What's on Katie's Mind? Katie: The artist, teacher, and social commentator.

An unemployment line in Plainfield Township in Michigan.

Most people today don’t need a political poll to know that our country is heading in the wrong direction.  Unemployment and under employment are a part of our every day life.  Many people are sitting on pins and needles hoping the other shoe doesn’t drop and they lose their job.  It isn’t just manufacturing jobs that are lost as well.  Police officers and teachers are being laid off in a domino effect from the current unemployment situation.  In addition we all know that as less money is circulated in the environment other jobs and businesses will be affected as well.  Times are tough and many people have never seen it so bad.  In Michigan many of our youth that graduate from college are moving out of state.  In some of the jobs they are getting, they are truly under employed as their skill sets are much greater than the jobs they are doing.  Many have to pay for astronomical college education loans with fairly high interest so they settle for any job to pay that bill.  Meanwhile the politicians have put on blinders to all of this.  They may pay some lip service to some of the problems of unemployment and the homeless.  However, many of them are truly clueless and fairly uncaring in their approach to dealing with the problems that face our country.  Interestingly enough the unemployed have the potential to have a major impact through political action.

The statistics on all of this is just staggering.  In my research I discovered this bit about the growing need for food stamps on Wikipedia.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supplemental_Nutrition_Assistance_Program

The number of Americans receiving food stamps reached 39.68 million in February 2010, the highest number since the program began in 1962.^[4] As of June 2009, the average monthly benefit was $133.12 per person.^[5] As of late November 2009, one in eight Americans and one in four children are using food stamps and the program rate is growing at 20,000 people a day.^[6] Recipients must have at least near-poverty incomes to qualify for benefits.^[7]

^{These are troubling statistics when you think about it and realize that we have around 307 million people in our country.  Meanwhile, you or someone you know is worrying about paying bills or saving your/their job.  Wealthy people continue to plan their weddings, take their trips and live in a manner that is basically unchanged for them.  The politicians continue to travel at tax payer expense on their “fact finding” missions.  Some of you might not realize that these trips are not always what they appear.  Joe Biden took his honeymoon with Jill on the tax payer dime.  I only know this because he talked about the trip on CSpan during an interview back during the last election cycle.  Sure he was with other senators on the trip but he took his new wife and they made a honeymoon of it.  These politicians love their jobs.  They love the power, the travel and the prestige.  With this in mind unemployed people it turns out have an opportunity to impact the mid-term election if they can organize.}

^{If you read the whole article by Annie Lowery, you realize that the numbers are so large for the unemployed that they could very well have an impact.  If their friends and families join them, they have real power.  The Tea Party has had an impact so why couldn’t the unemployed have an impact?  If you or someone you know is unemployed I encourage you to read the article and join the netroots campaign to have an impact in the election.  Legislation can be pushed right now to help the unemployed.  The extension was passed but it did not include the “99ers”.}

^{However, if you are unemployed and having trouble keeping your home, you may want to look into this program.  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/28/BUP21EL5T4.DTL}

^{http://makinghomeaffordable.gov/pr_05112010.html}

^{The deadline for getting this help is June 10th, 2011.  http://www.rwbpress.com/2010/07/29/obama-mortgage-assistance-for-unemployed-homeowners-and-refinancing-for-underwater-mortgages/}

^{I, like many Americans, wish our country would devote more energy to the problems at home with our economy.  I am troubled when we give a lot of money to Pakistan and then find out that some of that money might be used against our troops.  I remember James Carville talking when Bill Clinton was running for president.  He said, “It’s the economy stupid.”  Most of you will probably remember this.  It’s 2010 and as much as we think things have changed they have stayed much the same.  It is the economy stupid!  That should be the battle cry of the unemployed.  You can yell it from every window like in the movie “Network” where they yelled, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more. “  Just be sure to add, “It’s the economy stupid.”  This election is a no brainer, if politicians want your vote they better bring out the big guns on the economy.  Stand up and be heard and let these career politicians know that you are more than willing to put them on the unemployment line if they can’t figure out a way to help the unemployed and jump start job creation!}