Generosity Begins at Home

I consider myself to be a fairly charitable individual. I give freely of my time, whatever talents I have, and money where ever possible. Those were the basic tenets of the Methodist church - promise to support the Church with your prayers, your presence, your gifts and your service. I've tried to apply those to other aspects of my life.

I'm very careful. I don't have an inordinate amount of free time and I work extremely hard for my money. My husband and I work together on saving and investing and enjoying our life together without being overly frivolous. We have all that we need and a lot of what we want. So I tend to check very carefully who will be receiving what I have to give. I support organizations that I believe in. Believe in their mission, believe in the populations they serve.

The difference in me and the federal government is that when I support an organization I get to make the choice who I support. The government takes my money and I am therefore forced to support whomever they choose. There is something inherently wrong there.

Because of the bill passed this week (mostly unread by the folks that voted on and signed it), I have to give people money to do what they should have been doing on their own. Paying their mortgages and bills. Living within their means. Building the best product out there, not one that falls apart just before the 100,000 mile warranty comes up. There was a day when a man's word was his bond and deals were struck with handshake. Now we generate reams of paper to be signed and a lot of people still don't hold up their end of the deal.

I've been unexpectedly unemployed before. Last recession. I know about being in over your head and the phone calls that don't stop and the constant mailing of resumes. It isn't fun in the very least. But no one - and I mean NO ONE - bailed us out. We got in too deep, it caught up with us, but we dug our way out. And when we were finally able to buy a house, it had an adjustable rate attached to the mortgage. Which we struggled with until we could lock it in at a reasonable rate.

The problems we're facing today aren't new problems. The current plan by the government is, however, a fairly new solution. And it troubles me. Where is the sense of personal responsibility and pride? Where are the folks that hold up their hand and say "No thanks, we'll take care of ourselves"? I'm certain they are out there (and Ford Motor Company does immediately come to mind) but they are few and far between. There are lots of hands being held out right now.

And very few of them I'd like to shake.