Time For Go-Go Juice! - What? Employers Won't Hire the Unemployed?

Ok – it’s hot, it’s muggy, I just threw on shorts, my fans are running full blast and the storms are brewing. And it’s like ten o’clock at night! How’s your Go-Go Juice been brewing this week? We’ll, I’ve been putting ice cubes in mine, although, they just simply melt. Central Ohio is purely mid-town USA where all middle states just seem to bake, sweat and where people take extra showers. This week, large dark swirly clouds brought tornado's South of Columbus and North near Michigan and the tips of Eastern Indiana a few days ago. Tonight, the storms are coming in from the North. But here in my little world of Central Ohio, my Go-Go Juice steams worse than the storms when it comes to hearing negative issues regarding the unemployed.

I read an article this week written by Chris Isidore, senior writer of CNNMoney.com about how the unemployed are getting the huge message from potential employers – ‘Don’t waste your time applying – if you’re not employed, we don’t want you.’ Many people who know me, know how I’ve been unemployed for awhile myself. I’ve watched this economy crash and watched fellow friends and colleagues lose their jobs too. And, once job openings slowly emerged, employers have been seeking solely the “cream of the crop” – candidates with high education, 10+ years experience in selected fields with varying credentials…you know the kind. They’re the Vice Presidents of companies who got unfortunately downsized from internal changes. Many of the top executives are leaving us middle managers in the dust and way out in left field. Well – I must say, that’s competition and it’s been truly fierce. It never did stop me though from trying. I listen to fellow out-of-workers who’ve experienced the same. So for a while, I didn’t feel so bad. I have tremendous credibility out there and one hell of a resume (so I’ve been told) yet, I couldn’t get an offer if my life depended on it. While I still do contract work as it comes available, when all is said and done, it is not a replacement of my normal hotel executive career that I’ve invested so many years in. However, now I may know why – because I’m not already in a “persay” job. And don’t think for one moment, such recruiters or people of human resources want to see just any job – such people in these positions are mindless drones who do not wish to put quality to the test. If they don’t see you in a job in the exact title and time frame for which meets the parameters they’ve set forth, forget it. Just any job will not do.

Sadly, as the economy slowly turns around, there are still millions of unemployed workers out there striving for their next career step, opportunity to shine and heck, for that matter, their next meal. Many of you know any further unemployment extensions are just out of the question. For Ohio, the agency (1)ODJFS (Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services) stated that approximately 98,000 people are about to lose the last of their UC benefits at the end of this month (June) and another 83,000 people by the end of July. Oh and let’s look ahead – Ho-Ho-Ho! By November, another 300,000 people will be out of extensions as well. There’s a nifty Christmas Gift in that stocking! So, if companies are not hiring the unemployed, then what will the unemployed do? I bet they’ll move away to another state like Iowa – where the unemployment rate is currently sitting at a very comfortable 6.8% and where professional and business services actually added over 5,000 new jobs over this past year. Now, if people move away, how does that affect (2)Ohio at its current 10.7% unemployment rate? Well, we currently have (3)approximately over 11 million, 500 thousand people living throughout the state. So…what’s the loss of a few hundred thousand people? No sweat! But, if we look at the worst areas to get hit, the urban areas like Mansfield, Delaware, Toledo, Greenville, Loveland, Montgomery, etc.? Those townships will be facing huge losses of revenues derived from the once hardworking individuals. That’s money lost for local fire departments, police departments, schools, road ways, wherever tax dollars are put to good use. We all know that a loss of tax dollars means a loss of motivators for even small business owners to come and thrive – hell, what would a veterinary doctor do if he had no clients? According to the article, businesses have been given a carrot to hire the unemployed. What’s the carrot? It’s a whopping 6.2% tax break from paying Social Security for each hired individual throughout the year. Let’s break that down. (4) Even at minimum wage, a given employee makes $7.00 per hour in the state of Ohio. In one week, at minimum wage, a potential employer would pay $17.36 per week in Social Security taxes. This tax break is an exemption for one year. For 52 weeks, the employer will get a savings of $902 from exemption for one employee. So, if even the small business owner who employs say 15 people and a fourth of those are newly hired unemployed, the business would get a huge thank you in the amount of savings of over $3,300 dollars at the end of the year. I don’t know about you, but I have many things I could do productively with savings over $3,000. So what’s wrong with these employers?

