Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Why is Cousin Vinnie So Angry? (Part1)

Why is Cousin Vinnie so angry?

He absolutely hates President Obama who represents to him evil liberalism which consists in government taking away people's responsibilities. He totally agrees with Romney about the 47% who don't pay taxes, who consider themselves victims, and are dependent on government. He thinks they should be working as hard as he did and can't stand to see people who want to work not being able to find a job while our taxes pay for freeloaders who, because of government policies and their own laziness, get paid for not working, get free health care and housing, food stamps and other benefits they do not deserve because they have not contributed to the economy.

Bernie and I retired last year, she at 68, I at 73. We saved, have SS, and a monthly disbursement of our 401k which thankfully is maintaining itself in this stock market. Even in our elderhood, even with the mortgage tax breaks we get by refinancing our condo and giving to charity, we are paying at least 15% of our income in taxers.

I work through my church with an organization that is focused on keeping housing affordable and the neighborhood racially diverse in our fast gentrifying DC neighborhood. It is also focussed on assisting tenants, most of them African American, achieve some equity and the possibility of starting a business, getting additional education, and buying a home in their community. Yes, it gets me mad when I see people, especially younger people, gaming the system to avoid taking responsibility to improve themselves and their situation. We have some instances of three or four generations in this subsidized housing. They are taking places that others could use to get ahead.  Some who are working and making a good salary still stay in this Section 8 housing paying market rent just for the security in case they lose their job.

Across from our condo are apartments in which there live a couple, clearly immigrants from some African or Caribbean county, who are going at it day and night.  Loud.  They obviously don't work. I don't know if they are getting housing and other subsidy--but how else could they be living, laughing, shouting, obviously drinking all the time.  Who is supporting them and their behavior. Me? Sometimes I am so pissed off, I yell at them and tell them to shut up and let people who work sleep.

In front of their apartments I am constantly picking up junk, papers, wrappers, and, worst of all, lottery stubs and putting them in the garbage cans which are only a few steps away. These people obviously don't care about their community. How can they afford playing the lottery? And I am probably supporting their habits--through government programs.  Bastards! And you know that many of the youth who are hanging out of the street are up to no good. If they are caught stealing or selling drugs, they will be sent to prison and I will be supporting them again--their board, their room, their food, their health. Double bastards.

What we have is a choice. Are we going to keep coddling these freeloaders and paying for their bad habits through government programs? Or are we going to get government to do just its essential functions--protect free markets and protect citizens against the exploitation of criminals here and abroad? And get government out of the social service game! That's our choice.

Go Cousin Vinnie!  No wonder white men like you and me are so angry.

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But first a little story about my experience in Chicago working in a Catholic Parish in West Lawndale (the "black ghetto").  Part 2 next.


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