Dear Mr. President,

I hope you’re not getting tired of me writing. It’s been a very hard week here at home. Several job interviews that have seemed to go swimmingly have resulted in last minute confessions from recruiters that I’m ‘just not quite the right fit.’ Of course to prevent litigation in case I’m being discriminated against for some ridiculous reasons, the companies are legally protected from actually telling me what I might have said incorrectly in the interview, in order to enable me to improve my interview skills.

I’d have to say, there are countless companies out there that are convinced they can help me get my next job. After my last layoff, I had one company charge me nearly $5,000 to ‘fix’ my resume and get me the phone numbers of about 500 company’s CEOs. They believed that if I went to the top decision makers that all I had to do was sell myself and they’d create the position for me. The company also told me that when an offer was made; they’d help me negotiate the offer.

The phone list yielded 25 out of 25 companies telling me to go through HR like everyone else. To be honest it was 23 out of 25 because 2 were out and out insulted that I’d taken up their time. When I finally did receive a job offer, the company that had charged me its exorbitant fee told me that contract negotiation was in fact an added feature that I’d also have to pay for.

You may wonder, why I’m even bothering to tell you this Mr. President. You see, people have decided to turn the business of getting a job into a business. No promises of work, no promises of results, just promises of willingness for them to take your time and money. The reason I’m writing you is because after this week, again… my unemployment runs out. My unemployment is my income now. And unemployment doesn’t pay for $5,000 spin services.

My next step will be after 14 years of success as a good worker and a trained professional to turn to Welfare. Welfare will provide me with enough for my wife and I to eat in an unhealthy manner. It certainly will not maintain the rent of the house I live in and I’m certain to lose that within 90 days. (I believe eviction takes 90 days). Further, I will run the risk of having my car repossessed if I can not meet those payments. I will therefore no longer be able to get to the job interviews that I need to. This in turn will shape my outlook and sharpness in the interviews I can get to. I may not be able to launder my clothes because that is not considered a necessity in welfare payments.

You see, a lack of employment in the USA has become a downward spiral into a whole that few have the means to climb out of anymore. These people are good Americans who believe in Freedom, Liberty, and in most cases, faith and family. These are educated Americans who want to give back as much as they want to thrive.

But the system doesn’t have a way to deal with this. We are told to keep savings but are living in jobs that wind up giving us only the smallest amount of average from month to month. We are moved from town to town expected to maintain a standard of living for as long as the employer needs us and then to figure out what we’re going to do once they tire of us.

I read countless stories at the time of the Dot Com bubble of 22 year olds driving Sports Cars while Police and Teachers would have to commute 2-3 hours for work because they couldn’t afford to live in the towns that demanded their service. Those 22 year olds are now 28 year olds who can’t find a job because they weren’t hired for their talent but for the ability to be creative for 60 hour work weeks.

The American sweat shop still exists. The country just does a better job of bribing its slaves and hiding this fact. And yet, we all still need to look into that world. Because trying to make a better world of it; doesn’t work.

But as you say… We need to have faith. I’m writing because that’s the last thing I know I still have. I have a religious path that gives me great fulfillment and try to participate to my fullest in it. Unfortunately, as all these other horrors come to pass; I probably won’t even be able to continue attending those functions.

So… this is my weekly checkin Mr. President. I wish I could believe you were getting my letters. I wish I could believe that if you got my letters you actually were reading them and trying to find a way to help us. I mean… I know you have a lot of international concerns right now and that the American People may not necessarily be high on the list.

I will continue to try to check in as things proceed Mr. President. Maybe someday you’ll get my letters. Maybe they might even make a difference for someone else. Maybe I’ll be able to send you the good news that I’ve found work and will not turn into everyone’s favorite country song. (Where I lose my house, my pets, my wife, my life)…

Unfortunately, if things don’t change… I won’t be able to keep writing you. They will turn of my utilities. I will lose my electricity, my network, and my ability to write you these letters.

I really hope it doesn’t come to pass Mr. President. I really want to have faith in what is supposed to be the greatest country in the world. It just seems that the country has lost faith in me.

May that which you hold holy bless you. May you wish the same blessings on me.

-Andrei

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