Out of Work, Out of Luck, Out of money...and hope fades...

Anyone anywhere (if I have to beg, might was well beg for help from a 'red state') who needs a cabinetmaker/trim carpenter and is willing to help with relocation expenses. My wife and I  are about to lose our apartment (lost the house in Dec 2008) and are just about out of hope. Cheri's not been able to find steady work since Spring of 2008, and I work in construction/manufacturing, an industry that has been devastated by the huge influx of illegals.

I have sixteen years experience in commercial and residential custom cabinetry, countertop manufacture and installation.  I have training and experience in all facets of the industry.  In connection with this I have completed two apprenticeships, the first being a State of Florida vocational-technical school, a one year full-time apprenticeship in carpentry and cabinetry  with well over one thousand hours of classroom and hands-on instruction.  The second being a more traditional apprenticeship to a high end, master craftsman who builds custom colonial furniture and specializes in hand-made reproductions of colonial furniture using traditional hand tools and techniques. 

I can be reached via phone at 443.835 9949 or ravail136@aol.com to answer any questions you may have.  I am available for video interviews via Skype, as rvail136 on that free internet service.  References available upon request.

Here's a portion of my resume:

2014          Trim Carpenter/Installer

      United Services Available                                                Reisterstown, MD

                              Installation of high end custom commercial cabinetry and millwork

      in residential and commercial properties. 

                 

2014          Master Cabinetmaker

      Beaubois/Arcade Millwork Install.  Quebec, Canada/Beltsville, MD

Fabrication and installation of cabinetry and millwork in high end commercial applications.

2013          Master Cabinetmaker,

Key Wookworking,                                              Springfield, VA

Fabrication of custom commercial cabinetry and millwork, as well as custom countertops including veneers, laminate and solid surface materials in a privately held,  high-end custom cabinetry shop

            2012          Shop Coordinator

                              Consolidated Medical Services, Inc.           Hunt Valley, Maryland

Fabrication of commercial custom cabinetry and millwork, countertops using laminates and solid surface materials and including millwork in a custom commercial millwork shop. Coordination with various sub-contractors and installers in connection with ongoing projects.

            2011          Master Cabinetmaker

Novak Birch                                                     Baltimore, Maryland

Fabrication of custom trade show displays, cabinetry and countertops including aluminum extrusions, veneers, laminates and solid surface materials as well supervision of installation of exhibits and displays in nationally recognized exhibit/display manufacturing company.

Laid Off...

...in the nature of Construction/Cabinetry, I've been laid off again.  My company experience a cancellation of several contracts so I would deeply appreciate if you could hit the tipjar to the right.  So, being conservative to me, means NOT going to the government for a handout but asking my neighbors for help.  So, please help.  I can't get unemployment because...

...when I shut down my shop in 2008, I didn't realize that being self employed, I wasn't eligible for unemployment.  I applied, and "received $5,203.00 of assistance I didn't deserve"...so, I have to "pay that back" before I can get any unemployment benefits...

...so, $1, $2...(Tip Jar is to the right @ the top of the right-hand column ------->) any little bit would help keep a roof over my head...I'll worry about August, when August comes. The hardest part is asking for help because, quite frankly, I fell like I have failed.  I have failed in the social contract to support my family.  I'd far rather have a job, but it doesn't look like that will be happening in Baltimore any time soon.  The nearest advertisement for cabinetmakers is in the 'burbs of Philly, PA and Richmond, VA.

UPDATE:  The really sad thing, is the company I worked for, kept the 2 illegal workers from Peru, instead of keeping an American.  After all, why shouldn't they?  They don't pay taxes on them in any shape or form...nor do they pay overtime.  That's what really angers me.  Why should any American company pay an American citizen, or legal resident, a living wage, when they can pay an illegal worker less than half?  I mean really?  Why bother to hire citizens, after all, we can live off of the dole, can't we?

So...I'll apply for unemployment, knowing it will "go to pay the debt" on the old claim. Hoping I can find a job this week.

Financial Situation is Desperate

Just found a job...but that doesn't help the 5 weeks w/out income. in 2008, when I closed down my own shop, I didn't know that in Maryland, when you're self employed, you can't collect unemployment benefits...even if you had unemploymentt coverage for you emp'loyees...so, for the past 5 weeks, we've had only the income from my wife's part time job @ Sears.

