Stop relying on 'someone else' to pay for your needs

Over the past number of years, probably decades, a significant portion of the population has become addicted to the concept of others paying for their needs and/or desires. These individuals include not only the low-income people, but the average middle-class citizen. Everyone wants what they want when they want it and someone else is to pay. The "someone else" includes the shareholders of the company in which the individual is employed, the pension fund that someone else has paid into, the school district taxpaying parent or the government at the municipal, state or federal levels. There aren't many in the population today who are willing to give up their latte or extra beer in order to save for their future. Someone else will be there for me! If any politician attempts to instill fiscal discipline, there will probably be little support. If the legislative and/or executive branches of any given level of government attempt to cut back on the largesse, there will be strikes, demonstrations and possibly riots. The people addicted to the largesse won't stand for it.

Two current example stand out. First, Gov. Quinn gave raises to his staff when others in the state are unemployed or underemployed; and second, a current strike halting construction is over health insurance that workers desire the company to pay for.

Richard H. Giering

Libertyville