I put an ad on Craigslist yesterday looking for someone to clean my house

[w8liftinglady]

once a week-looking for someone in my small(less than 10,000) town.The responses I've received(over 300) have been heart wrenching.I am offering $50-75 a week(cash)
"I have three small children-I need to start-is tomorrow too soon?"
"I was laid off last week.I'm a guy,but I'll do a great job."
"That money will mean the difference between walking and driving for me."
and on and on and on.
I hope our Congress will be proactive in creating a works program.When it hits here-you know things are bad.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. :^( And I know you want to pick everyone of them to help them. *hugs* How will you ever choose?

[w8liftinglady]

3. I wish i could-I'm giving their emails to my co-workers

we are all nurses who work way too many hours.Maybe some of them will get a hand.

[spinbaby]

2. That's really sad

That we've come to this.

[sagetea]

5. One of my daughter's friends' called her over the weekend

and asked if she could come over and get something to eat. My daughter, hasn't seen this girl in over a year, they go to different schools.
I baked a bunch of bread and made huge salads and meat and potatoes and told her to tell her mother that I didn't have enough room in my freezer so she had to take some. It's so bad out there, I can;t go a single day without crying. In these small rural towns, everything is just drying up.

[soothsayer]

4. less than 10,000 is small? is it square inches?

[reflection]

6. I believe it was a population reference. n/t

[w8liftinglady]

8. right-small town 40 miles south of Dallas

[drmeow]

7. I feel awful because in about a month

I'm going to have to "lay off" my cleaning woman when I lose my job. I feel worse about that in some ways than about losing my job.

[inthebrain]

9. The job market will probably "recover" but

folks going back to work are more than likely going to make less than they did before. That seems to be the case whenever we go through these recessions. The last really big one we had in the late eighties early nineties was simialar to this one. Folks that got laid off wound up finding work after a very long period of time but the cost of living went up and the pay didn't really follow inflaton.

Folks wound up working harder and picking up another job just to keep up.

This is more of the post WWII economy (That boon in the 50's and 60's was really an accident and a result of our competitors destroyed and rebuilding) shrinking and things looking more like they did before that.

These recessions really don't happen by accident or are some blip. It's capitalism at work restructuring so the workers make less and the fat cats get fatter.

[bvar22]

10. ?

"(That boon in the 50's and 60's was really an accident and a result of our competitors destroyed and rebuilding)"

Not exactly.
The "Socialist" programs for GIs & Families, affordable Health Care, low tuition "State" Universities, regulated Banking/Lending, Regulated Utilities, along with strong LABOR Unions and a Progressive Income Tax (top bracket 90%) allowed the greatest expansion of the Middle Class the World has ever seen.

"Rebuilding" Europe and Japan certainly contributed to the "boon", but the basic Economic Structure of the US after WW2 (FDR) is what allowed the Middle Class to flourish.

That couldn't happen under our current Economic Structure.
Look at the very small number of "elites" who are benefiting from our current WARS and "Rebuilding". It is NOT the Working Class.


Why do we need "New" Democrats.
I liked the "Old" Democrats.


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[inthebrain]

41. If you're talking about FDRs new deal

His programs were not designed specifily to help people with no job. You could walk on and sign up for the Tennessee valley authority and no be unemployed. His New Deal Program was not designed to do what people think of them.

His recognition of Unions was meant to haul them in and prevent national strikes.

Many of his acts were designed to quell the socialist sentiment at the time.

Those programs did not get us out of the depression. WWII did and much of the job growth and pay increases were an accident resulting from the destruction of this countries competitors in Europe.

[bvar22]

42. The ability of my family...

...to Step Up from dirt poor to College Educated in one generation was a DIRECT result of FDR's "Socialist" Programs:

*a 90% upper bracket Progressive Income Tax,

*low cost State Higher Education,

*VA Health Care (Single Payer),

*Strong LABOR Unions,

*Regulated Banking/Lending

*GI Home Loans (Socialist)

The country as a whole benefited from the Socialist Industrial Works Programs during The War, but that prosperity did not end with the War thanks to the Economic System in place.

From 1946 to 1966, it was possible for a non-college educated man to:
*Find and keep a good long term job with benefits

*Raise a family with all the conveniences of the suburbs

*Afford good Health Care

*Buy and pay off a good Middle Class Home

*Buy a NEW car every few years

*Travel and vacation every year

*Take care of elderly parents

*Save money for "retirement"

*Send 3 children to the State University who could graduate Debt Free.

