I totally agree with you. I haven't been following the Annapolis situation much personally because when I go through my occasional phases of intense political interest, I usually become depressed immediately after.
But I can completely back up what you said about it being so hard to make ends meet these days. Unless you're a billionaire who owns an oil company.
Three years ago, Bobby and I moved out of our parents' houses and rented our first apartment. We were a year-and-a-half out of college and both had government employment with decent entry-level salaries. And for that first year, we pinched poor Abe till he screamed, and without the help of our families, I doubt we would have been able to do it at all.
I remember, for example, the number of fees we had to pay just to move into an apartment. Every utility or service charged us $30-50 so some dumbass could type our information into a computer.
Then, last year, living in a one-bedroom apartment, driving two Suzukis, and thinking a fifty-dollar meal at P.F. Chang's was a real treat, we owed $2000 in taxes in addition to what was taken from our checks, both of us being taxed at the highest rate allowable. Because, you know, with all those luxuries we were enjoying and all that massive income from two government employees, we deserved to be taxed so that Dick Cheney could get a tax cut and Bush could go play soldier in Iraq.
The other night, over my parents' house, I saw an episode of 60 Minutes where one interviewee talked about how lazy our generation is because we stay at home into our mid-20s when this used to be taboo. Bobby and I both started to rant nearly simultaneously. With prices the way they are now, we said, and salaries as low as they are, how can anyone afford to move out right after graduation? The only reason we managed it was because 1) we were a couple and hence had two incomes to contribute, 2) both had stable employment and decent income, and 3) had a lot of help from our families, who gave us secondhand furniture or took us shopping for kitchen implements. We were lucky. Most people starting out aren't that lucky.
Of course the fucking politicians do shit. (Pardon the profanity.) Why? Because we don't give them thousands in campaign contributions. Nope, we just represent the majority of their constituents, but it's not valuable to stick up for us when lending a helping hand to a billionaire gets lots of campaign contributions.
Why was shit done when BGE raised our gas and electric 70%? (Oh, they deferred it over a year. Big whoop. We're paying 70% more now.)
Why is shit being done about the fact that gas prices are over $3 a gallon in Maryland? When I started driving eight years ago, gas was $1.04 in Belair. My mom got mad at me once because I got gas in Perry Hall and paid $1.24. Six years later, it had tripled.
Why is shit being done to protect our rights as consumers, when we have to fight with banks and cell phone companies and credit card companies just to keep our own money?
If we were millionaires and lost in profits what the middle class has lost, they'd all be falling over themselves to give us tax breaks and bail us out. But we're just people and families trying to make ends meet.
So yes, I agree with you, and you're always welcome to come to my LJ and rant about whatever you'd like. ;)
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rosecarmine
(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-14 02:06 am (UTC)But I can completely back up what you said about it being so hard to make ends meet these days. Unless you're a billionaire who owns an oil company.
Three years ago, Bobby and I moved out of our parents' houses and rented our first apartment. We were a year-and-a-half out of college and both had government employment with decent entry-level salaries. And for that first year, we pinched poor Abe till he screamed, and without the help of our families, I doubt we would have been able to do it at all.
I remember, for example, the number of fees we had to pay just to move into an apartment. Every utility or service charged us $30-50 so some dumbass could type our information into a computer.
Then, last year, living in a one-bedroom apartment, driving two Suzukis, and thinking a fifty-dollar meal at P.F. Chang's was a real treat, we owed $2000 in taxes in addition to what was taken from our checks, both of us being taxed at the highest rate allowable. Because, you know, with all those luxuries we were enjoying and all that massive income from two government employees, we deserved to be taxed so that Dick Cheney could get a tax cut and Bush could go play soldier in Iraq.
The other night, over my parents' house, I saw an episode of 60 Minutes where one interviewee talked about how lazy our generation is because we stay at home into our mid-20s when this used to be taboo. Bobby and I both started to rant nearly simultaneously. With prices the way they are now, we said, and salaries as low as they are, how can anyone afford to move out right after graduation? The only reason we managed it was because 1) we were a couple and hence had two incomes to contribute, 2) both had stable employment and decent income, and 3) had a lot of help from our families, who gave us secondhand furniture or took us shopping for kitchen implements. We were lucky. Most people starting out aren't that lucky.
Of course the fucking politicians do shit. (Pardon the profanity.) Why? Because we don't give them thousands in campaign contributions. Nope, we just represent the majority of their constituents, but it's not valuable to stick up for us when lending a helping hand to a billionaire gets lots of campaign contributions.
Why was shit done when BGE raised our gas and electric 70%? (Oh, they deferred it over a year. Big whoop. We're paying 70% more now.)
Why is shit being done about the fact that gas prices are over $3 a gallon in Maryland? When I started driving eight years ago, gas was $1.04 in Belair. My mom got mad at me once because I got gas in Perry Hall and paid $1.24. Six years later, it had tripled.
Why is shit being done to protect our rights as consumers, when we have to fight with banks and cell phone companies and credit card companies just to keep our own money?
If we were millionaires and lost in profits what the middle class has lost, they'd all be falling over themselves to give us tax breaks and bail us out. But we're just people and families trying to make ends meet.
So yes, I agree with you, and you're always welcome to come to my LJ and rant about whatever you'd like. ;)