At absolutely no cost to you!

Ya' know what really bugs me? All the commercials that encourage people to use the system to enrich themselves. You know the ones I'm talking about . . . been in a car wreck, call "The Texas Hammer"; need a power chair, we'll get the taxpayers to buy you one; owe taxes, we'll get you out for pennies on the dollar; over your head in debt, call us and we'll help you file bankruptcy; taken zyprexa and had a reaction, we'll get you millions . . . and on and on and on. The other side of that story is that when you use the system, someone else must pay!

Don't get me wrong -- I'm all for people getting what they are entitled to. If you've been in an accident that's not your fault, you surely should be reimbursed by the negligent party. If you are incapable of walking, then by all means file on your insurance for a power chair. But when those commercials say you are getting a power chair at "absolutely no cost to you," don't be fooled into thinking that no one is paying for it. Insurance premiums will go up somewhere. Did you know that Medicare pays $4,000 for those chairs? And do you know how many chairs are sitting in corners gathering dust because most elderly people are too set in their ways to learn how to operate them? I know personally of a case where the family discouraged their elderly grandmother from getting the chair because they knew she wouldn't use it, but she prevailed and the chair was delivered. She used it maybe three or four times. A couple of years later, she passed away. Her family almost never sold it, because no one would pay a discounted price of $1,500 when they could get one "at absolutely no cost to you."

And if someone is speeding and slams into your car, why are you suing the auto manufacturer? I recently participated as a juror in a case where an elderly gentleman who was confused drove his car into a ditch close to his home. His daughter heard him gunning the car in attempts to get out, but he was hopelessly stuck. She told him to wait while she ran to get help. He ignored her warning and continued to gun the car until it overheated, caught fire, and he burned to death. The family was suing the auto maker. Clearly this was a tragedy, and clearly the car was not being used in the manner intended. The family deserved nothing from the auto maker even though he did have the deepest pockets. And we wonder why new cars cost so much!

And if you owe money, the solution is simple -- PAY IT! Most people at one time or another go through hard times, and most companies (and even the IRS) are willing to work with you to set up payment plans. I know of a case where a lady bought a computer one Saturday on a payment plan with very little down. When she defaulted on her first payment, she was called. Unashamedly, she told the owner of the electronics store that she had filed bankruptcy. The owner told her that if she would bring the computer back, he would refund the money she had paid down. She refused. When the store got the official notice that she had filed for bankruptcy, they noted that she had filed on the Monday immediately following the Saturday she had picked up the computer. She used the system, and the store owners had to pay! Another couple I know of filed bankruptcy and within the year had bought a new vehicle, a large diamond ring, and a new boat. Is there no more shame? Is there no more personal responsibility? Is there no more respect for other people? Is there no more integrity? Happily, all of those things still exist; but sadly, they are in increasingly short supply.