I have been out of work since last October and have been collecting unemployment benefits since November. I am sorry that some of you resent people collecting the benefits to which we are entitled. I have worked my entire life and have always been professional, conscientious, loyal and industrious wherever I worked. My most recent job was with a large corporation, a telephone company that probably serves many of the people on this board as it serves mostly rural areas in 30 states. It was a wonderful place to work for many years but then the owner/founder stepped down and handed over the reigns to a CEO and his new team whose only goal was to generate more and more money through more and more selling with little regard for the good customer service that had been so important in the past. Those of us who were being paid a good salary or hourly wage were gradually phased out and replaced by young, moldable, gullible temps who were brought onto the sales team for the sole purpose of selling as much as they can as quickly as they can while trying to avoid spending time on customer service issues. Those of us who still felt an obligation to help our customers and to provide them with the service they deserve instead of lying to them in order to sell more products to them were kicked to the curb. I have been looking for suitable employment since November. Why should I take a job that pays me less than my unemployment benefits? My former employer is paying the unemployment premiums. The stimulus programs have done nothing to create jobs for people in my situation. The state of Georgia has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. In fact the numbers that the government posts are not really accurate because people have been on unemployment so long that all of their available benefits have been expended so these people are no longer counted among the ranks of the unemployed. I have been on several interviews and have submitted resumes to many companies. The fact remains that hiring managers have been instructed to hire entry-level candidates at the lowest wage they can get away with and to steer clear of people with experience who would qualify for a higher pay scale. People with years of experience, intelligence, expertise and maturity are not in high demand because they cost more in wages as well as benefits. I am not sitting on my "arse" waiting for a job to fall into my lap. I am looking for a fair and promising opportunity with a company that will value my worth and pay me accordingly. In the meantime I am keeping myself productive and positive and am praying for those who are worse off than me, those who have lost their homes and those whose family lives have been adversely affected by the financial stress. I am not waiting for a hand-out because I don't believe in socialism but I am asking that those who have not been subjected to unemployment not be so quick to judge those who are trying to make it on unemployment benefits. Unless you've walked in our shoes you have no idea how tough it is and how much it eats away at our self-worth. I know that most of you are dear, wonderful and generous people and this message is not aimed at you. I just want to share my opinion and maybe enlighten some who may not have looked at both sides of this coin. Thanks for letting me vent :)