Cutbacks in taxpayer funded services - this is what we need to be hammering

[proud2BlibKansan]

My son has been unemployed since February. He didn't get an unemployment check until JULY. Yes. it took 5 months for the state to process his claim and start sending him checks. He called and was put in a wait line. Then after several hours of being on hold, a recording told him the call volume was too high to answer his call today, please hang up and call back tomorrow. After a month of these calls, he went to the unemployment office. There was ONE worker there. She told him to call the same number he had been trying to call, there was nothing she could do to help him until his claim was processed.

He finally contacted his state rep who contacted the director of the state dept of labor. His claim was processed and he started receiving his checks. 5 months after losing his job. The reason for the delay? Not enough workers to process claims.

I had to go to the DMV to buy tags for a new car. You can renew online but you have to go in person to get new tags. First day I went there was a 3 and a half hour wait. They told me to go online and reserve a place in line. So I did and the website was down. Went back the next day and it was a 3 hour wait. Again they said reserve a place in line on our website. Tried again and site was still down.

Third day I got there and the wait was only two hours. So I waited. I counted 24 stations where workers could process tags and renewals but only 6 were occupied. When it was finally my turn, I asked the state worker who sold me my tag what was going on. I live right up the street from this DMV office and had gone in person many times to renew my tags. It was always a walk in walk out, no more than 20 minutes. The worker said they don't have the money to hire enough workers because of budget cuts. Revenue is down. I said I tried to go online and reserve a place in line and she said oh, you have to do that during working hours because the guy who used to maintain the website and process those requests got laid off. So the 6 people who work in the DMV office check for those requests when they have time during working hours. When they shut down business for the day, they turn off the line request process.

I got a letter from the state dept of revenue last week wanting to know where is my tax payment for 2008. I sent in a check in March of 2009 and the state still has not processed my payment. They cashed my check, but still have no record of receiving it.

I have a friend still waiting on her tax refund from the state for 2007.

This is what happens in a red state where republicans cut budgets and starve services. This is the point we need to be pounding into the heads of these limited government wingnuts who think they are going to win elections in November. A vote for them means a three hour wait to get tags for your car. A vote for them means your family starves for 5 months while you wait for your unemployment claim to be processed.

They are also closing schools all over this red state hell but that's another OP.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. My Dad always said, 'You get what you pay for.'

Low taxes = low/no service. Higher taxes = higher service.

You want low taxes then prepare for the above scenario x infinitum.

[Locrian]

2. just wait...

Just wait until they "fix it" by privatizing everything. Then the costs will go thru the roof while the service gets even worse....

Thats the plan all along. Break it, so the gov looks incompetent, then get private industry in to "fix it".


The fix is in.....

[maryf]

3. And where are all the money and jobs going to?

the military industrial complex of course, K&R. Hope your son gets the full coverage and can find a job soon. :hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. He just got a part time job

Went online and gave that info. His next check was held up. They were "re-examining" his eligibility. So he called his state rep again. Got the checks coming again. State rep said he is getting 4 or 5 calls a week from constituents having problems processing unemployment claims.

[maryf]

6. My sister went through similar crap...

Taught an art class one night a week, which she informed them of, and later they tried to claim that she should still be teaching a class that didn't exist...

[iamjoy]

5. Another Aspect of These Cuts...

People like to beat up on government workers as useless and a waste of money - until they need government services. Then they're mad because they have wait in line at the DMV or the park where they take their kids is run-down, etc. Then they criticize government for not doing more.

What people also forget when they talk about cutting government spending is the people the government employs. These are our neighbors, friends and family members who work as teachers, who maintain our roads and yes, clerk at the DMV office. When government cuts spending, these people are out of a job.

added on edit:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/10/welcome_to_the_anti-stimulus.html

an article about how the government cuts are causing the high unemployment rate. If you look at the private sector, it is adding jobs. But, the cuts in public sector jobs outweigh any benefit. Further evidence that tax breaks won't help and that spending cuts do have consequences.

[billlll]

7. Cops 1/3 gone, pothole repair cut, bridge repair cut(Minnesota collapse about 3 yrs ago))

E.coli + salmonella (lettuce, peanut butter) after food inspectors cut...

93% mental health funds cut since '80
(Pete Early book "Crazy...")So now horrible crimes by some who once would have been in State asylums for the CRIMINALLY insane. Remember this when u watch evening news..eg Conn. home invasion, serial killers, workplace shootings.

Some lesser crimes by those not needing asylum lockup, just pills and therapy...but getting neither, flip out with crimes.

Schools merging after cuts.

Boil water alerts as cuts end repairs to water mains.

NIH cut so cures not yet found for that relative's disease.

All GOP cuts to government services that hit voters. Memorize this list for the watercooler. Thanks. .