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Perspectives from the unemployed
Kai Ryssdal watches President Obama's speech with the roundtable participants.
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Kai Ryssdal leads a roundtable discussion on President Obama's latest jobs proposal, a $447 billion package of tax cuts and contributions to infrastructure. The four individuals joining him are all from Los Angeles and have all been looking for work for about a year:
- Jeff Uslander, a 44-year-old chemical scientist who was laid off a year ago from a cosmetics company
I'm trying to remain hopeful, but it's tough. And I don't see any future right now, but I think it's going to come.
- Jonquille "Jai" Damian, a 41-year-old who has an M.A. in behavioral science, but has been told in job interviews that she's overqualified
I thought, again, he [President Obama] didn't really address many of the issues at hand. He gave some ideas of what he wants to do, but I want more concrete definitions of what's really going to happen.
- Recent college graduate Maria Muniz, who is 23 years old and has interned a lot without pay and at a time resorted to living in her car
I went to college with hopes and dreams, just like everybody else. And when I graduated, the real world is not like the picture we thought it was going to be like.
- Thirty-eight-year-old Kori Ward, who has gone back to school multiple times after being laid off from a property management firm a year ago.
He's [President Obama] promising jobs, but when actually can we go to work?
They discuss the expectations they had from the president and his speech, what they think should be done to help the economy and their hopes for the future.
To listen, click on "Listen to this story" at the top of the page.
i a young person who has been looking for a job since 2008. i'm at the bottom of the barrel. i've lost over 250 thousand dollars of my retirement and have 50.00 dollars left. i know i will be able to get it back. time is on my side. i don't blame our president for the present problems. he's trying. i blame all the so called our greedy government. it always comes back to greed and not willing to share. this has been going for decades. as of today i'm on the short end of the stick, but i feel greatful to be one it.
To those who participated in the discussion with Kai, it is not Obama's fault you don't have a job nor is it the president's fault that unemployment is high and there are few jobs to be had. This situation was created by years of bad legislation (thanks Congress) and bad policy (thanks Mr. Greenspan, et al.). For those who think "the president isn't doing enough to creat jobs", please describe the mechanism through which he has this power.
In reply to Ms Damain, just because you have a degree, or even an advanced degree, no one owes you a job. Neither is the government responsible for providing a job for you.
Want change? Vote! Get big money and corporate influence OUT of Congress, OUT of the White House, OUT of government.
