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I'm a pianist, happily married. Socially progressive, chocolate lover, interested in the nature of reality, alternates between being a slacker and being a grind.

4.26.2005

Credit Card Companies:1, Little People: 0

I just read this column in Newsweek about the bankruptcy reform bill that passed Congress recently. 95 percent of bankruptcy filers have suffered family breakup, job loss or devastating medical expenses, and about half are due to medical expenses alone. "Let's make it harder for them to file, and restore the stigma." Great idea, just what they need.

I really don't get this. Here's this administration putting everything on the Giant Credit Card in the Sky for future generations to get stuck paying, yet they want to punish someone drowning in interest and late fees because they maxed out their credit on cancer therapy not covered by insurance.

The credit card lobby has way too much power, I think. MBNA probably doesn't like me too much, since I haven't paid them interest or fees since 1990. They've long since stopped sending me unsolicited credit offers in the mail--they finally got a clue that I'm a waste of postage. But what about all those people just getting by who fall for those offers and then get slammed with the fine print? The creditors deserve to get stuck writing off that debt--they took the risk of preying on people who can't handle the credit, so it's their own fault.

If the Bush administration wants to get all moralistic about "irresponsible" debt, how about looking in the mirror?

1 comment:

Brünhilde Wunderfrau said...

Hear, hear! Karin for President!!

No wait, you're too busy doing more important stuff like living an honest and moral life, enjoying yourself, and treating people too well. You'd never make it. And I love you for that. ;)

I read a hilarious email forward once that said you could get back at the credit card companies and cost them money by sending back the pre-postage-paid envelopes with their own junk in them. (You have to remove any evidence of your name or address first.) Imagine if everyone did that. God, I get at least 5-6 offers in the mail per week. It's so annoying.

Love,
Darcy, who has paid off and closed all but two credit accounts (one joint with David, one personal)