So the bad news is I lost my job. The good news is, well, coming soon, I guess. If anyone knows of quality employment that can be found in NYC, please let me know about it in the comments below.
My little adventure as a Paid Progressive Activist (Fundraising) has come to an end because I didn't make my quotas.
Our daily quotas were $125 a day or $625 a week. Mind you, we're standing outside, freezing our asses off while busy NYers scuttle by, bracing themselves against the wind. It is not easy to ask for charitable donations in such conditions. If you make your quota you get paid $375 for the week plus bonuses. If not, you get min. wage. I raised $525 in 5 days, but it broke down to 28 the first day, 10 the second, 425 the 3rd, 5 on the fourth and 20 on the last, so I was dismissed. I raised $525 and will get paid min. wage at 40 hours for the week. It seems a neat little scam, don't it? You can pay people min. wage then sack them the first week whether they are performing or not. Sucks. At least I'll get that one pay check though.
Frankly, I am running out of hope for both myself and the political/economic system that is broken beyond repair.
I need a job, a good paying job where I can climb out of debt and poverty, not a bunch of empty promises and talking points. I write this while checking out Craigslist for jobs in NYC, and there aren't many available that I am not unqualified for or overqualified for.
Millions of people like me who were living month to month are now suffering like they have never suffered before.
High unemployment is driving wages down. This is good for business who want to profit by minimizing their costs, but bad for business who have no customers anymore because they can't afford their crappy products and services based on their shrinking salaries and rising prices. The sooner the Masters of the Universe figure this out, the better it will be for every one.
I know why the raving wingnut screams. It is because he or she is suffering, struggling and totally uninformed about why this is happening. Though their Obama=Hitler signs and fears of teh socialism de-legitimize their fears, their fear is real nonetheless. They are suffering, and so am I, and the first political party that assuages their fears will stand to benefit from it. Whether those fears can be assuaged by making our economy work for working class people or by killing the Government altogether is a matter for what Democrats in power do while that power is theirs. If they sell out to the special interests the leave open the door to the Conservative movement who would further outsource this country to the for profit system that has destroyed the middle class. Maybe this IS their goal. I don't know, all I know is that millions of people like me need help NOW. Democrats can either use their power for the people or against them by siding with the special interests. If they don't have the will to help people you can expect the fake populists to win and make things worse. In fact, you can take it to the Too Big To Fail bank.
So I have been off the web for the last few days, applying to jobs and feeling pretty down. I'm tired of working BS wage slave jobs. I can't afford to live on them and I am too smart for this shit, but I need to be able to take care of myself better. This last year has totally sucked.
And I see Democrats refusing to use 50+1 votes in the Senate, I see the Obama Administration covering up for Bush/Cheney war crimes and spending more American lives and treasure to fight a war on something that ca not be won, and I am losing hope. I want to hope, but hope alone will not bring quality jobs back to America or keep the middle class from disappearing entirely. Hope is useless without action.
Going back to my own dilemma I ask for your help. If you know of where employment can be found in NYC, please let me know. I can't survive on minimum wage but I will take it over nothing. I hope to find a quality job, but hope alone won't keep me warm at night.
So, here's to Hope. I could sure use some right now, though a good paying job would be more helpful.
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Crossposted at The Progressive Electorate.com and Docudharma.com