Column for Feb. 26, 2009

A few weeks ago, this newspaper ran a poll on its web site asking if readers knew anyone who lost their job. I voted in the affirmative in that poll, since I have known several such people. As a matter of fact, in my own household we had a recent job loss with which we are having to contend. My employer has laid off a lot of people in another state to consolidate its operations into North Carolina. My father-in-law got laid off after some 35 years or more with the same employer.

I understand cut backs. I have been the victim of them my own self, and on more than one occasion. I have no problem with people who have been displaced getting a "hand up" when they are down. There is a system designed for that very circumstance. I know first hand that there are people on both sides of the employment balance, both employee and employer alike, that abuse that system. I have even been served with a summons twice to appear before the Employment Security Commission to testify on the behalf of a wronged employee as well as one time for an employer that terminated an employee in a just manner. For every abuse story, however, there are many more honest stories.

Whenever I personally lost a job, I personally chose not to file for unemployment benefits but rather searched for work quickly, secured it even if it was a situation of serious underemployment, and kept going with life. It is never a fun thing. As I said, that was a personal choice.

According to the United States Department of Labor's web site, "In general, the Federal-State Unemployment Insurance Program provides unemployment benefits to eligible workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own (as determined under State law), and meet other eligibility requirements of State law. Unemployment insurance payments (benefits) are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to unemployed workers who meet the requirements of State law." In general, as the feds put it, I don't have a problem with temporary assistance for workers who find themselves suddenly unemployed and did not become so as a result of disciplinary action or of their own volition. In our current economy, there are plenty of people finding themselves in this circumstance.

My dear sweet wife and I were married in October of last year. In July of this year, we are expecting our first child together, a honeymoon baby. My wife has lived in Harnett County all of her life. That is, until we made the big commitment. She has had two jobs in her entire life. One was as a waitress and subsequently a wait staff supervisor, then for the Harnett County government. The department for which she worked made use of her talents for over a dozen years. Unfortunately, politics have their way of playing out in the office, not just during election season.

Under state law, an elected official, specifically, a Register of Deeds or a county Sheriff can hire and fire at will. Under law, such employees "serve at the pleasure" of the elected official. That means that they do not have to abide by state or county labor laws and procedures. If the local sheriff does not like the color of the car you drive to work, he can get rid of you at his whim. The official can set obscure policies such as the requirement for all departmental employees to reside within the county, even if there is no such requirement by the county Human Resources or even county law. Hey, even the County Manager for Harnett County does not live in Harnett County.

Just so my readers who are suffering through hard economic ties and feel wronged will know, my wife and I are right there with you. My wife was let go from her job in January with a letter explaining that her departmental head was exercising her state law supported right to let her go because she was reorganizing the department, and gave the reason for her selection that she has a personal policy that all employees of her department must reside in the county and she moved to Selma when we married. Never mind the fact that my wife was always at work earlier than employees who reside withing a mile or two of the office and knows every job in that department, she had to go. Furthermore, other office employees also reside in other counties. In reality, she was terminated because she is pregnant and the leadership did not want to deal with an employee being out on Family and Medical Leave Act provisions. The "piece de resistance" is the county fighting the claim for unemployment benefits, so we still have to contend with over one third of our family income being instantly removed by the whim of a petty dictator. If you really want to have fun ladies, try being a woman who is over four months pregnant and diligently seeking new employment.

With the mistakes being made by our federal government right now with the handling of our economy, bail outs, and the incredibly wasteful non-stimulus spending, we are all going to feel the hurt. My 401(k) is now a 200.5(k). My income has been slashed, and I will soon have another mouth to feed. Take heart my fellow citizens. You are not alone. And even more importantly, no matter what happens, God is still on his throne.