Come Work for Grassroots Campaigns, Inc!

Well, after a trying weekend and another adjournment on my court date, I was sent home tonight by a hippie worked from Texas at Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. a "progressive" organization that looks for political people to exploi...er, hire. The deal is, you make $125 for them on your next few times out or you're gone. I'm gone.

I also had to fight to take a phone call from Con Edison, since their hiring for a cushy job with their senior VP. I had no privacy, no cell phone signal, and I'm basically trying to hide the fact that I'm doing a pre-screening over the phone. The HR person is most likely pissed at me and I wonder if I'll even get in. As for the fact that I took the Con Edison field test? Who the hell knows when they'll call, but I hope it's soon. I can't fucking take this any longer.

Grassroots basically uses--in the LITERAL sense of the word--mostly college kids and walk-ins to drag them out to the 'burbs, make them knock on doors for their fundraising efforts, and work them seven days a week. Last week, when I needed a sandwich (there's no lunches available--that's illegal, don't they know?) due to my low blood sugar and a bathroom break, I got a lecture when I came back in from Robin, the resident liberal 'queen' as she calls herself. "We need you for every possible minute so this can't happen again." I guess peeing my pants and fainting is much more important?

You know the funny thing about all this? Well, there's a few funny things. I'll list them chronologically.

1) None of these people, with the exception of myself and maybe two others, are from New York. That makes me believe that they're happier going out to the 'burbs than to apartments. Real New Yorkers would be glad to help. Knocking on doors in Republican areas (Scarsdale, Irvington, Connecticut, Croton, and parts of New Jersey) is THAT much more difficult. Not that they know this.

2) Everyone is in their 20's with master's degrees, from what I can see. If their education actually counted for something, why this field? Wouldn't this be better suited to a college campus? The facts are the facts: when you're in your 20's, you want to change the world. When you're in your 30's and 40's? The world has CHANGED YOU. And most of the people I interviewed with were all downsized, fired, and desperate for money. I saw none of these people last more than a few days, which was the same tenure for me. Chew 'em up and spit 'em out. There's a sucker born every minute. In the name of democracy, of course!

3) I chose the above cartoon because their work practices are the answer to the slaves in the roman galleys. On day one, I had to pick up medication to un-knot my back since I had to climb up hills, knock on all sorts of dark doors, and basically pound pavement. My legs, knees, back and ankles were swollen and throbbing. They couldn't understand why I had a problem, even after I told them I suffer from fibromyalgia. Shut up, and walk. You'll get over it. UM, no. Shades of the AP coming back to haunt me here.

4) They also knew I was in court Monday and bitched about this, too. I guess me getting evicted is part of their plan to make democracy work? They were also miffed that I couldn't work this past weekend. First of all, I have my kids to teach on Saturday afternoons plus I get paid then and there. That's $30 in my pocket for three blissful hours of fun, boggle, mad libs, subjects, predicates, and vocabulary. I'll take that over this shit any day. Secondly, Sunday was Easter. I was baptized Catholic. I might be witchy, but I'll always invoke my god if it gives me some chocolate bunnies and a damn day off. I've worked enough holidays, fuck you very much.

So, another job in the toilet. And for this? I get unceremoniously walked back to a train station on the Metro-North and a "Bye, sorry it didn't work out." Um, I'm sorry you didn't get cancer of the eye, you assholes.

Unfuckingbelievable.

NEXT! As Thelma would say.

My next court date is May 12 or 13. Pray Con Ed field ops calls me before then.