I just read this article on Breitbart and was feeling like I could definitely relate. My income has not gone up in over 6 years, but my expenses have … tremendously. I don’t feel it’s the government’s job to give me more money, but I don’t think the government is doing me any favors either. I’m not looking for a handout, but it would be nice if I could keep more of what I earn. It would be nice if my mandatory health care premium under the Affordable Care Act was somewhere in the vicinity of affordable. It would be nice if my admittedly meager savings was actually earning some interest and it would be nice if I didn’t have to dip into that meager savings several times a year (or month) just to get by.
While reading the comments, which were mostly the usual political posturing and Democrats v. Republicans rhetoric, I started to wonder why I even bother to get out of bed every day and go to work. I started to feel like I’m the idiot who goes to work so I can support the people who don’t. I’ve been working hard for all these years and for what? I’m not getting anywhere. I’m just spinning my wheels. And the more I make, the more they take.
Just a little over six years ago was when I received my last raise. I remember being so excited when my boss told me they had decided to increase my salary. It wasn’t much, but every little bit helps, right? When I received my first paycheck after that meeting, I quickly pulled it out of the envelope to see exactly how much more I would be bringing home. I immediately starting calculating the difference in my head. The difference was $12.46… less. That’s right. Less. The more you make, the more they take. Apparently, that little raise was just enough to bump me into the next income tax bracket. I am still waiting for someone to explain to me why a progressive income tax is fair for everyone. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller.
As I was reading these comments regarding the article, I started to become increasingly angry and hostile – completely sucked in to the vacuum of venom – and thinking about what insults I can hurl back to add to the discussion. This article describes my situation and these people are essentially accusing me (oh yeah, it’s personal) of being irresponsible with my money and not saving and blaming the government for my own lack of self-control.
Well, admittedly, there is that. I probably should not have ordered that pizza the other night because I was too tired to cook after my ten hour work day. Lazy. And I probably should not have taken my kids to the theater to see that movie about the penguins. Spendthrift. And I probably should have only purchased two new tires for my car and had them rotated instead of springing for all four. Greedy. And I definitely should not have bought that way overpriced pint of ice cream because I went the market hungry. Glutton.
I was agonizing over some of the potentially irresponsible financial decisions I’ve made over the years when I started to wonder if the people shopping with their government issue EBT cards struggled with guilt over buying Oreos and potato chips with taxpayer money. Or if they felt bad about spending $20 of their welfare money for two meals at Jack In The Box when they could have paid for enough food for several meals with those same funds.
My ridiculously meandering train of thought brought me to this:
I think we have an attitude problem in this country. People who don’t earn think they are entitled to the same things that earners have. They don’t want to earn, they just want to take from the earners… and the government agrees, so they take from the earners and give to the non-earners.
I am concerned that when the earners realize that they can have all the same things without actually earning any of it, they may stop earning and start taking, and this will go on until one day we only have takers and no earners, only there will be nothing left to take.
Quit Chewing In My Ear 