Down, Not Out: Unemployed In Ohio

The Huffington Post caught up with Marvin Bohn sitting on his porch in Yellow Springs, Ohio after a day of thunderstorms. He'd just come back from the movies. We'd heard he was out of a job.

I went through 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. Now I'm on the 13-week extension. I've been looking for work but not finding any. I ran the dining services for Antioch College in Ohio. Antioch closed June of last year. Good jobs in food service are hard to find.

At this moment I've already dropped COBRA. It was costing $597 a month. I just couldn't afford it. I take 11 medications, which I've gotten my doctor to put what he could on generics. But I'm still taking Plavix and Byetta.

In Springfield I worked as an executive chef, 80 hours a week. You could pretty much figure that from the Monday prior to Thanksgiving to New Year's Day I'd have no day off. So many banquets.

Do you live with family?

I'm a single person. I had taken care of my mother for 23 years. She passed away two years ago. She'd gotten to the point it was probably better.

I need to hopefully get a job that has benefits. When I've talked to insurance companies, what they want to charge you is phenomenal -- anywhere from $600 to a $1,000 a month. Some of them won't even quote me. I'm a type II diabetic. I've had two heart attacks, open-heart surgery, congestive heart failure. I've got a defibrillator in my chest. The same device that Dick Cheney has. It's the only thing he and I have in common.

How old are you?

Story continues below

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There are nice people out there who say I don't look 57. I look in the mirror. I look 57.

Looking for work?

I did talk to a person last week with a local fast food chain. A local franchise. The job was $25,000 a year, on the clock 45 hours a week. He asked what I was making on unemployment. I told him $365. He just looked at me and said, "That's ridiculous that you make so much."

What fast food chain?

Burger King. They didn't offer me the job. They'd set up 11 interviews, the largest number they'd had for an assistant manager position.

What's your day like, usually?

Most days I get up in the morning, get on the computer, and look for want ads. Craigslist, Monster, Yahoo. I read the Dayton daily news, I check the Cincinnati paper, the Columbus paper. Trying to find if there's anything out there. If there is, I send in a resume. I basically stopped going out and knocking on doors.

Usually that's how I spend my morning. I will take a walk in the afternoon - today because of the thunderstorms I decided to go see a movie. I saw "Up." I love animation. It was just excellent. Every time I see an animated movie it's so much better than last time.

How did your heart problems develop?

My grandfather had a series of strokes. My father died of a heart attack at age 57, my brother died of heart attack at age 50. My mother had a heart attack, open heart surgery. My older sister died of liver cancer. It spread from her colon. I'm sure it's genetics. My cholesterol is under control, but the doctors will tell you, eating the wrong things, not getting exercise. But I was working 80 hours a week.

When I had my initial heart attack, I was living in Springfield and they were supposed to take me to the community hospital. My insurance company would not OK surgery at that hospital.

I had an IV in me, a pump to strengthen my heart, and an external pacemaker. They came up and told me the insurance company said I would have to pay the deductible. It was over $6,000, I think. Since they would not provide transportation and I would have to wait for the doctors to release me so I could go home, then eventually check into the other hospital, we just simply chose to go ahead and pay the extra amount of money. Four more weeks or five more weeks off work. How much money does that cost?

I always get a little t'd off when they talk about how government is going to tell you what doctors you're going to see. Insurance companies are doing that now.

HuffPost readers: Are you one of the record number of people experiencing long-term unemployment? Tell us about it -- email [e-mail].

Comments

[N3M3siS]

9 months 2 weeks and 1 day so far. Currently Flathead county is sitting at 13.9% unemployed when in 2007 it was 3.4%. Countless small businesses closed down and the 3 largest employers curtailed production down to 10% or less. The numbers would even worse but my Union worked out a deal to keep the old timers working until they retire and gave us laid off workers TAA benefits with College training if we chose.
Depressing to say the least.

[dandypuddin]

Can you relocate to another college or university that might need your skills? I don't even where I am the local Cal State has removed all job postings from it's website. No openings at all. It is a first. But things might be better at non-Calif. colleges. Good luck to you. We all wish you the best of luck.

[biglover]

I am sad to hear all these stories. I can't believe what the Bush policies have done to this country. Poor Obama is trying so hard to fix it and it is so difficult. I still have a job with good benefits but who knows what can happen.

[hammer109]

I was out of work after 9/11 for over a year. I finally decided that the entrepreneurial route was my only choice. I fought it at the time but now I embrace it. There is no loyalty and people who hold out for the 'security' of a job are fooling themselves. Find a business you can create. it's the only way to survive these days.

