Congress must extend unemployment benefits
Dear Editor,
When I was unemployed, I remember the daily struggle – endless days sifting through Internet job listings, revising my resume dozens of times a week to fit each opening, countless trips to the dry cleaner to be sure my suit was clean for an interview and then lining up transportation to get to those interviews. The only way I was able to survive – Internet bills so I could job hunt, printing my resume, paying for dry cleaning, bus fare, let alone rent and putting food on the table – was thanks to the $270 a week in unemployment benefits I received.
Like everyone else, I paid into unemployment during the years that I worked, knowing that safety net would be there if and when I needed it. I am lucky to be working now, but there are millions of people in our country that are still struggling and need that vital lifeline. It is time for Congress to remember who they work for, and who votes for them, and extend these benefits before the end of the year.
Jerry Tomaszewicz, Jr.
Ocean Beach
John: Your sentiment is correct, but not your facts. You did not pay Unemployment Insurance when you were employed. Your employer did (unless you owned your company). In California, most employers pay $245 per year per employee, unless they have tragically high claims in which their rate would up as much as twice the amount. The employer only pays into a pool — not directly for unemployed person’s claim.