OK, here is the straight scoop:

I've been traversing the minefield that is: The VA (for my health benefits), Cobra - 401K - ESOP - through my former employer, DHS (for medicade for my wife and my stepson - who are both disabled and have been stated as such by doctors and private companies, but apparently they have to be run over and not breathing in order to qualify for govermental benefits), SSA (regarding both my wife's and stepson's Disability application process), IDES (unemployment), Illinois Hardest Hit (for help on our Mortgage, but we have to wait up to 3 months for an answer as they are overwhelmed), and multiple county agencies (who all require an overabundance of paperwork). I've copied over 1,500 documents and I'm still not done. Oh, and applying for jobs where I can (plus hunting for jobs that are few and far between). Plus my wife where and when I can. It literally is a full time job just being unemployed......... and I am officially unemployed for 2 months.

And on top of it, my house' mortgage is based on a principle of $224k (and is being assessed as such) while a house next door as large as mine just sold for $90k and another a block away is listed at $90k (yet, no change to my house's assessment because the pool of county homeowners has shrunk significantly). And because my loan is a VA loan.... congress has determined I am not eligible for the same "principle" relief that low income home owners are allowed for.... so even though I have paid taxes and have done the right thing by working with my mortgage company and negotiated our loan modification while paying my monthly mortgage (and haven't walked away from our home or stopped paying our mortgage), we are the one's who aren't helped by the Federal Government regarding the loan principle... so I can't move as our house is so upside down, our bank will never accept a short sale for such a low price so we are "sttuck" with no options regarding our housing "money pit" (and we fall through all of the cracks). And this legal immigrant sees an assault against my efforts because amongst the tide of people I am up against regarding help and benefits.... the Federal Government gives a pass to most illegal immigrants regarding being held to the same standards as I am held to (so there is no appearance that they are not caring human beings while those same people FLOOD the government services meant for those who come to this country legally.... people like me who try to do the right thing and who follow the rule of law). THIS is why I am an angry voter who will be voting for Romney. Because at least, I stand a chance of surviving this hell with him by his actually trying to get both sides to bridge the huge gap of partisan insanity (versus the person who has helped spread my wealth to those who haven't earned the right to take what I have helped provide).

I hope this "rant" is very clear...... many of us who are held to a different (more strict) standard are fed up and at some point..... our ire will be louder than on a blog post.

Steinar Andersen

In the interim.... we are trying to afford our "Cobra" payments while my wife is undergoing BCG treatment for her Bladder Cancer. If you can donate to help us with the medical bill costs, please donate at the following site):

https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/7N1W8?psid=223e806d8bd04e7fb5a2059a5cff32bc