pointing fingures

[eamarquardt]

No one has suggested that we get back to our roots: "Family takes care of family".

I tried to intervene with some family members (a married couple) that were behaving irresponsibly. They are a year behind in their rent (to other family members partially to my wife and I). They have , premium cable tv, eat out frequently, travel out of the country for months at a time when he does work (movie industry). The wife and child accompany him and he claims it is "free" because it is paid for by his employer. What he fails to consider is that he must pay 30% the cost of doing so out of pocket because they have to declare the value of the travel and pay income tax on that value. He is behind on his student loan payments (12 years out of college) and has not paid for having his "chest cracked" (and his sorry ass saved) a couple of years ago. They also have a gardener and two cars when he works mostly from home and they live within easy walking distance of stores selling everything one needs on a daily basis.

I could save them, easily, $5k/year but they aren't interested and feel they are entitled to their lifestyle. I offered to pay for financial counseling for them and psychological counseling for the wife and my offers were refused.

They are "poster children" for the entitlement virus that has infected this country and no one, other than me, in the family is willing to require them to be behave. If I were in charge I'd serve them a three day notice and once I had their attention (as they have nowhere to go) I'd unilaterally dictate the terms of their "surrender" and their future behavior.

We need legislators that will do the same for the "welfare masses". Mandatory drug tests would be a good place to start.

My 2 cents as Slow says.

Also, times are changing and if you want a job it may require relocating. Everything in life is a compromise. You wanna live in the hinterlands, you may just eke by as some are finding out. Yeah, not everyone in the cities wants to live there but cities are where the work is.

Just a few thoughts

Gus