I just want people who have good jobs to see what it's like to be on the other end, where you're scraping by, trying to find work.
I've seen it time and time again. People talk down to us like we're losers or drug abusers. I'm not a lazy person. I don't do drugs and I never have. I'm a hard working person.
Until the recession hit, I had never been unemployed before.
I had completed high school, have two years of vocational school, and I've worked mainly in warehouses or factories over the years.
In 2009, I was working at a warehouse that stocked outdoor furniture and accessories. My wage was decent -- around $9.75 an hour. It was just enough to survive on. I loved the job and the company. We were busy all the time, and I had no problems getting 40+ hours of work each week.
Then the company went out of business.
For a while, I jumped around from job-to-job, finding work through temp services. With the recession hitting, I couldn't find permanent work.
I was lucky if I made $8.50 an hour. Some places, they only need you for a few weeks, and then you have to start searching all over again.
Now the temp jobs seem to have dried up too. I made only about $5,000 in 2013.
I had some savings, which helped pay the bills. I'm renting a trailer, but if I don't find a job soon, I'll have a hard time keeping the place.
God knows where I'm going to be in a year, if I can't find something.
I want the government to stop fighting with each other, and get us jobs. It might be $9 an hour, but it's better than nothing.
