Okay, I know after my "You Liberals Are Wusses" diary on Friday, some of you are saying here he goes again, but this time I am serious. Finally, after 3 ½ years, the policies of the Bush administration have benefited me.
See, the story goes like this.....
About 3 years ago we put a small addition on our house to accommodate our latest human addition. While I did most of the work myself, it still cost a decent amount and I knew things would be tight with my wife staying home for a year with our daughter and all. However, I figured out how we could make it so we went forward with the project.
Unfortunately, there were a few things that I didn't count on. First was the fact that I didn't get a raise or bonus for 2 ½ years because the economy sucks and my company which did some nice federal energy efficiency projects for the Clinton/Gore administration was told that the Bush/Cheney oil cartel wouldn't be needing our services in the future. Then we were bought (by an Oil Company!) but instead of a raise I saw my health care premiums go from $50 a month to $300 a month, a nice $3000 a year pay cut. However, it's not like I can complain or go anywhere else as there is no where else right now.
At the same time, our doctor and drug co-pays have tripled, I am driving farther to work and paying more for my gas, and everything from groceries to day care has gone up dramatically. While I got a small tax cut from The Feds, my property taxes went up so much that it wipe that out and them some.
We were also expecting my wife to be back at work by now, but no one is hiring at a pay scale that makes the daycare and other costs worth it for her to go back to work. The funny part is she doesn't even count in the unemployed numbers since she left voluntarily to raise our daughter.
Well, more and more have been going on the credit cards, include donations to Dean, Kerry and the DKos dozen, and lately, food, car insurance, etc. Cash flow became a problem and checks started the bounce.
Don't worry, I am getting to the part where Bush helped me.
Well I finally go the point where I swallowed my 37 year old pride and called my father to help us through the pinch until my wife can find work. My father is retired and has started a second family, but money didn't seem to be an issue with them. However, when I called, the buyer on the house they were selling just got laid off so he had to back out of the deal and my father had closed on the other house so is caring that mortgage already. Also, his 401K isn't quite worth what it used to be so that is a problem. Plus his son (my half-brother who is 7) has health problems and his old employer (who by chance is now my employer) is cutting back on the health care coverage of their retirees. As a result, he is unable to help me.
So thank you Mr. Bush. Because of you, when I asked my father for money he was sympathetic instead of lecturing me. See, your economy is so bad, it brought me and my father closer together, and we may even end up needing to share a smaller house, so then we will be really close.