[MsMarchHare]

I spent 10 yrs in a job I hated, and with each reduction they did I jockeyed myself into a new job taking less and less for the privilage of being treated like dirt, until I gave up on the last round and let them cut me.

I have been jobless since the 2nd of April and....I'm loving it.

I will get my 26 weeks of unemployment and keep looking, but I have also decided to go back to school which will extend those benefits and which the state will pay for. I may need to tighten my belt for a time, but, in the end I will get a better education, and have more marketable skills to work with, in a job I will probably like better.

[AZBunny]

Let us hear back from you in a few years, I'm VERY curious to see if you are STILL optimistic.

Your story sounds like mine 15 years ago. It didn't turn out so well.

[MMB]

My story mirrors yours. I am 55 and have not been able to find work for almost one year. I had a late COBRA payment and was dropped. Now, I have nothing.

I am single , have raised 3 great kids and pretty darn smart. For the first time, I have had to dummy down my resume. What does that say?

My car sits in the parking space most days as I run through the computer looking for leads. I am embarrased. I feel old and obsolete. My benefits end in about a month. I am so grateful to have had this help. I have taken classes out of my own pocket to enhance my skill set, have attended Job Fairs, the whole bit. NADA.

Hang in there, there may be brighter days ahead. If I was younger, I'd join the military......and I'm a pacifist, but it appears there weill be job security. How pathetic!

[Diana]

So sorry for your situation. I too am middle-aged and unemployed, after a lifetime of steady and good-paying work. I quit an excellent job in 2005 to take care of family stuff but, when I was able to come back into the workforce, I ran smack into the horrors of this economy. I finally managed to get a secretarial job only to be let go one week before I would've become permanent (and a union member!).

Since I was let go in February, things have gotten exponentially worse. There is no work out there. Not full-time, not part-time, not temporary. Nothing. But what keeps me lying awake at night and unable to get out of bed in the morning is the profound fear that this isn't ending any time soon; the financial crisis will assuredly get worse and the new paradigm for cheap and exploited labor will become permanent.

My unemployment 'benefit' here in New York is $254, plus a temporary $25 emergency supplemental.

Like you, I'm considered too old for most jobs yet I'm too young to receive Social Security. I never thought my life as a productive citizen who contributed to the common good, and lived honestly and with compassion, would end up like this.

[MMB]

Good Luck to you. You obviously made a sacrifice to take care of family matters, you shouldn't be penalized by the system, but its the risk you take for doing the right thing. I know, I left work to care for terminally ill family member and never have been able to regroup.

[bccmeteorites]

All this while Bill Gates is lobbying Congress with his time honored mantra; we need more H1-B visas cause we lack the qualified personnel (Americans) to fill the next generation of high tech jobs. What Mr. Gates means is we need to come up with more creative ways to put more Americans (minorities) in prison "campuses" and make up for the loss by importing slaves from India, Pakistan and China. Hello?

[grateful4thedead]

don't you love the new NY unemployment rule where those on extensions must fill out a form that you have looked for a job 2x per week? guys, there are no jobs and most of us are looking.

[SonofLiberty1]

Pennsy & NJ have had these rules for years. You may be able to just send Resume's to job advertisements.

I doubt if they would make you have 3 interviews in a week:)

[1smartcanerican]

I recommend that you read "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell and follow his recommendations to eat a whole food diet - ie: vegetarian. As a chef, you should be able to put together some outstanding veggie meals that are satisfying and healing. You could be off all your meds in a few months and be in better physical shape than you've been in for some time. I wish you luck - I, too, am unemployed for over a year and at the age of 62, doubt that I will return to the workforce.

My 28-yo son is currently unemployed, without insurance, and now broke his ankle and leg. No idea how this will be handled as it is difficult to find orthopedic surgeons who will take on a patient with no income.

Health insurance for all is a must in our country!

[Raul Garcia]

Are you serious?

Sure a healthy diet and regular exercise is crucial, but thinking some miracle diet is the cure all is pure fantasy.

Genetics my friend is the determining factor, especially when it comes to heart disease and cancer.

[1smartcanerican]

You might read the book prior to saying that genetics is the only determining factor. This is addressed in the book and the book is highly touted by other health experts around the country. I know that I would rather follow a diet that can do no harm, but possibly lots of good, so that I could become healthy and prescription drug free. Cornell University has a certificate online class based on this book. However, if you are sure that genetics is the only culprit, I hope your family history is strong and healthy!

[jnatch]

Ha! I'm nearly at two years already, cant find a darn thing and I look every week for the last 100 weeks or so.

[csmcmillion]

Hah. I've been out of work since 2003.

