I'm tired of arguing politics, but there is fault to blame on all sides.
This is so unbelievable and feels like a movie. It's depressing and there seems no end in sight, especially in big cities. It doesn't get worse than NYC or just right outside of it where I live in Bergen County. We got hit harder than any other county in NJ.
Trying to get financial aid is almost impossible and endless phone calls that are tied up or people who have no clue. Food is about to run out and about $14 in my pocket. Luckily I spoke with someone locally who is setting up food delivery for me from an organization that normally deals with people with handicaps and above 60. He said they are helping everyone in need right now. Yet, you still need money for basic necessities.
I normally take a taxi home with my groceries after I walk over to my supermarket which is about a mile from me. Transporting multiple grocery bags works better that way and it's a nice walk to get there, but I haven't used the taxis and just made multiple trips buying fewer things to stay safe for the last month. Friday the 13th really turned out to be a curse this year. That day in March was the last time I worked, and it's been over a month now with NY today saying now that nothing will open up for at least another month.
People are going to lose their businesses, of which some will never recover and our country with all the money it's paying out will have devasting effects for a long time. That's terrible, frightening for myself and others like me, and the thoughts of what it will do to to the American people long term is beyond scary regardless of who you support politically or ones personal political beliefs. We are all in this together similar to the days after Sept 11th. The only difference this time seems to be the unity seems divided and people still fighting and attacking others with the advancement of social media in the almost 19 to 20 years since the last major crisis our nation faced.
I don't know what the future holds or how long this will endure, but it doesn't look promising. I can't see New York getting back to normal anytime soon with tourism and things that make it thrive and come to life, like Broadway, Night Clubs, and restaurants and sporting events - not just in New York, but throughout our nation.
I appreciate your thoughtfulness in your replies on how this is affecting me. I was venting a bit on some of these posts, thinking out loud in social media seeing how others feel in relation to my thoughts and carried it over here as well.
I do hope you and your family are ok and coping with this epidemic, as best as they can, and anyone else who may be reading this who have been part of this message board going back 22 years for me since 1998.
I'm definitely not here to attack anyone despite my moods that go from hope one day to anger the next day based on someone not accurately being able to follow through on a claim that a rep helped me with for two hours on the phone with yesterday and not being able to complete the second part because my phone is old. Only to have her call me back the following day, patch me through to a lady who wouldn't even let me talk, put in a claim that was already put through over two weeks ago and tells me I'll get a letter within 10 days. Something that was already processed and pending, which she probably messed up. She put me in for PUA again and was suppose to help with PUC - Pandemic Employment Compensation, rather than Assistance. To make matters worse she said I can't get both, which is absolutely not true.
I was explained everything in detail by the previous rep who said this is for self employed people and the second one we couldn't finish is $600 weekly until July, for both.
The lady disconnected my call and it's impossible to get through. I waited all day and it's an endless wait with calls not being returned. Lots of people have been put off for weeks and weeks. The system is overwhelmed. People who do this work need to be knowledgeable and at the same time good listeners and let people tell them the situation. It went from a great rep to a horrible experience, probably setting me back.
When they call they ask for your SS# and I am very careful about my personal info. People are prey to scams, especially in situations like this. They don't do what they say they will on The NY Labor Twitter and verify who they are. Instead of telling you the date you put in the claim and type of claim, they ask for SS#, which you should really never give out to people you don't know.
I had one rep ask me multiple times the other day and was told she can't help me without it. I refused. The one rep that called back gain my trust and said she'll try and help me by answering any questions I may have and seemed very knowledgeable. When I finally thought she was for real, I gave her my info and she verified my claim, but they shouldn't do this, which is dangerous and putting people at risk who might be getting a call from a scam.
I thought I made progress but all that hard work seem to take a major step backwards today. I've been able to get through at times by contacting the Governor's office and explaining my situation, in turn getting patched through. The system is lost, broken and almost impossible to get through otherwise. They are suppose to CB within 72 hours, and that's not always happening, but at least you can direct message to them after they respond to you on Twitter.
I heard NJ is just as bad or worse, but you file in the state you work in. So many people in NYC are having trouble, because many are private contractors and self employed. That's why regular Uemployment is not available and these special programs have been added. That's great, but useless if you can't access to them or your money runs out after patiently trying for weeks to get them and still haven't yet.
I'm not sleeping a lot and conserving food to basically one meal a day. Matzo from Passover has helped for breakfast and lasts longer tan cereal. Dinner at night is really the only other time I eat. I try to have breakfast late so it is not as many hours between meals.
It goes on, but it all comes down to survival and doing things you really have no choice in the matter. Some people are not taking the social distancing seriously and that's problematic. I've even seen it here in my town when walking around, the very few times I'm out to go to the supermarket or laudromat, which I have done very little.
