Has everyone forgotten the positive? I hope that President Obama continues to push for service and grassroots organizing. If we don't take care of each other, there is nothing more to hope for.
I have two albums in my CD changer in the car. A song on each with the word hope. I hope... Why can't the news stop and the governments just realize we are falling, you have to fall to learn to walk again. If they put down something soft to fall on, instead of trying to keep the fall from happening, I think it would work out better.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Layoffs and the real story of USAA
The Sacramento Bee and Business Journal this past week have published articles about the closure of USAA insurance's call center in Sacramento. A total of 625 employees will have to decide whether to move to another USAA office (Az, Tx, Co, Fl) or take a severance package and lose their job.
Six years ago, I was in this same position. USAA consolidated my job and moved us to either TX or AZ or we could take the severance. I took the severance and decided to begin a new career in teaching. At that time, those of us who left read a faint writing on the wall and speculated that USAA would close the entire office within five years. We were almost right--it was six.
It's funny to me how the business journal and bee speculate about why or what it has to do with the economy or what it might mean for the insurance industry. It has nothing to do with any of these things. USAA bulked up over several years in the 1990s and in 2000's the began trimming back down. Another reason they are leaving California is their constant battle with employment laws here. There was always one set of "rules" for CA employees and another set for everyone else. USAA has wanted out of having to tailor things for CA employees for a long time. San Antonio management has always been frustrated by the differences in California. Plain and simple, the cost to do business here in this state is higher. If they are looking to trim the fat, Ca is a clear and easy target.
My concern though is that it was easy for me six years ago to restart my life: my husband had a good job, the severance package allowed me to finish my degree and begin teaching, and we had good equity in our home. What will happen to these 625 employees (among them people I call friends) in the current state of our nation. Shouldn't USAA have more of an obligation in this current downturn?? Yes, they are offering people jobs elsewhere, but six years ago of those who moved with USAA to AZ from my department, they then laid them off there and consolidated the department to San Antonio. There is no guarantee. And what if your spouse has a good job here, why would you move and have your spouse leave their job--one of you would still be out of work.
Should you be concerned about the insurance industry overall? Absolutely not. (Of course, as long as it's not a company that is heavily merged with the financial industry--if that's the case, then yes, worry. But supposedly they have regulations to keep the two separate, right? Regulations smegulations!)
Six years ago, I was in this same position. USAA consolidated my job and moved us to either TX or AZ or we could take the severance. I took the severance and decided to begin a new career in teaching. At that time, those of us who left read a faint writing on the wall and speculated that USAA would close the entire office within five years. We were almost right--it was six.
It's funny to me how the business journal and bee speculate about why or what it has to do with the economy or what it might mean for the insurance industry. It has nothing to do with any of these things. USAA bulked up over several years in the 1990s and in 2000's the began trimming back down. Another reason they are leaving California is their constant battle with employment laws here. There was always one set of "rules" for CA employees and another set for everyone else. USAA has wanted out of having to tailor things for CA employees for a long time. San Antonio management has always been frustrated by the differences in California. Plain and simple, the cost to do business here in this state is higher. If they are looking to trim the fat, Ca is a clear and easy target.
My concern though is that it was easy for me six years ago to restart my life: my husband had a good job, the severance package allowed me to finish my degree and begin teaching, and we had good equity in our home. What will happen to these 625 employees (among them people I call friends) in the current state of our nation. Shouldn't USAA have more of an obligation in this current downturn?? Yes, they are offering people jobs elsewhere, but six years ago of those who moved with USAA to AZ from my department, they then laid them off there and consolidated the department to San Antonio. There is no guarantee. And what if your spouse has a good job here, why would you move and have your spouse leave their job--one of you would still be out of work.
Should you be concerned about the insurance industry overall? Absolutely not. (Of course, as long as it's not a company that is heavily merged with the financial industry--if that's the case, then yes, worry. But supposedly they have regulations to keep the two separate, right? Regulations smegulations!)
Friday, February 13, 2009
Suing the State of California
I wish someone could tell me why anyone would think it makes sense to sue the controller of the State of California because he's only paying the bills that take priority. So the government is already broke and then these lawyers are going to waste more taxpayer money for the government to defend itself. How is this helping anyone get paid???
Last semester my class watched the movie Who Killed the Electric Car? and learned that oil companies and automakers has sued the California Air Resources board over the increased requirements for clean air. Another unbelieveable lawsuit to me...
I realize that the government probably has attorneys on its payroll for indidences of lawsuit, but couldn't they be spending their time on something more important? Standing for the rights of individual citizens rather than defending themselves against mulit-million dollar corporations or money grubbing lawyers?
Last semester my class watched the movie Who Killed the Electric Car? and learned that oil companies and automakers has sued the California Air Resources board over the increased requirements for clean air. Another unbelieveable lawsuit to me...
I realize that the government probably has attorneys on its payroll for indidences of lawsuit, but couldn't they be spending their time on something more important? Standing for the rights of individual citizens rather than defending themselves against mulit-million dollar corporations or money grubbing lawyers?
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