Reality Bites

We're starting a new series here at THC Central: Reality Bites.  Inspired by this quote from Canada's National Post which is running stories on Toronto's troubled streetcar network:

“I used to be a big supporter of the streetcar until I started riding it every day,” said Steve Tartaglia, who regularly rides the streetcar from Liberty Village to King and Adelaide. He called his commute an “absolute circus.”

THC realized the phenomenon of supporters of various government initiatives finding that reality is coming back to bit them has been a theme for awhile on this blog so we're creating a new Reality Bites tag so you can quickly access such classics as these:

From a June 7 post:

“I’m at the breaking point,” said Gretchen Gardner, an Austin artist who bought a 1930s bungalow in the Bouldin neighborhood just south of downtown in 1991 and has watched her property tax bill soar to $8,500 this year.

“It’s not because I don’t like paying taxes,” said Gardner, who attended both meetings. “I have voted for every park, every library, all the school improvements, for light rail, for anything that will make this city better. But now I can’t afford to live here anymore. I’ll protest my appraisal notice, but that’s not enough. Someone needs to step in and address the big picture.”

And this from Oct 13 of last year:

But people with no pre-existing conditions like Vinson, a 60-year-old retired teacher, and Waschura, a 52-year-old self-employed engineer, are making up the difference.

Both Vinson and Waschura have adjusted gross incomes greater than four times the federal poverty level -- the cutoff for a tax credit. And while both said they anticipated their rates would go up, they didn't realize they would rise so much.

"Of course, I want people to have health care," Vinson said. "I just didn't realize I would be the one who was going to pay for it personally."

 


 

Cause, May I Introduce You To Effect?

From a recent Austin (Texas) American Statesman story about rising property taxes:

“I’m at the breaking point,” said Gretchen Gardner, an Austin artist who bought a 1930s bungalow in the Bouldin neighborhood just south of downtown in 1991 and has watched her property tax bill soar to $8,500 this year.

“It’s not because I don’t like paying taxes,” said Gardner, who attended both meetings. “I have voted for every park, every library, all the school improvements, for light rail, for anything that will make this city better. But now I can’t afford to live here anymore. I’ll protest my appraisal notice, but that’s not enough. Someone needs to step in and address the big picture.”

There is no one to step in and address the big picture other than us.

Although, on the other hand, Ms Gardner may be right and it is time for They to take some responsibility.

It's Not Business, It's Personal

That is, if you are a person.
If you're not, then it is business.

Remember when they promised your insurance premium would be reduced by $2500?
Remember when they promised you could keep your plan if you liked it?
Remember when they promised you could keep your doctors?

Turns out they didn't mean you, they meant the other guy.

Now that THC thinks about it maybe that isn't right either.  Since, as Barney Frank reminds us, "government is simply the name we give to the things we choose to do together" and we are certainly doing this together there really is no you in the equation anyway so you can't claim the promises were broken.

In fact, you are not you.  You are an Egg.  Now that I have your attention, Egg  . . . may I introduce you to Omelet.  Of course, as others have pointed out, it is remarkable how many eggs can sometimes be broken without making a decent omelet.

Let me introduce you to two new Eggs:
 
From the San Jose Mercury News (October 5, 2013):

But people with no pre-existing conditions like Vinson, a 60-year-old retired teacher, and Waschura, a 52-year-old self-employed engineer, are making up the difference.

"I was laughing at Boehner -- until the mail came today," Waschura said, referring to House Speaker John Boehner, who is leading the Republican charge to defund Obamacare.

 "I really don't like the Republican tactics, but at least now I can understand why they are so pissed about this. When you take $10,000 out of my family's pocket each year, that's otherwise disposable income or retirement savings that will not be going into our local economy."

Both Vinson and Waschura have adjusted gross incomes greater than four times the federal poverty level -- the cutoff for a tax credit. And while both said they anticipated their rates would go up, they didn't realize they would rise so much.

"Of course, I want people to have health care," Vinson said. "I just didn't realize I would be the one who was going to pay for it personally."

Which reminds me of the old politician saying about taxes:

Don't tax you
Don't tax me
Tax the fellow behind the tree