A (sadly) average Joe

[ozymandius]

As Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond says, "When the guy on the other side of town loses his job, it's an economic slow down. When your neighbor loses his job, it's a recession. When you lose your job, it's a depression."

The Vecchios are in depression territory. He has now been out of work a full year and without unemployment benefits for six months. His wife also recently lost her job, and now is having health problems. The pair lost their Alpharetta apartment a few weeks ago, Catherine's two teenage boys have been shipped to an aunt, and the Vecchios now reside in makeshift living arrangements in Midtown.

To find something to do with himself, Vecchio began volunteering for the Howard Dean presidential campaign in Georgia. Through the campaign, he met Phyllis Huster, who's letting Vecchio share her apartment for a few weeks while she helps him track down a job.

Thurmond says he doesn't expect the job market to improve much.

This story focuses on an Atlanta couple. However, I believe that the situation described therein is universal to our collective plight under this Bush* and what he represents.

[papau]

1. Joe is for real - a nice guy - posted at DU

I hope he comes out of this OK.

:hi:

Joe!

:-)

[demnan]

2. Hey that's a great political ploy in these awful times

Any of you unemployed DUers hang at your local unemployment office? Next time bring voter registration forms and pursuade other unemployed people to vote.

Been there, done that.

[sonias]

3. wish him and his family the best of luck

We are all average Joes and Catherines. Thousands if not millions of people all over this country just like this poor couple. God bless everyone of them and I hope we can all hang on until we can get bu$h out of office. bu$s is only making the working person's plight much worse.

Sonia