Dear Mr. Obama,
First and foremost, congratulations on your election victory. It was a hard won battle but if nothing else it was nice to see a clear cut victory not mired down with legal challenges for a change.
I know you’re having some trouble getting things done, but don’t sweat it too much. No one really expects you to fulfill *every* promise you made during your campaign, so prioritize and pick your battles. I wouldn’t have voted for you if I didn’t think you could shake things up a little.
Unfortunately, that’s not why I’m writing. I’m writing for some advice you or someone in your administration might be able to provide. See, I subscribed to the theory that getting an education and putting your nose to the grindstone would help you get ahead and get set up for a reasonably care reduced retirement.
But, I’m finding that the education drove me deep into debt. Making up the difference in college lead me to go deeper in debt via credit card to make up the difference (and buy things like food to eat, and books to study from). I’m not complaining about that per se, but it helps back up my question. Flash forward and I’m making a decent wage (not a fortune, but enough that I can pay my bills), and I’m trying to run a glass art business on the side.
But here’s the problem. With wage freezes pretty much across the economy and a higher cost of living that’s not being matched in the wage tables, I’m pretty much getting by with decreasing amounts of “extra” each pay check. The glass art business is wonderful as a creative outlet, and borderline meditative therapy, but with the bad economy, no one can afford to pay a reasonable artisan price. I’m not talking 100.00 for a pendant, Mr. President, but $10-25, which after glass, propane and oxygen to run the torch, and electricity to run the kiln,lights and ventilation fans, represents an extremely small profit margin. Couple this with a flood of import glass that drives down consumer expectation in regards to prices, and you have a very depressed market. But that’s just griping about the economy and not my question either. Fear not,I’m getting to it.
My question is this. Given that the “proper” path seems to no longer work, and folks like Madoff, Stan O’Neal, and Dick Fuld made a fortune cheating and stealing from the American public, I was wondering if you folks could recommend an up and coming not-yet-crime that the government is still fairly soft on. I’d like to get in now while there’s still time. I know, I know, Madoff was nailed for a Ponzi scheme, which *is* already illegal. But let’s be honest, we all know there will be an account or two the FBI won’t ever find and Ruth won’t be eating Ramen noodles or no name mac and cheese anytime soon.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking for so much money I won’t know how to spend it. I’ll be more than happy to have enough to pay my bills, put away a little for a modest retirement with my wife in our golden years, and a little seed money for the kid’s education.
Congratulations again on your decisive win, and I look forward to your assistance.
Regards,
Tom