How do you feel

[Jill Monroe]

26 million are out of work, 15% of the population have their credit scores plummet (and more will join th em), our envrionment is getting pummeled left and right by companies like BP, partisanship is making making american politics downright TOXIC, hate crimes/racial bias crimes are on the RISE and our standing in the global community is marginal at best....

How do you feel about what's going on? what issues are pressing your mind and heart in addition to the "headlines"? Do you think things will get better at all?

My worry (as vain as it sounds) is that things wont get better while I'm still YOUNG enough to enjoy the imporvement. I dont want it to be 20 years from now that things are FINALLY "okay".

[Pam De Beaufort]

Personally the biggest thing that i'm being effected by is unemployment. My boss sold his company and as for August 2nd i'll be out of a job. And what's worse is that Flagler County [where I live] has the highest unemployment rate in the country....so i'm pretty much fucked. Add that to the recent news that the Republicans just voted to cut unemployment benefits a couple weeks ago, i'm petrified I won't be approved for it now. So that's my biggest issue.

[Jill Monroe]

Man, Sorry Sam :(

I dont understand how the GOP can even begin to justify what they've done by blocking the legislation to extend unemployment benefits? they're going to DOOM MILLIONS who are already JUST hanging on by a thread via their unemployment! How can this be good for ANYONE? its going to send a ripple effect as more people default on mortgages, credit cards, loans etc.

I'm WEARY myself. Im employed and SO thankfull for that but i dont take anything for granted. I'm always concerned/worried about what could happen here that might make me lose my job and what I'd do.

I'm SICK of the republicans standing in the way of problem solving. all they want to do is block and filibuster every fucking thing! how can anyone vote for these people knowing this?

I'm sick of living in a country where big business is allowed to run rampant and unchecked (thanks to massive deregulation and other bad ideas from Reagan and the Bushes and even Clinton (WTO) ) while the people suffer. there's a WAR on the "middle class" and we're losing BIG time.

[Black King]

Sorry Rosie :(

I guess my primary fear is now that I'm gonna be moving into a live of my own is that there's not gonna be a place for me in society. No jobs, stagflation runaway, i guess as a sociologist it be fun to study a post economic collapse society i just don't want to live in one. Not hoping for a job at McDonald's or wherever i can hope to find one.

[Rampage]

That thing about unemployment benefits...my wife's just got cut off.

I NEEDED that legislation. Don't ever think it doesn't matter when you vote. I worry about my son, myself, my daughter-to-come. I worry that they will need Master's Degrees and that STILL may not be enough to keep them where they need to be at a cost of thousands...

[Black King]

That thing about unemployment benefits...my wife's just got cut off.

I NEEDED that legislation. Don't ever think it doesn't matter when you vote. I worry about my son, myself, my daughter-to-come. I worry that they will need Master's Degrees and that STILL may not be enough to keep them where they need to be at a cost of thousands...

A Master's Degree is definitely a worry in today's society, i know for sociology its a necessity for any advancement within the field. That's one of the roughest things to come to terms with in certain programs knowing that your first degree is pretty much a holder scrap of paper till you get into a advance program. If your family goes into social sciences plan out for the master's too if you can man :( I wish i thought that far ahead at first

[Jill Monroe]

i only have my BFA and im not even using it in my current work. its very upsetting that after getting through college, it turns out that my degree is all but useleses. college really ISNT for everyone ...for a variety of reasons yet we're told in order to be competitive in a "global market" we have to go to college but now instead of 4 years...you have to do six and get a masters and now ever THAT is becoming "obsolete" to some.

shit is getting out of hand across the board.

there are no manufacturing or service jobs in america anymore, they all went to overseas because companies wanted tax credits and cheap labor. people who DO go to school cant get jobs. my mother, a doctor, has COLLEAGUES who cant even find work!

[Archon]

Unemployment is really affecting a lot of people. It's also been tough on non-profit organizations that rely on private donations. I work for one such organization and insurance rates are one of our biggest concerns. It would be most helpful for us if more insurance companies were allowed to compete. As it is, we've got a very limited selection of providers and they have little incentive to lower their rates. That could be a large problem for us in the next 2-3 years.