by: Anonymous
At the risk of over-using a cliché… In the past three months, I’ve literally become a “starving writer…”
As, a Web Content Manager/Senior E-commerce Copywriter, who works in the tanking retail industry (btw— if you’ve got job— I’m your gal) being laid-off has been a nightmare for me, as it has been for so many.
I have been living without a paycheck for three long months, even though I properly applied for unemployment benefits that were due to me (the date I was allowed legally to apply was January 14th). After more phone calls to a single “hotline” 
extension than cell phone minutes allow, and receiving a 24/7 busy signal for eight weeks, I finally hit the “jackpot,” a voice on the other end of the phone— only to be passed on to another, to begin jumping through unemployment red tape hoops all over again.
My weekly check had been delayed (like so many others) because I was coming off FMLA and then filing for unemployment. Of course, nobody in the “know” in the home office thought (after almost a month went by since filing my initial request) to notify me that I would need to have an adjudication interview to solidify the transition. WHO KNEW?!? I certainly didn’t— and how could I, since I couldn’t get through to a body for weeks at a time. Finally on February 2nd, , to my relief, I had the needed “phone interview,” but NO check followed, nor did a follow-up call or letter. WHO WAS DIRECTING THIS SHOW ANYWAY?!? Apparently… no one.
In the cashless weeks that followed… first cable was turned off, then other utilities became passed due, then I began cutting back on food, as I had no choice. As I watched the numbers on the scale go down further and further on my forced diet of peanut butter and spinach, I had to suffer the humiliation of borrowing money from my parents for food. Meanwhile I continued to incessantly call and leave numerous messages on various officials’ voicemail mailboxes in the Adjudication Unit. ONE woman had the respect and decency to call me back.
“Mary” (The Madonna of Adjudication) said that my applications, as well as notes from the adjudication hearing, were still waiting for a “manager” to review. That horror coupled with lack of nourishment and months of total humiliation caused absolute hysterics. I told her, “My friends think I have anorexia,” I continued to sob, “I had the hearing almost 3 weeks ago, I have had NO income for over eight weeks; I have been living on PEANUT BUTTER AND SPINACH!!” Blessed Mary was sympathetic and told me she would have a manager review my application that day— BUT… still no check.
Hunger propels action and I was not going to be denied this time; I burned what was left of my cell phone minutes and called the Rhode Island Attorney General and left a sobbing message in the general mailbox. SHOCKINGLY, an extremely sweet gentleman returned my call and said he was so sorry for my hardships but he couldn’t help. “Why not try the, Governor’s Office,” said he.
Desperate to see the light at the end of the tunnel (and be able to shop in the meat aisle again at the supermarket), I rang the Governor’s office. The gal on the line patiently listened to me and perfunctorily stated that she would take care of it!… She promised to contact the head of the Unemployment Office that day and resolve the “inexcusable” situation. I thanked her through my tears and she repeatedly told me to “just take a deep breaths.” I hung up the phone with absolutely no faith in “the system” that was supposed to be there to help me. Hey, I pay my taxes just like everyone else. More than that, I live in CT and worked in RI— so I paid DOUBLE and for what!?1 I could only hope and pray for the best.
I guess the squeaky wheel does get the grease… Within 4 hours, I received a phone call from someone from the Unemployment Office telling me my claim was approved and I could expect a direct deposit payment— including monies from my initial filing date of January 14th through to this week— into my account within 24 to 72 hours.
Well, power really does pay… Yesterday (ironically my birthday) I got the cash. I took yet another deep breath, and immediately I felt like I had been “saved.” I was both grateful and sickened by all of the bureaucracy BS that had occurred over last months.
What I learned besides loving to hate eating peanut butter on spinach, was the legal hoops we citizens have to jump through should not be there!! It shouldn’t have taken two months for me to have money for true necessities like FOOD. Something needs to be done, when the country goes to pieces over to the economy and unemployment rates being the highest in decades. One doesn’t have to be an Einstein to figure out, that maybe we need amp up the staffing in the unemployment and social service offices during this incredibly difficult time. Americans are falling flat on their faces and are literally thin enough to fall through the cracks!!
I am not so bitter, that I can’t understand that there are many people in the same position as I am and how LUCKY I am (all things considered). However, it shouldn’t take luck to reap the benefits that are in place to protect others and myself from drowning (or starving) in such troubled times. Just remember… that squeaky wheel does get the grease and tonight this squawker is HAVING A STEAK!!!
created a website that was a cross between firstVIEW and Patrick McMullan, documenting fashion and nightlife. I ran around Boston with a Sony digital camera that took floppy disks (remember those things). So after 3 years of toiling, many late nights, massive internet traffic, and a sense of mini celebritydom, I poured everything into getting REAL and launched my baby… PROVEREAL.com. Irony being a strong suit of mine, I then up and moved to NYC, translating the entire virtual experience to real life. I was too ahead of the times to squeeze one advertising dollar out of the business. As my former boss said: “No one’s ever gonna buy a dress on the intanet!” 
President and one about Sarah Palin’s Presidential chances. I received many responses, many of them very passionate one way or the other. Here’s a sampling:
