Regardless of the current hardships, there are consistently those who are living in cars, shelters of various sorts, under bridges, in impromptu tents in the woods and so forth. For many it is mental illness problems, for many it is drug and alcohol addiction, for some it is abject poverty. Several of the men's shelters here have empty beds most nights because there are those who will not put up with shelter rules that the doors lock at 7PM and reopen at 5AM, no drugs, no alcohol, no guns, no pets. We could go on and on with sympathy, empathy for the poor and the drug abusers, yet many/most of the issues are mental health and 40 years or so ago society chose to close the mental health institutions and decided that mental health could be treated on an outpatient basis. One has to choose to go for mental health help if one is to even hope to receive it. But to push people into getting mental health was determined to be a 'violation of their civil rights'. Sometimes you can't win for losing.
In most urban and suburban areas of the country--areas where there have tended to be the most layoffs and furloughs--those temporarily down on their luck are being protected from eviction, food is available from food banks and soup kitchens, unemployment has been stretched to cover a longer period of time than normal and utilities and financial institutions are offering assistance with rescheduling payments due. I understand that folks don't plan to fail but rather too often fail to plan. Folks who feel they have not gotten 'what they deserve' are all too ready to cry for the news camera or cell phone camera to post on Facebook with hyperbole about the direness of their situation.
America was historically considered 'the melting pot' because people of all nationalities arrived speaking little English, with little more than the clothes on their backs and the kids in their arms, with the dream of building a better life for themselves and their children. That meant working hard, being fiscally responsible, learning skills that would provide better jobs, and being an outstanding and reliable employee so that they were advanced when opportunities present themselves. A large number of those recently unemployed will return to their former employers, but if the employer can't hire them all, they will be selective about whom they have return. If an employee is not in the top half for quality of their work and attitude, they may remain unemployed.
We are going back to work here. A large part of the unemployed population here is service workers in retail, food service and resort hospitality. Resort hospitality even under normal conditions would be laying folks off for the summer, so that is not expected to rally much until early fall. Retail has apparently brought back about 25% while food service is being allowed to go from 25% to 50% occupancy next week so should be hiring back more folks. My guess is that most of the rational population shares the belief that it is too soon and going to look for a pair of shoes is not worth the risk of infection. We stopped by my favorite family owned Japanese restaurant a week ago for take out and although they have finished redoing the restaurant during the shut down they are unwilling to have any dine in yet for their own safety and the menu is posted behind a Plexiglas shield to keep it free of contamination.
In most urban and suburban areas of the country--areas where there have tended to be the most layoffs and furloughs--those temporarily down on their luck are being protected from eviction, food is available from food banks and soup kitchens, unemployment has been stretched to cover a longer period of time than normal and utilities and financial institutions are offering assistance with rescheduling payments due. I understand that folks don't plan to fail but rather too often fail to plan. Folks who feel they have not gotten 'what they deserve' are all too ready to cry for the news camera or cell phone camera to post on Facebook with hyperbole about the direness of their situation.
America was historically considered 'the melting pot' because people of all nationalities arrived speaking little English, with little more than the clothes on their backs and the kids in their arms, with the dream of building a better life for themselves and their children. That meant working hard, being fiscally responsible, learning skills that would provide better jobs, and being an outstanding and reliable employee so that they were advanced when opportunities present themselves. A large number of those recently unemployed will return to their former employers, but if the employer can't hire them all, they will be selective about whom they have return. If an employee is not in the top half for quality of their work and attitude, they may remain unemployed.
We are going back to work here. A large part of the unemployed population here is service workers in retail, food service and resort hospitality. Resort hospitality even under normal conditions would be laying folks off for the summer, so that is not expected to rally much until early fall. Retail has apparently brought back about 25% while food service is being allowed to go from 25% to 50% occupancy next week so should be hiring back more folks. My guess is that most of the rational population shares the belief that it is too soon and going to look for a pair of shoes is not worth the risk of infection. We stopped by my favorite family owned Japanese restaurant a week ago for take out and although they have finished redoing the restaurant during the shut down they are unwilling to have any dine in yet for their own safety and the menu is posted behind a Plexiglas shield to keep it free of contamination.
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