For some never-to-be-fully understood reason, I decided to break down what our monthly expenses are for child care (2 kids under five years of age) and for property taxes on two properties (in what I am convinced is THE most highly taxed county in the entire world!) each month. *insert drum roll here (or if you are me and actually have to pay this absurd amount on a monthly basis, insert appropriate dry heave here):
We pay $3,348 in tuition and property taxes *EACH* month. This is absurd....and nauseating. Now, mind you, this is just property taxes (exclusive of a mortgage) and for schooling (not full-time), for two small children. After seeing this (and immediately thereafter attempting to make myself un-see it), I got to thinking:
How is the "typical middle class" American family supposed to ever get ahead? Simply put: you can't. There is no earthly way to live in a decent-sized home, drive a modest vehicle, pay your taxes, and put your children in school without both parents working full-time and having to make sacrifices. My husband and I don't live extravagantly but we do live comfortably and there is zero chance we could make ends meet if we didn't have the support of our family and two steady jobs. What do people do that don't have these resources? How do they get by? It infuriates me each time I go to the grocery store and pay $5 per case of water and then still receive a quarterly bill for $432 for running water in our home that isn't "safe enough for my children to drink". This entire economical situation is the result of sloppy management and poor planning. It is the result of greed, gluttony, and outright selfishness. No one thought about the longterm effects, and even worse, no one thought about those that were going to be impacted by this when this whole thing boiled over. So, here we are with the mess *they* made and we are the ones stuck cleaning it up.
I am not sure how we got to this point as the "American dream" has become nothing more than a figment of the imagination since no one can seem to achieve it without having to do so either fraudulently and/or with massive debt to accompany it (which, in all honesty, sounds more like a nightmare than a dream anyhow!). To be frank, I could care less who wins this upcoming election because this country is in such a mess that no one person, President, or Wizard could fix it in four years anyways...I just want us to get on a more positive path so that twenty years from now, when my kids are entering "the real world", they can actually reap the rewards of their hard work. Our current state is sad, pitiful even. However, I say "kudos!" to those that are actually working hard, contributing to a better tomorrow, and keeping afloat during this crisis. If nothing changes in the next four years, than I am running for Office. My policy is this:
1. The harder you work, the less taxes you pay (if you contribute towards building, both literally and figuratively, a better country, you should be rewarded with some sort of incentive...or at the very least, a decent tax write-off)
2. The higher your grade, the more grants you receive for college (the more educated America becomes the less likely we will continue on the same, negative path)
3. Marry whom ever you like, albeit man or woman, as long as you are hardworking, law abiding citizens.
4. All pedophiles are eliminated. Choice of death determined by the parents of the child that was harmed.
5. Teachers get paid more, CEO's get paid less.
6. Health care for all... everyone must pay according to their family size (if you have 20 kids, you should have a higher premium than a family of three)
7. If you are on welfare and continue to get pregnant/reproduce and/or are found to be doing drugs while on it, your GA will be terminated.
8. Marijuana should be legalized...and taxed.
9. Renters should pay property taxes, not just homeowners (renters utilize just as many resources- schools, parks, police officers, etc.- as homeowners do!)
That's about it. Who's in??? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a campaign to start working on... :-P
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