This Reminds Me

Hustling out the door at work today to catch the bus – which we take to save money – I heard a few phrases droning from the lobby TV about auto makers needing “more bailout.”  Their pensions aren’t secure, curse the luck.  Of course, AT&T quit contributing to ours years ago.

I checked my 401K balance records today. too.  It’s back to where it was in August.  August of 1999.

Driving home from the bus stop in my six-year-old mini-van with an expired extended warranty, I heard a bit about the $75 billion bailout for mortgage lenders.   I confess I didn’t listen to all of it, because I was mulling over a recent family discussion of the woman with six kids (no husband, no income) who used fertility treatments to give birth to octuplets – and now wants private donations in addition to her taxpayer welfare.   Something tells me her medical bills are higher than the cost of the two 90-day prescriptions I mailed off today – though that $500+ will come right out of my pocket, and I doubt she’ll pay a dime.   The first few months of the year are always tighter, until we hit our deductible and co-pays kick in.

My government seems to think that I need to pay $30,000 for a golf course in Austin, and $5M for park trails here in San Antonio.   Huh?   That is the responsibility of the federal government – how?!  I guess the marriage penalty we pay in federal income tax helps with that, right?

This year:  Our family will take home less income and spend more on necessities than we have ever before.

So I have a question.  A sincere question.

Where’s my bailout?  Who is running beside me with a microphone while I whine about no raise, higher medical deductibles and looming college costs?  Who’s worried that Keith will never retire with health benefits, and insurance doesn’t cover things like Julia’s asthma spacers?

Where’s my bailout?

And where’s yours?

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