Tightwad

I found a good slideshow yesterday listing Kiplinger.com's Fabulous Freebies for 2008. Good stuff from free movies online, a food diary, college savings, even learning a new language. See it here.

It isn't easy being a Democratic military family. It is even more difficult being a Democratic military family while living in a very Republican military neighborhood. There is a stereotype that if you are military then you are Rep. But there is a growing underground of military Dems. We are few, but we are out there.

I don't proclaim to be a raging Democrat, and I would probably have a hard time defending my position to a knowledgeable Rep. about why I feel the way I do. But on a few of the key issues I have my opinion and they seem to identify more with the Democratic point of view. I am very ProChoice, ProGay, ProPeace, ProAlternativeEnergy, and ProEducation. If we need to raise our taxes for a few years to get our economy back on track, then do it. If we need to raise our taxes so that people can go to the doctor to maintain their health, then do it. If we need to raise taxes to guarantee that our children get a good education, then do it. Need to pay our teachers what they are worth? Tax me. What am I going to do with my excess money anyway? As long as my bills are paid, mortgage is up to date and there is food on my table; I can get by for a few years paying extra taxes. Well, I would if I were working. But E feels the same way about the money.

The Rep. position on the war seems to say that we need to be in 'those countries' to insure our safety. Well, you know what? I don't feel very safe knowing that my husband could come home anyday from work and have to leave that night and be gone for an unknown time. Or get a phone call saying he won't be home at all. It doesn't make me feel safe that he will be in a place that he could be seriously injured or lose his life.

I have a friend whose husband has to go up to a medical board and defend his right to receive full medical benefits after separation or to remain enlisted. For years, he has sacrificed his health and time with his family, deploying for months at a time in high stress areas causing him to develop a sleep disorder, depression, and a hernia. Now the military medical field is telling him that he isn't fit to deploy because of these problems that our military caused. They want to discharge him with only 10% of his pay and medical benefits only for him, not his wife and their 3 children. Not too mention if can't work how his family is going to survive on only his wife's income. They have a mortgage too. It just makes me ill.

I also get very annoyed when my friends who know that I am Dem. constantly forward emails smearing my candidate of choice. "He's murder, baby killer, terrorist, embezzler, yada, yada, yada". I get sick of it. And I feel it is disrespectful to me. Like I am gullible enough to make my decision based on what filters through the gutters of the internet. I find it offensive and she always says "I'm not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers, just want to get the word out". Well, this chick is ruffled, and I'm about to fly off the handle.