No the title is not a misprint.

While most of us recognize that as a reversal of how we deal with a financial crisis, it seems like the government always sees it the other way.  The more they take from us in takes and power, the less they seem to use it for our benefit.

But this week I am dealing with the proper usage.  I am learning a lot about doing more with less.

At my Day Job things have been incredibly hectic.  We lost a member of our team to the economy driven layoffs.  She was an integral team member, a long time heavily experienced operator who was a constant source of knowledge in our space.

And in the stroke of a pen she is gone, victim to the need to appear proactive in a bad economy.  We have to deal with her loss and while it is a great opportunity two show how talented and dynamic our team is, it is also frustrating and stressful waiting for the bomb to drop, meaning what project are we ill prepared to handle now.

On the heels of that was a change in benefits that meant several hundreds more per month in benefit costs, something I simply could not do without but also can now not afford.

While one might imagine this makes me more sympathetic to socialized health care, it does not.  We need reform, not socialism.  My  daughter turns 19 soon, and when she does she loses the eligibility until she starts attending college this fall.  I worry for her sake.

Ironically when she loses eligibility, my health premiums drop.  Scary that.

Shopping has brought out my old instincts from my military days:  Coupons and sales.  Generic brands.  Buying certain staples in bulk.  Etc.  Thank God I quit smoking in 1991.

Our household took a pay cut at my job, something that shook us, but was a whole lot more workable than unemployment.  Less workable was my son losing his job completely.

We struggle.  We persevere.

Everyone on our country seems to understand that country except congress and the president who are insulated from the wage cuts we all face.  They do not face limitations of budget to go shopping, they just borrow us into the next generation.  Their pay is secure, their benefits assured.

No one makes the President have to make choices about his benefit coverage.  No one makes speaker Pelosi do her job for a 10% pay cut.  Harry Reid will be unlikely to be coupon clipping this week to make sure his family can eat.

We do more with less.  We struggle.  They do less with more and profit on our losses all thw ehile patting themselves on their backs for being such sacrificing servants.

I despise them all.  Every elected official regardless of party, who is separate but equal to the people they represent.  From the local to the federal.  This is a multi level bipartisan despite.

All too few of them have any clue what it is like to struggle to survive.

Some do.  Some.  A few.

Most just thrive on their power.

Yea, not a happy blog this week.  I hate seeing how our economy is tanking and at the same time how the Government is deliberately tanking it.  I hate hearing aboutjob losses and bailouts when the two never come close to affecting each other.

I pay my bills every week, i struggle to reconcile my personal debt.  My thanks is increased taxes and expenses.  Meanwhile those who abuse the system get money for nothing.

Just isn’t right.

Maybe next week I will feel a bit happier about my situation and life in general.

Trackposted to Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Pink Flamingo, Rosemary’s Thoughts, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, Right Truth, and The World According to Carl, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.