I've finally found work and start on Monday (60 mile commute)...and Cheri's gotten a full time job, but that doesn't help much being 2 months behind on rent. We'll be out on the street by the end month as the landlord isn't going to let us catch up on what we owe.

Please hit the tip jar to the right or make a donation through pay pal @ ravail136@aol.com.

Edited to make more sense...

5th Week Out of Work

Still out of work...and I get no unemployment benefits.  Not sure what we're going to do.  We'll lose our apartment by the end of the month.  We need $1,500.00 to pay rent and utilities.

Do any cabinet shops in Metro-Baltimore-DC need a good cabinetmaker? If you know of someone who needs a good worker, contact em please.  If you know anyone in the construction industry who is looking for a project coordinator or assistant project manager, please let me know.  My email address is posted in the right hand column.

Lost My Health Insurance...

When I lost my job 3 weeks ago...I also lost my health insurance. My wife has cancer...and her pescription Marinol costs $303.00 for 15 days supply. At the moment it's the only thing that keeps her nausea in control. Needless to say, we can't afford to pay that...any help would be deeply appreciated.

2nd Week Out Of Work...

On my 2nd week out of work.  It doesn't look good.  I've put out over 100 resume's in the past 10 days...and other than the daily harrassement of AFLAC head-hunters, I've not heard a single response yet.  Due to my having filed for unemployment following closing my shop, I'm not eligible to collect benefits until I pay back the roughly $5k I got in 2008/9.  So...that means the $433 per week I'm supposed to get goes to pay back that amount...please feel free to hit the tip jar on the right...

If anyone would like a copy of my resume please contact me via the sidebar to the right.

Laid Off...

Yesterday, at about noon, one of the project managers came into the cabinet shop I worked at...yes, worked at.  I was told that the company was shutting down and laying off all of the shop personnel.  The company is gong to become stricktly a general contractor and only use subcontractors to build their product.

So, I'm out of work...and not eligible for unemployment due to a conflict several years ago.  So, I won't even be a statistic on the government rolls, since I won't be counted.  Hopefully I'll be able to find something.

I humbly ask that anyone reading this, please donate to  the tip jar to the right.

August Unemployment

Here's the chart showing unemployment under the "stimulus" package...

and another graphic:

Immigrants and Food Stamps

The other day, my wife went to the grocery store to pick up a few things before payday...so we'd have milk and bread. The family of a daughter and her mother ahead of her in the checkout line didn't speak English very well, which isn't unusual here in the People's Republic of Maryland; a state that has decided to be a "refuge" state from enforcing the laws governing immigration.

What really pisses me off about this is that these ladies, while ONLY speaking mostly Spanish, they were asked for ID as they had a state issued food stamps card. They produced Honduran passports, but not green cards...Honduran nationals evidently can get food stamps but not Americans citizens. (We had applied when both my wife and I were unemployed, but were told we "made too much" ON UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS!!!!).

The only way to get cities, counties and now states to enforce federal immigration statutes at this point will be to threaten (or better yet, follow through) and terminate any federal funds to a city, county or state that doesn't enforce those statutes. Additionally, we need to pull the business licenses of any company that hires illegal aliens. Those two "sticks" would be enough to eliminate the incentive to hire illegal aliens, much less provide them "sanctuaries".

Reason TV: Still Unfocused on Jobs

Here's Reason TV's report on the "laser-like focus" on jobs...

Poll: Most See Unemployment Lingering For Years

In an unscientific poll by Business Journal, a large marjority see the current unemployment rate staying for several more years. 

More than two-thirds of those who responded (67 percent) said they believe it will take three years or more. The unscientific online survey was conducted between Dec. 21 and Dec. 27.  About 15 percent said "never" and about 13 percent said two years.  Only 5 percent believe it will happen in the next year.

One reader opined that, 

"The American economy will only recover once we realize that our economic problems reside in Washington and the state capitol. Mr. Obama and his supporters whether they be on Capitol Hill or the state legislature continue to cling desperately to the failed economic ideals of Keynes. Keynesian economics has never worked. When you looked at the failure of Keynesian economics along with the fact that Mr. Obama, his economic team, most of Congress along with many state legislators have never participated in western capitalism; i.e. owned a business, had to make a payroll, or produced anything of material value, it is obvious why the economy continues to remain in the tank."

My comment is that, Robert B is exactly correct. Until Washington and the local state capital politicians get their collecctive heads out of their a$$es, then relatively high unemployment will continue to linger...possibly as long as a decade. BUT, if the new GOP majorities can roll back the both the size and regulatory scope of big government (at least back to "medium" government) then the recovery will pick up steam.


