The government is a bad joke.

So, I'm playing the Guinea Pig role to test the system from the bottom up right?

Sure. Fine. No problem. My ego can take it. This was the entire plan.

As per the "being laid off" process, the obvious first step is to file a claim for Unemployment Insurance. The idea is to have the government pay you back the money you paid into it while working to keep you alive while you look for work in the economy that is laying off more workers by the day.

Fair enough.

So like a responsible little citizen I filed all the pertinent paperwork immediately and CORRECTLY and waited on "the system" to send the next hoop to jump through, which they did today.

Three envelopes.

One to detail any work you do over the next "claim period" of 2 weeks.

One explaining that you are required to register with CalJOBS, the state job search site.

And one more detailing the benefits of your claim, what your earnings were as reported by your previous employer, and what documentation is required for proof of identification before they send you any payments.

No problem. Par for the course.

...except that you notice your employer grossly reported your earnings completely wrong. Judging by the caliber of the talent I was used to witnessing while working at the circus, I'm not surprised, but since they reported the "income earned every two weeks" as the "income for the quarter" (3 month periods)...before my raise...the numbers EDD based my payments on are less than 1/6th of the correct amount. WTF? People, get your shit together for Christ's sake.

So anywho, like I said, judging by the list of accounting oversights I witnessed while working there, this isn't that surprising, but it's not the reason I'm blogging about it, because it should be easily fixed by calling EDD as they instruct you to right there on the form. Right?

So you call the number and get a recorded voice announcing they have increased the weekly payment amount by $25 on all claims as per the "stimulus package". In light of the bank bailouts, I would almost consider this a slap in the face, but that's irrelevant at the moment.

The reason I took the time to write is because at the beginning of the call it announces "they don't have enough people to answer the calls" before giving you the $25 speech. Then, it recommends that you call on Wednesday or Thursday (It IS Thursday!) says goodbye and hangs up.

There's your solution. Being hung-up on, with no alternate course of action, with nothing resolved, with their deadlines stated, and their shortcomings affecting your very ability to exist despite the fact that YOU paid for them and this out of your life as exchanged for salary.

That my friends is a perfect example of just how pathetic beyond comprehension the system is designed, and EXACTLY why my "alternate plan for history" involves electing Google to redesign and run the government from the ground up.

So basically, there is a night/day error that has a very short stated deadline for resolution or else you're SOL (Shit Outta Luck for those of your unfamiliar with how normal people speak since the government instead chooses to spend its time and resources enforcing things like OPI laws)...and you cannot get in contact with the system, as the system itself specifies in order to resolve it.

Mind you, for people living paycheck-to-paycheck this could be a life threatening scenario, and to build/run/ALLOW a system to function in this way is simply unacceptable.

Why not hire some fucking EDD staff to avoid completely underscoreing the paradox of having all the money disappear into the pockets of those that would never even experience such an insult to their existence as this?

Yet another feather in my cap of using my "front lines" position to illustrate why those in power should not be in power partying at the White House and forming conga lines as they system they are privileged enough to be responsible for destroys the lives of people that do not have the power to change it.

Too bad the president isn't secretly a person going through these same mind-boggling experiences first hand...then he might be pissed off enough to take specific action to correct it.

I digress.

I'm sure this saga isn't over yet.

Have a great day!

:)

+AES

Update: I reported and requested assistance with my problem via the "Contact Us" feature of their website. Hold your breath and we'll see how long this takes. They should refer people to the website on the form and voicemail, but it appears they haven't been updated since February 2007. Wish me (them) luck! ;)

Update #2: Called first thing in the morning...same scenario: "We are receiving more calls than we can answer...blah, blah, blah...goodbye." Click. Why does their workforce and system not 'flex' and adapt instantly to the workload at hand...especially when it is such a critical element?

Update #3: Oh no! It just gets worse and more frustrating as we going, knowing that they have made a glaring mistake and there is apparently simply no way to contact EDD because they are "receiving more calls than they can handle". This is the definition of failure. I've called and called first thing in the morning (I would LOVE to see the statistics on how many other people are calling and how the EDD is run)...at best you can get through to the next menu...then get hung up on just the same. It's incomprehensible. There is a mistake on their end that affects one's ability to survive...and they simply are unavailable and their solution is just to have a computer say goodbye and hang-up? Grrr...