Laid Off in 2012, Furloughed in 2013: A Local Woman Struggles

Carly Medosch is going through tough times.  Again.

The Mary Washington MBA graduate lost her government contracting job in 2012.  As of Oct. 1, 2013, she's been furloughed from her new job at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than a year after being hired.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

"For approximately four years I worked for a local Fredericksburg small business as a government contractor," Medosch said. "I was laid off in August 2012, when government agencies were concerned about funding and started cutting back on new and existing contract services," she said.

The lay off was devastating.  "I am a single woman, and I owned a townhouse in Caroline County that I was unable to keep," Medosch said.  "I have a chronic illness (Crohn's disease) and had to make the choice between paying $900 a month for COBRA health insurance or paying my mortgage," she said.

Medosch did a short sale to an investor on her home and moved back in with her parents in Spotsylvania. In February 2013, she was fortunate to get a job in DC working for the Bureau of Labor Statistics under the Department of Labor.

"My salary was not bad, but debt from my months of unemployment -- student loans, medical bills, normal expenses -- and the high cost of housing in DC meant I had to stay with my parents until my salary increased after one year in service," Medosch said.

Medosch's father is a maintenance contractor at Quantico. "He has been lucky to keep his job throughout the summer, but he was furloughed one day every other week," Medosch said.  This week he received word, due the government shutdown, he should not report to work.

"There are three adults and one teenager living in our house and now we have only one income," Medosch said. Her mom is still working for the Spotsylvania County school system.

"I know that this is happening to a lot of people and many have it worse, I am sure," Medosch said. "I feel like I'm being tossed around in the waves between contracting, government work and health care costs -- all big issues now, but it's hard to get real relief," she said.

"I would like the government to focus on their job and prioritize ending the shut down instead of focusing on photo ops with tourists at monuments or bragging about giving their salaries to charity," Medosch said.  "I have seen some politicians tweeting that they have supported a bill to give government workers back pay.  Well great, but let's get us back to work FIRST, please," she said.

"It would be nice if a full budget could be passed, instead of a continuing resolution," she said.  "I would love to see issues debated "cleanly" without other issues -- such as the Affordable Care Act -- added to the mix," she said.

Other stories on the government shutdown:

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• When the Markets React, Will House Republicans Retreat?
• Google's Saddest Doodle Yet
• Government Shutdown: What's Open, What's Closed
• Government Shutdown: Children, Lunatics, Heroes? Rate the Players