sue BP independently for any additional sums - and must prove their actual losses without taking into consideration potential future losses, and whose settlements will be based upon this czar's using the distance the claimant is or was from the disaster as the primary basis for the final settlement.
So we have a presidentially appointed new "czar" rewriting our Constitution through his own independent judgment and criteria by simply royal edict, as an appointed baron over the Gulf Region, as it were.
Although, of course, the ramifications from this disaster, if Exxon Valdez is any indication, could impact that region and by extension the entire nation for decades to come since this spill has not been contained and the clean up efforts are still ongoing.
And will be for some time.
Appears to this writer that that "reserve" account was established by the Obama Administration most of all in an attempt to attempt instead to "slap" BP, protect or "mitigate" their losses for its protection and the "global economy" in which most of those on the Hill are also significantly invested in those global oil, gas and energy stocks.
Along with many of the unions, public employee's pension plans, etc., etc.
Once again, protecting the "corporate" (and in this case a foreign global corporation illegally given mineral rights to America's precious offshore reserves) over the lives and livelihoods of the "Joe the plumber" average American and poorer and middle class small business owners, who are not significantly invested in this "global" economy at their expense, but touting this reserve initially as a slap at BP and "redress" for those affected.
Although there are still reported over 300 lawsuits pending, most likely for corporate interests which can afford all those advance costs in order to pursue their claims thrush the courts, or as class actions (which were also mandated somehow outside Constitutional authority through federal court rules in order to mitigate some of those losses once again obviously, after publicizing that over 2/3rds the federal district court judges would have to disqualify themselves due to their own personal oil holdings).
My question also is just where in the Constitution does it give the president the authority to bypass the civil process on damages and losses, or attempt to deny those individuals their right to have their "day in court" in front of a jury of their peers, in using this carrot on a stick for the protection of this British global giant who is now responsible for the loss totally of over 40 American lives?
Or the courts in consolidating many of those cases, which may or may not be at all similar in the degree for which those losses will or might be ongoing.
And, for all intents and purposes, it will be every single American impacted in one way or another paying for this disaster whether at the pump, or through their businesses, or gas taxes when after all the dust has settled, those gas prices begin to rise once again along with those federal and state taxes on Americans own oil reserves sold back to them then by the British under those "free trade" leases.
And how can the extent of those damages for most of these individuals be determined when the clean-up efforts are still ongoing, and the actual ramifications of this tremendous oil spill have yet to even begin to be realized?
Since, of course, it will be the entire nation that will be paying the costs for this in higher gasoline prices across the board since BP is a former holding of the British royal family, and does hold the "rights" through a great many of these leases to literally the majority of oil reserves throughout the world.
Outside, of course, those which they lost when the Shah of Iran was removed from power back in the 1970's, and for which it appears at this point that that loss is not something the Crown has forgotten - hence, why Iran continues to be marginalized and targeted at this point due to its development of nuclear power outside royal edict and sitting on a bucket load of oil reserves lost also due to a change in power way back when (and the Brits, royals and their bankers, hold the majority of leases also on most of those nuclear reactors in the world through their ownership of stock in the holding companies for most of those reactors).
I wonder just how much of the Presidential, Congressional and judicial pension plans are invested in AIG, BP and energy stocks, anyway or state and federal public employees at this point?
And just how many extra barrels of oil those Brits were able to scam under those leases the last four months while these "efforts" to contain the spill were continuing?
Saturday, March 6, 2010
U.S. Department of Labor Reports Unemployment Figures Unchanged?
In a report today carried by the AP wire service, it was announced that the U.S. Department of Labor figures are in, and appears that for the last month the rate of unemployment is unchanged, with less jobs lost than anticipated.
I wonder where the USDL is getting its figures?
It would appear that the only barometer they would have for such a report is the number of Americans now collecting unemployment.
And since unemployment benefits have stopped for most since this recession began, it truthfully could be that the number of new Americans applying for unemployment has stabilized, but those that are still not working or have had to take jobs beneath their former salaries or in lower paying work has increased.
Also not included in this report is the number of offsetting jobs that have been created which are those most "created" by this Administration as with the last.
Taxpayer paid government jobs.
Although it is the average middle class Americans that are now paying a heftier burden in order to provide those taxpayer paid jobs to begin with, which is placing more and more of them on the unemployment lines, or in the bankruptcy courts.
Even with as difficult as it is today after the revisions in the bankruptcy code of several years ago, at the behest of the financial sector and those Wall Street bankers, bankruptcies throughout the nation are up.
