Unticipating July 1st possible MN State Shutdown.

[ahka]

I have not been writing about our political situation in our state and I wish, I didn’t have to follow politics but being a state and federal employee it is unavoidable.  Here is the article from MPR with more details about the situation:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/05/31/layoff-notices/

 

Our union has been preparing us for the state shut down since beginning of May.  It was right around the time that Boris started having his business problems.  Of course, when it rains it pours. 

No one has much information about what is going to happen and of course this makes me and others anxious.  There might be state shutdown and there may not be but being prepared would help, I guess. 

What does it mean for me?  It means that after July 1^st I might be laid off for who knows how long until Republicans would agree to raise taxes for the rich as it was done back in Clinton era.  During lay off time there would be no pay, no medical insurance or other benefits, no unemployment because people who process paychecks and unemployment will be also laid off.

Our union leaders suggested saving some money, not to do any big purchases and take care of our medical needs and prescriptions before July 1^st.  I decided to make some doctor appointments in June but none of the doctors were available in June and they would not allow me to do my physical if it hasn’t been a year since my last one.

Here is an interesting chart that shows this country’s values in dollars: http://jackdean.posterous.com/must-see-chart-this-is-what-class-war-looks-l

On the daily basis I work with the poor people who are having hard time to feed their kids and many are homeless.  They are trying to do as much as they can with the resources that are available to them at this point to get out of poverty.  I cannot even imagine what would happen if there will be no more assistance programs for the poor.  I am sure that there will be high crime and diseases spreading around.    

What I am mostly upset is every time I start talking about these issues with my friends who came from the former USSR, they totally forgot that they and their families were getting free ESL classes, welfare benefits, medical care, many got subsidized housing, their grandparents are taken care of financially and medically, some were getting unemployment benefits at some point, most got grants and subsidized loans for higher education but they are against all of the programs for the poor and government assistance!!!

How quickly we forget our past troubles in a luxurious and comfortable present!

 

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_milashka/]

I don't really find it to be true
at least in my family we're on the same side :)

[agusovsky.livejournal.com]

Lucky You!!! :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_milashka/]

у нас только старички с обеих сторон "республиканцы" и то, потому что они день и ночь смотрят русское ТВ, которое только эту сторону и пропагандирует
А про Гарика и ко я вообще не говорю

А так, все Фрайманы и Михайленко - демократы, что очень удобно - все друг с другом более-менее согласны :)