Home foreclosures: We all played; we all must pay!

by

BENI DAKAR

Gwinnett County, Georgia, where I live had more than 8000 foreclosures last year; this year the number is expected to exceed 10,000. Many people affected by foreclosures in my area are people who rent houses from private homeowners. Most of these renters are responsible and pay their rent on time, but the homeowners have fallen behind on their payments. Often, until the sheriff comes with an eviction notice, the renter is clueless that their housing is so precarious. These people tragically become homeless through no fault of their own and unlike the homeowner they are “out of the loop” and don’t have information that would enable them to make other affordable housing arrangements before their belongings are hauled to the curb.

*If you live in Gwinnett or the Atlanta metro area the IMPACT!Group can help you avoid or recover from foreclosure for any reason



Another unintended but real consequence of the foreclosures are the impact on homeowner association dues and the upkeep of neighborhoods for everyone in the community. After all, if you cannot pay the mortgage, you probably cannot afford your HOA payments. Also, there are thousands of homeless pets, who cannot go with their owners to double up with friends and relatives or to shelters; when the family home is lost. This has increased work loads and expenses at local animal control agencies and lead to the euthanasia of good, but homeless house pets.

Individuals or families may be at risk of losing their homes; but no one escapes the fallout of the housing crisis. Moreover, many players enjoyed and profited from the housing boom: builders, buyers, and mortgage lenders, for sure; but also furniture and appliance makers, landscapers, and all those countless others who earned money directly or indirectly during the housing boom. We all played; we all must pay!

Workplace bullies: Are they giving you the blues? (Bonus Workplace Bullying Quiz)

by

BENI DAKAR

Find out if you are being bullied at work with this Workplace Bullying Quiz

Years ago, while an undergraduate student, I had a summer job at a cafeteria at the downtown telephone company. I respected the work and needed the money, but I really did not fit into that workplace environment. I was twenty-two and there was an older man named Jerry who was the head cook (about 42, which is five years younger than I am now – funny how “older’ becomes relative as we age) who just gave me the blues.

I was on time (I lived at home with my parents and they would have been livid and given me the blues legitimately if I was not on time for any job, while under their roof), polite, ready and willingly to take orders; but everything I did was all wrong. I even had some previous food service experience and had earned vocational certificates in Restaurant Management and Full Service Restaurant Service. Additionally, I had state certification in food sanitation and safety. But nothing I did seemed to please Jerry. I wore my hairnet incorrectly. I did not serve the food like he thought it should be dished up or set up or cleaned up ever to his satisfaction. Jerry would whisper threats about me being written up or being fired to me while we were alone for a moment on the serving line or while in the walk up cooler. I could not “sir” him enough or assure him that I respected his authority and was striving to do a fine job.

I remember becoming physically ill on Sunday’s after the television show 60 Minutes went off at 8:00 P.M. Psychologically, that meant that the weekend was over and that I would be back to work at 6:00 A.M. the next day barraged by Jerry’s never-ending insults and threats. What brought all this to an end was the break-up of Ma Bell. Although, we were not telephone company employees, we served telephone company workers, and the break up caused a disruption and the employees went on strike and management filled their slots. So there was not a need for the same level of food service and only select more tenured employees like Jerry continued to work. I used that temporary layoff as an opportunity to find a better job. Subsequently, I realized that I was in college and was moving forward with my life and that Jerry may have been jealous of me and that is why he was so unkind to me.

I vowed to always strive to be a high functioning employee: on time, apply myself to learn and grow in the position, help co-workers, internal and external customers, etc.; but also to never again allow anyone to badger or bully me so aggressively that I became physically ill at the thought of beginning another work week.

Have you ever been bullied on a job? Do you bully others in your workplace? Why?

WATCH ABC VIDEO ABOUT WORKPLACE BULLYING BELOW