The Destruction of the Middle Class

Below is the story of a woman named Roz who has been hit HARD by the housing crisis and the economic crisis. She lives in Monrovia, which is a suburb of Los Angeles, California. Her words shed light on the impact of these troubled times on an American family that just one year ago was fine. Her story also sheds light into the hypocrisies of our public assistance system (also known as welfare), which has been structured to only provided services and aid to the most desperate members of our society, while leaving others--such as people who have been successful members of the middle class that now find themselves struggling to get by--high and dry.

WE THE PEOPLE--people like you, me and Roz, are the ones paying for broken healthcare and welfare systems that we aren't even eligible to apply for when we actually need to use them.

Now that the economic recession is getting deeper, there will no doubt be a rise in people like Roz who have been paying for public assistance programs for years, but now in their time of need are finding themselves ineligible to apply for programs that could ease thier pains in troubled times.

It is a very sad and backwards situation. Whoever becomes the next President MUST deal with these issues.

The following video is a relevant segment from last night's Presidential debates, which is a discussion about what each of the candidates plans to do about our failing economy:

So now, onward to Roz's blog entry.

Please read her words to better understand a personal viewpoint of this ROYAL MESS we have gotten ourselves into.

THE TIME HAS COME FOR US TO ALL START WORKING TOGETHER, CARING ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORS, AND REALIZING THAT THEIR STORIES ARE OUR STORIES!!!!!

Click the title of this blog post to link to her original blog post on KCET's SoCal blog.

Thank you!

You Can Call Me Roz

By Roz Lee
September 25, 2008 6:33 PM

Over the next few weeks, Roz Lee, who you met in a SoCal Connected

segment called Down But Not Out will be blogging about her search for

work on SoCal Connected.

You can call me Roz. I am a thirty-two year-old, 80's-loving (because

let's face it- those were the best times on Earth), movie-going, God-fearing,

fun-loving, love-giving, single, professional, and happy mother of two.

Originally from Asbury Park New Jersey. I've been a resident of sunny

Southern Cali for 26 years now. Currently, I live with my domestic partner

of 7 years (and the proud father of our children) in Monrovia, Ca.

I have worked all my adult life. I remember my first job. It was a blast. I

was 17 years old, and I worked just blocks away from my alma mater,

Hollywood High Performing Arts Magnet. (Go Sheiks!) Anyway, when

I received my first paycheck, I remember exactly what I did with it: I

bought an outfit, a ponytail extension (don't laugh), and a ticket for the

first annual 92.3 The Beat Summer Jam--ya'll remember those? It was

so much fun. I met and hung out with Tupac Shakur after the show with

my friends. In hindsight, probably not so good an idea, but we were

safe, respected, and had the best time of our lives. And I had made it

all possible! Once I got a taste of making my own money, and being

able to set the course for things I wanted to do, have, and experience,

I decided that I LOVED to work. I had not been without a job since

then...until now.

In March of 2007, almost a year after my mother's passing, I received

notice that I was being laid off from my $70k+ a year job as a training

manager for a major Insurance brokerage firm. It happens all the time,

right? And I felt, too, that things would be okay. I mean, I received a

great package. I had a couple of weeks, even, to channel my inspirations

towards where I wanted to go from there. It felt like a very free time in

my life, if that makes sense. I felt liberated, and inspired. I was powerful

because I had the freedom of choice. I could choose to do anything I

wanted to do! It's a great feeling for a time. Yet, here we are almost 2

years later, and I still have not held a solid position since. What's

happening? What's going on?

Maybe my story sounds familiar to you. Perhaps you, too, are seeing

changes in the organizational structure at your job, and are wondering

what you are going to do if you should loose your job. Perhaps you are

working and busting your tail everyday for a paycheck that still cannot

seem to scratch the surface of all your financial needs. Whatever your

story, at the center of it, mine is the same. Fortunately for me, there is

such a thing as grace and mercy!

I have been in the process of actively seeking aid for my situation. I

hope these blog postings will help keep you in the loop of my progress

towards re-claiming my piece of middle class America. I just want to

work hard, make a contribution, live life, and take care of my family.

We don't ask for much, do we? Journey with me, and let me hear your

story, too. You never know what your words can inspire.

To see comments on Roz's blog, *click here*