Anonymous
Post 10/07/2011 15:56     Subject: We are the 99 Percent
Anonymous wrote:


You misunderstodd. She didn't go back to her old job after staying home for a year, she found a new job, and her new employer went through 3 people before hiring her, because the previous three hires were total duds.

Anyway, I agree with all you said about applicants having a huge sense of entitlement. Especially the younger ones.



PP here. This is pretty much what happened. The previous employees just did not take things seriously enough. Missing work often, coming in late, dealing with too much private stuff at work (cell phone use, surfing net, homework etc.). I was worried because I had been a SAHM for a year, but I think my employer was just happy to find someone a little more mature. While this is not my dream job, it is definitely okay and I'm grateful to be employed. It is a mutually beneficial situation. As far as my dreams go, I try to fulfill those in my hobbies now.


Just want to point out that--your anecdotes aside--it's pretty slimy to be trying to pin 9+% unemployment nationally on "lazy American workers".
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2011 15:54     Subject: Re:We are the 99 Percent
Anonymous wrote:
Aimee4 wrote:
I honestly don't know what the solution is. However, we elect politicians to figure it out. And so far, none of them have. This isn't a slam on Obama or Boehner or any politician in particular. Its ALL of them. They need to figure it out.


It's because the politicians are so indebted to corporations/groups that give them money. And, because we elect people based on sound bites and advertising campaigns.


Well, no, we elect people based on the soundbites and ad campaigns the corporations and wealthy present to us. Case in point: the Teabaggers were a tiny group of elderly malcontents at first, and were immediately adopted by Fox News and Glen Beck. Literally pushed to the front page of the newspapers and the lead on the cable networks every day.

Contrast that with the current populist movement: it took nine days of protests and clashes with police in lower Manhattan before supposedly "liberal" NPR even deigned to cover them.

We get the elected officials that big money and corporations give us. At the end of the day, propaganda is effective. The only solution is to wrench one of the two major parties away from the the monied interests. Since the chance of that happening in the GOP is effectively zero, you can do the math.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 22:59     Subject: Re:We are the 99 Percent
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't get it either. Seems like a bunch of whining. If you're not happy put that same energy into changing your situation. I paid my entire way through college, got a job and paid off my loans 100% all on my own.


Because it is so much easier to whine. A guest on NPR was commenting that the people protesting are people who can 'afford' to protest. Who have a way to get to Wall Street and eat when they get there.

The rest of the people are actually out working 80 hours a week to put food on the table for their families. They don't have time for whining.


Isn't the point of protest to make things better? The problem is good jobs are going away. Full-time employees become independent contractors. Grocery stores hire part-timers instead of full-timers. When we eviscerate labor unions, malign teachers and public sector employees, this is what we get. What you're saying, is shut up and accept the situation in this country. We aren't making things better for our children, we're making them worse.


NO, I am not saying shut up and accept the situation. What I am saying is don't expect someone else to make things better for you. An individual needs to make things better for themselves and their family and that doesn't mean making it better by protesting someone to give you something to which you think you're entitled.


The real issue isn't protesting for others to give you something to which you think you're entitled. These people aren't panhandling. It's to make these robber barons disgorge the illicit profits they have made and kept with impunity due to our unique (among supposedly developed countries) style of socialism for the rich. A cardinal rule of finance is that higher returns always entail higher risk. However, American-style capitalism these days apparently means that if you have bought enough votes, you get to bet the house at no risk, and if you fail miserably your minions in office will still bail you out at taxpayers expense, no questions asked.
The fact that these bankers aren't languishing in jail at the moment is a complete outrage.

These people are asking for a representative government that looks after their interests, something to which they ARE entitled and which no longer exists in this country except as a parody of itself intended for the TV cameras. They all pay taxes (or did at one point, or their parents did for them), and that wasn't for the privilege of being screwed by the politicians whose salaries they pay.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 22:33     Subject: Re:We are the 99 Percent
Anonymous wrote:There may be 9% unemployment in this country but that means 91% are working!


No, it means that 9% (9.1%) of the people surveyed by the BLS reported that they had not worked in the past four weeks, were available for work, and had performed certain specific job-seeking activities. Unpaid family work, say in a family business, makes a person count as "employed", as does part-time work, underemployment, and so on.

The official unemployment rate is the tip of the iceberg, and I can only hope we're not on the Titanic.

Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 22:09     Subject: Re:We are the 99 Percent
Anonymous wrote:
BTW, my friend just got her MBA (while she was working) and got promoted at her job. Why aren't you working while going to grad school if money is such a big issue?


There are beginning to be an awful lot of MBAs out there.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 13:52     Subject: Re:We are the 99 Percent
Anonymous wrote:I am the 99%

I went to the best school in the US and left with $135,000 in loans because my family didn't qualify for much aid (middle class) and what we did was taken away from getting outside scholarships (which they don't tell you before you arrive). 5 years later it's now $100,000. I'm in graduate school, not incurring more debt, making some money and have great health insurance so I am much better off than most posting on those sites. But what happens when I graduate? Will I find work?

