Bailout? Hey, Look Over Here!

When news of the first bailout of the mismanaged banks, mortgage companies, and credit moguls was announced my daughter called me from Charlotte, NC. Gas was over $4.50/gal. and she was sitting in a line to get gas. Her tank was almost empty--she was running on the fumes of STP gas treatment, and my three year-old grandson was in the back seat. The gas station wouldn't take credit cards and everyone was limited to $10.00 worth of gas. She had to use the ATM at the filling station and charge it to her card. While this was going on, her husband, who is disabled, was pawning their jewelry so they could make their house payment. I might mention here that my daughter teaches in a preschool for over eight hours a day, and is finishing up her BA degree at night. She's no schluff. They live in a modest home that cost $185,000, not mansion. She asked me: "Where's my bailout, Dad? I work ten hours a day. I've got a husband who can't work and a three year old. I don't qualify for food stamps, but wouldn't take them if I did. I work my ass off to provide for my family and do do things the right way. I pay thirty percent of my income for health care and we eat two meals a day. Where's my bailout? I try to do the right thing and I get nothing for it. They screw up the economy and they get rescued. I do what I'm supposed to do and I get kicked in the face. I really hate this country." Needless to say, hearing her say this broke my heart.



My wife and I are retired. She cannot work again because of her health, and I am her full-time caretaker, so i can't go out to work to pay off the medical bills ( I have an excellent health care plan by the way), and godawful living expenses that started piling up when gas and food prices went through the roof ("Beef"---that word seems familiar, but it's been so long....). My vehicles are over ten years old, and, although I've maintained them meticulously over the years, I recently had to replace the water pump on one, while in North Carolina; that was over $500---had to use ol' Mr. Visa on that one. The truck needs lower ball joints; that's at least $800.00. Then the heat pump finally died----$7,500.00 for that one in late November. We tried to tell ourselves that 62 degrees was plenty warm in October and early November. I don't have any jewelry to hock. I begged for a credit increase so I could get some heat in the house. My wife's health only becomes worse in low temperatures. I got the credit, don't have to pay for a year, but then the hammer falls at 17.99%. I can only hope to find some sort of telecommuting work, which is ironic, as I participated in a test case of telecommuting while working for the government. So, I've got over $30K in debt, and now I find out Chrysler is about to repo my daughter's car---with only three payments left, and no late payments OK, last one was two weeks late). I end up releasing the steam valve for them, putting the rest of the balance on my credit card, so they can pay me back with no 19.99% interest. No Christmas presents this year, but everyone got together in North Carolina over Christmas. I haven't asked for a bailout, nor would I get one if I did. You make your own bed and you lie in it. you do what you have to do to get out of the hole. I probably did mismanage some of the finances, but other things were beyond my control. All these businesses mismanaged their businesses, made mistakes, and were greedy. An d for these virtues we should bail them out??? Let them get in the soup line with me!