Senators
and Representatives Please Help: In
39 days, I will no longer be eligible for unemployment insurance. My
benefits
run out on Jan.1, 2011. To be eligible for Tier II benefits, I must have
no moneys left in my account on Nov. 27,
2010.
Since I do have two more checks coming to me, $450 each (1 goes to rent,
another for food, electricity and gas)
I
will not be eligible. I have had to dip into my savings now for two months.
But mine is not the only case.
On a state-wide basis, there are 412,000 unemployed folk, 70% are
on 'extended' unemployment insurance and will be
facing
the same problem as me after Jan. 1, 2011, that is 288,400 people (families),
that will be trying to figure out how to
pay
their rent, buy their food and stay warm this winter. This information
is directly from an employee of the Unemployment
Insurance
Office in Denver- 1-888-843-8382 today. He will be in the same boat in
several weeks as job cuts will be happening
in
the UI Dept. The current waiting time to speak to someone is two
hours.
And on a larger scale this gap
will be affecting all unemployed folk across the U.S. starting at the first
of the year, unless
something
is done by Congress, before that time. With the most current population
of Colorado at 5,024,748 that is 8.2% of
our
state, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the unemployed persons at 9%
of the labor force - (not seasonally adjusted -
Oct
2010), or 14.8 million people that will start having trouble paying rent,
buying food, paying for their heat and electricity.
I've
already contacted Senator Udall
and plan to contact my representatives as well. Please send your
senators & representatives
a
letter or call them.
Other Colorado UI News
Below are a set of links
that lead to a pull-down menus for all states senators & representatives:
National
Senator
Mind the Lights and Clear, Dark Skies to All you StarGazers Think Cosmic!! November 22, 2010 (Clear & cool)