Well, let that be your Go-Go Juice for the next week! If you’re still unemployed – don’t beat yourself over the head…just get past the initial bureaucracy tied up in the line of HR and go straight to the decision maker. Welcomed or not, your chances might increase at an interview rather than waiting for nothing from someone who’s not even going to consider you at all. Good luck – keep your chin up and always keep a full cup of Go-Go Juice nearby.

Footnotes:
(1) ODJFS - Newspaper, The Plain Dealer
(2) Ohio Unemployment Rate - Bureau Labor of Statistics
(3) Ohio Population - US Census Bureau
(4) Ohio State Minimum Wage - Department of Commerce

Time For Go-Go Juice! - Oil, Water and Wildlife Just Don't Mix!

Good Morning to my many readers...how's your Go-Go Juice brewing lately? Mine is bubbling over in smelly slime and gastric distaste as our horrific oil spill continues to weigh heavy on our coast line, pocket books and worst of all, our eco-system. Millions of Americans are truly counting the immense amount of damage this event has endured, but I fear as many, the worst is yet to come. As the oil piles up, there are not enough bodies or equipment to clean it up. Meanwhile the oil is beginning to fill our streams and lakes that pour out into the rest of our country’s natural irrigation systems.

Millions of fishes, birds, plants, everything is becoming infected. Then, realizing much of this gulf area in the Louisiana territory, which is prone to hurricanes, can you imagine the oil being flung around hundreds of miles in all directions and how wide spread the damage will continue? It’s just sad and dangerous to future survival for all. I know I’m painting a rather demising situation, but the chemicals alone that will be reminiscent to our land will have lasting effects on how we treat water for usage, eat or not eat various foods, the animals prone to extinction from this, the inability to grow crops affected by this disaster…the list just goes on. Now, I do believe that nature has a way of taking care of itself – but what it will do is adapt, which means over time, we could see mutations that will affect our way of living or in the way we care for our nature. What I have a hard time understanding is why we haven’t sent welders under water to simply seal up the pipes? I understand that there are politics and policies written in place that supposedly tie hands in terms of how BP or anyone for that matter resolves the issue, but regardless, I think someone ought to just get in there and fix it and let the big chiefs fight it out later. It’s one thing to watch our eco-system, climates and other natural wonders change, immerge and die out at nature’s hand, but when man plays the perpetrator to this extent, shame on us. We’ve worked hard as a society to get people to recycle, pick up trash and somehow be more environment friendly or at minimum, mind conscience of how we impact Mother Nature, but good heavens! This is becoming a deliberate act of negligence of all leaders who are involved.

While anyone who watches these events discovers he has an opportunity or connection or idea to contribute to the resolve of this spill, I encourage any and all involvement. I added a slide show to give a visual understanding to the immense amount of oil we are dealing with, if you haven’t seen the pictures already. It will sour the cream in your Go-Go Juice instantly. So this week, support the volunteers and people out there using their Go-Go Juice at every effort to save our planet – and in this case, our own land and waters…or someday, your Go-Go Juice may not taste the same! Have a great week!

Time For Go-Go Juice! - Schools Out, Bored Teens - Can a Mom Trade?

