Oh Lovely... A Sign Of The Times ???

[WillyT]

I (and a few cohorts) process Unemployment forms for the entire State of California... sometimes over 300,000 a day. We are not a public walk-in facility. We take in the mail... which several times lately, have contained suspicious white powder.

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Guards at state’s 36 job centers to be armed
Niki Kelly | The Journal Gazette
Published: October 27, 2010 3:00 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS – Thirty-six unemployment offices around the state, including Fort Wayne, will now have armed security guards on hand to protect employees and clients.

And...

An upcoming deadline marking the end of unemployment benefits for many Hoosiers and the slow economic recovery were two reasons cited as reasons for the security measures.

“Given the upcoming expiration of the federal extensions and the increased stress on some of the unemployed, we thought added security would provide an extra level of protection for our employees and clients,” Lotter said.

The overall cost for the security is $1 million, paid for with federal funds designated for administration of the unemployment system, Lotter said.

No specific incidents prompted the action, he said, just an overall increase in hot tempers.

And Lotter said that unless Congress acts, thousands of Hoosiers will stop receiving benefits starting in early December. That’s because they will have exhausted the maximum 99 weeks of benefits provided through multiple federal extension periods.

Lotter said state employees in the affected offices have also recently gone through stress-management training in which they learn to identify stressors and how to act appropriately.

<snip>

Whole Thing: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20101027/NEWS07/310279986

:beer:

:smoke:

[ejpoeta]

1. nice. it's getting pretty scary around here. people are becoming unhinged.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Yes

And it will get worst.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Wonderful.

not.

[TriMera]

4. I wonder...

How many extensions that $1,000,000 could facilitate?

[thecrow]

6. That was my first thought, too

[TheMadMonk]

8. Less than 100 for 12 months. Fuck all in other words.

More likely sooner than later, someone is going to reach for America's favourite debating tool to argue their unemployment eligibility.

[CountAllVotes]

5. how many unemployment checks Whitless?

that $140 million would sure come in handy for just a few of Meg Whitman's fellow Californians ... :mad: :argh:

:kick: & recommend.

[marmar]

7. Good grief. This country has become a parody of itself.

nt