[asphaltgambler]

Just saw one of your fine representitives on TV this morning shouting out how "Someone needs to help our people in need of jobs and housing" / "We have a list of demands that must be met!!"

.......................see I was watching you on my local news channel at 5:30am......I was getting up at that hour to go to my *****y job as a Euro Technician. Where I am little more than a glorified labor subcontractor, I make about $35K less per year than I did in 2008 and.............get this......... no one pays me just to show up and put in time. According to my current pay stub I will gross even 'better' (sic) than last year; hitting an all new low.

There are many days lately where I am on-the-job for 9-10 hrs and am lucky to bill 4-5 hrs. For the past 3 months I have had to dip into my savings just to meet expenses. The industry I have trained for and dedicated my lifes work to is crumbling all around me and I have no where to "run". I am a trained, highly skilled blue-collar tradesman whose skills barely warrant average money these days.

I lost my new custom bulit house to foreclosure last year when after cutting every expense, almost exhausting all my savings, my wife working two jobs (both part time) I could no longer stop the bleeding. Even though I worked hard, saved for 7 years, put a chunk of $$ down, sound budget planning, got a fixed interest loan at a great rate and qualified with my income only, we could no longer survive. Think of a water faucet being turned off.........................except someone else is doing the turning.

This year I have spent countless hours and money; including hiring a consultant to advise me both professionally and personaly to re-train to improve my skill set to better market myself in this economy. Since the first of this year almost every off hour of my time is dedicated to job searching, honing my interview skills, studying, reading and researching what the next best move for me is. It is so consuming that it is virtually another full time job for me.

But don't fret protestors................ I have actually scored three face-to-face interviews with "Those 1%-ers".................but ultimately was not selected. I now live in a *****y house in a sht*y neighborhood and have sold on donated to charity a lot of things I used to consider important to me all in an effort to adjust to how things are now for my family.

You see ..............I am the son of parents who were from the Greatest Generation. They taught me early on the real meaning of "Responsibilty" When my parents grew up during the Depression......... there was no "They" .............there was no "1%"

It was you and your family and day-to-day survival was soley on you and your skills..............you had no choice BUT to try every day Through-out this whole deal, I have been angry, sad, tired, frustrated, pissed at what seems to be dwindling opportunity for me just to 'make' it. But just as my father did.......I'll continue to get up at 5:30 every day and do all that I can to provide for my family and plan for the future in these uncertain times.

What I WILL NOT DO is; Take 3 months off and camp out in DC, drink Starbucks coffee, wear clothes that someone else gave me, accept hand-outs from people, hang out all day in local government offices trying to disrupt people that ARE actually doing work. I won't blame everyone else on the planet for my failures, I won't help build a structure to
stay warm on DC's park/mall.

Tomorrow...........................When I'm up at 5:30 again..............I think I'll watch cartoons instead of the local news...........................I've 'earned' it