Well – it’s 2 o’clock in the morning out here in Ohio, I’m snackin’ on a mini-chocolate crunch bar and sipping at a wonderfully warm cup of – you got it…my Go-Go Juice! All is silent in the house except for purring kitties and snoring children – all who have out done themselves for another year. That’s right – it’s all over. Whew! Another school year has come and gone…and, would you believe it? Not even three hours after coming home jubilantly from school did I hear those dreadful summertime blues – “I’m Bored!” Oh good grief! They usually give me a couple weeks before I hear those words! This proves to be a very long summer. But, after all is said and done, I have much to be proud of as Cassy walked the line in her cap and gown! Oh the tears, the memories of my high school days and the reminder of how many years have flown by. It is truly an accomplishment for us both! Oh Ya! The endless nights of burning candles of homework, the dreaded alarm clock that even beat the rooster’s call – the whining and moaning of going to school, the meetings, the greetings, the TAXI driving…my, my, my. And to think, I only have four more kids to go! LOL! But I have to say, Cassy did a tremendous job at meeting her challenges and getting great grades to boot! Is she college bound? Not just yet. It’s been a very stressful year for the family, so she will probably take a break and help me out some, but she does have her eye on returning to California and possibly going to USC! Hmmm! I’m not sure I see her as a Trojan gal – but on the other, I don’t see her as a Bruin, either! She is naturally gifted in the Arts and has an eye and hand skill in fashion design, architecture, and interior designing, but at the end of her year, she suddenly drew an interest toward education. Yep! She just might turn out to be a teacher. So who knows…the world is her oyster now and the paths ahead are full of adventure and mystery. Reality will also set in as she discovers the cost to paving the way to her dreams. Something we all face, especially today in our devastated economy.

While we as a nation are finally seeing a bit of rebound and that the growth of new business and revenues are slowly increasing, she will be facing high costs to gain the further education and expenses needed to continue her successes. Maybe she’ll be lucky enough to barter her way to a successful career. Think I’m joking? Bartering is gaining a lot of popularity as more and more people find creative means to acquiring needs without paying the hard to get cash.

As millions of US Americans are still out of work and unemployment benefits ending, you’ve read my concerns on the demands of civic organizations and non-profit agencies waning on the abilities to pick up the numerous tabs of needs – and that’s just for basic necessities. What if an individual finds a way to excel himself raising his or her own productivity by offering a service in exchange to acquire a need that someone else has? It’s like taking your cow down to the market and when others can’t give you cold hard cash for a great product, what do you do? You trade it in for two pigs, some eggs and flour.

Now, what if we did that in today’s modern world of business? What if I needed a website built and Mr. IT Guy would be happy to build it for me, but he wants to find a piano tutor for his son and I happen to play piano! So, we trade! We both get what we need and no one pays the cash for it…just our own investment of time. But now, in the art of bartering, it’s not so practical if we each live on the opposite side of the country from each other. So, how do we make this practical? Time banks were developed and are now popping up all over the nation. Anyone can create a group associated with these Time Banks where members would actually invest their “time” by contributing X-Amount of labor hours of their work without getting paid. Let’s say, a hairstylist decides to become a member. This hairstylist would work for four hours each week cutting people’s hair without pay, but the hours are registered with the exchange. One day down the road, when the hairstylist is in need of a service, but cannot pay for it, he/she can then look into using his/her “time” investment dollars to pay for a “wedding cake”. This is what Maria Villacreses did for her wedding as stated by Michael Rubinkam, an Associated Press writer when he published her story as well as the stories of other “Time Dollar” members. Click here to read the article. According to the article, there are approximately 115 Time Banks across the country with another 100 preparing for new development and membership has risen above 15,000 people. One bank is listed to be over 10 years old. Ten years old! I didn’t know these types of banks existed! Now, how cool is that? And, what better time to have such resources made available to the public. Now it’s just a matter of time in getting the word out on the street! No doubt more and more people will take advantage of this amazing opportunity to beat the economic woes! So, there you have it…Cassy just might get through college with Time Dollars – sense and time well spent! No pun intended! LOL.

So dear friends and valued readers – sip your Go-Go Juice and enjoy its every drop. It may have been made available to you by someone looking to trade. Have a wonderful week ahead and don’t get too caught up into the summertime blues. I’ll have upcoming tips for some wonderful trips – where of course you’ll be able to take your Go-Go Juice as well. Blessings!