politics
So I have been following the democratic national convention this week with Mouse. Fox did a MST3K version of it on their internet feed which was amusing, but basically as the speech went on, they asked the questions... How is he going to make these plans come together?
He's got great pie in the sky plans, don't we all, but how is he going to make those plans a reality? For the 95% of people who are going to get the tax cuts, and the people who make over $250k year whom he plans to tax more -- those same people who own small businesses and are making a living, doing for themselves what everyone else wants to do -- or at least says they want to do... how is he going to reconcile the 5% of people who interestingly enough I happen to be a part of -- while I rent my house, send my kids to public school and pay off my credit cards as fast as I can... because I made the mistakes and I'm not willing to go into bankruptcy to fix those mistakes like so many people are... I want to know why his plans don't include me -- unless you count me as one of those holding the bag... Barely, but none the less.
He doesn't understand that my mom worked at a department store during my entire youth after her divorce, lost her house after the 2nd divorce, and only got the government job because we pushed her to try to get it, which she did so reluctantly because she heard word that her department store chain that she worked at for 11 years was closing shop. He doesn't understand that the only reason I got into computers was because my dad had a love for anything electronics and got one for himself during my youth which I was encouraged to tinker with and learn during my weekends there. My dad believed and taught me that hard work will get you far in this world, and saw the potential because my grandmother owned a hardware store that they lost because my grandfather didn't keep up his end, so she went back to cleaning houses. We took care of her in her dotage as much as we could. We moved in with her so she would have someone there after my grandfather passed away, and so that she could be taken care of financially because they didn't save enough for retirement. I have my FIL living with us for the same reason, he can't work full time anymore and he can't afford to be on his own. But I can't claim him on my taxes because he's not my child. I can't put him on my insurance because he's not my child, even though he's my dependent. He is not elligeble for social security or medicare because he's too young -- go figure. Does that mean that the government should pay for him? No, I think I should be able to put him on my insurance policy as part of my family so that he has insurance coverage through me. It would make things tighter, but we would work it out. And since we are talking about where my money goes, and how much the government spends (and cuts back), lets talk about the Florida Lottery that puts so much money into education. My kids go to a school where in the last month I have put out over $700 for band and chorus because the arts programs aren't fully funded anymore. My kids are EXPECTED to go out and sell the fundraisers every year to help pay for the school, and lets not talk about the $200 in supplies between the 3 kids -- and that's deciding not to get the whole list which included things like reams of printer paper, 12 boxes of tissue between the 3 kids that they would hand to the teacher and never see again.
All of this is well and good, but if I am complaining about it, and having a hard time on my pay, how the fuck are people who make less than me surviving? I'm not saying it's my job to protect them from themselves (unless they're related of course in which case it's my OBLIGATION), but I am saying that I know how hard it is to tell my kids no, when what I really want to do is irresponsibly tell them they can have anything. I can't do that because when they leave my house, they won't know how to survive on their own. They won't have a basis in reality, which I fear is where Mr. Obama is at. He has a lot of pie in the sky ideas, and he wants to make change. But what is he going to take from me in order to make that happen? Will I loose my job because my company can't afford me anymore, because he taxed the company that pays my salary to give to the people whom could be lifted by themselves utilizing their own damn boot straps just like I did?
I am the American dream. I went to school, slacked off while hanging out and learning from the geek crowd -- because the normals wouldn't accept me. I didn't take the SATs, I didn't go to college. I took as many high school business and computer classes as I could including accounting, programming and business English. I learned how to put together computers and sell them. I tried to start my own company at age 18, and discovered the course I lacked in high school was marketing :) So I took a job doing data entry, and showed them what I knew about computers, and became the assistant to the credit manager because I understood how variables worked and could put a decent form letter together and have the database fill in the fields which saved the company thousands a year. I worked in an accounting department, and then got a job at IBM doing telephone support. From there I learned enough to get an entry level administrator's job, and then talked my way into a programming job -- something I wanted to do, but didn't see myself being able to get into because of my lack in college. From there, I had proven experience and was able to work my way up to where I am today. Hard work, dedication, time away from my kids.
Now that I have made myself a success (so says my FIL), I am supposed to give the money that I am earning -- due to the time away from my kids in their earlier lives -- away to someone else? The only thing society gave me was a free pass on Virginia's birth and prenatal care. Liz went on my credit and has finally rolled off -- I didn't have the money to pay for her birth while I was making $8/hr, paying child care that cost as much as I made, living in a house which thankfully didn't have rent (so to speak) because it was owned by family (hey, family took care of me!) and not getting child support that was due to the girls and would have paid their daycare, so I could pay for food instead of shopping in my Mom's cabinets (hey, my family took care of me!)... So yes, like all families, my family did what they could for me when I needed it, and when I was able, I paid it back...
So I am the american dream. I brought myself from the poverty line to where I am today. I started out making minimum wage, and worked my way up, changing jobs, learning all I could. And now in all of that hard work, you are going to take my hard earned money from me? How exactly is that fair again?
Yes I know, "life ain't fair"...
And nobody ever said it would be. But for anyone who believes that speech was a home run, if this man gets elected, I want to know what you will say when he dives into your pockets for more, when he won't even dive into his own to help support his brother who lives on $1/day.
"I am my brother's keeper. I am my sister's keeper" he said in his speech.
That is awesome, and more power to him. But I am my family's keeper, and unless I choose otherwise, nobody else's. It is not my job to keep you. It is my job to pay for my children's education, so that my daughter can be the pediatritican she wants to be, and my other daughter can be whatever she chooses, and my son can be the weather man, demolition expert or whatever he chooses to be. It is my job to educate my children to the best of my ability so that when they get out in the world, they know how to use their brains, and do not become one of the sheep, so easily led to the slaughter.
While this might rile you up because you do not hold the same beliefs as me, please understand that I have Libertarian beliefs. I am neither Republican nor Democrat, because really, they are one in the same. I believe in a smaller government, controlled spending, and paying off the national debt (much like I am paying off my own personal debt). I believe that the programs that are out there should be sufficient to get most people started and moving in the right direction, and I do not feel that we need more of them. Use what is out there better, more efficiently. I believe that anyone who says that they have not been given a fair chance is holding themselves back, and not controlling their own lives. I believe that if you have children, it is your RESPONSIBILITY to teach your children RESPONSIBILITY AND RESPECT FOR OUR LAWS. If you do not respect our laws, why would your children? If you don't like our laws, then become a part of the government and change them! It is our civic duty to vote (which I have not done in several years) and I believe that if you do NOT vote, you do not have a right to complain. Do I plan to vote this year? Hell yes. I have not voted in the past because I do not feel that I kept up with politics enough to make a sound choice. I have been attempting to remedy that this time around so that I can, and feel good about my decisions.
In the next presidential race, both of my girls will be old enough to vote. In this presidential race, my step-son is old enough to vote. I hope his dad talks to him about it and helps him want do his part for our country.
Commenting has been turned off for this post because it's really not up for discussion in my opinion. This is how I feel, take it for what it's worth.