All hail me

I think there remains much to be explained in my beliefs, especially as of lately with the government shut down and the doomed financial state that the country is in. In particular, I commented the other day about an email I received from one of my finance companies that is currently reviewing my portfolio in light of the government shut down. In short, the shutdown will cause to me lose money and I will probably end up paying my financial advising agency to redistribute my investments in hopes of not losing big. If you don't understand what this means, stop reading now. You are probably not financially smart enough, or even just smart enough to understand my disgust at the "system" as a whole. In particular, the welfare system right now. 

What irritated me so much is that while I risk losing money that I worked for and invested (and have been investing since I was 21 and opened my 401k through my employer), there were plenty of unfinancially savvy individuals that take part in the welfare system that are not currently at risk of losing their benefits. How is that fair? And yes, I even backed up my irritability with articles that supported my statement. I believe this currently a dynamic situation and I could be completely wrong today. But, who the fuck cares, I'm still losing money that I have worked hard for.

And again, tonight, I was put in the situation that caused me absolute disgust as I picked up a necessary medication for my daughter that cost me $120 and is a medication that an individual would receive FREE of charge under the AHCCCS system. I know this for a fact. I know individuals that receive this SAME medication for their offspring and do not pay a dime for it. I will not point fingers here, as much as I want to, because I believe that life has a way of kicking everyone in the ass and I like to watch that happen. Just like the idiots that spend their hundreds of dollars of tax return money on pure bred dogs just to get evicted from their apartment 6 months later for not paying rent. Yes, you can imagine I laughed at that (and still am). Hope their dog makes a nice pillow on the sidewalk at night.

Anyhow.... I firmly believe not all people are equal. Yes, we have the equal right to happiness, health... yadda yadda yadda... but, there is just something sweet knowing that my family does not want. That I don't have to post on Facebook that my car has broken down and I have no money to my name to fix it or even put gas in it. That's where there is no equality. And yes, social media has changed social perception in the last 5-10 years, but there are some social differences that have been inherent for centuries. Like, stupidity. 

Moving on... I have never said that people do not deserve welfare. I do believe children should be given a fighting chance, but I don't believe that adults should perpetuate the idea that the government is a crutch to take care of their families. There is no concern for bringing children into the world in comparison to one's own financial situation. I don't understand how people can consciously do that to an innocent being. With both my children, I have made sure their needs would be put first financially. I'm not just talking about buying them crap they don't need (which I admittedly do, but only because I can and can still pay my bills in the end), but I'm also talking about what if they break and arm and we have to pay a hospital bill. My husband and I sat down over breakfast just months after I found out I was pregnant with my son to discuss what to do about making sure we had insurance and what our insurance options were. Yes, it was going to be expensive out of each paycheck, but as I was a high risk pregnancy, there was no way around ensuring we had coverage and financial responsibility. It wasn't easy to do, but we did it. 

I'd also like to let everyone know that my family has indeed needed help from the welfare system in the past. When my husband abruptly lost his job, our priorities were making sure we didn't lose our home and making sure my daughter's needs were met. We applied for food stamps and after a 3 month wait, were approved for $60 a month for only 3 months. It wasn't worth my time to go back and reapply since a part time job in place of a full time job was enough in the eyes of the red tape pinners. And at least we had savings and investments to fall back on until full time work could be found (and yes, I've been saving since my first job at 17 when I made $5.15 and hour and was still able to start and keep a savings account). I had to turn my attention to fighting with my mortgage company to see how I'd qualify for any assistance to stay in my home while continuing to make payments of some sort. What holy hell that was. 

So, I do understand what it's like to need a hand, but I will never understand what it's like to need a crutch. I'd rather burn through my savings than stand in line next to someone that can't budget their paycheck to save their life. I guess cigarettes are high on the food chain than actual food for some people. 

I'm also glad there are thankful welfare recipients. But, I'll be truly happy when you can stand on your own two feet, raise your kids to do the same, and then look back, say thank you, and be able to show how that hand got you up on your feet again and can serve as an example for others to do the same. 

I think it's time to get rid of the crutches. For good. Stand up. I am. You can too.