Don't judge until you understand.


You and your family made some poor choices. I know someone who went to community college and then Ivy (probably the same school as yours) and graduated with less than $50k in debt. Worked during school, no and very little scholarship money. Did you chose to live on campus rather than commute? Did you decide to live solely on loans rather than work your way through? You had lots of choices. You made the wrong decisions. BTW, my friend just got her MBA (while she was working) and got promoted at her job. Why aren't you working while going to grad school if money is such a big issue?
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 12:17     Subject: Re:We are the 99 Percent
To give an example of education costs these days:
State school: 15,000 / Year (tuition and housing)
Private liberal arts college: 30,000
Private Ivy league: 50,000

So educational debt posted is not unreasonable and even from top universities - students without experience have a hard time finding jobs. This also doesn't take into account grad school debt (masters, MD, MBA, JD, some PhDs). AND bankruptcy doesn't absolve the borrower's debt. So it's better to be underwater on a house than fresh out of college and jobless.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 11:25     Subject: Re:We are the 99 Percent
I agree that the movement is not organized enough, but hopefully this will change.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 11:24     Subject: We are the 99 Percent


You misunderstodd. She didn't go back to her old job after staying home for a year, she found a new job, and her new employer went through 3 people before hiring her, because the previous three hires were total duds.

Anyway, I agree with all you said about applicants having a huge sense of entitlement. Especially the younger ones.



PP here. This is pretty much what happened. The previous employees just did not take things seriously enough. Missing work often, coming in late, dealing with too much private stuff at work (cell phone use, surfing net, homework etc.). I was worried because I had been a SAHM for a year, but I think my employer was just happy to find someone a little more mature. While this is not my dream job, it is definitely okay and I'm grateful to be employed. It is a mutually beneficial situation. As far as my dreams go, I try to fulfill those in my hobbies now.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 11:08     Subject: We are the 99 Percent
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I work at a medical office in NoVA and we have been trying to hire a staff person for MONTHS. You would think in this economy, it would be easy. Nope, not so much.

We have people come in for interviews wearing shorts, talking on their cell phones. We finally hired one person and she showed up late twice, then just didn't show up. We had one person stall on her SS number and finally couldn't produce one.

We offer a fair salary, and are willing to train. It's incredibly hard to find good, reliable workers. So many people seem to just want to come to work and do nothing? What is that about? If so many unemployed people want to work, why aren't they actually showing up and putting in the extra effort at their job?



You do have a point there. I was hired two years ago as an Administrative Assistant after staying home with my baby for about one year. I was the FOURTH person hired for this job within a 12 months time period. My boss said the same exact things. The job pays a pretty good salary for a support person and has rather flexible hours. I've been with the company for a little more than two years now and I feel lucky to have found this job.
.


In this economy, with such high unemployment, why in the world did it take a year to fill your position? I'm sure your boss is thrilled to have you! It is such a HUGE hassle to hire a new person.

This is quite often the case. Ask anyone who deals with hiring - the applicants do come to you with a sense of 'entitlement'.

It's pretty easy - show up on time and do your job. It's not that much to ask. But, for whatever reason, many employees can't/won't deliver.



You misunderstodd. She didn't go back to her old job after staying home for a year, she found a new job, and her new employer went through 3 people before hiring her, because the previous three hires were total duds.

Anyway, I agree with all you said about applicants having a huge sense of entitlement. Especially the younger ones.


I did understand! I was just saying that if she's been there 2 years, I'm pretty sure her employer is feeling lucky to have her.

I'm the 'medical office' poster. I'm not even the one who does the hiring in our office, but I know how frustrating it is for the office manager.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 11:04     Subject: Re:We are the 99 Percent
Aimee4 wrote:
I honestly don't know what the solution is. However, we elect politicians to figure it out. And so far, none of them have. This isn't a slam on Obama or Boehner or any politician in particular. Its ALL of them. They need to figure it out.


It's because the politicians are so indebted to corporations/groups that give them money. And, because we elect people based on sound bites and advertising campaigns.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 11:03     Subject: We are the 99 Percent
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I work at a medical office in NoVA and we have been trying to hire a staff person for MONTHS. You would think in this economy, it would be easy. Nope, not so much.

We have people come in for interviews wearing shorts, talking on their cell phones. We finally hired one person and she showed up late twice, then just didn't show up. We had one person stall on her SS number and finally couldn't produce one.

We offer a fair salary, and are willing to train. It's incredibly hard to find good, reliable workers. So many people seem to just want to come to work and do nothing? What is that about? If so many unemployed people want to work, why aren't they actually showing up and putting in the extra effort at their job?



