My wife Stacy and I received an email newsletter from our Senator, Mr. Mark Udall, D-CO. The newsletter tells us how proud he is that he is supporting legislation to “put an end to credit card companies’ abuses.” He is also proud to be supporting legislation, “reining in out-of-control federal spending.” I am all for controlling spending, yet Mr. Udall wants to control federal spending while supporting the public option in health care reform, what a conflict in ideas!
Anyway, Stacy wrote and emailed the Senator with a concise and expertly written summation of our views on these matters. Please enjoy her remarks below.
Two thoughts for you in response to your newsletter.
At what point are we going to hold people responsible for using their credit cards beyond their ability to pay? Do we actually expect the credit card companies to continuously lose money because of the poor decisions made by their customers? Why is all the focus on regulating corporations, while not a word is said about individual responsibility? It doesn’t seem to matter what the industry is. The prevailing attitude seems to be to control corporations. Forget the fact that millions of Americans choose to spend beyond their means.
Which is related to my second thought. The government has an opportunity to demonstrate restraint in spending, showing Americans that it is possible to live within available means. You can’t always have everything you want when you want it. Please do not raise the Federal debt ceiling. That sends the wrong message to Americans who need to be more individually responsible. The government has got to get responsible for its behavior too.
Side note: I neither want nor expect government to ENSURE that I have:
- A job
- A house with a cheap mortgage
- Healthcare insurance
- The ability to buy whatever I want whether I can pay or not
Individual responsibility and hard work must once again become a hallmark of our society.