How About The Government Bailing US out…The Citizens?

Democratic presidential elect Barack Obama, speaks during a news conference in Clearwater, Fla., (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Recently I have been mulling over all of these proposed and enacted bailouts and asked myself, “Why don’t they bail out us, the average people…we, the people?”

How about we all write, no, visit our political leaders to request that Congress provide each of us with $250,000 versus the billions they’re giving to industries that will only fall again if we, the people, are not in a position to patronize them.

Many of us have had some investments and some operational expenditures adversely affected by the sudden downturn in our economy. It has caused us to have to reconsider supporting our local business, and I know that this has placed an unexpected loss of revenue on the local community.

This of course will have an adverse impact on businesses being able to meet payroll, and may result in lay-offs for workers, which will only exacerbate an already poor economy.

Personally, I will use this $250,000 to give a stimulus to both my local economy and guarantee a mortgage debt with my lender. This will provide an infusion of unexpected cash to this lender, and free up cash for them to continue lending money to others so that our consumer-driven economy can survive and return to a thriving expansion sooner rather than later.

Come to think of it, how far could the $700 billion authorized by Congress have gone if we would have simply paid the mortgages of American home buyers across the board, up to the average cost of a home in our country?

It seems to me that if this approach had been adopted, there would have been the desired infusion of cash into the marketplace, and home buyers would have been relieved of significant debt, allowing them to spend that money in the economy resulting in expansion instead of recession.

Instead, we are giving this money to companies that are obviously continuing to follow broken models, paying outrageous salaries and bonuses to a select few executives, taking excursions to far off lands (expanding other countries’ economies).

Now we are being told that we are not going to retire mortgage debts or buy up questionable mortgages but we that we are giving the money to those very institutions that have pushed our personal debt out of all proportions so they can lend money to Americans already in financial crisis.

I was not in favor of the initial AIG bailout or the initial $700 billion Congress gave to the secretary of the Treasury, and I’m especially not in favor of giving more money to the auto industry.

I am almost at the stage of saying if my government can do these things and if the companies of this country can do these things, then I as a private citizen can likewise call for funds to help secure my household expenses and debts or the nation risks the removal of my cash and capital from the economy.

When viewed from the perspective of a lone individual, my letter is, no doubt, laughable. But if viewed from the perspective of 4.5 million people taking up the cause and removing their capital and cash from the economy, it is a destructive force of indescribable proportion.

Our politicians speak constantly of the “average citizen” and the “average” citizens experiences during their speeches.

Well, I don’t know about you, but “average” to me means something like what my family experiences, day in, day out.

College tuition, Food, Gas, Plumbing (yeah, nothing like an unexpected leak to throw off expenses), medical, visa and immigration fees and other necessities.

I work…HARD for my money and I don’t play. But how do you budget when one thing goes down and three others skyrocket?

All of us – you and me – struggle each month to keep our heads above water — some, like me, trying to pay tuition for family members we’re trying to keep in college, while doing what we, as everyday Average Americans have been instructed to do, take a good chunk of what we earn every week and toss the money into a retirement savings account. Then watch as mutual funds implode and years of savings are wiped out. But what are you going to do?

This foreclosure crisis has created a domino effect for all of us. Many are about to lose businesses, homes, apartments, cars, etc because as a direct affect, personal credit has spilled over into the arena. People are actually facing the possibility of being homeless or living in substandard housing!

Perhaps many of those struggling seem bitter, pardon them, but when they hear all this talk about bailing the fat cats out of their messes, it begins to take it’s toll on these “average” citizens.

Now that so many are suffering financial chaos, funds for assistance to renters are also not readily available. Funds for those needing food is not available, but still we have those already receiving government assistance applying for and getting more and in no way are they assisting any sort of stimulation of our economy.

Many of those suffering have never asked for any public assistance while raising their family and now that they need help its not available to them?

What about those of us who have worked hard all our lives and can’t catch a break now that it is needed? It just goes to show that those who have get and those who truly need are on their own?

Oh…and for heaven’s sake, political leaders…Mr. President, don’t let this get any worse. Forget bailing out the auto industry…if you don’t help us and others worse off than us, bailing out the auto industry will be a wasted event since none of us will be able to keep the cars we have let alone afford to buy any vehicles! And in order to maintain the modicum of dignity that many of us might still have, we ask that you do this expeditiously so that we are not living in the streets, motels or our cars………..

Signed,

An American Citizen