I spent the morning and part of the afternoon today at the local office for the Texas Workforce Commission, attending a mandatory orientation of their services plus two additional seminars. I then came home to another 2 1/2 hours of filling out more data on the Work in Texas website (making a total of 3 1/2 hours spent on it so far). With about two hours left in my "workday" I took a break to eat some prunes (yes, I like prunes. Get over it) and decide what to do next.
After flushing the toilet (because I was on "break," not because I ate prunes) I decided to get back to my writing and give Texas some alone time.
Lucky for you!
Tomorrow morning I will go down to another government office, the warm and fuzzy Social Security Administration. Because I do not have a social security card.
Never have had one.
Didn't need one.
For my I-9 forms for new jobs, I always used my birth certificate, and then later my passport.
In fact, it's illegal for employers to demand a social security card. You only have to show one proof of work eligibility, and it does not have to be the social security card.
BUT, we're dealing with the government. (I mentioned that, right?) In order to apply for help with schooling (the surgical technology program), I must present either a birth certificate or passport, PLUS the social security card.
Not either-or. Both.
For exactly what purpose, I have no idea.
The way I see it, either I'm an American citizen having been born here and having a US passport, and therefore being eligible to work here, or not. And that's the rationale for the aforementioned federal I-9 rule.
Ironically, the program in which the state pays for job training is actually a federal program, the Workforce Investment Act. Yet the state doesn't have to follow federal law in administering the federal program.
Well, no one I know ever accused the government of being either logical or efficient, much less operating within the law!
So tomorrow I get to go down there and waste who-knows-how-many hours at a federal agency in order to meet a state requirement so that I can get a federal benefit. Say that ten times fast!
By the way, today's seminars were given by actual teachers, not random bureaucrats. Well, they may be bureaucrats...they're just not random bureaucrats. So, thankfully, the 5 hours went by pretty smoothly and even included a few laughs. (Who knew bureaucrats had a sense of humor?) Since the prospect of finding a job in this economy is daunting for many, I must give the bureaucrats at this particular state office (the ones I've encountered so far) credit for their knowledge, good humor, and willingness to help.
And they didn't even know they were being reviewed! Five stars and two thumbs up!
Whew and yawn...tired and sleepy...need nap...must...stay...awake.
Wow, looky there! Quittin' time! As a former coworker of mine would say, "Yaba daba doooooo!"
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