We're being bombarded with depressing news about the economic downturn/recession, and freelancers have clearly been feeling the pinch in their everyday lives. That may be why it hurts to read what little good news there is, like that "New York Allots another $2 Billion for Unemployment Benefits" or that there are national plans to extend unemployment benefits. Plans to cover more people, like part-timers, and covering them longer, are great. But why isn’t there a way for we contingent-worker types to access something as basic as unemployment protection, especially during these hard times? It’s time for us to get organized around this issue. Stay tuned, we're launching our very own campaign around building economic security for freelancers. photo: Vermin Inc (flickr)