American Morning
Jobseeker wears sign in D.C. Metro
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/26/intv.volpe2.art.jpg caption="Recent grad Michael Volpe wears a sign to advertise to potential employers."]
A harsh reality is facing the class of 2009 as they begin life after graduation. Many employers are cutting the number of college graduates they hire. Recent graduates are now hard-pressed to find work, but some grads are taking their search for work in a whole new direction.
One of those is Michael Volpe. He has brought his job search to the Metro of Washington, D.C. where he wears a sign around his neck that reads: “Entry Level Job Seeker.” He spoke to T.J. Holmes on CNN’s “American Morning” Tuesday from outside the Judiciary Square Metro stop in D.C.
T.J. Holmes: You have a degree in Physics. You're a former Peace Corps volunteer. You're a pretty impressive guy. Explain to us what you have resorted to doing?
Michael Volpe: Well, I was frustrated with the internet job search and just writing cover letter after cover letter and sending off resumes. I’ve attended career fairs; I’ve used networking; pretty much any means I could try to get work here in D.C. And I was tired of it all, so I just came up with the idea and hung a sign around my neck.
Holmes: Why this idea? I’m sure there are other directions you could have tried first. But this is one that really put you out there.
Volpe: Yeah, I chose this way because this way I can see people. They can see me. They can see I'm a clean-cut guy. I’m ambitious, creative, obviously, by the sign. And I just wanted to get that interpersonal relations working for me. And so far it has been.
Cut your prescription drug costs
From CNN Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis
Whether you're insured or not, the cost of prescription drugs is a serious problem. In a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll, it was found that nearly 30 percent of adults say they hadn't filled a prescription because of the cost and about a quarter of people polled had split pills in two or skipped doses to make the medicine last longer. But there are ways that you can slash your prices. Some stores have discount pharmacy services.
For example, Kmart pharmacies have a 90 day generics program for $15, available anywhere in the country where there's a Kmart pharmacy.
Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's pharmacies often have competitive prices and membership is not required to use the pharmacy services.
And don't forget that the internet is a great tool for comparing prices.
Compare RX costs
One word of caution here: beware of fly-by-night sites, where your risk of getting counterfeit or tainted drugs rises. Look for sites that carry the "VIPPS" seal – it stands for verified internet pharmacy practice site -and is awarded by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
Mayor: Put American workers first
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/19/intv.bernero.art.jpg caption="Mayor Virg Bernero says the U.S. needs to do more to save the domestic auto industry."]
With GM and Chrysler closing dealerships across the country, thousands of autoworkers face an uncertain future. Virg Bernero, the mayor of Lansing, Michigan is in Washington speaking out about the personal impact of the auto industry's troubles.
This comes as the Obama administration unveils today the first-ever national fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. Mayor Bernero spoke to Kiran Chetry on CNN’s “American Morning” Tuesday.
Kiran Chetry: You're in Washington trying to spread awareness about the impact that this failed U.S. auto industry situation is having on Americans and towns across America. General Motors has until the end of this month to decide whether it will file for bankruptcy. Some experts say it's inevitable. What type of impact will we see in cities and towns across the country if another automaker is forced to file for bankruptcy?
Virg Bernero: We're here with mayors and workers and dealers from around the country not just to whine and complain but to talk about the impact of this industry across the country. It is major. It’s millions of jobs across the country. It’s more than Detroit. It’s more than Lansing. It’s more than Michigan. But it is millions of jobs. The supply chain across the country, and of course the suppliers are already teetering on the edge. And a bankruptcy for GM could threaten the supply chain for the entire domestic auto industry. Look, we're calling it a teach-in. But the reality is the American people already know what we're here to teach Congress and the administration, which is the importance of this administration and the fact is the best stimulus is a stimulating job.
We need to have American production stimulated. We need a “cash for clunkers” bill that stimulates people to buy American vehicles. It doesn’t make any sense to stimulate people to give them money to buy foreign cars. We need American workers to be put first. We need the American industry to be put first. So we call it a teach-in, but as I say the American public knows the score. We need to put American workers first. And so far what we've seen… when we look at other countries, we see other countries like France, when they helped their auto industry… Renault had to bring jobs back to France. And here we are subsidizing our industry, which we're for, we’re all for supporting our industry, but the industry needs to support American jobs…
Medicare is the real danger, not social security
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/13/intv.weiner.ss.art.jpg caption= "Bob Weiner says we should worry about Medicare before we worry about Social Security."]
The front page of the New York Times today reads: Recession Drains Social Security and Medicare. The latest report card on the social safety net is not encouraging. The officials who oversee the program forecast Tuesday that the Social Security trust fund will be exhausted by 2037 — four years earlier than estimated last year.
Bob Weiner, former chief of staff for the House Committee on Aging, says when it comes to fear over Social Security, it's much ado about nothing. He joined John Roberts on CNN’s “American Morning” Wednesday.
John Roberts: You say everybody has it wrong on the alarm bells being sounded about Social Security. How do we have it wrong?
Bob Weiner: Not everyone has it wrong. There are a lot of experts in Social Security who understand that this is a program that has been the most successful one in the history of American social programs – taking half of senior citizens out of poverty. Half of seniors rely on Social Security for 90% of their income.
Roberts: What do we have wrong, though?
Weiner: The program is solvent for the next 30 years. Once, and even then, when they say insolvent, it still will be able to pay 75% of the benefits even under the worst economic model. And the economic model that they're using is the crash that we're in right now. So they've taken the worst case scenario, instead of recognizing that the economy will improve and that we’ll go back to a solvency situation with Social Security.
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