Conservative pundits and congresspeople (despite Congresswoman Bachmann's having permanently blurred the line between the two) love to natter on about how Joe Sixpack and his loving family get through hard times. If Jane Sixpack loses her job, they say, Joe and Jane and their 2.54 kids gather 'round the kitchen table (perhaps for the first time in months...) and make hard decisions to make ends meet. Little Joe Jr. doesn't get a new iPad, little Jennifer has to forego tickets to the next Justin Bieber concert. It's called "tightening the belt."
Of course, most of those pundits and congresspeople are millionaires who simply can't fathom what it's like to gather 'round the family kitchen table and tell the kids that there'll be no computer camp this summer or that they'll have to get school clothes at Wal-mart instead of Hollister. They certainly don't understand what it's like to make those changes when "eating out" means a once-a-month trip to the drive-through at Mickey-D's and new clothes already come from the thrift shop instead of Abercrombie and Fitch. For them, a change in income simply means cutting back on spending. Never mind that your housing, utilities, food, and car payments make up 110% of your income - just stop "wasting money" on dinners out and you'll be OK, they warble.
In my life, I've been out of a job, I've burned through most of my savings, and I've come to the end of my unemployment checks. And let me tell you, Party of No, that when you sit around the kitchen table and talk to your family, you do more than just say that Little Joey's gonna have to get by without a new wardrobe this fall. You also say, "We gotta bring in more." Whether one of you takes a part-time job, whether you sell the second car; whether you start selling family possessions on eBay; or whether you go to the boss and ask for a raise or some overtime, you look for some way to bring in more money. That's a revenue increase, for those of you who've never had to lie awake nights wondering if you would lose your house or ask the government for help.
If you people insist on talking about "kitchen-table economics," then you need a reality check. Sure, your first reaction when the family's income stream suddenly crashes is to cut back on spending - but people who been there know that it also means scrambling for more income. It's time to get real, people!
Of course, most of those pundits and congresspeople are millionaires who simply can't fathom what it's like to gather 'round the family kitchen table and tell the kids that there'll be no computer camp this summer or that they'll have to get school clothes at Wal-mart instead of Hollister. They certainly don't understand what it's like to make those changes when "eating out" means a once-a-month trip to the drive-through at Mickey-D's and new clothes already come from the thrift shop instead of Abercrombie and Fitch. For them, a change in income simply means cutting back on spending. Never mind that your housing, utilities, food, and car payments make up 110% of your income - just stop "wasting money" on dinners out and you'll be OK, they warble.
In my life, I've been out of a job, I've burned through most of my savings, and I've come to the end of my unemployment checks. And let me tell you, Party of No, that when you sit around the kitchen table and talk to your family, you do more than just say that Little Joey's gonna have to get by without a new wardrobe this fall. You also say, "We gotta bring in more." Whether one of you takes a part-time job, whether you sell the second car; whether you start selling family possessions on eBay; or whether you go to the boss and ask for a raise or some overtime, you look for some way to bring in more money. That's a revenue increase, for those of you who've never had to lie awake nights wondering if you would lose your house or ask the government for help.
If you people insist on talking about "kitchen-table economics," then you need a reality check. Sure, your first reaction when the family's income stream suddenly crashes is to cut back on spending - but people who been there know that it also means scrambling for more income. It's time to get real, people!