If Middle Class Working Americans had any representation in our government, all those things could be possible again. While WW2 spending contributed to some of the prosperity, it is NOT true that we NEED a WAR for those conditions to return.

[Recursion]

12. Since Reaganomics, "recoveries" haven't restored jobs

The only one that did was Clinton's in the mid-90's, and that was a perfect storm of government works programs and the essentially wholecloth creation of a new field (MIS/IT). Sometimes I think Marat was right...

[Buzz Clik]

11. We've had the same two people clean for us for about 3 years.

They are hard working and decent at their jobs, but they progressively grew more and more whiney about trivial issues (dog barking, kids popping in and out, not getting the correct cleansers). Until about 4 months ago. Now, they seem more satisfied with their work environment. Wonder howcumthatis....

[mmonk]

13. That is sad. Maybe one day, the politicians will leave the bubble

of Washington soon and see for themselves.

[never cry wolf]

14. I've been laid off dince April 1

I am a licensed architect with 30 years experience. My former employer sent me a tip a week ago Friday that my local school district needed a part-time project manager for summer school work. I promptly sent in my resume. I followed up on Monday with a call and they had already received 10 resumes from architects. This is a part time position lasting 3 months and in one business day they got 10 resumes, sheesh!

I have sent my resume out and applied for well over 100 jobs local and worldwide, including Iraq and Afghanastan, not a sniff. I have already filed for bankruptcy but cannot even make that payment, much less my mortgage.

[Lorien]

26. I hear you. I'm in just about the same boat

even when I'm asleep I dream about looking for work and losing my home. It's truly frightening. :hug:

[w8liftinglady]

15. there are another 50 replies since I posted this.

:cry:

[Ikonoklast]

16. I don't want to be a wet blanket, but do yourself a favor and

make sure to get references.

[w8liftinglady]

17. I know.I plan on meeting them first and calling around.

Problem is-a lot of these folks simply don't have references.They are trying to survive.

[Ikonoklast]

18. I can understand their predicament.

There was a time when I did whatever I needed to do in order to survive economically, and sometimes that was getting hired just on a handshake and a good rec from a friend of the boss.

But I did my damndest, no matter how hard or dirty a job. I needed the money.

[Stephanie]

19. Maybe you could start a housecleaning service and hire a few of them?

A little non-profit cleaning company for home and office?

[AnneD]

20. They say the economy is good here in Texas....

but not everywhere in Texas. What a great idea w8lifting......I think I will look into that. I am ok in my job, have a bit saved. Maybe I can come up with some work. I eat out at small mom and pop places now (and tip well). I have also ramped up my charitable donations and food bank donations.

Bless your heart-I know that is hard to choose (yeah I have a tough Nurse exterior-but I am a real marshmallow on stuff like this). Maybe you could have a group of your friends can arrange to have one of the people replying to your ad wash and detail their cars at a location. Nurses never have time to wash and wax their car either ;). And then there are house windows, and minor repairs like fawcets, caulking, etc....Hmmmm.

[w8liftinglady]

22. I plan to mention this to my friends.

No-we aren't made of money-but I can spare $50 bucks.

[distantearlywarning]

21. I put an ad up last week

I was looking for someone to come do about 2-3 hours of very, very physically hard manual labor. The wage was $10 an hour.

I got 25 responses the first day, some similar to yours - "have two small kids, out of work, will do anything, please call!" , etc.

[Wednesdays]

23. Suddenly, there are 2-3 guys per week offering to cut my lawn

That has never happened before. I've lived at this place for 5 years, and NO one has offered to cut my grass until some guy showed up one time last year. Now there are around 2 or 3 different people each week ringing my doorbell, looking for work. There are a couple of returning guys, but almost all are ones I've not seen before. There's nothing different about my lawn than in previous years.

And this is in "recession-proof" Oklahoma City.

[Lorien]

24. I know how they feel. I'm unemployed and the bank just took away my

equity line, which is all that was keeping me afloat. I'm taking whatever kind of work I can get these days-which makes looking for the jobs that pay decently tough. I'm completely exhausted and don't know what else to do. I'm selling what I can on eBay, working on a website, doing jobs in exchange for advertising, networking like crazy, trying to get retrained (which is expensive) but it's not enough. :-(

[NashVegas]

25. Don't Forget to Demand Someone Who's Bonded

Just sayin' ...

