Last Thursday, I heard a sound bite from Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, speaking on the subject of the Senate Health Care Bill, in which he said something to the effect of, "No Longer will Americans have to choose between paying their mortgage, or paying for medical care". Well Mr. Reid, lets talk a little about choices.
A little over two years ago, the engine in my truck, (our sole source of income), started to shake and knock severely, as I exited the interstate, in South Carolina. I was faced with a choice. Call a mechanic to come to me and diagnose the problem, or just start walking home.
I chose to call the mechanic. He told me that the crank had broken, and it would be necessary to remove the engine from the frame, and either rebuild, or replace it.
I chose to replace it, because it would require less downtime. The mechanic ordered a re-manufactured engine and set to work. Three weeks later the engine was in and the mechanic presented me with a bill for a little under 35 thousand dollars, (he had also replaced the transmission). I could choose to pay it or let him keep my only source of income.
I chose to pay the bill. This was an extremely difficult choice to make, in so much as I had MANY other bills to pay, and no savings to speak of (not to mention 3 weeks without work). Fortunately, the company I have been contracted to haul for over the last 12 or so years, was generous enough to loan me the money, IF I could pay it back in short order.
I chose to take the money. I had SIX MONTHS to pay it back. This was a very tall order, but what CHOICE did I really have? For the six ensuing months, my wife and I made the same choices over and over again. Which bills to pay, and which to make wait. I felt terrible knowing that bill collectors of every kind were pestering my very stressed wife, while I was gone. And I was gone a lot!
To add to this, a number of other smaller problems cropped up, each with it's own price tag, and some requiring down time. Included in all this... TWO surgeries for my wife, and my oldest son wrecked on a friends 4-wheeler, shattering his jaw. All this combined to make for the most difficult 18 months of my life. I tell you all this Mr. Reid to get to the BIGGEST CHOICE I had to make in all this. Not the biggest in my view. But I'm SURE YOU will see it differently. You see... Being self-employed, it's up to me to make sure to put money aside to pay that ONE LARGE bill, that amounts to about one third of all I earn.
TAXES!
As I'm sure you can imagine sir, the burden of all these catastrophes, combined to make a financial disaster for myself and my family. I had the CHOICE to file bankruptcy and starting over, or fighting my way through it.
I CHOSE TO FIGHT! For 18 months, I worked nearly EVERY DAY, many more hours than the Department of Transportation would have approved. I earned as much as I could earn, and made sure everyone got some. Except for you folks up there in Washington, that is. You see Mr Reid, ALL the other financial commitments I have, large, small, wise, or not so wise, they are all contracts I entered into by consent. Therefore, I feel they deserve a place in line ahead of the Internal Revenue Service. You never asked me if I could afford another tax for this or that. You just keep on taxing.
It's not that I didn't let you know I owed you money. I filed all my forms, just the way you asked. I just didn't have any money left. My wife tried to explain this the the IRS representative, to make a payment arrangement of some kind, but he wouldn't hear of it. He said we owed too much for that. So just about the time we had ALL the bill collectors satisfied, the IRS reached in to our bank account on pay day, and took every penny we had. AND THIS, at a time when you people were THROWING MONEY by the BILLIONS, at companies you deemed TOO BIG TO FAIL. Even now, I'm still trying to reach an agreement that will satisfy your insatiable appetite for other peoples money, while allowing me to continue to satisfy my FAMILY'S insatiable appetite for SUPPER.
I'm very sorry Mr Reid, I just had to say something. While your PLAN may possibly free some from the choice between medical treatment and the mortgage, you will force us ALL to choose between paying the mortgage and paying MORE taxes. But I guess, since most American's taxes are taken before they ever see their paycheck... they don't REALLY have a CHOICE at all.
I'll get back to ya...
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