The Tipping Point

 

 

Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette
Puff, puff, puff and if you smoke yourself to death
Tell St. Peter at the Golden Gate
That you hate to make him wait
But you just gotta have another cigarette

 

Merle Haggard

Judy took another drag from her cigarette. At 50 years old, her feet were starting to feel it. All she had ever done in her life was wait tables. She was good at it, but the pay was lousy. In fact, ever since 2008, the bad economy started showing up in her tips. In the old days, when she received either a low tip or no tip, she would curse the customer under her breath. "Cheap bastard. Don't you know this is how I make my living?" However today, it is a sign of the times - people just don't have the extra money.

As a lifelong Democrat, Judy was excited when after eight long years of George Bush, a Progressive Democrat got back into the White House. To make things even better, two years ago Minnesota elected a real Democrat for Governor. Finally, to put frosting on the cake, the last election saw the Republican "stone wallers" get voted out and replaced with solid Democrats. "Now we are getting somewhere. Now things will start to improve!" 

As she sat at the table outside the restaurant, reality was starting to set in. First off, her employer of fifteen years cut her hours down to 29 from 40. He apologized - told her it was the economy. However, since the television in the "greasy spoon" was on most of the day, she knew the real reason. As much as she liked her boss, she knew he was cutting her hours to ensure he would not have to provide health insurance. What the hell good is it to have this huge new health law if she can't get coverage where she worked? Now she would have to go through a "exchange" next year and buy her own coverage. When they find out she smokes, she will be paying top rates. "With what money?" she thought.

Then there was her family. Her mother has dementia and is in a nursing home. Judy had recently been informed that due to ObamaCare, her mother's Medical Assistance would be receiving reduced reimbursements. The memory care where her mother lived was forced to close. She would now be put in an older wing of the care center with a room mate who she did not even know.

Judy's son is another story. A union plumber, he has been out of work for over a year - when things got slow, the seniority thing bit him in the ass. He has a live in girl friend with a young daughter and now his unemployment is about to run out. His girl friend did not work as they could not afford child care if she did. Now that child care workers can unionize, the price of day care will be even higher.

To make matters worse, she was excited during the campaign last fall as Democrats (along with the Governor) talked about "soaking the rich" and then raising the minimum wage. About damn time! Those rich folks don't share and they keep getting richer while people like Judy keep falling further behind. However, now that the session is over, here is what Judy is left with - the same wage at $7.25/hour (plus lousy tips) and her smokes going up $1.60/pack. "What the hell was this? This is not what I voted for!" At a pack a day, the new tax on cigarettes will cost her an additional $50 a month! Sure, the rich got hit, but so did Judy. To make matters worse, the Governor said he was going to use the extra money from the cigarette tax to pay for some damn football stadium! She was going to have to pay what lazy assed billionaire owner refused to pay! Besides, as with most sports, Judy hated football.

Judy's break was almost over, and she was ready to go back inside and get to work. She took stock of her situation - no health care which was promised to her, the same minimum wage which had been promised to change, and higher taxes on smokes which was never talked about. She was pissed off at the system, but more pissed at herself. After getting rid of her no good husband of 20 years, Judy swore she would never get "taken for a ride again". Now she realized she had been taken for the ride of her life. Instead of things getting better with Progressive Democrats, her life is now so much worse.

Morale of the story:

Be careful for what you wish for Judy............... and remember this.................................
ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!!!!