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ambitious_wenchMy grandma was a Republican. And yet, I have a very early memory of her crying in front of the television when John F. Kennedy was shot. She was disdainful of Social Security at first, and she told me of a conversation she had with someone (I can't remember who, but I suspect it was her father).
She expressed a disbelief that the government would be able to help old people, and that it was a mystery to her that people didn't save up for their old age by investing. She said that the person she was talking to told her that it wasn't a matter of not having the discilpine to save, but simply not having the money after trying to feed, clothe and house themselves and their children. So she approved of it after that. She also did not believe in credit cards, other than one for gas, which she paid off monthly.
"Edie, don't spend more than you make. Save for big purchases. Pay cash. And if you can't pay cash, pay off your bills completely at the end of each month." She was mortified when she had forgotten to bring a checkbook to the department store to buy something, and the cashier offered to open a charge card for her.
Garrison Keillor has recently expressed grief over the extinction of old-school Republicans who were the custodians of the balanced budget, who fostered financial responsibility, and to whom credit was not something taken lightly.
But now, we have credit cards with outrageous rates, upwards of 25% in some cases. And the minimum payment doesn't pay down the debt, it only prolongs it.
My friend Susan said something today about taxes and the common good: "The difference between a Democrat and a Republican is that a Democrat knows that if you have money left over after your bills and taxes, you aren't likely to put it toward good. Republicans, on the other hand, elieve that a widescreen TV is good"
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panacea1 just added the following: "... and will loan you the money at 20% to get it. "
She expressed a disbelief that the government would be able to help old people, and that it was a mystery to her that people didn't save up for their old age by investing. She said that the person she was talking to told her that it wasn't a matter of not having the discilpine to save, but simply not having the money after trying to feed, clothe and house themselves and their children. So she approved of it after that. She also did not believe in credit cards, other than one for gas, which she paid off monthly.
"Edie, don't spend more than you make. Save for big purchases. Pay cash. And if you can't pay cash, pay off your bills completely at the end of each month." She was mortified when she had forgotten to bring a checkbook to the department store to buy something, and the cashier offered to open a charge card for her.
Garrison Keillor has recently expressed grief over the extinction of old-school Republicans who were the custodians of the balanced budget, who fostered financial responsibility, and to whom credit was not something taken lightly.
But now, we have credit cards with outrageous rates, upwards of 25% in some cases. And the minimum payment doesn't pay down the debt, it only prolongs it.
My friend Susan said something today about taxes and the common good: "The difference between a Democrat and a Republican is that a Democrat knows that if you have money left over after your bills and taxes, you aren't likely to put it toward good. Republicans, on the other hand, elieve that a widescreen TV is good"
panacea1 just added the following: "... and will loan you the money at 20% to get it. "![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-11-16 08:11 pm (UTC)It allows you to irradiate your body faster, and dissolve brain cells more efficiently.
That, and it's almost like being in the room with the pr0n actresses. <noddle>