wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] noel from westchester, ny January 13, 2009 - 10:11AM

  i cannot believe we are working off a percentage as the baseline to determine unemployment extensions. the population of NY is far greater than CT and NJ.

  this encourages people to live in CT and NJ and commute to NY

  
  
• [2] Norman from NYC January 13, 2009 - 10:13AM

  I've heard of people who were legally entitled to get public assistance having the NYC welfare agencies simply refuse them, by asking them for documentation that they couldn't get.

  Are the City agencies illegally refusing people the welfare benefits that they're entitled to?

  
  
• [3] Mark from Manhattan January 13, 2009 - 10:16AM

  "Unemployment - A Safety Net in Need of Repair"

  http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12865107

  Unemployment as it is barely keeps people above poverty. Supposedly there's legislation to change that, but it got blocked in the Senate.

  
  
• [4] Gary from UWS January 13, 2009 - 10:16AM

  59 weeks of unemployment insurance! That's crazy. There are MILLIONS of jobs available. Go to monster.com.

  
  
• [5] Norman from NYC January 13, 2009 - 10:17AM

  Why don't we do what the European countries do and give unemployed people a minimum income, rather than forcing them to take workfare jobs (which lower the salaries for everyone)?

  
  
• [6] Norman from NYC January 13, 2009 - 10:18AM

  Don't you have to be fingerprinted to get food stamps in NYC?

  
  
• [7] david from NYC January 13, 2009 - 10:19AM

  Brian, New york state and I guess the rest of the country taxes the unemployed on uemployment insurance, does Mr. Stettner have any update on this practice being abolished.

  
  
• [8] ceolaf from brooklyn January 13, 2009 - 10:20AM

  Food stamps:

  To apply for emergency food stamps, which is processed much faster, you can't have enough money in the bank to make your next rent.

  
  
• [9] Nicole from New Jersey January 13, 2009 - 10:20AM

  Will I qualify for unemployment if I voluntarily resign my job to attend graduate school as a full-time student?

  
  
• [10] Kyle T from Brooklyn January 13, 2009 - 10:21AM

  I just found this website: http://pbrcmanual.cssny.org/foodstampcal.htm it's a food-stamp benefit calculator. As someone who receives the maximum unemployment benefit, $405 per week, and has no other income, I apparently do not qualify.

  
  
• [11] Christine from Staten Island January 13, 2009 - 10:21AM

  Can I continue to receive UI if I set myself up as an independent contractor to work in the insurance industry and don't receive payment on anyparticular week?

  
  
• [12] Norman from NYC January 13, 2009 - 10:22AM

  How does our welfare system compare with the European system?

  
  
• [13] Stephen Silvestri from Astoria January 13, 2009 - 10:23AM

  According to Bush's own financial people, the top ways of stimulating the economy are increasing food stamps and extending unemployment benefits. Food stamps = guaranteed investment through legitimate, sound spending.

  
  
• [14] Daniell Barrenechea from Forest Hills January 13, 2009 - 10:23AM

  Please repeat that New York state program that allows people for extensions of unemployment benefits whie joining retraining program

  
  
• [15] Hugh from Crown Heights January 13, 2009 - 10:24AM

  Freelancers are not covered (partly because there wasn't really any such thing as a freelancer when unemployment compensation was first instituted).

  How about temporary workers? Their numbers are enormous -- employed under poor terms by temp agencies, etc.

  
  
• [16] Cornell Green from New York City January 13, 2009 - 10:24AM

  As far as the "freelancer vs. employee" thing goes, in 2006 I worked for a small startup.

  I was employee number two, worked for them for almost a year, then they fired me without cause.

  At first they tried the "freelancer" thing, but I appealed, and got my unemployment; it's not that hard -- employers are counting on you not appealing

  
  
• [17] Christine January 13, 2009 - 10:25AM

  At least the economic situation is bringing attention to more people about how difficult it is for people to obtain assistance. This is why TANF was such a huge hit to so many people and a tradegy of the Clinton administration.

  
  
• [18] O from Forest Hills January 13, 2009 - 10:28AM

  #14 Daniel,

  the training program they were talking about is called 599. You need to apply while getting unemployment and show a training program that you have to pay for though, will help you improve employment, then you will get benefits while in school.

  google ny state labor dept for their website.

  Hope that helps. It is called the 599 training program.

  
  
• [19] Ollezaza from Manhattan January 13, 2009 - 10:30AM

  Does anyone know: if you're on unemployment, and want to work for a volunteer organization like Americorps--where you get compensation and allowance but not a salary--will you have to stop the unemployment benefits?

  
  
• [20] Christina Schwerin from Manhattan January 13, 2009 - 10:31AM

  To address the freelance question posed earlier- if you're getting paid through the company, ie: through their payroll company and having taxes withheld, then you are eligible for benefits. If you are getting paid through your own company and having no taxes withheld then you are not eligible.

  
  
• [21] noel from westchester, ny January 13, 2009 - 10:33AM

  One more question, why is there disparity in the maximum unemployment benefit by state?

  In NJ the max is $560.00, in CT $519.00, and in NY $405.00.

  So if I live in NJ or CT, not only do I get more money on unemployment every week, I get it for longer.

  
  
• [22] smitka from jackson heights January 13, 2009 - 10:34AM

  The training grant program that the state offers -- Section 599 that a caller was talking about -- is poorly run and an inefficient use of taxpayer's money. The educational institutions on their rosters are very limited, and seem arbitrary. There are so many great schools in NYC, but none of them are on the list. The ones that are have outdated equipment, and are not very well run themselves.

  The program should be overhauled. It could be a great service, but unfortunately doesn't benefit the people that need it most.

  
  
• [23] Toni from Manhattan January 13, 2009 - 10:56AM

  I started volunteering!

  
  
• [24] ileen January 14, 2009 - 03:43PM

  Please check with your itunes specialist. It's Wednesday afternoon and Tuesday's podcasts still have not shown up (at least not for my subscription). Last week they arrived in such a timely manner I almost wrote to congratulate whoever was in charge, but this week the opposite is happening. Thanks for your attention to this matter.