Category Archives: Social Justice

If…

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Mitt Romney doesn’t care about the very poor.  Of course, he’s not the incredibly insensitive asshole that makes him out to be.  He only meant to say that there are programs in place to take care of the very poor people in our country.

What gets me is that he says, “IF there are holes” in that safety net.

Of course there are holes.  We have veterans and college graduates living on the streets.  Not that I think there are people who deserve to be homeless.  But even if it was a matter of being responsible and “working” and “making good choices.”  So many people have done that and yet – somehow they fall through these cracks.

IF they exist.

I hope this statement isn’t forgotten too soon and that we will hear a lot of talk, and see it followed up with some action.  There are holes in the safety net.  There are too many people who are homeless or hungry.  We do need to make changes.

The Problem with Marriage Equality

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Why can’t gay couples get married like anyone else? It’s taken me a long time and a lot of thought to finally sort it out for myself. I want to be in favor of equality, but I have issues with marriage.

You know the drill: “Traditional marriage is a contract between a man and a woman.”

But why? Why can’t two women have a contract? Why can’t too men? It never really made sense. And why should I care about what goes on behind closed doors in someone else’s bedroom? Continue reading “The Problem with Marriage Equality” »

Take a Shower and Get a Job

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Don’t I wish it was that easy?  I’ve been looking for a job for over a year and only managed to land one very temporary position that lasted for 2 months.

And I SWEAR… I take showers (especially before interviews)…

Still, with or without a shower, jobs aren’t that easy to find.  Rumor has it there are 6 people looking for every opening in my town.

I’ve got a college degree too.  And no, I haven’t gotten around to putting my application in at McDonalds or Walmart yet.  I’ve been focusing on jobs that I’m qualified to do.  And while I think that with my degree in IT I could learn to operate a cash register – even the kind with pictures instead of numbers – I have not got any real retail or fast food experience to help me get a foot in the door.

What about volunteer work?

Turns out you have to apply for THAT too.  And it helps to know someone… and be patient.  After 6 months of waiting I’m finally getting to do an orientation for a volunteer slot that has a 3 month commitment.

And I’m going to run completely out of money soon.  In 2 months I may not have a house to live in.  And how is that going to sit with my volunteer position – if I suddenly find myself with out a shower to take?

Yep, I’m headed down that road to becoming a “homeless bum”.  Me, and my 12-year-old son.  You might wonder why his dad doesn’t help – but dad’s been out of work for 3 years, run out of unemployment benefits, and can’t get on disability (which he really SHOULD qualify for) even though his health issues are probably the reason he can’t find work.

People just don’t want to take the risk of someone who might get sick being in their health insurance pool.

I wonder where people who think that their smart-ass comments like “take a shower and get a job” will take this country if we give them a chance?  Will things get better?  For whom?

Or will they get honest and quietly open a place to dispose of those of us people that have somehow fallen through the cracks no matter how hard we tried to do the right thing?

What to do if Your Employer Doesn’t Pay

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My Employer Didn’t Pay Me What He Owed

I’m 45-years-old and I’ve had more employers than I can remember. This is the first time I’ve ever had one who didn’t pay me what he owed. It just seems like there should be something that you can do. I mean, you did the work, right? You should get paid.

I asked this question a couple weeks ago hoping that someone here might have some experience, but the answers were mostly guesses. I did continue to look for answers though. I mean really, I figure the guy owes me about $2500 … that’s worth a day’s research, don’t you think?

Oregon State Employment Laws

Most states have similar laws, but you will want to find out how your state may differ from Oregon.

In Oregon, your employer is required to give you your final check on the day you quit… if you gave him at least 48 hours notice. If you quit without notice he has 48 hours to get you your final check. They are required to mail the check too.

In addition to your pay, you may be entitled to “penalty wages.” For every day past this cut-off the employer is responsible to pay you up to 8 hours at your regular rate. Unfortunately, you have to sue them to collect the extra wages, and it caps out at 100% of the amount owed in your final check.

I also learned that a lot of excuses like “they didn’t give notice” or “they didn’t return their tools” don’t help the employer out legally. You did the work, they owe you the money. Your responsibility is to provide proof that you were an employee and what hours you worked there.

If you are thinking about quiting your job you may want to start copying your time card, receipts, or anything else that might help you verify your employment. Make sure you have the name address and phone number of a few co-workers – especially one would be willing to sign a statement that you really did work there your final few days or weeks.

Filing a Wage Claim Form

There is a form that you fill out to get the state to collect your wages for you. It also becomes a matter of public record. Even if you don’t want to be bothered, or maybe you aren’t owed that much, but at least it can serve as a warning to other people who are researching the bum as a potential employer. You can also file a claim against an employer for not paying on time, not paying over-time, etc. You may not be able to collect money, but you can make the complaint part of the public record so other people will be warned about the company or person who has not paid you what you earned.

In my case, I told my employer that I was filling out the forms and he mysteriously appeared on my doorstep two days later (in spite of supposedly being broken down in Georgia…???) with a check in hand. The amount is still in dispute, but he’s bending over backwards to try to make me happy with the pay before I actually mail in this claim. Don’t know what the state would do to him, but I guess he doesn’t want to find out.

I may still file a claim for the “late” issue though. People really ought to be able to find out about this kind of thing before they accept a job.

Where to Find Help