People gather, especially younger people, and things like Spring Break and Mardigra took its toll. You'd think people would have learned by it. We are facing the unknown here and if this isn't taken seriously, they are talking about the next wave or it reemerging again. The progress would have been in vain and the nightmare of starting over again is just horrible think about.
The only thing that can stop this is a vaccine, but that's a long way down the road it seems.
I hope things can resume shortly, but I seriously doubt that very much, I'm sorry to say. How people survive seems to be the real question. Rent, utilities and food. Cable companies for now are not shutting people off. That would be a death sentence for me if they did. My landline phone and Wi-Fi are my lifelines during this crisis. My monthly prepaid plan for my iPhone has been out on hold. I use my cable WiFi for the phone when I'm home and can use the Internet and still use texting, but only among people who have iPhones. The number is not on because I'm not outside working and use the landline at home, which is easier anyway. Most people use their cellular phones at home, I don't. With a bit of a hearing loss, landlines are easier for me.Also this iPhone4S is old and the phone reception really doesn't work inside anyway, but works pretty much ok when I'm working outside, so need to have my prepaid added right now.
And then there's cable, which is part of my package from the cable co. with phone and Internet. If I lose that as well I'd really go out of my mind. I enjoy watching television, even with a basic package of mostly the major networks. Great entertaing shows with a dvr. I cut most of the cable out and downgraded to that, which is really what I mostly watch. They do give you a few other things too including a 24 hour non commercial movie channel that have classic films on Retroplex. Right now Showtime and another premium film channel is free for a for more days, but I haven't even watched it.
Heat and electricity won't be turned off
now and landlords can't take you to court for unpaid rent. I don't how much longer they'll keep that going, but they deserve and rely on income too, especially if you rent in a private 2 family house.
Essentials for now are there but notices from cable companies and electric companies come and there's a possibility they can shut you off, especially if you were a bit behind before the crisis started and you weren't up to date and didn't catch up - and then out of the blue, BAM!
No phone and Internet would be a disaster.
That's why people should get their benefits right now, especially if they have been waiting for weeks ongoing. You see the long lines at food banks now on the news and sadly farmers who can't move their food to locations having to throw out and destroy their crops, which is a terrible waste. They are trying to figure out ways to get it to people it can help, but there are little resources available to them for distribution. You seem them dumping milk from their cows on the news. Incredible! Such a waste, but no choice.
People are losing everything. It seems like it will continue to get worse. The recovery from all this will be long term and will take years to recover.
Some people will never catch up as there are those who live paycheck by paycheck with no savings. People scrape to get by each month as it is. How are they going to catch up with bills and rent when this is over and also stay current?
Suicides are probably going to factor in with this as well. People with anxieties and those who are by themselves and have no one to rely on. The longer this goes, the more people will get desperate.
I wouldn't be surprised if you see an uprising on the streets with violence when government rules by martial law and prohibits people from doing what they do normally. You will have people that will not want to comply and if food shortages happen it may very well come down to people making bad stupid choices and doing desperate things.
Staying safe seems to be a priority, but taking away people's ability to work is just as bad to the downfall. If opening things up resulting in severe consequences, that could be devasting, but if things remain closed that too can have serious everlasting impacts. People will be called on it no matter what and it will seem like the wrong choices no matter what, with politicians arguing back and forth blaming each other. And during an election year both sides are using this for political points, when they should be working together. Finally, as for "my boy Trump" who shut down people from entering the USA from China, while being called a racist and being impeached at the time probably saved a lot of lives by doing that.
The mayor of NYC told people to continue to go on normally with their daily lives. Go to restaurants, go to shows, go to movies, China Town and didn't take it seriously until it got out of hand, and even when it did, he shut down NYC but kept the schools opened up and was one of the last to do so, while many around the country did before him. That makes no sense.
Gov Cuomo was more concerned about solar panels for energy and using resources for that and should have had the proper amount of ventilators stocked up for emergency usage, especially after Sept 11. It's not the job of the federal government to supply that but the responsibility of the states to do this own their own.
Regardless, nobody ever imagined this scenario other than a scifi movie or novel. People on both sides have made bad decisions, and no matter what they do, they will probably get called out on it, especially in an election year where there is a lot riding to people on both sides. This will be played up even bigger then what it has become and you can be assured both sides will use it for political gain. Unfortunately, both sides should be working 100% together in trying to resolve this as quickly as possible. This is bigger and beyond politics. That's how I see it and I'm open to what all politicians are saying right now for the most part, unless I see them using it as an attack. It's pretty clear when that's happening. Save the blame game for the debates and election. I'd like to think that's the way it works and should work.