[Madmac]

As someone who has gone a year or more without a job I can understand what he's going thru. I just hope

[Bushdepression]

Wonder if this guy was part of the electorate that put Bush and the Republicans over the top twice. The Bush Depression is upon the land and there is not much that Obama can do about it.

[Mabo]

This is not a Bush depression...it is a US Gov't depression. This is not a Republican problem...this is a politician problem. This government spends like there is no tomorrow and doesn't know the meaning of a budget. We are in this mess because those that "represent" us are actually representing only themselves and their re-election bids. To pin this economic problem on one party is foolish. Both parties are responsible and both parties should shoulder the responsibility of working to cut wasteful spending to right this ship. Instead, they keep passing more and more spending as a way out of this situation. I know that wouldn't work with my budget and it surely won't work with the governments. Cutting spending hurts...but it needs to be done.

[bluevase]

Cut the war budget. It's the cost of two expanding wars that is doing us in.

[ljb860ljb]

Nothing new here, insurance companies should have RICO applied against them... when I got sick in 1987 doctor and I had the say. Then after Clinton's health care failure the insurance companies had 100% of the say. My doctor was one of those that fought Clinton, he later gave me an apology as he stated we felt the govrn't would have all the say, new he said it was all the insurance. I had told him he was wrong. My illness eventually lead to bankruptcy even with supposedly 100% insurance coverage it was costing 25K per year out of pocket.

Now the same doctor continues to treat me even though I have been without insurance and unemployed since October. he is a good man that way, I know of at least 1/2 dozen others he continues to see. We need to bail this man out with universal coverage rather than the "banks" and "insurance" companies. Will we ever see it, my answer is NO as congress has been bought and paid for and they do not have the BALLs to do what is right for the American people.

[Bobotheclown]

This has happened before and it has been solved before. The Great Depression produced a healthcare crisis far worse than this. The solution then was to vote for a leader who had the vision and the courage to do something about it. That person was FDR and he won his first two elections by a broader margin than any President in American history. He did not just win, he swept 95% of the states. With that kind of a mandate a President can solve the troubles that you have described. But America is not hurting enough or wise enough to produce such a mandate in modern times and Obama is interested in compromise to keep his political base secure. If this gets worse we will reach a point where finally everybody comes together to find a solution. Until then your neighbors are going to let you suffer. Good luck and God speed.

[wlpc]

I was also in my late 50's when I was laid off from an aeropspace institution after having been there for over 30 years. It took me 9 months to find another position in a completely different industry, but using some of my same skills (computer tech support/customer service). I have now been with this company going on 3 years. I am still making only about 2/3 of what I was making at the time of my layoff. But worse, I lost all my vacation accrual benefits as I had to start all over from square one. Being 60 and starting over was the worst part, but that's all one can do given the circumstances. Unlike yourself, I am fortunate to have a wife who had a good job with health care benefits, so that was not an issue with me. Being alone like this can't be easy as getting support financially and especially emotionally helps one to get through this. Your days sound much like mine was. It was a lot of effort to find another postion. Find support groups if possible to help you through this. I took some classes at a local JC to try to enhance my skills. I would say the most important thing is to keep trying; don't give up. Mix with people as much as possible and don't shut your self off from the world, though the longer your situation continues, the more hopeless you feel. Best of luck to you!

[Max Wood]

I feel for you man....Ive been out of work since Oct 31st of last year. I would estimate that I have sent our over 6,000 resumes and recieved a total of 10 call backs, 6 interviews and 0 job offers. Im doing an internship right now hoping that it will result in a job but at this point it doesnt seem likley. Keep your head up though....better days are ahead.

[disgusted45]

Dear Sir,

As long as we have a “For Profit System”, there can be no reform.

If HMO’s are involved, it will not work. If insurance companies are involved, it will not work.

The insurance companies make money, if the patient is not seen. Anytime a patient is seen, they lose money. Their incentive is not to see the patient.
If they do have to see the patient, they may not find anything wrong, because if they do, it will cost them money.

I belong to an HMO now. I pay $500 a month for basically nothing. I still have to wait a month for an appointment to see my doctor. If there’s a problem he can’t handle or a specialist I need to see, it takes another two months. I still have a co-payment even if they do nothing.

Doctors need to be reimbursed for their dedication and expertise in helping patients.
The insurance companies have become the middle man and removed part of that reimbusement, while adding absolutely no benefit to the patient. They exist only as profit making enterprises and to restrict patient treatment to what they want to cover.

Until these issues are addressed, the USA will continue to have poor health care
coverage.

If you don’t go to a single payer system, nothing will change. Don’t bother wasting your time.