This Is Not A CraigsList Notice

It took me a long time and a lot of hard work to become financially successfull in my career. Yet now I struggle more every day, worry more every day and have more health issues related to that stress. Why, because the more I make , it seems the less I earn. At one point life was good, what I earned = more than what I spent. Then I hit a magic tax bracket where what I earned at a higher salary= less than what I was spending to keep what I already had. It got to the point if I worked overtime at work for time and a half, I jumped to the next higher tax bracket, and took home less.
I too invest towards my retirement, so my take home check is even less. This money is in a 403b(like a 401k). I save towards retirement, because I know the government can't support me and my wife, I have to contribute to that in addition to what I pay for social security, and medicare.
Now as I aproach 50, and see retirement as a welcome relief, from the work and financial stress of working, I see that date getting farther away from what was promised when I entered the working class of my youth. I see the retirement age for medicare going up to the point where I wonder what the stress effects of work to my health, will be in relation to the time to enjoy the benefits of retirement.
About 6 years ago we added an addition to our house. Hurricane Catrina hit in the middle of it and the cost of construction doubled. A lot of the other corperate scandles happened and interest rates went from 5-6.25% for home loans that were at a fixed interest rate.
As my home costs skyrocketed, with the new mortgage, my check decreased with inflation and taxes

So now instead of bailing myself out, for my own actions of trying to improve my life for myself and my family, instead of not paying my mortgage, going into forclosure, or short sale, and then say buying the neighbors house at half the cost, sticking it to the banks(the supreme evil of the occupy movement). I chose to take responsibility for my own actions, continue to pay my mortgage, and live with a much tighter belt, worry about what would happen if I lost my job, and work harder so that hopefully won't happen.


The point of all of this (as a former liberal democrat) is enough. Enough is enough. I get it now. I'm working and contributing to the welfare of this country, but this country is going from a Democracy to a socialistic state. What I never got before, was at some point the incentives for those working to better themselves, will be offset by the incentives to not work. When that happens socialism colapses, as did communism. If you don't have an incentive to work, then you don't have production and income into the system. The more people who chose to bow out, the harder it is for those who are left to brunt the bill. This isn't politics, or partizenship, this is reality. The point is why is it the responsibility of those who can achieve to support those who won't or don't want to?
Why do I need to stress and struggle to support someone who thinks it's beneath them to take a certain job they qualify for, when taking welfare and unemployment pays more, then using those handouts to take drugs and and propegate more spawn like themselves. I don't want to hit the 50% income tax level, to support my neighbors who'd rather get high than work. Taxing more to the wealthy is a joke. If you pay a dollar a year in taxes as working poor, but take a 20k subsidy from the the rich in government housing, food stamps and free medical health, you are leaching from the system. Why is it my responsibility to pay for that. When I earned less in my youth, I lived within my means, and took a second job to make things work when I needed to. I didn't get a bunch of credit cards, run them up buying expensive cars, tv's clothing, etc. Then declare bankruptcy and stick the bill on my friends and neighbors.
I think people get so caught up with the "they have more, and we have less", mentality, that they lose sight that those with more may have worked their @$$# off to get there, and now work hard to stay there. More finacial success doesn't mean a happier life. It includes more stress and responsibility.
O.K. I'll step down now. Thanks for letting me rant.

Hey!!! That's a new one on me, Bob, where do you get these things?

Jim

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Originally Posted by Big Tracks

Hey!!! That's a new one on me, Bob, where do you get these things?

Jim

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I'm OLD!




Not as old as you......................but that just means you're ancient!:LOL:

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Originally Posted by stovens

It took me a long time and a lot of hard work to become financially successfull in my career. Yet now I struggle more every day, worry more every day and have more health issues related to that stress. ....................

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Moving commentary Stevie. You know what the definition of a Liberal is don't you? A Liberal is a Conservative who hasn't been mugged yet.......................you recognize how you're being mugged now.

I'll apologize now if you find this offensive! I guess she also just figured out what's happening!

That pretty much sums it up Bob. Just tired of working my butt off in oppressive conditions, to have someone else take it all away at the end of the week, and enjoy the very privelages I'm working towards, i.e. retired health care, and a mortgage free home. Don't understand why an illegal alien or a 20 year old college kid can get free medicare now, and government subsidised housing and unemployment checks, when they have never worked or payed into the system, or are working on the side under the table while drawing these nice generous benefits, that you and I are paying for, but not entitled too!

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Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Moving commentary Stevie. You know what the definition of a Liberal is don't you? A Liberal is a Conservative who hasn't been mugged yet.......................you recognize how you're being mugged now.

