I started my business 12 years ago. About three years into my start up, the business wasn't exactly going where I wanted it to and I started racking up some serious debts.
In 2001-2004 here is a list of the credit issues I had racked up.
Credit Cards - $42,000
Delinquent real estate taxes - $11,000
Auto loan - $15,000
Commercial lines of credit and term debt - $60,000
Commercial mortgage - $60,000
This list doesn't even include the back payroll taxes and income taxes I'd racked up.
Things were so bad I received a call from my mortgage lender. "Gordon what the hell is going on... Your property is worth at least $150,000, you only owe $60,000 and it's about to be foreclosed for delinquency, why?"
I responded by asking "are you guys willing to roll up the debt and take a mortgage on all of it?"
"Get the &$% out of here" was his reply. Needless to say, my credit score was so bad I was worried about a SWAT team invasion every time I went into a store to buy groceries.
Coupled with an on going separation and divorce, it was so depressing I didn't want to get out of bed in the morning and some days, I didn't. So I have complete empathy for those faced with what seems like insurmountable debt.
None the less, it wasn't until I felt the pain of watching my car being towed away that I knew I needed to get my act together.
I took a second job and started really applying myself to my business, I came straight with my employee(s) and asked for their help in cleaning up my mess, and I spent many, many hours trying to organize my life and business. During tax season, I was working 80 hours a week; 60 off season.
My neighbor noticed all the hours I was working and said "I guess you need two jobs to survive a Bush economy". I thought it was funny because I don't remember George Bush holding a gun to my head as I racked up a credit card to screw around with some skank in New York.
Regardless, I'm sharing this as it relates to Joe the plumber and potential home owners looking at foreclosure. See, no government program helped me out. In fact, government assistance probably would have simply allowed me to avoid the consequences of many bad decisions and enabled me to continue making them.
For four years, I worked my ass off to clean up my financial mess and I did it. The only debt I have today is an $80,000 mortgage note. Everyone got paid back in full.
To be clear, I had some help. But I was accountable to those who helped me, I never got an invisible hand out.
So now it looks as though Obama wants to seize some of my current earnings to "make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance for success, too. "
Mr Obama. I'm already taking care of the people behind me. I get that I wouldn't be where I am today without these people behind me. In fact, Mr. Obama where the hell were you when I was getting cash advances to cover the payroll of those people I was taking care of? Could I count on a government bailout plan to reimburse me?
There are few people who had as much going against them as I did to achieve that "chance for success". Take a second job, save your money, buy a business, and you will have lots of "chances for success".
Now the Obamunists want to take the money I earn today and give it to someone not willing to do the things I had to do to clean up my act?
What incentive is there for Joe the plumber to make his money knowing that the Obamunists and the Axis of Taxes want to steal it away and give to the guy who's not willing to make his same sacrifices?
Listening to his the democratic talking points, Mr. Obama made it to Harvard Law School and US senator all on his hard work and dedication. How is it that those same rules for success don't apply to the rest of America? Unless all that's BS.
It's so socialist like to take the wealth of someone when they never had to feel the pain of selling CD's to buy Christmas presents for their family.
So liberals can take their shots at Joe the plumber but I get it because I've been there. I've had tax delinquencies I had to clean up. I deal with clients who have been swamped with debt as a result of the dream that didn't work out.
I'm not making $250,000 a year yet but I don't want Mr. Obama's help and I don't want that socialist clown to coming to my door and taking my money to give to someone else when they weren't willing to make the same sacrifices I made to earn it.
Pain is a powerful motivator and learning tool. Government programs are not. Just look at our inner cities and witness see how many of those people have felt the pain of their life choices. Does it look like they've learned anything from their bad choices? No.
Like most people Joe the plumber gets it. He doesn't want Obama's help and he'll take care of those he needs to; that's the way it use to work in America. Unfortunately, it looks like our world view will become extinct soon.
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