Keynesian economics is a failed model. It has never, ever worked in any instance that it has been tried. Herbert Hoover attempted it in 1930-32 and failed. FDR's attempts in 1934-5 extended by the Great Depression by at least 7 more years. Mr. Obama's (and Reid/Pelosi's) attempt at Porkulus last year was devastating to the economy. Until we relent the chokehold government now has on buisness...this will continue to linger.

The Recession Is Over? Says Who?

If you listen to the network news (I have to, I can't afford cable any more), you'd think that the recession was over.  It's not.  Despite "a growing economy" no one is actually hiring.  Because of all the uncertainty, there really aren't any jobs around.  Most of those are merely seasonal for the holidays.  The competition for those is so fierce that it's almost frightening.

How do I know?  I'm working all of 14-16 hours a week...for a catering company.  That's all the work I've been able to find.  I have 10 years experience as a cabinetmaker/carpenter and 22 in restaurant, but the best I've been able to find is part time work as a bartender...no tips straight hourly wage.  My wife isn't doing much better.  She works 22 hours a week for a big box department store as an HR clerk.  That's despite having 23 years experience in retail management. 

On Tuesday, November 23, at 10 am, we are scheduled to be evicted unless we can raise $873.50 to pay October's rent.  I don't know what I'm going to do about November's rent at this point either.

With the largest tax hike in history looming come January 1st, I don't think I'm going to be able to find a job any time soon. We tried applying for food stamps.  But here in Maryland the system is so screwed up, we were notified that we would have a "telephonic hearing" two days after the hear was scheduled.  Needless to say, our application was denied. 

I worked for just under 30 days as with a company as a cabinet maker, but what I thought was a permanent position, was only to finish a deadline job...and was laid off as soon as that work was completed.  To compound it all, I didn't work long enough to qualify for unemployment!  What makes it  even worse, is that I turned down a position with a new restaurant in downtown Baltimore that just opened in October as "Service Lead" (head waiter in prepolitical correctness days).  About the only good news I have is that I do have a job interview on Tuesday morning with a company that assembles office furniture. A friend has recommended me to a couple of the incoming Congressmen and I am supposed to undergo an FBI background check in the next few weeks, but I've not heard anything directly on that as of yet.

I this point I don't know what to do.  We can't even afford to rent a storage unit to what few things we have left since I closed my cabinet shop in December of 2008 when we lost the house.  So we'll pack up this weekend, and hope we can find someone who will allow us to use their garage to store our things.

I don't want a free ride, I want to work...but what do you do when there's no work to be found?  It's not like I'm not putting our 20-30 resumes a day.  I've long since begun applying to jobs all over the eastern US...but so far I've only had "thanks for applying if anything meeting your qualifications opens up we'll..." 

If you can afford to do so, I'd appreciate you're hitting the tip jar to the right.

UPDATE:  I would like to thank everyone who has been so kind and generous to help my wife and I.    I will be contacting everyone who donated, directly in the next day or two, but wanted to get something up here now.   Thank you again for all your generosity, you have no idea how much it means to us.

Rich Vail
Pikesville, MD

The Real Unemployment Rate

The real unemployment rate is nearly double the official rate published by the US Government.  I know, because I just lost my job.  I'm a cabinetmaker with 10 years experience and in the past 2 years, I've worked 4 weeks in my profession.  The rest of that time, I've been waiting tables or working as a bartender.  Yet the recession is "over"...right.  Over for who?  Not me.



The video is by bankruptingamerica.org they also have a Youtube channel.   The government, just like everything else they do, is gaming the unemployment numbers.  Officially, unemployment is 9.6% while the more widely accepted U6 rate (which includes those who have given up looking for work as well as those who can only find part-time work--like my wife) is nearly double that rate at 17.1%.  What that means is more than 27 million workers are out of work or under employed. 

This is what the economic policies of the Democratic Congressional leadership have given us.  After all, they have had control of congress for 2 election cycles, or 4 years.  They have had control of the White House for two years, and yet, the economy continues to "unexpectedly" lose jobs.  Business is sitting on $5,000,000,000,000.00, but won't spend it because they are waiting to see if ObamaCare will stand. 

