It has been weeks since Smokey Diamond, our intrepid reporter at Stevieslaw, enjoyed a decent night’s sleep. Frankly, I have been worried as well. So, when Smokey came to the office this morning—all smiles— and clutching a copy of the New York Times, I knew that we would be celebrating this day with a couple of cups of some very good Kona coffee a friend had brought us. The good news is—and it is very good news indeed—that Wall Street has a fallback plan should the US Government default. Whew! We are saved. For as we all know and history has proven again and again, if the rich are amply taken care of all good things will come to us as well.
I was a bit surprised then when I spoke to my mother later. It turns out she has no fallback plan. My mom lives in South Florida, in a condo that has seen its best years. Hurricanes and the recession have reduced the value of her property to about nothing. She is 96 and she soldiers on. Mom lives on a social security check of about $1000 a month. She is on Medicare and occasionally she finds a doctor still taking it in Florida. She’s been on her own since my dad died about a dozen years ago and one of the things she’s proud of is her ability to make ends meet on that check. She is “entitled” to that astounding amount because my dad drove a fleet taxi around New York City for too many years while she worked at May’s Department Store in downtown Brooklyn. They travelled every day to their work from that garden spot of Brooklyn—Brownsville/East New York—where the living is easy. I know you Tea Party Patriots think my mom and people like her are just taking advantage—and how can you argue with that?
Me? I’m just shocked to learn that my mother has no fallback plan should her Social Security checks be delayed.
Do you?