Our Government is Bleeding Us Dry

Today was a tough day to listen to the local news. Oil prices are soaring and the Katrina disaster will cost of tens of billions of dollars. Our county executive here in Erie County, NY was on the radio today talking about his proposed 50% hike in property taxes and an additional 1% sales tax (for a total of 9.25%). The radio announcer talked about how our natural gas prices are expected to go up 35% this winter - somehow this is related to Katrina, although I still can't quite make the connection. Furthermore, we are being told to expect only a mild increase of 19% in our health insurance rates (which is far better than the 25-30% of the last few years).

So here I sit, trying to balance my checkbook and figure out where all my money went. My school tax bill arrived today - only $2,700. I can't wait to see what awaits me on the county tax bill in February. I just can't help but feel that our government is bleeding us dry. And I don't just mean the federal government, which currently takes about 25% of my paycheck and the state government which takes even more. It is the government's lack of control that allows our gas prices to soar to almost $3.50 per gallon and allows the utility companies to continue to enjoy record profits while claiming hardship. And, now that we have had 2 airlines declare bankruptcy just this week, will we be expected to bail them out as well?

I am just wondering - who is going to bail me out when I am forced into bankruptcy? The government takes from my paycheck to help the poor and underpriveleged. But it won't be long before we are ALL poor and underprivileged. You can't keep making the working half of the country pay for the non-working half. Why should I pay for someone else's health insurance when I am struggling to pay my own? The middle class is getting squeezed. The bottom half of the middle class are falling into the lower class. Something needs to change soon or there will be no one left to pay for everyone.

I can't help but wonder how many of us would be able to easily take care of ourselves and have money left over to help others who deserve it if we just had our paychecks for ourselves without any taxes. We can only imagine...