Things are bad. I’ve had to take a pay cut, but for now I still have a job. Almost 1 out of 10 Californians seeking work are currently unemployed. It’s projected to get worse. Someone on TV argued that America’s priority should be to “fix the mortgage mess,” but I think it’s jobs, jobs, jobs. Without jobs, people can’t pay their rents, mortgages or pay their bills.
Yellen said consumer spending had been stopped in its tracks as American households have hunkered down and acted to boost their savings in response to spiraling unemployment and a “staggering” $10 trillion loss of household wealth.
Janet Yellen, President of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, as reported by Reuters
I Wish to God I never saw you, Mag.
I wish you never quit your job and came along with me.
I wish we never bought a license and a white dress
For you to get married in the day we ran off to a minister
And told him we would love each other and take care of each other
Always and always long as the sun and the rain lasts anywhere.
Yes, I’m wishing now you lived somewhere away from here
And I was a bum on the bumpers a thousand miles away dead broke.
I wish the kids had never come
And rent and coal and clothes to pay for
And a grocery man calling for cash,
Every day cash for beans and prunes.
I wish to God I never saw you, Mag.
I wish to God the kids had never come.
Poem by Carl Sandburg, Mag
It is such a sad and bad situation for everyone over there. I’m sure it will hit here too, but so far it seems you guys are bearing the brunt. Hang in there and I hope it gets better real soon.
wow – that’s some sad poem. Especially after I just saw Revolutionary Road….
sorry about your pay cut Sera. It seems glib to say “at least you’ve still got a job….” but I hope you know what I mean.
One out of 10 Californians are out of work because of your state’s refusal to stop illegal immigration.
And each wave of lay-offs instills further fear and less spending – a vicious cycle, a downward spiral…
Sorry to hear about your pay cut.
Sera
The “creation of jobs” should be a natural process, somewhat based on demand, not order. In that respect I still cohere to the “capitalistic system”.
But fuck, I am jobless right now – and it sucks. Besides the loss of revenue, it carves out that chunk of sanity which normaly keeps you going. I have these little diddly projects going on, a custom picture frame for $120, putting in a vent into a kitchen for $600 and so on. It’s pathetic! I could go on and on…
The truth is, it doesn’t add up to something substantial, even if I continue to eat rice with soy- sauce each day.
John Jack Scavenger
The problem is not with illegal immigrants from Mexico, they after all do the dirty work all US-Americans refuse to do. And not all (humanity is what it is) do that darn good job, gardening, landscaping, cleaning, driving… but in general those immigrants do a better job – simply because they are eager, and we have degenerated to become lazy slobs and unwilling. Times will (must) change.
Seraphine: I know you care for humanity. I would suggest that anyone who is working to keep an eye on networking those who are not. It is the fastest track to getting people working again. And yes, I am with you on jobs, jobs, jobs! lol!
What a sad, nihilistic poem.. It’s like if even real love didn’t work anymore when the situation described in your comic comes out.. Hope things get better for everyone!
I think liquidity issue is most important b/c without money as the oil for our economy, everyone will suffer.
It’s sad what’s going on in the states, we’ve been hit too..but mostly because of american companies closing canadian branches.
Transfer of wealth upward is never a good thing and we’ve seen a ton of that.
Beautifully done post. Take care ((hugs))
@ Zee: “John Jack Scavenger?” LOL… I agree. The immigrants are eager. Americans are not. Why should we Americans take menial jobs when we can sit home and go on welfare? Get rid of the entitlement system and see how eager our citizens would be to work.
Yes, unlimited non-paid vacations are a perk for a lot of people right now…
I barely heard about the crisis here down South but I am a bit afraid for when I go back to Canada.
The eployment problem could be solved at a stroke by job sharing. If everyone did a three day week and worked to live instead of living to work there would be jobs for everyone and more time to experience the wonder of life.
A very sad situation!