Five billion here. Thirteen billion there. Seven hundred billion plus around the corner. ALL tax dollars we have worked our tails off for to send to Washington week after week, year after year.
And today the damned auto companies want MORE. Obamanomics has signed the so-called bailout package into law to stimulate something or other. Most of the men and women in government who signed the bill never read it. And frankly, with all this bailout talk day in and out, I'm clueless as to what it all means. Even the porn industry some weeks ago asked, tongue in cheek (pun intended) for a bailout.
So today I'm asking for MY bailout. Not much, mind you. Just $9000.00. That's it. More on this later.
Ok, let's review. According to the Associated Press today, General Motors has already received more than $13 billion in "loans" from the government. Now GM says that they will probably run out of money by March if they don't receive about $9 billion in new loans and a credit line of over $7 billion. March is 11 days away.
Chrysler has received about $4 billion so far, and is asking for an additional $5 billion. Oh, and part of Chrysler's "restructuring" plan is to eliminate three car models while GM will eliminate up to 47,000 more jobs. Woo Hoo! Sign the check, Mr. O!
According to the AP report today, Chrysler estimates that US auto makers will sell just over 10 million cars this year. Ok. Let's review again: How many millions of people are now jobless in the US? I would argue that GM's plan to add another 47,000 to that number will mean that the automakers may NOT sell over 10 million cars this year. Just a hunch.
So where, then, will that leave the auto makers? Asking for a couple billion MORE? And yet MORE again down the road? Where does all this money come from after we taxpayers have paid, and where does it all go? Does the Treasury just crank up the printing presses? Someone put this all into layman's terms, please!
On top of this ongoing foolishness, Associated Press also quoted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. as saying she hoped this would lead to the "transformation of our domestic automobile industry into a viable, technologically advanced, and globally competitive manufacturing force."
She expects that from a nationalized auto industry, and a government (never mind who happens to be in the Oval Office) that can't even win wars with 13th century-minded 4th world countries!
WAKE THE FREAK UP, AMERICANS! ISN'T ANYONE ASKING WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? Are you all STILL too busy buying crap you don't need with money you don't have (or WON'T have for very long), grazing in all of those stores' "Going Out of Business" liquidation sales, and buying plasma TV's? I'm just saying....
So this is where I ask for MY bailout. In late 2007 I bailed out of a 24 year job with a company that isn't expected to survive through 2009. They were purging tenured associates and managers to cut costs, as retailers are want to do. I expected to have my employment terminated in December 2007. So, I did what my accountant and every other "expert" says NOT to do: Borrowed money from my 401K to pay off the car, and what little debt I had. I couldn't have a car payment and other monthly expenses if I had to live on unemployment.
As it worked out, I was recruited by a healthy company, for better pay. I left the sinking ship. I'm gainfully employed while the economy crumbles around our feet. I'm fortunate. Now, however, I'm liable for taxes and penalties on the funds I took out of my 401K. My accountant estimated an additional $9000 in taxes will have to be paid this April to cover this horrible thing I did to keep from going bankrupt myself. I took it out of an account that I'm fully vested in, and managed by banks that probably have received bailout money to manage the failing funds that are eating away at what's left of my 401K.
So I want a bailout. For $9000. Detroit gets billions, the pork barrel stimulus bill gets billions, the banks get billions, the insurance industry gets billions, the Chinese (who we are deeply in debt to) get billions, and the porn industry has the balls to ask for a bit too.
$9000. To pay my taxes. After all, those billions in taxpayer dollars are getting shuffled from one account to another. All I'm asking is that the government shuffle $9000 to me, and I'll give it right back to them.
It's not like I'm flying to Washington in a private jet asking for money. Or taking a multi-million dollar bonus from a failed company. Or running a ponzi scheme.
I'm just working my ass off to help billions.
(c)2009, R. Burnett Baker
