When Unemployment Strikes Twice

[dArKeR]

The grass is always greener, the saying goes, but not at the Sobolik home. Ed and Avril Sobolik are both out of work, and life here on Sugar Road is anything but sweet, reports CBS News Correspondent Anthony Mason.
"Never in a million years," Ed Sobolik says, did he ever think they'd be in this position together.

He was laid off from his job as a mold maker for a lock company in 2001. He'll be 65 soon. The truth is there isn't much call for workers with his skills anymore.
Avril Sobolik was a corporate librarian.
When the budget to her department was cut, "There went my job," she says.
She's been unemployed for nearly two years.

deflated U.S. economy and the highest unemployment rate in nine years.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/07/eveningnews/main561993.shtml

The American media by not telling the truth about Bush and his wars, terrorist ghosts, illegal business transactions... are to blame for what's happening in America.

[DrGonzoLives]

1. Indiana bankruptcies set to break records

Indianapolis Star

Yep, economy's improving, nothing to see here...

[Isome]

2. Unfortunately...

Where I live, too many of the uninformed, who do have jobs, remain blissfully unaware of the true state of the job market. This is a small town and the aerospace industry and military bases are the main (and best paying) employers. They somehow lack the ability to understand that their own job security does not mean there is a stable or growing job market.

[duid12]

3. agree

I agree...to many they have the impression that since unemployment rate in my own household is zero percent, unemploymenet is not a problem anywhere...same with health insurance...I have health insurance, therefore there are no issues facing the uninsured....

[LiberalFighter]

4. The other factor:

Is the type of information they receive.

There is only so much that can be obtained via the network news or even CNN or others.

I would venture to say that many that live in small towns are isolated from reality. The news that they receive via print is from small town type newspapers. And their coverage of news outside their locality is not as extensive. They are going to be more easily fooled.

[DrGonzoLives]

6. Exactly

Most people, if not confronted with an opposing viewpoint, will simply conclude that what they are seeing is correct. This is what happens when media moguls are allowed to own all the media in a particular town.

[phgnome]

7. the media

I think I heard in my journalism class that there is a (law? or code of ethics?) that they cannot print bad economic news because it will spur the market further into the recession.

Way back when there were no computers in the house and we had only tv, radio or newspapers for information, they might've been able to trick a country out of a recession like that. But that's an old trick -- you can't do that as long as the internet's around because it's too easy to get another country's view on your economy's performance.

The Bush administration is behind the times in its media tactics. They're better off now just publicly acknowledging that they are going through tough economic times and make the international public feel sorry for your economy. ("Aww...poor Argentina, I'll buy some of their oranges at the grocery store"). It's difficult for the global public to feel sorry for an economy where the president is perceived as a sociopathic meglamaniacal crook who is waging war with countries that were crippled by sanctions (it's the equivalent of a huge strong guy beating a child in a wheelchair to death trying to get sympathy from the press).

[solinvictus]

5. Unemployment

I feel for people who are really hurting from this slump. The politicians have surrendered our economic sovereignty by allowing the manufacturing jobs to go abroad and at the same time deny vocational training for those left out of work.

[alarimer]

8. sad

I went in to work the other day and found a message on my email announcing that there would be a reduction in force effective August 31. Apparently our esteemed director of human relations sent out this global email at 430 pm then skedaddles to avoid the flack. I would have thought they could at least announce these things in person. This memo did not name any specific people to be laid. They will be told by letter (also extremely tacky). Needless to say this memo nearly gave me a heart attack. It turns out my division is not affected by it but I feel for the people who will be. P

[sirshack]

9. Well...

He was laid off from his job as a mold maker for a lock company in 2001. He'll be 65 soon. The truth is there isn't much call for workers with his skills anymore.

I feel for the guy, but it sounds like it's more a matter of having an outdated occupation. But being 65, I would think he's close to retirement anyway...of course he may not have anything put away for retiremtn.

Avril Sobolik was a corporate librarian.

I thought she was a Canadian punk rock grrl?