Many of my recent articles have focused on fiscal responsibility from the federal government. My outlook comes from lessons hard learned. Here it is, in a nutshell.
When I started in factory work in Oshkosh in 1994, I was an inexperienced laborer, my previous jobs being confined to seasonal work and low paying restaurant jobs (with the exception of a year in printing). As I had only myself to care for, the fiscal irresponsibility that had been the hallmark of my life had not hurt me in the least, or so I thought. I wasn't a spendthrift, but I didn't devote much money to personal savings.
For 3 1/2 years, I worked for an incredible factory. We were paid a reasonable wage, plus profit sharing options and a piecemeal bonus for everything produced over quota. We were well off, then, with the arrivals of our first and second daughters.
After my second daughter was born, I began working in group homes for the developmentally disabled, where I would work for 5 1/2 years, progressing upwards at every opportunity and becoming well compensated for my line of work. I was a manager of a home until 2002, when the board selected a new CEO who headed in a different direction. He set about targetting all employees with 5 or more years experience, to replace them with cheaper, less experienced employees. They didn't require anyone to resign, but they made things mighty miserable for those of us who didn't. This came at an unfortunate time for me, as I had been dealing with increasingly escalating social anxiety disorder, and had to deal with the repurcussions of a rather abhorrent abuse of power by county caseworkers that I was unable to stop and that, bound by confidentiality, I was equally unable to report to those who would have been able to take action. In short, I was between a rock and a hard place.
Once again, however, we had not taken the time to store up for the future. For a year, I tried to make a go of it, running a personal business and operating on a meager WalMart salary, then was attracted to Pahrump, NV in December 2003, with the promise of work and reasonable cost of living. I did my research, and both appeared to be there.
Unfortunately, I had neglected to study the HISTORY of real estate prices in the area, which were increasing at incredible rates and have continued to increase since. I had also not counted on my prospective employer being a crook, or on the fact that most of the landlords in the area would not rent to families with children, and thus, what savings we did have was rapidly depleted. I spent five months in the mines in Death Valley, then was attracted by a job offer that didn't require us to travel 60 miles each way. Unfortunately, complications involving the birth of our youngest required me to travel to Las Vegas twice a week, depleting our income, and taking time away from work.
Then, two weeks after our youngest's birth, my boss laid me off.
There was NO money in the house. None. The crippling late fees imposed by our landlord, plus my mother's entirely unethical if not completely illegal absconding with our van (long story, separate blog, but be warned: if the FINANCING'S in your name, make sure the TITLE does not allow for transfer without your signature) left us without a vehicle in a desert community and without a means to an income. By the time a $7 an hour job offer was proffered, we were too far in the hole and had to commit to a move to Texas. Unfortunately, we had to stiff the landlord to do it, something I do wish to compensate him for in the future, as I believe in practicing as an ethical businessman.
But the lessons learned here were obvious:
1. Watch every dollar. Question the necessity of everything you spend, save as much as you can afford to save.
2. There is NO such thing as an "ethical business partner". Get everything in writing.
3. Keep costs as low as possible, income as high as possible.
And, it only follows, the government should follow the same principles. My family and I will rebuild. But it has cost us untold amounts in lost memories (pictures, mementos, etc, that cannot be recovered for various reasons), and has resulted in our learning many hard lessons. Sadly, it seems as if our government is on the same track.
And I personally wish to share my own lessons as best I can.
Respectfully submitted,
Gideon MacLeish