No doubt that D.C. riot was a failed coup attempt State’s mistake leaves unemployed without help
I would just like to share a quick reminder that what happened recently in our nation’s Capitol was nothing more than a failed coup attempt by an incumbent president who lost his bid for reelection.
— Gerry Pearlman, Muir Beach
It is not surprising that, once again, the California Employment Development Department has come up with new and inventive ways to make it impossible for claimants to receive their benefits even during a pandemic.
I am an unemployed restaurant worker who has worked tirelessly the past four years for upscale restaurants all over Marin County. I have been placed in what some would call “employment purgatory” since March of last year due to COVID-19 and have relied heavily on the EDD’s help to pay my bills.
Originally, the system worked smoothly for me with the few exceptions of waiting on hold during telephone calls to fix minor issues. But as of Jan. 1, I learned that my account was suspended due to suspected fraudulent activity. I did not find this fact out from the EDD directly, but rather by waking up on the following Monday to find that my payments were showing as pending. I quickly checked social media to find that many other people were having the same problem.
EDD officials now admit that this issue has affected around 1.4 million Californians, leaving them desperate and without benefits. Officials told claimants that they need to submit documentation to prove their identity.
That would be simple enough, however, they did not state how long it will take to process these documents.
It was not until Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez pressed for clarification that we learned that it could take up to 30 days. That is unacceptable. I have still not received any benefits and continue to have my account suspended.
The EDD and the Newsom administration must do better to adequately address the unemployment crisis of our state or face serious legal and political consequences.
— Zachary Bibeault, San Rafael