And those figures were left out of the USDL's report.
The number of new small businesses, or those that have been in business for literally decades now bankrupt and those losses also were not included, since unemployment is not available to those that are self-employed.
Foreclosures are up once again for last month, which means that the American economy is not rallying, and is in fact continuing to sink into a full out depression, at this point, throughout a good many states in the country.
Especially the West and Southwest, due to the questionable loans which were sold to many during the boom, many of which were not even based on the U.S. currency, but the LIBOR or London Interest Bearing Origination Rates.
The home buying market has not significantly improved but is continuing to worsen in those states and many others, since of course the terms of most of those loans have not changed, and the Obama Administration has concentrated most of all on encouraging Americans to refinance instead.
Under the terms of those same loans that were sold which created this tsunmai.
It was announced also that Congress has passed a measure giving companies that hire new workers a tax incentive in the form of a payroll tax deduction.
I have been unable to find much further information on this particular legislation, however, I wonder what kind of payroll tax deduction would be afforded, since the only sums which employers contribute over and above that which they deduct from employee payroll checks for federal income taxes withheld would be Social Security matching sums.
Does this mean Congress, in its infinite wisdom, is now not requiring these large global corporations to match Social Security payments, and thus reducing then those benefits for those employees at retirement?
Or are these credits for all the assundry state required taxes paid, such as unemployment, workmen's comp and the like?
It doesn't appear that it isn't that American companies are not hiring, they are just not hiring Americans but prefer foreign cheaper untaxed labor, I believe that has been the prevailing public opinion.
Simply rewinding and placing the tax back on foreign labor rather than the domestic variety would be the best job stimulus for Americans yet.
The spins off the Hill continue, obviously.
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20100305/848a9193-efa3-43e7-8edc-2d33097dfeb5
I wonder where the USDL is getting its figures?
It would appear that the only barometer they would have for such a report is the number of Americans now collecting unemployment.
And since unemployment benefits have stopped for most since this recession began, it truthfully could be that the number of new Americans applying for unemployment has stabilized, but those that are still not working or have had to take jobs beneath their former salaries or in lower paying work has increased.
Also not included in this report is the number of offsetting jobs that have been created which are those most "created" by this Administration as with the last.
Taxpayer paid government jobs.
Although it is the average middle class Americans that are now paying a heftier burden in order to provide those taxpayer paid jobs to begin with, which is placing more and more of them on the unemployment lines, or in the bankruptcy courts.
Even with as difficult as it is today after the revisions in the bankruptcy code of several years ago, at the behest of the financial sector and those Wall Street bankers, bankruptcies throughout the nation are up.
And those figures were left out of the USDL's report.
The number of new small businesses, or those that have been in business for literally decades now bankrupt and those losses also were not included, since unemployment is not available to those that are self-employed.
Foreclosures are up once again for last month, which means that the American economy is not rallying, and is in fact continuing to sink into a full out depression, at this point, throughout a good many states in the country.
Especially the West and Southwest, due to the questionable loans which were sold to many during the boom, many of which were not even based on the U.S. currency, but the LIBOR or London Interest Bearing Origination Rates.
The home buying market has not significantly improved but is continuing to worsen in those states and many others, since of course the terms of most of those loans have not changed, and the Obama Administration has concentrated most of all on encouraging Americans to refinance instead.
Under the terms of those same loans that were sold which created this tsunmai.
It was announced also that Congress has passed a measure giving companies that hire new workers a tax incentive in the form of a payroll tax deduction.
I have been unable to find much further information on this particular legislation, however, I wonder what kind of payroll tax deduction would be afforded, since the only sums which employers contribute over and above that which they deduct from employee payroll checks for federal income taxes withheld would be Social Security matching sums.
Does this mean Congress, in its infinite wisdom, is now not requiring these large global corporations to match Social Security payments, and thus reducing then those benefits for those employees at retirement?
Or are these credits for all the assundry state required taxes paid, such as unemployment, workmen's comp and the like?
It doesn't appear that it isn't that American companies are not hiring, they are just not hiring Americans but prefer foreign cheaper untaxed labor, I believe that has been the prevailing public opinion.
Simply rewinding and placing the tax back on foreign labor rather than the domestic variety would be the best job stimulus for Americans yet.
The spins off the Hill continue, obviously.
