So after I pried myself out of bed at 11:30 am (I went to bed at 5:00 am) I called the employment office. My gut feeling that there would be no new claim due to lack of income (1300.00 earned in all of last year) was correct.
At least this week I will get the $104.00 from last week and the remaining $50.00-$60.00 for this week. I am hoping that the extension President Obama signed this month will apply to me but I won’t know for sure until next week.
And for most of you conservative (and I mean that as an INSULT too!!) Republican senators and representatives that are thinking that I’m laying around eating bonbons and taking advantage of unemployment benefits, grow a few brain cells would you please?
I get $104.00 per week ($129.00 per week on the federal extensions) for a whopping total of $416.00 per month (or $516.00 on the federal extension) .
Space rent is $367.00 per month (going up to $370.00 per month on May 1, 2010), internet/phone is almost $70.00 per month, Dish network is another $44.00 per month, cell phone is another $40.00 per month, and I pay $45.00 per month to my electric company so that I will have a nice credit balance going into the winter of 2010 when I will probably have to turn the furnace on.
DO THE MATH and you will see that outgo far exceeds income.
I receive $200.00 per month in food stamps or I wouldn’t be eating either.
I’ve applied for 17 jobs in the last 3 weeks. I’ve gotten one interview. I have 2 degrees and enough credits for a 3rd degree and 12 years of experience.