Can I Get My Bailout Please?

You know things are bad when people are joking about getting their own personal bailout.

The sad part is that humor is part of a larger issue: apathy. People have felt for so long that "The government is going to do whatever it wants, so there's nothing I can do." Guess what? That's exactly what they want you to believe! This attitude actually gives them license to act however they choose, and they'll always tell you that they're acting on your behalf and in your best interest. Whew, that was close. My politician said he's working hard for me. Gee, I'll sleep well tonight.

If they're acting in your best interest, then tell me, how are you feeling about Social Security? Most people in their 30's and 40's agree that there won't be any when they reach retirement age, or at least, very little. Yet you pay into the system with every paycheck. Is that in your best interest? Is it in your interest that the person charged with fixing it doesn't have to worry about Social Security because they will get their own lifetime pension (paid for by you, of course) whether Social Security implodes or not? Who is charged with fixing all this? The person you elected, that's who! And if you didn't vote, shame on you, and you better not complain.

So how is your elected official doing? Are you even watching? You see, "a government of the people, BY the people and for the people," is an interactive process. I'm sorry, but it requires participation on your part. It's not like voting for your favorite on American Idol. Our elected officials determine what our lives will be like. You have to do more than hope they do a good job. They are public servants, they should serve. Democrat or Republican. If you went to a restaraunt and your waiter provided you with lousy service, would you give them a handsome tip anyway? I would hope not. When you tip your waiter, you're providing them with instant feedback as to their level of performance (or lack thereof, as the case may be). This is actually a good thing! Repeated poor performance which results in lousy tips will either motivate them to do a better job for ALL of their patrons, or may motivate them to find employment more suitable to them. A win-win for them and for their patrons.

Same goes for politics. You may be surprised to know that nearly 20 States are somewhere in the process of intiating "States Rights" legislation to protect themselves from the federal government with respect to the new legislation coming through (that would be "the stimulus package"). There is even talk about States seceding from the Union entirely if the government continues on its current path. Sound extreme? Maybe. Maybe not........

The 'Troubled Asset Relief Program' (TARP for short, and now 'TARP-1' because there will most certainly be another one), was initiated by President George W. Bush. This was taxpayer money given to financial institutions with very few strings attached. The money was to help offset the losses of the "toxic" assets (i.e. bad loans) that banks had on their books, thus preventing the banks from "running scared" and hoarding all their money and not lending to new, qualified borrowers. In essence, it was an attempt to "keep the credit market flowing." Guess what? Banks took the TARP money, and they still aren't lending. No matter how you look at it, taxpayer money was spent to keep the credit flowing and the program failed.

President Obama has now put out the Stimulus Plan. More taxpayer money, nearly 3-times that of the Bush administration to help the ailing economy. Many say it's filled with pork and other non-stimulative spending. That's probably true.

Is it any wonder then, that the States are looking at "opting out" of this arrangement? Here's a bit of advice, take it or leave it: If the States are concerned that their (and your) rights are being trampled on (by a Republican administration and now by a Democrat administration), it may be time for you to wake up and smell the coffee yourself.

Get off your fanny. YOU are the government, and if you don't like what your representative is doing, FIRE THEM. Your apathy and lack of information is killing you.

Here's a parting thought. There's an old question that asks, "How do you boil a frog?" The answer, "Slowly." If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water, he'll jump out. If you put a frog in a pot of cold water then slowly turn up the heat, he'll be comfortable the whole time, until he's cooked. Well, you can't get out of the pot, but you can manage the folks that control the heat. Savvy?