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Here ya go Steve, maybe this will make you feel better..................

Compliments of Thoma Sowell:
What do you call it when someone steals someone else's money secretly? Theft.
What do you call it when someone takes someone else's money openly by force? Robbery.
What do you call it when a politician takes someone else's money in taxes and gives it to someone who is more likely to vote for him? Social Justice.

Glad to see on the Drudge Report - gasoline prices have only gone up 83% since The Obamination took office. And that crude has topped $101.

If your not familiar with thomas sowell and walt williams writing you could do yourself and America a favor go to the library or amazon and read them they 2 of the smartest most common sense economists you will ever read start with a dated one I think will let you see how a lot of this $5it is perpetuated it's inside American education by tom sowell you'l want to put your kids and grand kids in private school. Theo's two and tom clancey are my favorite authors....ted

I've not read Sowell or Williams, but this and Bob's post struck a chord with me this morning. One of my all time favorites is 'Atlas Shrugged' by Ayn Rand - I've read it several times and will likley start it again soon. First published in 1957, it provoked outrage by pointing out that until the "social welfare state" was ended, society would continue to decline. Last night I watched the recently released movie on DVD, Atlas Shrugged - Part 1 Atlas Shrugged Movie (Official Site) - Atlas Shrugged Trailer and was amazed to see that while the novel was written in the mid-'50's the movie starts with a timeline of 2016!! With a fifty year transition, the story line fits today's economic problems too well, and the movie followed the book scene by scene, not taking liberties with the plot line for effect. Atlas Shrugged - Part 2 is set to release Fall 2012, just before the next presidential election. I fear that the story line may be coming true, and the economic engines of the US may be screeching to a halt while politicians make rules to "equalize opportunities". My prayer is that the rebirth of the economy can somehow come true, too.

If you have not read Atlas Shrugged it is a good read, at least it was for me in '61 and four or five times since.... Who is John Galt??

So since this is kinda open---does anyone other than me consider that Americans building factories in China are ----------

Williams also has a great sense of humor. Here's his site: Walter Williams Home Page

Sowell is a prolific writer. Here are a bunch of his columns: Thomas Sowell

To your comment Jerry it's not a simple issue. Some are adjunct facilities to U.S. operations which should be considered a good thing as it also expands employment here. If they are replacement factories then the real question is "Why?". The propaganda answer is "Corporate greed." The real answer is more complicated and doesn't make a good bumper sticker for our lefty buddies. Just one small component (not that it's a small issue, it's very huge and will play out for the worst over time, but it's small in that it's only one of hundreds of reasons. Now those with knowledge of Cramer may share my dislike for his New Yorker, loud, frantic style. And he's a fairly typical NY uber-Lib, admits he voted for Pres. Obama, embraces most of the squishy lefty social ideas.......................so I think this is a startling admission considering his politics, but he is seeing first hand the impact on business: They Said It! Jim Cramer Says ObamaCare Is Hampering Job Creation And Could Derail The Economy - YouTube

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Roger - I have tried to read Atlas Shrugged several time but that tiny 6 point type on a couple of versions I've had defeated my aging eyes. Not too long ago I was able to find a copy with at least 10 point and it is in the stack of reading materials that will be finished up this winter - and maybe I'll find out who John Galt really is then.

That surprises me that Hollywood didn't screw up a story line - might have to watch that AFTER I read the original.

As far as equalizing the opportunities - probably not a good subject for me to get going on as I might get labeled a bigot - and I'm not.

no different than mexico or any other country. as long as the product can be made there and shipped here and still make a profit it will continue. although the trend is changing as a lot of smaller companies have moved back here. you have no protection in china . state backed companies can copy your product and sell it . we have taxed and regulated ourselves out of jobs .

Atlas Shrugged is iconic for freedom lovers, even those who aren't uber-Libertarians in full embrace of Ayn Rand. Like Roger I read the book in the early '60s for the first time. If not taken literally it's very predictive as well as historical.

Some suggestions for those yet to read that will make it easier to consume. First, reading the long version can be daunting because of size, though it's a reasonably well crafted story. About 3/4 of the way through John Galt launches off into a speech that ends up at 100 pages give or take depending on the printing size. If you don't have the gist of the book by then the speech won't convince you anyway.........my recommendation is skip the speech and finish the story...........makes the book more easily digested.

For those wishing a shorter version (what we used to call the Reader's Digest version) there's something called Sparknotes, it's called a study guide and is a reasonable good condensation of the story line: Sparnotes.com You lose some of the lore of the full novel, but it might fit a tight schedule better.