Thanks a lot Right Wing for making un/underemployment something to be ashamed about!

[alp227]

I just found this article "Without a job, California woman forced to live a lie" on CNN.com about Sukhraj Beasla, whose parents lie about her working as a bank manager (she's actually been underemployed since 2009):

Beasla, who is 30, has been living off part-time work since she lost her job in February 2009 as a project manager and later as a trust manager for LaSalle Bank.

She earned an annual salary between $65,000 to $70,000 and was about to be promoted to an assistant vice president, but layoffs came instead.

Now she's making roughly $1,200 in a bad month and $2,000 when times are good. Her estimated yearly income will be from $15,000 to $25,000 this year.

She's online all day promoting various clients for a social media marketing agency. Babysitting, dog walking, tutoring and a collection of random jobs occupy her nights and weekends.

It's enough to give her 40 to 50 hours of work every week, including weekends, but it's not always enough to cover the rent.

She's paying $1,300 a month for her one-bedroom apartment in Lake Forest, California. That's just under the average monthly rent for Orange County, which is $1,400, according to city-data.com.

The message of this story is that many Americans who used to have stable, well-paying, worthy jobs are too scared to be honest about their underemployment thanks to the Republican broad-brush smears about the poor and similar efforts to curb unemployment insurance.

[emilyg]

1. Sounds like their pride is the

reason for the lie.

[alp227]

2. my point was, they're afraid of being seen as bad people if un/deremployed

think about the stereotypes of "welfare queen" and "mama's boy"

[emilyg]

3. How do you know what

their reason really is for lying?

[I Have A Dream]

6. I think that she didn't choose to lie.

In reference to her parents who did make that choice, I agree that pride is involved.

The saddest thing about this story to me is this quotation: "Even my own parents are ashamed of what has happened to me."

Her parents are embarrassed by her even though she's doing everything she can to live responsibly. How sad. Well, the secret's out now...

[I Have A Dream]

5. Yes, until just recently, I heard disparaging things about people who...

receive public assistance but never about people who are unemployed. I've now begun to see Facebook posts belittling unemployed people as well. It won't be long before there will be calls for unemployed people who receive unemployment insurance checks to be drug tested on a regular basis.

What a mean-spirited country the United States has become. :(

[alp227]

7. maybe because it's easier to point at big gub'mint for unemployment

the common talking points: those high taxes that go to illegals and non-working bums are killing jobs and reducing productivity! because of the american individualist attitude it's much easier to shame people who are on public benefits than people who are down on their luck.

[leftstreet]

4. Her asshole parents should be proud of her hard work

'She's online all day promoting various clients for a social media marketing agency. Babysitting, dog walking, tutoring and a collection of random jobs occupy her nights and weekends.'

[reggie the dog]

8. if you sell drugs like in the series weeds because you lost your job

you probably should lie to most people, otherwise

[Admiral Loinpresser]

9. The shame is being in the 1%, not the 99%.

If Christ returns, his first act will be to go to Wall Street and kick some ass.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. It took three years

For people to stop blaming themselves during the depression. So this will/is changing. Next step is social unrest as blame goes from me and I to them.