FORUM: Death of personal responsibility

By Jerry Pomeroy -- Sun City | Tuesday, December 9, 2008 12:10 AM PST ∞

Of all the wrong lessons being learned as our government spends multiple trillions on various bailout schemes, the worst is this: You are not responsible for the mess you are in. No matter why you are out of money, no matter why you can't pay your mortgage, no matter why you lost your job, somebody else is to blame and somebody else should give you money ---- as much as it takes for as long as it takes.

If a bank that invested in subprime mortgages receives government help, so should you. Taken together, millions of Americans form a group that is also "too big to fail." Where's your share of the bailout pie?

After all, average Americans didn't bring this on ---- fat cats and high rollers did. None of us are guilty of poor planning. None of us should be held accountable for taking on a mortgage beyond our means.

No one should suffer because they didn't save when times were good, but instead relied on ever-increasing housing values to finance their spendthrift ways. The mortgage broker tricked me. I couldn't understand the fine print. My stockbroker said I was invested in safe funds. No one told me about business cycles, housing slumps and such. It's not my fault.

We are witnessing nothing less than the death of personal responsibility.

Marie Cocco, writing for the Washington Post, summarizes the public yearning for handouts in her latest piece, "Shrunken 'safety net' a disgrace."

Cocco laments that "In most states, adults who have no children and are not disabled are ineligible for aid." Whether these able-bodied, childless folks prepared themselves for the work force by studying hard in school and gaining a marketable skill is irrelevant. Whether they saved money for a rainy day when jobs were plentiful doesn't merit a passing remark.

Whether they have family members to turn to, or whether churches or other community groups could help before Uncle Sam steps in to save the day is simply of no concern to the Coccos of the world. People are out of money. Therefore, the government should give them money. It's that simple, and that debilitating.

If Cocco gets her way and government bails out individuals in similar fashion to the current bank and corporate rescues, the lesson learned will be "Spend like there's no tomorrow, because if the money runs out, one government agency or another will subsidize your lifestyle."

Cocco mentions Medicaid, food stamps and extended unemployment insurance, but not in the positive light one would expect. "Single mothers," sobs Cocco, "who may have lost their jobs now have limits on the number of months they can receive public assistance." The nerve! Let's just support them forever, or at least until the youngest tyke is grown and gone.

That such a policy leads to more unemployed single moms never registers with the do-gooders willing to spend your tax dollars without qualification. Was the single mom ever married? Is there an ex-husband or two who should be helping? Is anyone other than Uncle Sam responsible here?

With all the money being given to banks and corporations who were guilty of poor planning, profligate spending, and foolish investing, it's no wonder average Americans expect help, too. It's just human nature to belly up to the trough when everyone else is.

However, if business and personal bailouts become the norm in America, the economic ethics of hard work, saving, prudent investing and living within one's means will become forgotten relics. And with them will die the American dream.

Jerry Pomeroy is a Sun City resident.