Dis-Connect: Florida Unemployment Colin Thomas

Who are you and why should I listen to you? 

I am an unemployed/displaced mixed income earner whose industry was vastly changed by the pandemic. I was a managerial consultant who helped design call centers and processes. I have been figuring out the Florida unemployment maze since the beginning of the pandemic when my income tanked from 55k in 2019 to 3,500 in 2020. Public speaking and content creation comes naturally to me so I am investing my efforts to both assit others' seeking guidance but also to bring light to the issues. I also run the YouTube Dis-connect: Florida Unemployment Channel here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDQ2IguxcvVhkit2zeGD9qg

Currently, the maximum weekly benefit amount in Florida is $275 which is one of the absolute dead last weekly benefit amounts in the country and was last adjusted in 1998, the year Google was founded two and a half decades ago. Sadly, many claimants including self-employed and mixed income earners receive less than half of that all while the DEO has admittedly garnished pay at 40% of those amounts erroneously for many claimants, consistently made securing and keeping benefits unreasonably difficult, and roll out benefits at a pace slower than any other state in this nation. At risk Floridian’s have been effectively starved and discounted throughout the Pandemic from Ron and Dane. 

Legislation will be written soon to enhance, extend and increase unemployment benefits for Florida, it is imperative you make your voice heard. You can do this in several ways:

Tell your video story: Follow Faces Of Florida On YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJEHWMfT2_2u_qbFegBZe6w 

***Then Send YOUR Unemployment Video To FacesOfFlorida2021@gmail.com

If you are a mixed income earner (W-2 & 1099) tell your story here https://www.mixedincome.org/form

Representative Anna V. Eskamani, Senator Bobby Powell, and Democratic Colleagues announce new major unemployment legislation filed for the 2021 Session.

Get This bill heard by contacting your state house representative and state senator. You can find them at MyFloridaHouse.gov and FLSenate.gov ask them to co-sponsor HB207 and SB502 for Reemployment Assistance

 I am roughly 15k behind right now on housing, vehicle and others expenses since the onset of the pandemic. Please consider donating gf.me/u/zgbnna


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