Last year at this time I was in Pennsylvania, a situation I wrote about in this blog. I was there for a job which ran from late April through October. Shortly before I left there I was able to arrange another job back in Massachusetts which ran from November through the middle of April this year, when I was laid off.
So right around the same time I was offered the job in PA last year, lo and behold another job posting this year for a virtually identical job to the one I was doing last year came across the wires. The same recruiter contacted me about it and I said yeah let's do it! The job I had in Pennsylvania was a good one and I found places to stay with friendly and interesting people in the quaint little historic towns of Millersville and then Marietta, which came to feel like a second home.
So I called my former manager and told him I was eager to come down again. Things looked good. Then it became apparent things were not so good. The job was being promoted by other recruiters at half the rate I got last year. Last year before I left GSK outsourced their entire security team, laying off everyone in that department, and one of my friends there who was a business analyst I learned earlier this year had been laid off as well. So GSK is evidently pinching pennies along with the rest of them.
Another former employer, Teradyne, evidently now is outsourcing the entire documentation department they have had in place for many years. So that will put several more writers back in circulation as competition for every job heats up more and more each day.
Meanwhile unemployment benefits are running out for many people who are desperately trying to find jobs. And Congress is one vote short of approving benefit extensions because it will add to the federal debt. They can't approve something that we don't have the money for. Sounds reasonable. So if I don't have the money to pay my mortgage, I shouldn't pay it. There goes my house. If in order to pay the mortgage I have to forgo paying the exorbitant electric bill, I shouldn't pay that. There goes my ability to live in my house. If in order to live somewhere I can't pay for medical insurance which is required here in Massachusetts, I shouldn't pay for that. There goes my ability to see my doctor after I am forced into a restricted network plan.
You know something, Congress? If you don't have the money to help me, I don't have the money to help you. If I don't have an income, why should you have one?
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Massachusetts Democrats and Elections
Faux pas #1
In 2004, Senator John Kerry was running for president. To many, his chances of winning looked good. Good enough that the possible consequence of him leaving his senatorial post began to rattle the nerves of Democrats. At that time, the law allowed the governor to appoint a senator if the seat became vacant. And who was governor in 2004? Mitt Romney, a Republican.
However, the state leglislature was dominated then as it is now by Democrats. What did they do? Take precautionary measures. Change the law so the governor no longer had the option of appointing a U.S. senator. Give the choice to the people! Hold a special election! A good populist move.
Next we have 2009. Senator Kennedy, in failing health, resigns. But Romney is no longer governor. Deval Patrick is governor and he is a Democrat. So it is safe to let the governor appoint a new senator, but wait! He can't! The law was changed to hold a special election! But that can't happen for a few months, and in the meantime the Democrats are one vote short of a super majority in Washington D.C. One vote short and that won't get resolved until the special election to be held between 145 and 160 days after the seat becomes vacant. Now the Democrats may not be able to ram their agenda down the national throat.
But there is a solution! Change the law again! Give appointment power back to the governor! So that is what the Democrats did. The day was saved!
Unfortunately, in spite of all this chicanery, the Democrats proved to be true to their tradition. Their agenda went nowhere.
Faux pas #2
The economy tanked in a very big way. On a massive, even worldwide scale. No matter who made this all happen, the Democrats were in control and had the power to start bailing out the sinking ship. So what did they do? They bailed out the banks who lied, cheated, and purloined on a gigantic scale. In Massachusetts of course they couldn't raid the treasury, so in the midst of very high unemployment and foreclosure rates, they raised the sales tax.
Faux pas #3
Massachusetts has long been dominated by Democrats. Next to the governor, the single most powerful person in the state is the speaker of the house. So for a long time the speaker has been a Democrat. They say power corrupts, and they appear to be right. Three speakers have left in disgrace: Charlie Flaherty, Tom Finneran, Sal DiMasi, in that order. DiMasi is under indictment, along with fellow Democrats former state senator Dianne Wilkerson and Boston Councilman Chuck Turner.
Special Election
So when the special election finally came around after a Democrat was safely installed as interim senator, the Democrat nominee, current Attorney General Martha Coakley, seemed a sure winner. The only competition was an upstart Republican state senator from Wrentham that no one ever heard of, named Scott Brown. But he was no danger to Democrat hegemony in Massachusetts. The voters of Massachusetts haven't voted for a Republican senator for something like 42 years! Why would they do that now? Why indeed.
In 2004, Senator John Kerry was running for president. To many, his chances of winning looked good. Good enough that the possible consequence of him leaving his senatorial post began to rattle the nerves of Democrats. At that time, the law allowed the governor to appoint a senator if the seat became vacant. And who was governor in 2004? Mitt Romney, a Republican.
However, the state leglislature was dominated then as it is now by Democrats. What did they do? Take precautionary measures. Change the law so the governor no longer had the option of appointing a U.S. senator. Give the choice to the people! Hold a special election! A good populist move.
Next we have 2009. Senator Kennedy, in failing health, resigns. But Romney is no longer governor. Deval Patrick is governor and he is a Democrat. So it is safe to let the governor appoint a new senator, but wait! He can't! The law was changed to hold a special election! But that can't happen for a few months, and in the meantime the Democrats are one vote short of a super majority in Washington D.C. One vote short and that won't get resolved until the special election to be held between 145 and 160 days after the seat becomes vacant. Now the Democrats may not be able to ram their agenda down the national throat.
But there is a solution! Change the law again! Give appointment power back to the governor! So that is what the Democrats did. The day was saved!
Unfortunately, in spite of all this chicanery, the Democrats proved to be true to their tradition. Their agenda went nowhere.
Faux pas #2
The economy tanked in a very big way. On a massive, even worldwide scale. No matter who made this all happen, the Democrats were in control and had the power to start bailing out the sinking ship. So what did they do? They bailed out the banks who lied, cheated, and purloined on a gigantic scale. In Massachusetts of course they couldn't raid the treasury, so in the midst of very high unemployment and foreclosure rates, they raised the sales tax.
Faux pas #3
Massachusetts has long been dominated by Democrats. Next to the governor, the single most powerful person in the state is the speaker of the house. So for a long time the speaker has been a Democrat. They say power corrupts, and they appear to be right. Three speakers have left in disgrace: Charlie Flaherty, Tom Finneran, Sal DiMasi, in that order. DiMasi is under indictment, along with fellow Democrats former state senator Dianne Wilkerson and Boston Councilman Chuck Turner.
Special Election
So when the special election finally came around after a Democrat was safely installed as interim senator, the Democrat nominee, current Attorney General Martha Coakley, seemed a sure winner. The only competition was an upstart Republican state senator from Wrentham that no one ever heard of, named Scott Brown. But he was no danger to Democrat hegemony in Massachusetts. The voters of Massachusetts haven't voted for a Republican senator for something like 42 years! Why would they do that now? Why indeed.
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