Additionally, they are waiting to see what the Lame Duck Congress will do after large numbers of the Democratic majority have been "retired by the voters". (gotta love Jimmah Carter for coming up with that phrase).   After all, there is really no guessing what insanity a soon to be lost Democratic Leadership will ram through just before they lose their majority.  Because of all this uncertainly in what it will actually cost to hire workers and sharply taxes will rise come January (a minimum of 13%).  No businessman who has to answer to a board of directors or shareholders will do much of anything.  In the mean time, those who are unemployed, or under employed will bleed...and bleed some more.

Why Work Anyway?

Here's a great story about why should we work?  There's really no incentive when you make beyond a certain point.  Via Points & Figures.

“Just got off a call from our accountant. My industry has had its ups and downs over the past couple of years. My pay has fluctuated.



My husband and I are “typical middle class Americans”. We both have master’s degrees and are relatively successful in our careers. We are both salaried employees and work long hours, averaging 55‐60 hr/wk in a good week. We have 2 kids, a dog, 2 cars and a white picket fence. We live within our means, save in our 401K, donate to our favorite charities and go on vacation once a year. Nothing exciting, nothing fancy, we are just a “living the American Dream”. To be clear, we are by no means, what Obama would refer to as “the rich”. Though, we would certainly like to be one day!


So back to the call from the accountant. Along with everyone else, 2009 was a very rough year and I took a substantial pay cut. But, what are you going to do? My choice was to lose my job or take a paycut. We live within our means, so we just tightened our belt a little bit, took a deep breath and moved on. This situation is not unique, many other Americans made the same choice.


This year, 2010, my industry appeared to be doing better. The company reinstated our salaries and, it looked like I may even get a bonus. Plus, I received a promotion. My base salary increased 33% from last year, including the reinstatement of our pay cuts. Sounds great, right? Well, the accountant called to inform us that we crossed some sort of threshold and due to AMT, the additional taxes we have to pay this year will take 40‐50% of the 33% increase! Additionally, if I get my bonus, we will cross another dreaded line and the percentage they take is even greater!


So, here I sit, at age 41, very seriously considering whether working is really worth it? I could continue to work and I would continue to get promoted. But, with each promotion, I work more hours and travel more. In my industry, as with most, the higher up you move on the corporate ladder, the more you work. The salary increases along way justify the loss in “family/personal time”.


The American Dream is to be successful. The old saying goes, “You can never be too rich or too thin”! But, with each extra dollar I earn, the government is going to take 50% (or more) of it. Is it really worth it? Come on, I’m never going to be a millionaire. For me, having more money means being able to go on a “flying” vacation as opposed to driving to Florida to visit my folks. It means going out to eat at someplace nicer than Chili’s once a week, buying slightly nicer clothes and maybe a new car every 5 years or so. We aren’t buying a second home in the Hampton’s.


Realistically, I could choose not to pay my mortgage and live in my house for at least a year (more if I can get creative about it). I live in a state where I can actually quit my job AND collect unemployment for 2 full years. Here is the math. If I collect unemployment and my husband stays employed, we can continue to live “fine”. We’ll be paycheck to paycheck and won’t have any disposable income but I would have oodles of time. I could volunteer at the kid’s school, scrapbook, exercise every day and watch Oprah.


When people like me seriously question whether or not to work, there is something very very wrong with our tax system.”

So why exactly do we work any way?  The government has decided they can spend our money far better  than we can...

Recovery Summer? Where?

I don't know about you, but I don't think that this has been the recovery summer we were promised by our political elite in Washington...as a matter of fact, things have gotten worse.   More and more people have stopped looking for work (though I've never been able to figure out when the "guv'ment" knows) because there's none to be had.  Unemployment has increased from 9.5% to 9.6%. 

For one thing, the so-called underemployment rate, which includes workers who are working part-time but who want full-time work, increased from 16.5 percent to 16.7 percent. During our supposed “Recovery Summer,” we have lost 283,000 jobs (54,000 in June, 171,000 in July, and 54,000 in August). And for August, the employment-population ratio — the percentage of Americans with jobs — was 58.5 percent. We haven’t seen figures this low in nearly three decades. As Henry Olson of the American Enterprise Institute points out, “Since the start of this summer, nearly 400,000 Americans have entered the labor force, but only 130,000 have found jobs. … America’s adult population has risen by 2 million people since [August 2009], but the number of adults with jobs has dropped by 180,000. The unemployment rate declined slightly despite these numbers, from 9.7 percent to 9.6 percent, because over 2.3 million people have left the labor force entirely, so discouraged they are no longer even looking for work. ”

So, not only has the economy lost jobs, but a couple of million more people have entered the adult work force...some recovery. 

