OddTod Laid Low by the Law

nickynicky9doors writes "The International Herald Tribune has a NYT article on the recent woes of Tod Rosenberg who started 'Laid Off: A Day in the Life'. Mr. Rosenberg started www.oddtodd.com to tell the tale of a laid off guy who spends days watching TV and eating chips. Oddtod became so successful Mr. Rosenberg reaped cash donations and national TV exposure. Unfortunately it also brought the attention of the Department of Labor who have explained the catch of having to be actively looking for work while collecting unemployment benefits. Another dot com bust."

Comments

Is that his voice?

[svwolfpack]

I would love to see a slashdot interview of todd... what i really want to know is does he really talk like that? For those of you who haven't seen it, definately check him out. I was even going to by his "Home Of The Whopper" underwear, but I had already bought my novelty clothing item of the month... So maybe later!

The same argument

[quantaman]

I wonder if the same argument would apply to someone collecting donations on the street. While it is likely that these people are not collecting unemployment how do they define "earning money". On the same note would gambling also be considered "earning money", I know in Canada winnings are not taxable yet there are some professional gamblers that Revenue Canada is attempting to tax due to the fact they consider it a job.

I may run into the same problem

[Artifice_Eternity]

I've been (mostly) unemployed in NYC for almost 8 months now. I've spent much of that time on a new web project:

http://subintsoc.net

If someone actually buys the t-shirt we've got for sale on the site, the Dept. of Labor could come after me for making money while collecting unemployment benefits. Then again, technically, it's not a dot-com...it's a dot-net. So maybe Microsoft will come after me instead...

If you visit, try the new do-it-yourself Terror Warning Generator!

And remember, Cogito Ergo Rebello...

Simple Solution

[matrix0040]

oh what's the problem .. put in a link to his resume on the page and then he'll be "actively" looking for a job by advertising his skills on the web ! The labor dept and everyone will be happy ! Well he might as well get a few job offers that way ;-)

Re:CA unemployment myths vs realities: my own stor

[Rogerborg]

Myth 6: The benefits system has any kind of internal consistency.

Reality:

• Welfare office: OK, let's see. From your description of your domestic situation, I have to record that you are living with a partner as man and wife. As she is a full time student, our procedure says that she must claim benefits for you as a dependent partner. You are therefore not elegible to receive separate unemployment benefit, even though you are attending higher education for fewer than 16 hours per week while actively seeking work.
• Me: Uh, but wait, to claim married student benefits, we have to provide a marriage certificate, at least three years old. But we're not actually married. So, what should we do?
• Welface office: (looking around) OK. Off the record, I recommend you lie to us and say you're sleeping on the couch. Then we can lie about you living together as man and wife, and you can get unemployment benefit while you look for work. Also, don't tell us that you're attending higher education part time, as it just creates more paperwork for us while cutting you exactly zero slack.
• Me: So, basically you're saying that the system is screwed, you know it's screwed, and the best way to obtain the benefits that it's honestly intended to deliver is to lie and scam it?
• Welfare office: Pretty much.
• Me: Well, ok then. By the way, I'm doing some irregular teaching assistant work that brings in the occasional $30 or so. How do I declare that?
• Welfare office: I'm sorry, I seem to have gone temporarily deaf.

I was pretty young and naieve then, you can tell. The trouble was that I didn't understand that the system is set up to support binary states: In work. Out of work. Nothing in the middle, no gray areas. You practically have to lie through your teeth (with the state's tacit collusion) to get enough to live on, and at some point when you get a job that pays a living wage, you're expected to stop lying.

Trouble is, once you get used to the idea that pretty much everybody in the benefits system is involved in a huge scam (and that the benefits office colludes out of compassion), it begs the question: at what point exactly does it become wrong to lie, when at $1 a week less, it was OK?

