It’s that time again. With only nineteen months left until the 2020 Presidential Election, and with twenty Democrats already in the race, the time to shirk personal responsibility and demand free stuff is now!  The Democrats understand that your current station in life is not your fault…unless you’re successful!  They seem to think that if you don’t need any free stuff now it’s because you exploited the talents and time of those people that do need free stuff now.  That’s obviously your fault and you should be absolutely ashamed of yourself. 

The list of FREE STUFF the Democrats are promising to deliver, in exchange for the less informed voter’s vote includes free college, free student loan forgiveness, free health care, free prescription drugs, more free food, free rent, free pay raises and vacations, and of course, free money where required.   When asked how they’ll pay for this boondoggle, the democratic harmonized response is always tax the rich and increase the corporate tax rates while giving the middle class a tax cut.  They do love the middle class, do they not? 

Why are there so many people that need free stuff anyhow?  And do they really need free stuff or do they just want free stuff?  What if some of these people are in debt up to their eyeballs, paying for things they don’t need?  What if they cannot pay their electric bills or put food on the table because they have to pay their adjustable rate mortgage loan (they never imaged that this loan would go up, up, up).  On top of the mortgage, they have the car payment, cell phone bill that includes the latest phone on the market, and the furniture loan along with the credit cards.   Should these people get free stuff from the federal government?  Is there no personal accountability in this season? 

 The four worst charities in the United States are…

1). Federal government

2). State government

3). County government

4). Municipal government

The reason charity from government is so expense is because, to get your free stuff, you need to have your request processed through bureaucratic filters to ensure that you are truly worthy to receive other people’s money.  Those filters mean more government offices with high paying government jobs.  These buildings and jobs are expensive, taking a big slice out of the FREE STUFF pie.

When the Democrats want more federal level charity, hide your wallet!  These charity programs are so wrongheaded from the start because they truly are not a reasonable function of the federal government.  They’re not reasonable because the needs in Reading, PA are substantially different than in say San Francisco, CA.  When the Democrats start clamoring about a livable wage, and raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, how will this create the equality they claim to be championing?  See you can rent a 3 bedroom apartment in Reading, PA starting at $1200 per month.  3 Bedroom apartments in San Francisco start at about $4500 per month.  $15 per hour, if you work 40 hours per week, will provide many more comforts in Reading, PA than in San Francisco, CA.  Side note: When the federal government raises the minimum wage again, peg it, once and for all, to inflation.  Every January the minimum wage would be increased by the percentage of inflation.  If there was no inflation or deflation, the minimum wage of the previous year would remain. 

A livable wage is such a moving target.  It’s not a static number nor is it something that can be mandated fairly at the federal level.  For example: A single person, with no children, can get by with much less that a single person with four children.  And if that single person with no children was raised to avoid debt, save money, and live below his or her means, he or she is most likely renting a room or studio apartment, paid cash for a used car, and prefers saving money to spending money. This is personal responsibility, a rarity in today’s look at me society.

The liberal media has been eager to report that student loan debt is a crisis in America, and the Democrats feel your pain.  Senators Warren and Sanders want your debt paid for by other people.  Anyone with student loan debt must be very excited about this proposition. The candidates that promise student loan debt forgiveness are sure to get the indebted votes.  But how is this fair?  What about the fiscally conservative student that worked his or her way through community college, because it was affordable, and then transferred to a university for his or her junior and senior years?  What about the students that earned their Bachelor’s Degree and emerged from college debt free?  If we want people to take personal responsibility, why reward poor decisions and the inability to delay gratification, and ignore the people that actually made wise, prudent decisions? 

What does personal responsibility look like?  It starts with the recognition that it really is your fault.  You are responsible for your station in life.  The longer you blame others, the deeper your hole of despair will get.  Own it and things will get better, if you can discipline yourself to delay gratification and live below your means, no matter how minuscule.  All the debt you have, including student loans, all the bills you have to pay, you entered into those contracts.  You signed the dotted line.

If you have a car payment that you cannot afford, that’s your responsibility.  You have two choices; either earn more money or sell the car.  Ride a bicycle or bus, save your money, and pay cash for a car you can afford.  Never, ever have a car loan again.

If you are in college supported mostly by student loans, drop out.  Work 60 plus hours a week, save your money, and find the cheapest accredited college you can attend.  Pay for your classes as you go.  It is better to earn a 4-year degree in 8 years and be debt free than to get the degree in 4 years and have $50 thousand plus in debt.  And make sure you are earning a degree that will help you get a career job.  If you graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology you would have been wiser going to a technical college to become a plumber. A plumber will certainly earn more money than you will.

If you live in a city you cannot afford, move to a location where the rent is low.  It may not be where you want to be, but if you’re smart with your money, it will eventually get you where you want to go.

If you are a single mother, don’t have any more children until you get your finances figured out.  Your story is the most difficult because of the children.  It’s hard to understand why single mothers continue to have children when they cannot afford the ones they have.  Society does not want to hear about, or see hungry children.  America will feed its children.  But at what point is it correct and fair to say, stop getting pregnant?

Enablers never really help anyone.  Democrats are enablers.  Oh it feels like they really care as they cry with you doesn’t it?  Here, take this free food that somebody else earned for you.  Here, we’ll get the rich people to take on the burden of your student loan debt.  There, there.  No more tears.  We’ll give you a tax credit to offset the high rent you are paying in the city you cannot afford to live in yet.  Now stop the fussing.  There is no need for you to work to better yourself so you can secure a decent paying job that offers health care for you and your family.  Rest assured; we’ll take care of that for you.  Please stay on your couch with your bowl of Fruit Loops.  There’s no need for you to get out of your pajamas even though it’s 4 p.m.  The people that went to work today want you to know that they’re cool with not getting a raise this year due to the increase in the corporate tax rate.  And even so, here’s some money for food, rent, and a little something to pay your other household expenses.  And because you have 5 children, here’s a little more. 

Personal responsibility leads to personal freedom.  Relying on the government for food, clothing, and shelter is bondage.  Unless disabled, where American generosity should flow abundantly, get up and get on with it!  Break free.  Own your life.  Love yourself.  Ignore status symbols.  The government has printed more than enough money.  All you have to do is earn yours.