I wish I had as encouraging a story - my cousin is a diehard liberal, and Obama supporter. He is also a HS teacher - and I think is rarely outside that circle and out in the “real world”. So his idea of this healthcare bill is all unicorns tossing skittles.
'Tis the same problem with Mrs WBill. She's in academia, all of her friends are in academia, all of her coworkers are in academia, etc etc etc. I will say that she's easily the most well-adjusted of them all, she's a Southern Democrat (conservative).... some of her co-workers are just.......whoa. Really out there.
She gets a cold slap in the face every April 15th. Also, when I get any kind of bonuses....
She: "You said that this bonus was going to be a thousand bucks!"
Me: "Yep, and it was."
She:"But this check is only for less than $600".
Me: "Yep, the difference is what I pay in income taxes."
She:"We pay MORE THAN FORTY PERCENT in INCOME TAX?!!@#@!"
Me: "Yep. At the margin, which is where bonuses are counted."
She:(seeing vacations, shopping, whatever evaporating...) "#@$#@%#$#$#@!!!!!!!#!$##$@!!"
Elections have consequences. I'm not looking forward to the Bush cuts being rolled back, increases to pay for healthcare, and whatever else is in the pipeline that I'm trying hard not to think about. Dunno what she'll say when she sees the same bonus checks next year.
If I get one. And if I'm still employed.