[w8liftinglady]

27. how do you get bonded?

[pitohui]

29. these desperate people who are not bonded WILL sue you at the drop at the hat

cute questions about, oh how do you get bonded? may sound all cool and smart ass BUT if the person you choose is not bonded and licensed, the odds are EXTREMELY high that they will suddenly have some reason to sue you

yes, you want to help others, but use some common sense and help yourself and your own family first

several of my acquaintances are con artists and slip'n' fall is one way they pay the bills

use common sense

it's THEIR job to get bonded, it is not YOUR job to get them bonded for you, it's pretty basic

when i have 50 people competing for a job, i always pay a little more and give it to the guy/gal who is licensed/bonded (admittedly i can't afford to hire a maid, which is for the rich, but there are things we can't do such as tree removal)

if you want to lose your homeowner's insurance, just hire based on pity points

if you want a good job done, hire based on qualifications and the ability to get bonded is pretty gee dee basic (a $1000 bond is all that's required in many jobs around here)

[Statistical]

35. Agreed.

Desperation often brings the worst out of people.

Someone struggling to make ends meet may weigh $50 per week against "fall down" these stairs and get $20,000 up front. $20,000 / $50 = 400 weeks worth of work.

It can be a lot of pressure when facing foreclosure on not knowing how to put food on the table.

Protect yourself first. If you are sued or robbed you won't be able to help anyone else.

[itsrobert]

28. I put an ad looking for someone to install step rails on my truck

Got about 20 replies in 20 minutes. Going to pay $50, which I thought was a fair price. I probably could of got away with only paying $20.

[Mari333]

30. I live in a town of 5000 people and

the last factory just shut its doors...300 jobs gone. the newest crime hitting here is people coming to ones door and shaking the handle to see if your house is unlocked..if it is, they steal electronics and cash out of your house..a rash of these burglaries now...and we never locked our doors here...but now, thats changed too.

[tammywammy]

31. We placed an ad on Craigslist for a receptionist once

Got about 40 or 50 resumes, at least. Set up interviews with about 8-10 and none showed up.

[tblue37]

32. I used to have a home daycare (for 18 yrs), but since I also taught college,

I needed a substitute sitter for 2-4 hours a day, three days a week. I would hire a student I knew well and keep her for the entire time she was in college, so the kids wouldn't have constant turnover. I paid above minimum wage, so finding a sub was never a problem. I always used to joke that I was one of the major employers in our job-scarce college town.

[nostalgicaboutmyfutr]

33. Do you ask if they are Republican???

Because you should consider it....

Do they listen to Rush and Hannity?? Do they deserve help?

I am just saying....

Is that going too far??

[w8liftinglady]

34. I don't care.Sometimes harsh reality is a good teacher.It transformed me.

[AnneD]

39. I had a really rough patch....

after I got laid off and before I got into Nursing school. Unemployment ran out and I did lawns and house cleaning to survive. God Bless my kind neighbors that hired a this gal for yard work in the fall. I raked leaves and did heavy lifting for this elderly man all winter and early spring before I got a much needed 20 hour a week part-time job. I had a few houses to clean sporadically but I had yard work every other week that I could count on. Looking back-I know he must have grown up in the Depression and understood what was happening.

I learned so much from that experience. Maybe I am a sucker, but in these days and times-I tend to trust these folks. It is hard to ask for help so I figure they are really in a jam and need help. It won't take long to figure out otherwise.

[Random_Australian]

38. Yes. It would be an outrage for a republican to fire someone for supporting Obama,

and as such it is wrong to discriminate based on political belief when hiring.

That said, I think I understand how you feel. I just think it is letting your feelings take you too far.

[LiberalAndProud]

36. This link might be helpful. It won't help you choose, but ...

http://taxes.about.com/od/preparingyourtaxes/qt/scheduleh.htm

[w8liftinglady]

37. geez...that's overwhelming!

[here_is_to_hope]

40. This happened to another person here in Oregon, they put up an

ad for once a month lawn care. I saw the ad and replied, I was the first of 200 that replied.
Insane.