Aimee, I say fight that shit. Unemployment is probably just trying to get lots of people off cause they're out of money. And, if you owe it really, usually you get time to pay it back, though they'll probably charge interest.

Beth, didn't your insurance give you a certificate when you completed your coverage with them, stating when you'd had coverage? I got one when I finished insurance with most of my companies.

There's a SC writer who posits that in the south, we name things like streets and housing developments for the things we cut down, diverted, or bulldozed to make room:

Not just the South. Last year it was an orchard. Now the new housing development is called Lakeview Orchard Acres. Scumlords.

I hear you, Connie. The main road through our neighborhood includes the word "Farms." I'd be surprised if there's more than one farm left in the entire county, not counting historical exhibits.

That reminds me of a ... well, it's more than a kerfuffle.

Situation - in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood (ethnically diverse, being gentrified but current residents are struggling with it) there's a restaurant that's applied to become a nightclub (the main change seems to be that they'd be able to have a larger percentage of their revenue come from liquor sales and they could have live entertainment). People who live in the area are opposing it because of noise, traffic, drunks staggering through the neighborhood. Same restaurant has also applied for a sidewalk cafe, with a specified number of tables. Restaurant owner was told that she'd have to cut two tables to allow enough space on the sidewalk between the tables and an existing treebox (with tree - sycamore, I understand). One night - or possibly day, no one seems to have seen it happen - the tree disappeared and the treebox was paved over.

Local residents are protesting the loss of a tree and complaining that everyone else has to file for a permit to cut down a tree, even when it's dying (existing tree was, seemingly healthy). Restaurant owner says she was given permission to remove the tree (paving over the treebox seems a bit fuzzy) by the area councilman.

Much dispute is ensuing, with accusations and insults being slung.

One night - or possibly day, no one seems to have seen it happen - the tree disappeared and the treebox was paved over.

That happened in Chicago, 'cept it was an airport. And it was mayor Daily who had it done.

Yep, in the middle of the night they ripped up an airport, without notifying any owners of planes that happened to be parked there that night.

I've gotten all kinds of stuff from insurance co , meara I have no idea what I have kept. It never occurred to me that I would have to prove something to an insurance co that I haven't had for about a year. Esp. since my doctor has no outstanding bills

Oh, god, midnight renovations. In my town there's been a rash of waking up in the morning and finding holes in the ground where inconvenient historical buildings were the day before. Our town council is notoriously developer friendly--most of the councilmen are developers--and they've really been pissed at those pesky, anti-American/capitalist/free enterprise regulations re: preservation and appropriate development. For lovely schadenfreude, the two most recent incidents are a parking lot and a hole, respectively, because of the real estate market. But thank heaven the two last remaining large Spanish Colonial Revival buildings in town that were short listed for the historic register are now finally out of the way of the proposed strip malls and student condos. Because nobody needs those kinds of things.

Grr.

Connie, we've had a lot of "demolition by neglect" - buildings that can't be torn down because they're historical, so the owners refuse to maintain them until they have to be condemned. Unfortunately, as happened a while ago, they sometimes take neighboring buildings with them.

In this last instance, the owner's been required to do maintenance ... we'll see how that goes.

Aimee, I say fight that shit. Unemployment is probably just trying to get lots of people off cause they're out of money. And, if you owe it really, usually you get time to pay it back, though they'll probably charge interest.

We're totally fighting it. I'm writing to every state rep, senator, person who'll read an email I can. Looks like both Michigan WORKS! and the UIA fucked up. I forsee that in the end, we won't actually owe the money, but in the meantime, we are fucked for money. We depend on that unemployment for the ancillary things like FOOD. More than likely, beginning tomorrow, the state will start taking back the money to pay for what we "owe". Which totally sucks.

Joe will totally get a job - he's not a jackhole - but then it's finding daycare and playing catch up with bills. I feel bad he can't finish up his degree as quickly as we had hoped he would (he's 21 credits shy), but we need the income. I can't be the only money maker - I'll go postal.

For lovely schadenfreude, the two most recent incidents are a parking lot and a hole, respectively, because of the real estate market.

Sounds like what happened with Block 37 here in Chicago. Smack in the middle of the Loop, right across from the State Street Marshall Fields store, it was completely torn down in 1989, including a building that had its landmark status stripped so it could be torn down as well (it was thought to be the second oldest building in the Loop, dating back to 1872, right after The Fire). Being this happened in 1989, with the recession happening then, the planned real estate venture never occurred, and the block remained an empty spot in the middle of prime real estate territory until 2005.