economic crunch and layoffs

[gapeachy]

I never really thought this bad economy would hit so close to home but the paper mill my husband works at is a big corporation...and has alot of employees for Rome.....well they are shutting down for a week...that is just not like Inland paperboard.....we will do ok because as I tell everybody we live in a renovated barn....so we dont have the high house payments....and I am really frugal...but for the yound couples struggling I feel really bad for.....it is hard times right now......for about the last year I have been trying to get back to living off the land by using firewood and having a garden and canning and the eggs from the chickens and deer meat but the young couples now days know nothing about this....

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

You are absolutely correct. Here in Maryland the young couples that were buying houses when the houseing market had nearly doubled are finding it hard to make ends meet, when one or both are out of jobs.

And to think that because you been with a company a long times, means you are safe, is no true. Companies are cutting cost and many times those who have been with a company the longest also make a much higher salary.

Good Luck!! Sounds like you will do OK. My family has not been directly hit, but I have friends who have lost their jobs.

 

[Beau coop]

I am scheduled to be laid off in June. I work in a school and the governor of the great state of NY has deeply cut aid to schools for next year and I am in a nonmandated position as a school nurse. My job ends in June after 8 years. At least I have forewarning. We have teachers making 6 figures in our district thanks to the union. Did we not learn anything from the auto workers?

 

[gapeachy]

teachers are going on furlough (sp) here...

 

[Brown Egg Project]

Beau coop sorry for the news however you did get a notice. You are right with the education system issue. We moved last year from NE Ohio and the teachers were bleeding the taxpayers to death with new levies every other month. When we moved my property taxes were almost 4 thousand a year. My taxes presently on the same type of property in Kentucky are $819.00. It will not be long that the school systems will have to realize that the revenue is no longer out there and they will have to do as we do and balance their check book and spend wisely what they get from us. I can almost see us going back to the day our parents had with one room school houses. The cost of operating these huge county campuses and the busing is breaking the budgets along with the benefits and salaries. I tell my children go to school to be a teacher. Part time job Full time benefits. My degree is in business and I work my tail off 60-80 hours a week 52 weeks out of the year. I certainly hope I have not hurt any feelings out there but you have to admit 180 days is not really a full time job. I have close family that work in education and this topic comes up frequently and they agree that the union has just about broke the bank. Reorganization is coming sooner rather than later.

 

[Jena]

It is the same over herein the UK.

The biggest stores are closing down, and so many from the City of London and other companies being laid off. It is going to get worse, that is why I am building a life where I don;t depend on anything else.

I am older so the job market here is not for me anyway, I am a teacher but an adult teacher, and can't teach in schools. lol... they say I don;t have appropriate skills. lol... only in life and work, and caring.

I am qualified to teach english and History... the things we could do with right now.

So I have my chickens, I cook real food, and don't buy take away or Pizza, and if I want a curry I make it myself. I knit and I sew, and things don;tfall apart like many of the store bought things, so I will just continue with my self reliance.

I think this mess is going to take a long long time to sort out.

I also feel sorry for people who thought our our older skills had gone and would not be needed any more. I know how to use a hammer and a saw, and I am not afraid to try anything, I think a lot of them will have to learn also.

Thank God for age and experience.

Jena.

 

[Beau coop]

Agreed that the school system has jumped the tracks. As a nurse in my district I work the school calendar and only get paid for the school calendar. No pay for summer months, or holidays etc. that I don't work and no overtime for the extra time I do work. Make less than 30,000 per year to be responsilbe or the lives of everyone in the building. Anywoo...

I feel for people who are losing there jobs- I am also scared about the unempolyment benefits that have been extended. With less people contributing to the system and more people receiving benefits for a longer period of time- how long before this collapses also?

 

[The Chicken Lady]

The good thing about young people is that our generation is extremely adaptable, not loyal to any company (we'll go work for someone else somewhere else if we have to, and it won't bother us), and we are information savvy.

Trust me, if people from my generation want to raise animals, grow our own food and make meals from scratch, we're able to find out how and make it happen, thanks to the Internet. I taught myself to knit from YouTube videos; I didn't have to have a grandma or mother to show me how.

Don't worry too much about us.

 

[gapeachy]

Quote:
chickenlady that is so good you can do that....yes I think the young people are very adaptable.....I just feel bad because some live beyond their means.....food canning has become a lost art around here I would love to see more people canning their foods.....

 

[Jena]

Admire you, really.

But based on the young people around here they are just not up to it.

My area is full of very angry young people, and in the towns we are seeing more and more begging. I am also finding people in their 30s who don;t know how to cook.

So I do really admire you and I am not generalising.

I am sure in some areas you will find a full range of different people, and to be honest, I don;t know that many around here my age that do the things I do... in fact they all think I am nuts.... lol. But they like my curry.

Probably true.

I was in university with a lot of young people who were extremely resourceful, so I am not knocking anyone.

Good for you.

Jena.