Re:CA unemployment myths vs realities: my own stor

[Anonymous Coward]

I had something similar happen a few years ago. It went sort of like this:

Welfare Social Worker: Okay, so you're filing for aid because you are unemployed and denied compensation, so you have no income and no assets.
Me: Yes.
Social Worker: Under Welfare rules, you're an "ABOD", an able-bodied worker. So you're ineligible for aid.
Me: But I'm not getting Unemployment because I was fired for being disabled. Disabled people can't get unemployment.
Social Worker: Are you disabled, or can you work?
Me: I can work, but I'm covered under the ADA, the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Social Worker: Then no benefits for you! *bam*

Cut to State Unemployment office

Unemployment caseworker: So you were fired because you were disabled.
Me: Right.
Caseworker: Well, if you were fired for being disabled, then that would count as an unfair firing, so you'd be elible for benefits....
Me: *dazed hungry look* Yes?
Caseworker: But if it *was* unfair, then you must really be disabled. If you are, you don't qualify for Unemployment Compensation.
Me: And if I weren't disabled?
Caseworker: Then you were fired fairly. Either way, NO benefits for you!
Me: Ummmmm.....
Caseworker: Have you tried the welfare office?

Back at the Welfare office...

Welfare Social Worker: Good news! You don't qualify for most aid, but we CAN give you food stamps.
Me: Well, that'll help. Now if only I can find a way to pay my rent before I get evicted...
Welfare Social Worker: Oh no! If someone gives you money to pay rent or utilities, that will affect your food stamps. You have to report any money over 25.00, and we'll deduct that from the food stamps.
Me:So, I qualify only if I promise not to pay the rent or utilities?
Welfare Social Worker: Exactly! Have a nice day!

Completely fucked. *laugh*

Who is complaining about meager benefits?

[Carmody]

I have no way of knowing, but I am wondering about the people complaining about their meager benefits, and talking about how they can't afford to pay their bills with their unemployment checks, and how they can't afford living in a $1500 apartment (but would never get a roommate).

I am wondering if they are the same people who, a year and a half ago, were all buying copies of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and constantly posting to slashdot that government has no business taxing the wealthy (and therefore deserving) to help out the poor (who should just get up and start their own businesses).

The reason I wonder is that there seem to be fewer Randroids, "you don't work... you don't eat" people, people who complain and whine that underemployed people complain and whine. And there are more people talking about inadequate unemployment benefits, and how the government should help people pay their rent and food while they go to school to improve their job skills.

I know that it could be a coincidence, but I keep wondering if they are the same people.

California $230 per week

[snarfer]

In California unemployment is only $230 per week, and it has run out for me and most people I know anyway. Everyone is spending their retirement money now.

Re:Unemployment bullshit

[King_TJ]

Exactly.... I love how the govt. takes the stance that only people earning relatively little ever deserve to collect from the systems paid for nearly in full by the rest of us.

Right now, I live in a fairly poor neighborhood. (I wanted to own my own home instead of throw away a large part of my income on rent -- but I didn't have the money for anything in a better part of town.) I work full-time and do alright (not quite as well as the message poster I'm replying to, but I'm also in the midwest, where cost of living is less) -- but I can barely get by. My wife is not working right now, and we have a kid on the way. After we got married, I started getting endless collection agency letters for her past unpaid debts (mostly medical expenses, as she had a number of medical problems in the past and no health insurance).

We can't qualify for any assistance whatsoever, so if it wasn't for the generousity of her parents (bought us all of the furniture for the baby's room and most of her clothes to start out with), I don't know what we'd do.

Meanwhile, the neighbor who moved in next door is living with her husband, getting "section 8" subsidized rent and welfare (and claiming she's not living with him, so she can be sure to qualify for everything). Neither of them ever seem to go to work, yet they bought a new car last week (giving them 3 cars, total) and always have plenty of groceries.
Their 3 kids living with them always seem to have plenty of new designer clothes and shoes, too.

Every morning when I go to work and I see that, I'm reminded what my tax dollars are paying for.