In a speech to the Hudson Institute, you stated, “Rather than depending on government for your retirement and health security, I propose to empower people to become much more self-dependent for such things in life."
That would be nice. I hope you never have to depend on the government. I forgot—you already did. You went to college on your deceased father’s Social Security benefits. I’m not chastising you for that. I’m glad you had that choice. So did I, when my mother died. The difference is that I would not insist that others not have it available for their own personal tragedies. Why should you and I benefit from safety nets, but deny it for our children and grandchildren?
You once said we must “ensure that America’s safety net does not become a hammock that lulls able-bodied citizens into lives of complacency and dependency.” We must both be exceptions to that rule. As are multitudes of people who needed help at times. I’ve worked with them—low income students, their parents, dislocated workers, and Katrina evacuees. Precious few were content to wallow in their circumstances.
I pity those of you who are so cynical that you think lethargy is a goal for most. No one is perfect and there are some who would be lazy at the expense of others. But, those are few and far in between in my experiences working with thousands during the past thirty plus years!
Most people who have devoted their lives to working absolutely hate applying for and accepting unemployment insurance. They’re embarrassed and hearing themselves demonized by politicians who haven’t walked in their shoes is demoralizing and just plain heartless!
The wealthiest Americans have done extremely well over the past thirty years. The rest of us—not so much. Your proposals reward them and penalize the rest of us. The Stock Market may work well for some of you, but what little we can afford to contribute will never allow us to be self-dependent. Some of us tried that and lost almost all our retirement savings once. Not again!
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