[Tricia819]

Originally Posted by Rapunzll

Tricia, at the time the original post was made, the extension had not been approved.

Whoops....I forgot to look at the date of the original post.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by Rapunzll

Malamute, I am moving to another state actually, as soon as my house is sold. If all goes well, we should close by the middle of Aug. :-)

Good luck on the move. Moving isn't always easy, but for many it is the only feasible option. Moving away doesn't have to be permanent, someday but who knows when and if, things may be different.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by Tricia819

Moving isn't always an option. Many people, myself included, have responsibilities here. For example, elderly parents who rely on them for a large portion of their care. On top of which, I'm not about to ruin my credit by abandoning a house I cannot sell. Sometimes the right thing to do is to stick it out until something changes.

If you cannot find work, volunteering can prevent large gaps in employment, looks good on a resume, and keeps your skills "fresh".

Yes volunteering would keep the gaps filled on a resume and also provide the networking needed, references and so on.

I see it from my own circumstances where working for no pay would not be an option because I wouldn't have the means to go on very long without a paycheck but it's a good option for those who have large savings, or some families have two paychecks and can opt to live off one. I just believe for most people the extension isn't really that great an idea because the money to support them has to come from somewhere, higher taxes will drive away more businesses or individuals and that defeats the purpose.

I think it's actually not a good thing for a state to pay people to stay and not work both for the state and the individuals who would be better off leaving and working again. It's a good way to weed out the more ambitious who will simply relocate so they can work, but I don't mean everyone not employed outside the home is unambitious because like you said some may be very busy attending to family members and volunteering and have more options.

I just would wonder what happens when the extension runs out. People who waited could still end up having to relocate to jobs and the time wasted doing that could be crucial at least to some.

[JoeAlexander08]

Well the extension was approved for unemployment. The thing is you have to have lost your job on or after May 2007. If your from smaller areas in Michigan like me Evart Mi. where there are no jobs at all and haven't been for a few years now, you are out of luck! They told us to wait for a letter all this time, we have gotten turned down for jobs over and over. Michigan Works could find nothing wrong with my history or applications. Then you figure small area, they are probably hiring friends and family over people off the street.

Anyways I got my rejection letter today Sept. 10, 2008. Once rejected for the date of job loss, you can re apply, but the woman on the phone said I would just get rejected again.

Another example of The government not caring about the real state of things in Michigan.

Just stupid.

[barbergurl]

I imagine gr8pyrz DID pay enough into the system! Haven't most of us had a job since around the age of 16? I know I have been working since 14 years of age, so I would think I have paid my fair share in my 14 years of working to "justify" recieving benefits when my company shut down in February. The problem is that the WHOLE state is in financial crisis. It's a sinking ship and unfortunately people don't want to start businesses here BECAUSE of that!
And going back to your original response about people being "responsible for saving money..." Excuse me! I am a college student and didn't exactly start out with money in the bank... in fact I get more in debt with each semester. A lot of people are in debt or getting there quickly trying to better themselves with education in order to prepare for jobs that don't even exist here. It enfuriates me that pompous people like you just expect people to save what they have yet to achieve!

[merit1sje]

I feel for your situation gr8pyrz. I too am in construction and if it weren't for my wife working, I would have had great difficulty in holding on to it. Homes I think for most, have much more meaning than any other material thing that we have. It is our place of refuge. Our sanctuary. Even though we seldom give it much thought, we really take our homes for granted! We start out every day with many more things on our mind than that of our homes and yet, when we come home at the end of the day it is waiting there for us. The roof over our heads.

Tis a hard notion to try and wrap your mind around the fact that you may have to give it up. The things that "change" in our lives are the hardest to deal with. There is something to be said about consistency.

I'm sure that you will find a way to get through this. You may not win but you will persevere. We all do what we have to do, until someone finds a better way........... Good luck to you and yours