Another Turn Away

Recently my significant other after a frustrating adventure through job hunting since Feb 13, 2009 decided he should go back to school and get his degree. Well, with no savings left and unemployment running out he sought help from our local Employment One Stop. He contacted the local college and got accepted. They and the One Stop helped him fill out the paperwork for the 599 assistance which would help with the tuition and continue his unemployment while in school. That was back in November. On January 15th he got a letter from the state saying he was turned down for the assistance. The reason given is that he should have applied during the first 26 weeks of unemployment.

The following link shows the 599 information. http://www.labor.state.ny.us/ui/claimantinfo/training599.shtm It does not say that application must be within the first 26 weeks of unemployment. When he lost his job he did not anticipate being out of work 26 weeks let alone nearly two years at this point.

I am going to find a way to fight this. Any help we have asked for has been turned down. We do not have young children which has been part of the issue. If a person does not have children in NY they are not going to be assisted. No health care, no education, no HEAP, no nothing. We are a couple that have worked hard, contributed to our communities and not asked for anything. Yet the one time we look for help to get us back to being productive citizens we have been turned away.

The thing that really irritates me with this is New York would prefer you live on the streets than to see one improve their life and go back to being productive citizens. Once over the age of 50 and until one can receive Social Security one is put out to dry. We don't matter. My significant other is a tremendous talent and yet gets turned down for jobs anywhere from his field in technology to being a dishwasher. His hope was that a degree would make a difference for him.

We live in the western end of New York. An area that used to be a high industrial area. There are no major industries left here. This area has become very depressed. Crime rates are on the rise. People are leaving the area in droves. We are going to lose more representation in our government because there isn't enough of us. There are elected officials in our state capital who don't even know we exist. When asked these supposedly educated people claim they thought this area was in Ohio! Imagine that! No wonder this state is in the shape it is in. Its own representatives don't have a clue what is in their state.

Now I am going to close this Blog entry and start my letters to my representatives in hopes to get an appeal for my significant other's chance to go to school and better his chances of getting re-employed. Have a great day.