It is Easter Sunday April 12, 2020 I have been furloughed now since March 20th 2020, my last day to work was on March 17th 2020. It has been 23 days since I applied for my unemployment benefits in my state of Florida which I was instructed to do so by my hotel employer. With great frustration being constantly kicked off the states website receiving error messages after error message 8 hours later it seemed like I got the application done.

         Well not exactly, see I have been checking daily, I have had the website ask for proof of identity, listed is a previous employer from 13 years ago which now is being questioned by the unemployment dept. about my employment status, meanwhile I input all my current employers information from my W-2 which was  in fact the employer who furloughed me on March 20, 2020. This website also has my monetary status as pending for over 3 weeks. It also has my claim status as active. 

          The big question here is why haven't I received my benefits, why have New Yorkers already received their third check and here in Florida our workers have not even received our first check. Looking further into this dysfunctional, fiasco called the DEO I find this problem has been going on for YEARS.

           State auditors warned Gov. Ron DeSantis last year that Florida’s unemployment website was still suffering major problems, including glitches, error messages and other problems that thousands of Floridians are now experiencing.

            In a damning 2019 report, auditors found that they had flagged all of the problems with the website in previous audits going back to 2015 — yet state officials had not made a serious attempt to fix them. 

            THIS REVEALS TO THE VOTERS IN FLORIDA THAT WE MUST DEEPLY CONSIDER WHO WE PLACE IN OFFICE, BECAUSE IT DOES MATTER GREATLY TO OUR FUTURE AS WELL AS OUR DAY TO DAY. IT IS APPARENT THAT THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS DO NOT CARE ABOUT US THE WORKERS, WORKERS HAVE NOT BEEN ON THEIR MINDS, WORKERS HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND IN THIS PANDEMIC. WORKERS ARE HUNGRY, WORKERS NEED TO PAY OUR BILLS. THIS IS UNAMERICAN AND INEXCUSABLE.

            THIS SITUATION IN FLORIDA WITH THE UNEMPLOYMENT DEPT. IS AS INSIDIOUS AS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ITSELF.

            THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS WORK FOR US. THEY HAVE NO PROBLEM TAKING OUR TAX MONEY, YET THEY CANNOT GET THE SIMPLE JOB DONE. THEY ARE TO BUSY WITH OTHER MATTERS, TO DEAL WITH WORKERS CONCERNS. I AM CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION OF THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY KEN LAWSON FOR HIS INCOMPETENCE, LEADING TO THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF OUR FELLOW FLORIDIANS THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN. 

        FLORIDA VOTERS DO NOT PUT THESE PEOPLE IN OFFICE. REMEMBER YOUR TIME OF NEED AND REMEMBER THE LAGGING, SHAMELESS, LAME EXCUSES, FOR THIS STATE CABINET TO FINALLY COME TO ACTION AND PAY OUR WORKERS BENEFITS IN AN ALREADY UNACCEPTABLE UNTIMELY FASHION.
         GOD BLESS AND HELP US ALL ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT HAVE LOST LOVED ONES DURING THIS HORRIFIC MOMENT IN OUR NATION'S HISTORY.
PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES AND EACH OTHER.