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20100305/848a9193-efa3-43e7-8edc-2d33097dfeb5
Friday, February 5, 2010
APP Reports Decrease in American Unemployment Rate
The APP (American Propaganda Press) reported today that unemployment figures are in, and according to the U.S. Department of Labor there was a slight decrease in the number of unemployed Americans for January over December, from 10 percent to 9.7%.
I suppose a .3 percent decrease warrants heralding by the press corp and Obama Administration. However, it does appear that several factors have been left out of the equation since the U.S. Department of Labor basically uses the amount of Americans that are collecting unemployment as their guideline in their reporting figures most of all.
Without, of course, reporting that many Americans are still quite jobless (and homelessness is increasing in the West and Southwest particularly) and have simply run out of their unemployment benefits at this point in this almost four year economic depression which began in earnest during the summer of 2006 under a Republican president and Democratic Congress (including Mr. Obama).
Also, those figures are offset by the number of "new jobs" the Obama Administration has created at the cost of the American taxpayers in further expanding governmental jobs, especially in the gadget and spying on Americans industry, most of which are employed by that governmental agency and department created by the Bush Administration post 9-11, the Department of Homeland Insecurity.
The Department that believes that using gadgets primarily strip searching Americans and expanding Silicon Valley's bottom lines is less costly and more effective and efficient than truly securing our national borders with Mexico and Canada per the 2006 Secure Fence Act (even in going so far as Congress appropriating and giving more and more foreign aid to Mexico so that the Mexican government can "buy" some of Silicon Valley's gadets which are then billed to the American people under that SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership "No Trade" Agreement and while California still cries poverty due to its extra-Constitutional excesses over the years under Mr. Schwartzenegger).
Of course, most of those terrorists, drug cartel members, human smugglers and auto theft rings that operate cross borders do not enter this country at the ports of entry but in the middle of the desert in the middle of the night.
The West and Southwest, due also to this manipulated economic crisis for the international bankers, Wall Street and the global stock exchanges now has more Canadians full time and "part time" winter or seasonal home owners living there due to their higher currency rate actually than illegal Mexicans. Who only live there during about six months of the year, but for which the American and Arizona residents have paid the bulk of those taxes funding all the programs, extra roads, golf courses, fountains and such that this mecca for the Canadian (and East Coast) snow birds demand.
And the numbers are increasing, since there are also quite a few British and Canadians moving into Louisiana and the New Orleans area post Katrina.
In fact, I was informed there is a local city ordinance which has been enacted by the City of New Orleans calling for a deadline for people who lost their homes during the hurricane to either rebuild, or forfeit their land and ownership rights.
The ultimate tragedy, it appears, is going to be used by the government in order to facilitate the ultimate land grabs for the state and city coffers, developers and foreigners - Brad Pitt's efforts notwithstanding.
And with that latest Supreme Court decision which came down the pike for the financial sector and industries eventual benefit now that the corporate lawyers are lining up in order to expand the applicability of that redefinition of the American citizens (not corporate special interests) First Amendment protections, I just wonder how long it will be before all land in this country is "corporately" owned and all those company towns circa the 1800's are re-established as MacDonaldsville, DuPontville and Microsoft City?
The only new jobs which have been created actually have been in the science and technology propaganda fields (global warming) and "spying on Americans" government jobs at this point.
While our industrial and manufacturing base (especially the U.S. auto industry, one of our primary exports in years gone by) has been outsourced by this Administration, as with the last Administration in their "go global" globalists beliefs, to China, India and Mexico, and our military are now protecting and defending those foreign plants and workers in foreign nations more and more, not to mention foreign governments such as our continued involvement with Israel, which to many Americans at this point should be simply declared another U.S. territory or state with all the military and financial support it has been given since World War II, even after its development of its own crack military and nuclear bomb capabilities.
Mention in the article was made of the "devastated" construction industry.
Say what?
In Louisiana, Texas and Florida the construction industry is the only sector that has seen an increase in jobs due to the numerous disasters which have occurred in that region, and most of the hotels and such are full of government contractor and other construction related employees and where most of the hotel industry is getting their revenue at this point, in addition to those winter visitors to DisneyWorld from Canada and Japan.
Problem is, most of those construction workers are also "outsourced" workers either from other states (as one family member of a local construction company in Louisiana related to me upon a visit to New Orleans recently since I have family living there), or from Mexico.
Relying on the U.S. Department of Labor for such statistical data does appear that our fourth estate is now also the beneficiary of outsourcing to both foreigners (as with the purchase of a great deal of our print and television media by a former Brit), and U.S.A., Inc. itself.
