Money, money, money, money - MONEY!

Loot. Cash. Bucks. Greenbacks. Gelt. Long green. Moolah. Dough. C-note. Dollar. Smackers. Clams. Dead presidents. Benjamins. Fin. Sawbuck.

Trillion.

Does any of this make sense to you?

My checkbook maintains a small balance after shopping days. Generally enough for the milk, bread and eggs we need in the 'off week' from the regular trip. We only get groceries twice a month.

Our needs are met and most of our wants.

But there are some who have more than a passing familiarity with the terms above, however, the meaning and sense of the words is in a different dictionary than in mine.

Back when I was a wee small gnat of a child, my parents taught me that if you didn't have the money to buy something, you did without it. Period.

Naturally, buying a car or house required the faith and trust of a loan from a reputable bank who took into consideration that you were not eligible to finance a Bugatti on a bologna budget. Nor would they float you a loan on your pipe dream of the mansion on a hill when you were still living in your mother's basement apartment for free.

It seems the rules are different now.

If you belong to the 'right crowd', you can get a house with no visible means of support because you are 'entitled' to have one. Nevermind that the bank will be compelled to give loans to the risky and unable. When they fold up and take all the deposits with it or get bought out, you can refinance and keep the house, right?

Apparently for some, that's the way the game is played.

I remember early in my married life, we were struggling college students and newlyweds trying to put something besides Beanie Weenies on the table. And sometimes, the bills were paid later than the creditors wanted - but the point is they DID get paid.

The funny thing is, when we were just a couple of DAYS past our due date, the kind people who expected and deserved payment for goods and services we had received began to call to check on our health and welfare. And they kept calling until the check was in their hands. They didn't care if we were eating oatmeal sandwiches three meals a day and sleeping under the Route 6 overpass. They wanted their money. And sometimes, they weren't nice about asking for the money to be sent in.

Now, we have the same people who not only guarded the henhouse but snarfed down the original flock of chickens asking us to trust them with our money, uh, chickens, once again.

I don't mind the head cheeses making money. They deserve an omlete or two for the work they do. But when they allow stupid decisions and political manipulations for cash to bring the world to its knees, they don't deserve even a sack of dry and crusty eggshells.

Now we are discovering that the appointees to the president's cabinet don't know how to pay their taxes, balance their checkbooks or buy their own postage and airline tickets.

I am sick of seeing their 'fact finding missions' to tropical climates. What facts are they trying to find? How long the paper umbrella will last in their coconut cups?

We don't need bailouts. We need pullouts. We need the decent people who have elected representatives who no longer serve our needs to pull them out of office. Forever. They shouldn't be eligible for the position of local dog catcher. Even wild dogs deserve better.

According to the latest numbers, the bailout will bring 8 dollars a month into your home when it finally trickles down to us... you remember... WE the people. Apparently, we the people can move mountains with 8 bucks.

Have fun spending your extra loot.

We may save ours. In the form of ammo. I have the feeling we might need it...