Over the years I’ve seen this offer -- Earn $200 a week addressing envelopes -- in local classified ads and on signs by the road. This kind of offer captivates people because it appears to be a dream come true. Young mothers want a way to earn money without using childcare – Type up envelopes while the kids nap – it sounds ideal. Disabled people who have a hard time getting to a workplace would love a way to earn money at home.
Consumer rights groups and legitimate job sites reveal that this is a type of pyramid scam where the responder pays money for a brochure that gives instructions on how to hook other people into the scheme. I once actually did earn a few bucks stuffing and addressing envelopes, but that was 35 years ago, before everyone had access to a computer and a spreadsheet program.
People aren’t lazy, they just have obstacles, like expensive childcare costs or lack of a car or decent public transportation which makes working a conventional job difficult, expensive, or impossible.
Among the able bodied unemployed are those trapped in a Catch-22 situation because they fear giving up unemployment insurance for a job that – after deductions and expenses – provides barely more than an unemployment check with no guarantee that it will last more than a few weeks.
There is also the Catch-22 situation where a small increase in income will disqualify a family for any assistance they are getting, e.g., Medicaid, SCHIP, or food stamps.
It would be nice – and actually economically efficient – if our government – either federal or local – offered some true guidance to people who have lost their jobs or are underemployed and can’t make the mortgage payment or rent. It seems there is no real system of support available.
I read two diarists lately that made me feel frustrated and sad. Bevomav told in three diaries – I am homeless in 7 days, That “Homeless in 7 days guy”, and Veteran in Need – how he is on the verge of homelessness and doesn’t see any solution to his circumstances. Thanks to the financial support from a lot of generous Kossacks, he and his wife and two cats have managed to stay in their apartment for a few additional months. Some people are working to help him find a more permanent solution to his situation.
MinistryOfTruth is in a similar situation (without wife and cats). He lost his job and is ineligible for unemployment. He is on the brink of homelessness and struggling with depression. He has been managing with some help from Kossacks who are buying advance copies of a book he has written and some donations.
So many people are in dire straits and don’t have anyone to turn to. Bevomav and Ministry are exceptional in that they are both competent writers and were able to articulate their situations in a large forum like Daily Kos.
When tmo started the Unemployment Chronicles on the beta version of DK4, I joined it right away. I shared her hope that this would be a place for people who were unemployed to come for advice and people who could share their knowledge of job openings and also their knowledge and ideas.
When DK4 went online in February, tmo restarted the group with the name “The Livelihood Chronicles” because she thought that name would be more inclusive than Unemployment Chronicles.
I was a little concerned about using Livelihood rather than Unemployment. Unemployment is something that is emotionally charged and I think anyone who is unemployed (or on the verge) would zoom right into “unemployment” if they saw it on a list of titles. However, the group is here and I hope people will use it.
Bevomav and MinistryOfTruth were brave (or desperate) enough to open up and post about their situations. From reading the comments in their diaries, I realize that there are a lot more Kossacks who are struggling. Most don’t want to ask for handouts but a lot could benefit from some guidance, and possibly having other Kossacks alerting them to job situations in their areas. And those Kossacks who know of job situations would probably rather have those jobs go to fellow members of Daily Kos. After all, wouldn’t we all like to work with fellow Kossacks!