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20100205/c525c829-b013-4915-9b57-884960e17075
I suppose a .3 percent decrease warrants heralding by the press corp and Obama Administration. However, it does appear that several factors have been left out of the equation since the U.S. Department of Labor basically uses the amount of Americans that are collecting unemployment as their guideline in their reporting figures most of all.
Without, of course, reporting that many Americans are still quite jobless (and homelessness is increasing in the West and Southwest particularly) and have simply run out of their unemployment benefits at this point in this almost four year economic depression which began in earnest during the summer of 2006 under a Republican president and Democratic Congress (including Mr. Obama).
Also, those figures are offset by the number of "new jobs" the Obama Administration has created at the cost of the American taxpayers in further expanding governmental jobs, especially in the gadget and spying on Americans industry, most of which are employed by that governmental agency and department created by the Bush Administration post 9-11, the Department of Homeland Insecurity.
The Department that believes that using gadgets primarily strip searching Americans and expanding Silicon Valley's bottom lines is less costly and more effective and efficient than truly securing our national borders with Mexico and Canada per the 2006 Secure Fence Act (even in going so far as Congress appropriating and giving more and more foreign aid to Mexico so that the Mexican government can "buy" some of Silicon Valley's gadets which are then billed to the American people under that SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership "No Trade" Agreement and while California still cries poverty due to its extra-Constitutional excesses over the years under Mr. Schwartzenegger).
Of course, most of those terrorists, drug cartel members, human smugglers and auto theft rings that operate cross borders do not enter this country at the ports of entry but in the middle of the desert in the middle of the night.
The West and Southwest, due also to this manipulated economic crisis for the international bankers, Wall Street and the global stock exchanges now has more Canadians full time and "part time" winter or seasonal home owners living there due to their higher currency rate actually than illegal Mexicans. Who only live there during about six months of the year, but for which the American and Arizona residents have paid the bulk of those taxes funding all the programs, extra roads, golf courses, fountains and such that this mecca for the Canadian (and East Coast) snow birds demand.
And the numbers are increasing, since there are also quite a few British and Canadians moving into Louisiana and the New Orleans area post Katrina.
In fact, I was informed there is a local city ordinance which has been enacted by the City of New Orleans calling for a deadline for people who lost their homes during the hurricane to either rebuild, or forfeit their land and ownership rights.
The ultimate tragedy, it appears, is going to be used by the government in order to facilitate the ultimate land grabs for the state and city coffers, developers and foreigners - Brad Pitt's efforts notwithstanding.
And with that latest Supreme Court decision which came down the pike for the financial sector and industries eventual benefit now that the corporate lawyers are lining up in order to expand the applicability of that redefinition of the American citizens (not corporate special interests) First Amendment protections, I just wonder how long it will be before all land in this country is "corporately" owned and all those company towns circa the 1800's are re-established as MacDonaldsville, DuPontville and Microsoft City?
The only new jobs which have been created actually have been in the science and technology propaganda fields (global warming) and "spying on Americans" government jobs at this point.
While our industrial and manufacturing base (especially the U.S. auto industry, one of our primary exports in years gone by) has been outsourced by this Administration, as with the last Administration in their "go global" globalists beliefs, to China, India and Mexico, and our military are now protecting and defending those foreign plants and workers in foreign nations more and more, not to mention foreign governments such as our continued involvement with Israel, which to many Americans at this point should be simply declared another U.S. territory or state with all the military and financial support it has been given since World War II, even after its development of its own crack military and nuclear bomb capabilities.
Mention in the article was made of the "devastated" construction industry.
Say what?
In Louisiana, Texas and Florida the construction industry is the only sector that has seen an increase in jobs due to the numerous disasters which have occurred in that region, and most of the hotels and such are full of government contractor and other construction related employees and where most of the hotel industry is getting their revenue at this point, in addition to those winter visitors to DisneyWorld from Canada and Japan.
Problem is, most of those construction workers are also "outsourced" workers either from other states (as one family member of a local construction company in Louisiana related to me upon a visit to New Orleans recently since I have family living there), or from Mexico.
Relying on the U.S. Department of Labor for such statistical data does appear that our fourth estate is now also the beneficiary of outsourcing to both foreigners (as with the purchase of a great deal of our print and television media by a former Brit), and U.S.A., Inc. itself.
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20100205/c525c829-b013-4915-9b57-884960e17075
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