Retirees need help, not the automakers

Published 4:35 pm Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Bailout seems to be the current buzz word in the financial fiasco with which we are now struggling. Help the banks, financial institutions, automakers, etc. Where do we retirees fit in? We have worked, paid taxes, made contributions to retirement plans, done things right. And now what?

Like millions of retirees, I am in that category. Having worked very hard in a sweatshop 10 hours a day, authorized the maximum amount to be put into retirement, now nearly half is gone. Through no fault of mine. I trusted the bank; why wouldn’t I? They had a great reputation, so here I am, almost four years retired, working a part-time job. Who is going to help me and others in the same situation? I don’t hear anything about a bailout for us. Just the big companies.

Haven’t any of the people in the government learned lessons from the Great Depression? Sure doesn’t seem like it. Our country is in a mess. It’s very hard to feel patriotic when the United States is letting us down, when our precious government is ruining us as a result of their own greed.

How dare the auto industry beg for money! We retirees are the ones who need the help. People losing homes who need help. Just about everybody who isn’t already a millionaire needs help. If my money runs out, I’ll just go on welfare and I’ll bet lots of other people will do so too, then the government will take care of us. Yeah, right!

JOANNE DAVIS