The problem we 99ers have is that we have become invisible. We get no attention from media or politicians, and ignoring us has become far cheaper and easier than helping us. Now, we cannot do anything about the cost of helping us. That is a fixed number, although it keeps creeping up as we grow in numbers.
So, the problem is that variable A (cost of helping us) is greater than variable Z, (cost of ignoring us).
We need to reverse that, so that Z, (cost of ignoring us), is greater than A, (cost of helping us).
And we cannot reduce the value of variable A, (cost of helping us).
Therefore the only way to achieve our goal is to increase the value of variable Z, the cost of ignoring us.
In summary,we have to make it prohibitively expensive to keep ignoring us. And, at least for now, we need to accomplish this without breaking the law.
So, here is a simple suggestion for a first little baby step in that direction.
I want to convince every 99er in America to re-apply for unemployment once a month. There is no rule against this, there is no prohibition whatsoever. We just fill out a new application every calendar month, telling the full and honest truth. And every month, the state unemployment machinery has to process all those applications, and send us a form letter saying "you have already received the full 99 weeks of blah blah blah, etc, etc".
The California EDD admits that there are 469,000+ of us in California alone. That means about 120,000 applications a week for them to process, deal with, and respond to.
There is also a secondary benefit to this idea. If and when something like HR 589 should ever be passed, all of us will still be active in the files of our state unemployment departments. Until today, Cal EDD hadn't heard from me in over a year. If HR 589 did pass, would they remember me?
Anyhow, I am truly fired up about this idea. It's something we can do, and do for free, and in most states we can do it online.
So, the problem is that variable A (cost of helping us) is greater than variable Z, (cost of ignoring us).
We need to reverse that, so that Z, (cost of ignoring us), is greater than A, (cost of helping us).
And we cannot reduce the value of variable A, (cost of helping us).
Therefore the only way to achieve our goal is to increase the value of variable Z, the cost of ignoring us.
In summary,we have to make it prohibitively expensive to keep ignoring us. And, at least for now, we need to accomplish this without breaking the law.
So, here is a simple suggestion for a first little baby step in that direction.
I want to convince every 99er in America to re-apply for unemployment once a month. There is no rule against this, there is no prohibition whatsoever. We just fill out a new application every calendar month, telling the full and honest truth. And every month, the state unemployment machinery has to process all those applications, and send us a form letter saying "you have already received the full 99 weeks of blah blah blah, etc, etc".
The California EDD admits that there are 469,000+ of us in California alone. That means about 120,000 applications a week for them to process, deal with, and respond to.
There is also a secondary benefit to this idea. If and when something like HR 589 should ever be passed, all of us will still be active in the files of our state unemployment departments. Until today, Cal EDD hadn't heard from me in over a year. If HR 589 did pass, would they remember me?
Anyhow, I am truly fired up about this idea. It's something we can do, and do for free, and in most states we can do it online.
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