“The jobs lost in the 2000-2001 recession don’t seem to have ever come back. The percentage of people in the workforce stabilized, but never recovered. This time, it looks like the re-employment picture will be even worse. . . . The Boomers are not retiring. Their workforce participation rate is well above forecast. Have you looked at your 401(k)?” Understandable, but of course that means fewer new jobs will open up.

Even Christina Romer admitted that the stimulus package that was supposed to keep unemployment below 8%...has failed miserably. 

She had no idea how bad the economic collapse would be. She still doesn't understand exactly why it was so bad. The response to the collapse was inadequate. And she doesn't have much of an idea about how to fix things.


What she did have was a binder full of scary descriptions and warnings, offered with a perma-smile and singsong delivery: "Terrible recession. . . . Incredibly searing. . . . Dramatically below trend. . . . Suffering terribly. . . . Risk of making high unemployment permanent. . . . Economic nightmare."
...
Romer had predicted that Obama's stimulus package would keep the unemployment rate at 8 percent or less; it is now 9.5 percent. One of her bosses, Vice President Biden, told Democrats in January that "you're going to see, come the spring, net increase in jobs every month." The economy lost 350,000 jobs in June and July.

 Thus...the Obama Administration really has no clue on what to do...except spend ever more money we don't have...I have a novel idea:  STOP SPENDING MONEY WE DON'T HAVE!  Balance the budget.  Reduce the size and scope of government and end the over regulation of our economy.  Top down economies inevitably fail...even the Chinese have stopped doing that, but your home-grown socialist just don't understand that.

Found A Decent Job...finally

After more 2 years, I finally found work in a cabinetshop.  I got the call this morning.  It's been a tough couple of years, but I hope that things are turning around for us. This is all despite the fact that manufacturing jobs have lost ground yet again. 

The manufacturing sector grew faster than expected in August, but private employers unexpectedly cut jobs, showing the economic recovery still faces headwinds. [emphasis is mine, editor]

Which means that the economy is still very shakey.

Cabinetmaker Looking For Work

Does anyone know of any companies hiring cabinetmakers?  I'll relocate.  Seriously, things are so bad here in the Metro-Baltimore-Washington DC area that I'd be happy to move.  I'd prefer to stay east of the Mississippi...

My email is to the right below my picture feel free to contact me.

Unemployment Claims Increasing...

Over the past several months the Obama Administration and their enablers in major media have claimed that unemployment has been decreasing.  The opposite is true.  Unemployment claims have been slowly increasing each and every month.

This graph shows a disntinct ocilation is occuring.  While at some point, claims have been decreasing, it swing immediately in the opposite direction and more cliams are filed. 

The data are oscillating about a slowly increasing value, indicating that, if anything, unemployment claims are increasing. That means that for the past 5 1/2 months, every time the administration has told us that the unemployment situation is slowly recovering, and that the data show “the right trend,” they have been absolutely mistaken.


The media has been doing their typical baby duck analysis: every day is a brand new day, every unemployment claims report is the first one they’ve ever seen. So we get headlines like, “job situation improving” when the number of claims drops, and “unexpected increase” when the number rises.

For half a year the claims data has just been oscillating – going nowhere. And nobody seems to have noticed.

For years under the Bush Administration major media harped on a jobless recovery in the short/sharp recession following 9/11...when jobs did recover to the point at which the recession began...major media never seemed to follow up on that point.  When is the MSM going to take a hard look at this and realize that they are flushing what remains of their credibility away?

Unemployment Remains High

The national unemployment rate remains virtually unchanged at 9.7%.  But the important unemployment figure has been almost universally ignored.  That number is the U6 rate which includes pretty much everyone who has actually STOPPED looking for a job.   That's being reported by Yahoo news as,

"...the real unemployment rate, even by the standards of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is much higher. The U-6 unemployment number, as the real data is called, is at 17.5%, within 0.5% of its all-time high. This figure includes discouraged workers who've stopped looking, marginally attached workers, and workers that are forced to work part-time because full-time jobs are not available."

This is still very very high.  I know because I had a hell of a time finding work.  My wife is still working only part-time.  Her wages barely cover health insurance costs.  We're hoping that in the not too distant future, she'll find something full-time.

What If Jobs Don't Come Back...

Here's a link to an excellent post that posits the proposition that private sector employment dosen't rise as expected...what if...

Read the whole thing.