Your Statistics Are Chilling

Dear Ann Landers: Can you stand just one more letter on downsizing? You were much too hard on “Issaquah, Wash.” when you suggested that a negative attitude might have something to do with her husband’s bad luck finding a job. It’s not pretty out there for folks looking for work.

It took my husband three years to find a job at 35 percent less than he had been making. We consider ourselves lucky and count our blessings. Even though I have a college degree and teaching credentials, I took a job at $8 an hour. I’ll never forget the employer who told me that if I wanted medical benefits I’d have to pay for them myself.

I have friends living out of the country because the over-50 spouse could not find a job in the United States. When college-educated folks have a hard time finding work with no benefits, the unskilled will surely end up on the street.

The middle class is shrinking, Ann. The rich are getting richer, which means more folks are joining the ranks of the working poor. A negative attitude plays little part in whether these people are working or not. What counts are corporate profits and the bottom line in a global economy. According to an article in the Marin Independent Journal, between 1992 and 1995, IBM reduced its work force by 122,000; AT&T reduced its work force by 83,000; General Motors, 74,000; U.S. Postal Service, 55,000; Sears, 50,000; GTE, 17,000; Baxter International, 16,000; Amoco, 12,300; and Bank of America, 12,000.

Until our elected officials start to deal with the critical issues of funding education and providing employment opportunities and health care, the future looks bleak for our children. - Worried in California

Dear California: You’ve made some excellent points and backed them up with chilling statistics. P.S. AT&T just began laying off another 40,000.

Confidential to Margo: Happy birthday, darling daughter - and many more.

Dear Ann Landers: Three years ago, I married “Joe,” my dream man. He is a joy to live with. The problem is his dogs, 10 and 14 years old. They are ruining our marriage.

My husband loves the dogs dearly, but he failed to train them, which was grossly irresponsible. They sleep on the beds and the couches and drink from the toilets. I can live with that, but I cannot tolerate the way they relieve themselves in every room of the house. I am scrubbing floors and carpets constantly, and the house still smells terrible. It’s embarrassing to have visitors.

I’m becoming bitter toward these pets, but I try to hide my anger. I don’t want my children to grow up not liking animals.

I finally told Joe I will no longer clean up after the dogs. Now he cleans up the messes on the tile floor with household cleaner and a paper towel, but I don’t consider that adequate. He ignores the carpeting altogether.

I realize this is a ridiculous reason to break up a really good marriage, but I can’t take this much longer. I need your advice. - Trouble in Paradise

Dear Trouble: You’ve been married three years and just noticed this? How come?

Dogs that are fed properly and walked in the evening should not be making messes in the house. Joe did his pets no favor by being so permissive.

A vet should be consulted for possible underlying physical problems the dogs might have, plus suggestions on the best way to handle this situation.