You do have a point there. I was hired two years ago as an Administrative Assistant after staying home with my baby for about one year. I was the FOURTH person hired for this job within a 12 months time period. My boss said the same exact things. The job pays a pretty good salary for a support person and has rather flexible hours. I've been with the company for a little more than two years now and I feel lucky to have found this job.
.


In this economy, with such high unemployment, why in the world did it take a year to fill your position? I'm sure your boss is thrilled to have you! It is such a HUGE hassle to hire a new person.

This is quite often the case. Ask anyone who deals with hiring - the applicants do come to you with a sense of 'entitlement'.

It's pretty easy - show up on time and do your job. It's not that much to ask. But, for whatever reason, many employees can't/won't deliver.



You misunderstodd. She didn't go back to her old job after staying home for a year, she found a new job, and her new employer went through 3 people before hiring her, because the previous three hires were total duds.

Anyway, I agree with all you said about applicants having a huge sense of entitlement. Especially the younger ones.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 11:02     Subject: Re:We are the 99 Percent
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't get it either. Seems like a bunch of whining. If you're not happy put that same energy into changing your situation. I paid my entire way through college, got a job and paid off my loans 100% all on my own.


Because it is so much easier to whine. A guest on NPR was commenting that the people protesting are people who can 'afford' to protest. Who have a way to get to Wall Street and eat when they get there.

The rest of the people are actually out working 80 hours a week to put food on the table for their families. They don't have time for whining.


Isn't the point of protest to make things better? The problem is good jobs are going away. Full-time employees become independent contractors. Grocery stores hire part-timers instead of full-timers. When we eviscerate labor unions, malign teachers and public sector employees, this is what we get. What you're saying, is shut up and accept the situation in this country. We aren't making things better for our children, we're making them worse.


NO, I am not saying shut up and accept the situation. What I am saying is don't expect someone else to make things better for you. An individual needs to make things better for themselves and their family and that doesn't mean making it better by protesting someone to give you something to which you think you're entitled.


Yeah, how dare people expect things they're not entitled to, like affordable healthcare, and jobs so they can work to support their family! The nerve! They should totally make things better for themselves by passing legislation themselves that actually taxes the higher brackets who are paying nothing in taxes, and close loopholes for corporations, and make healthcare a universal right. Why on earth are they bothering with asking Congress to do this shit, they should just do it themselves!




So now you are saying their mission is to change law? So why are they protesting on Wall Street if Capitol Hill is the problem. They need to be arranging meetings with their Congressman and Senators. Another example of no clear direction for this group.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2011 11:01     Subject: We are the 99 Percent
Anonymous wrote:



But, I'm not sure what the protesters are trying to accomplish? They want 'economic equality'? What is that exactly. Everybody gets paid the same? Everybody deserves basic healthcare (yes, I do believe that) or everybody deserves a brand new car?




Those people want to be able to find a job that pays a living wage. They want to be able to afford healthcare for themselves and their families and they want to be able to retire someday and not worry where the next piece of toast is coming from. Very simple!


Well, then I guess they should make that known with a more concise message. I don't find that the protesters have any sort of cohesive message.

And, I agree with you. It should be an important priority to get affordable healthcare, food, shelter, and I'll add in there education.

Who's making all the money in healthcare, and why is healthcare in this country so expensive? Yes, lawsuits are part of it, but I work in healthcare, and I think insurance companies have been a HUGE problem in the healthcare delivery system in the US. Maybe we should start protesting for-profit health insurance companies.
Aimee4
Post 10/06/2011 11:00     Subject: Re:We are the 99 Percent
I made the right decisions. In the 1990s. BA at state school, cost $26k in student loans. Good job after I graduated from college. Paid off student loans, got MSIR at night. Now make $125k/yr. DH made similar decisions and makes a little more than I do. We are in the top 5% of Americans as far as our income. We certainly don't feel like top 5% in this area, but we know we are very fortunate.

That said, if I was to do the exact same things over the last decade, my student loan would have been close to $75k. Why? Tuition has increased 4 fold. One semester cost me less than $1k in tuition and fees. Now, it's over $4k. That's one semester. Average $3.5k more times 8 semesters, plus the interest on that... it adds up quickly.

I had no problem getting a job. But today, that is no longer a guarantee. So those student loans keep piling on more interest, then go into default, so more fees...

I sympathize with the "99%". I have close family that is unemployed or underemployed. My sister moved up her wedding 6 months so she could fall under her fiancés medical insurance after she was laid off. There is no one hiring her specialty (x-ray tech) within 50 miles of where she lives. Yes, we see "now hiring" signs here. But the reality is most of these people don't live anywhere near here. And it's not as simple as moving here. My brother's house payment is $800. He couldn't rent an apartment for his family of four for $800 here.

I honestly don't know what the solution is. However, we elect politicians to figure it out. And so far, none of them have. This isn't a slam on Obama or Boehner or any politician in particular. Its ALL of them. They need to figure it out.