Screwed up priorities

For this post, I'm veering away from romance, though what I'm writing about has to do with a lot of my romance writing friends, plus many, many others in the country.

Namely, the whacked out, screwed up, totally crappy unemployment stuff going on.

Almost every week, an author writes that she's been pink-slipped, terminated, laid-off. Choose the term you want - it's all the same. Her economic life has hit a brick wall. If she's lucky enough to get another job right away, chances are the wages will be less, there won't be benefits, and she might not even see full time.

If she's not lucky enough to land a job, forget about any unemployment benefit extensions. That only makes unemployed people - many who have worked for decades - lazy. At least according to some in government.

Several of my writing friends have told me that not only were they terminated at their positions - without warning - it just happened one fateful day, they were required to train their replacement - that is, if they wanted those last days of pay. That's what you get with 'at will' employment. You can be tossed aside if your employer wants someone cheaper, with most of those employees being overseas.

What is wrong with this country? Talk about screwed up priorities.

During the Great Recession, we bailed out the banks. They're doing fine. In fact, the people at the top are richer than ever even though they brought our economy to a screeching halt. No one went to jail for what happened. They got bonuses.

I want a job like that.

When yet another of my author friends posts about a job loss, bills that can't be paid, no employment on the horizon, I'll try to be positive, but it's hard to do that when people are still losing their homes, have to go on welfare (what little there is of it) and beg politicians to help.

During the midterm elections, let's remember those politicians who gave American workers help and those who had the absolute gall to call them 'lazy', 'entitled', 'moochers', and 'takers'. Let's remember the ones who voted themselves a raise when they work only a third of the year. No forty hours for them. No crappy healthcare. No having to do a good job or get fired. No having to clip coupons. They get a platinum parachute when they leave office, most often after they've messed up the country for the rest of us.

This has to be turned around. Especially if you have children, it has to change. If it doesn't, what are we leaving for the next generation?

Tina Donahue

BROUGHT TO HIS KNEES - BOXED SET (Avail Aug 19)
DEEP WITHIN ME (4 Stars - Romantic Times)
SENSUAL STRANGER (Book of the Year 2010)
DEEP, DARK, DELICIOUS (Holt Medallion Award of Merit)

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