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MY MENTAL RECESSION
07/12/2008
Don't mind me. I'm having a mental recession.
At least, that's what John McCain's economic advisor calls it.
My husband's pay was cut 20% because he is a civil engineer whose firm specialized in working on new housing developments and right now in California there aren't too many houses being built. So about 20% of the employees were involuntarily retired and the others took pay cuts.
Also, as we approach the age of retirement, with a much smaller 401K than we would like, primarily because we couldn't save anything during the last Republican recession and the years it took to recover from it, his company has stopped making contributions.
I know John McCain's economic advisor thinks I'm just a "whiner" because I'm upset that I can no longer do my patriotic duty to fight terrorism by going to the mall, but I know there are others who have more to whine about.
Some people lost their job to a Chinese or Guatemalan factory worker, and have to work at Wal Mart, where the pay is probably 50% less than what they used to bring home. Others don't even get a paycheck.
Those who still have 401Ks watch the dollar amount get smaller and smaller as the stock market declines day after dismal day. Others don't have a 401K, or saw their pensions disappear in companies like Enron.
I imagine their mental recession is much worse than mine.
I retired a few years ago, without any pension, and I suppose I could go back to work to supplement our income, but I am constantly on call for my elderly and ailing parents. Most employers wouldn't look kindly on my having to leave work every other day for some crisis, such as my dad having a bad fall, or my mother needing a blood transfusion.
And then there's the high price of gasoline. I'm lucky in that I don't feel the effects of high gas prices as much as others do. Those Hummers I still see on the road eat up a lot of gas. It must cost over $100 to fill their tanks.
Many workers, who bought houses away from their jobs because it's all they could afford, have to drive long distances to work and can't afford the gas. Independent truckers are parking their rigs because what they pay for diesel is more than they would make on a haul.
As for me, the only driving I do these days is to my parents' house and back, to take them to the many doctors' appointments they have and to do their shopping and errands for them.
I won't be driving up to see my daughter and grandchildren as much as I used to, as one trip costs about $40, which I don't have. I also won't be taking my annual trip to see my sons in Seattle as it would be too costly to drive there. Even a plane ticket to Seattle now costs $500, over twice what it cost a year ago. But I know the disappointment I feel is all in my head. There really is nothing wrong with this economy, according to McCain's good buddy and chief financial advisor Phil Gramm.
At least I have Social Security to look forward to in a few years, provided John McCain is defeated in the presidential election, and I don't have to worry about his ending the "disgrace" of younger workers funding the system, as they always have. With less money going into my husband's 401K, and the money already there flying out the window as the market drops, Social Security may be the only security I have.
Thank heavens my 82 year old parents have a guaranteed income from Social Security. I can't imagine what we would do now if one of our "free market" presidents had succeeded in privatizing Social Security and my parents would have watched helplessly as their investment dried up in this bear market. Especially since my father is disabled and needs round the clock care, which my mother still provides, even though she has leukemia. And if it weren't for Medicare and her supplemental insurance which covers most of the very high medical bills she has, she would not still be here to care for him, and he would be in a residential facility, which would cost at least $2000 a month more than his Social Security income, which would deplete his savings rapidly.
According to Phil Gramm, however, my parents, having lived to be 80, have nothing to complain about should a Republican administration decide to cut their benefits. Bob Herbert, writing in the New York Times, reports that on one occasion when the Republicans were debating a cut in Social Security benefits, Gramm said "Most people don't have the luxury of living to be 80 years old, so it's hard for me to feel sorry for them."
At least for people who are mentally recessed there's still sex, even for those with erectile dysfunction, because most insurance plans cover Viagra. Of course, younger couples, many of whom have health plans that don't cover birth control, might find themselves with more children than they can afford, which means even sex becomes problematic for them. There's always cold showers, I guess, which makes sense because they probably can't afford the gas to heat their water anyway.
Hope is on the way, though, with McCain's plan to help those with no health insurance. He is going to give a tax break to Americans so they can buy their own. Of course it won't be enough to cover the premiums, but it will help. On the other hand, if you are so poor you pay no taxes, a tax break is worthless. Maybe you can find a job where your employer will still pay for your health insurance, although McCain wants to end the tax break for employers who provide health insurance. He says instead of providing you with benefits, they can give you the extra money in the form of a raise. I would bet, though, that most Americans won't see that "raise." And then, buying it on their own and not as part of a group, individuals will be paying much higher premiums.
Oh, no, I'm whining again.
Thank heavens there is plenty of food to eat in America, even if you're poor. McDonald's isn't that expensive, and Burger King has a $1.00 menu for those who don't mind eating a Whopper Jr. three times a day. Again, Bob Herbert offers up words of wisdom from Phil Gramm: “We’re the only nation in the world where all our poor people are fat.” Poor people are fat, at least in part because junk food is cheaper than healthy food. Poor people can't afford fresh fruits and vegetables, and if they live in inner city ghettos, stores don't even carry fresh fruits and vegetables, but a Whopper Jr. has a slice of lettuce and an onion ring, I think, so what's to complain about?
I know this is asking a lot, because Republicans don't want the federal government to pay for anything to help the ordinary American, but if they continue these policies that rob the poor to give to the rich, and refuse to regulate industries that create disastrous situations like the sub prime crisis (which Phil Gramm helped create) then there is only one solution: the entire nation must be put on a cocktail of antidepressants and tranquilizers.
Then, no matter what happens, at least we won't be whining, and our mental recession will be under control.
All content © 2005 outragedcitizen.com
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