Outside of the Constitution, the generally accepted laws of physics, and your faith, there are no promises in life. We aren't promised a job or an income. If a position isn't there, we start a business and create it. If that fails, we begin again. If we are promised a retirement full of health care and benefits and the company providing it fails, the benefits disappear, too, unless they have been predeposited into an administrative account.
For too long, way too long, labor unions have being peddling snake oil to their members - lifetime benefits of health care, pensions, increases for inflation, discounts on company products - and it simply wasn't their place to be making such claims. Where are the pensioners from Railway Express, World Com, Enron, Linens & Things, Circuit City, Look magazine? Businesses come and they go. They merge, they change names, they close locations and open others. They send jobs to other markets, including overseas. A company not in business cannot make payments - as much as the owners or managers of that business might have wanted to do so. A government insolvent cannot honor its promise to its retirees or current employees.
There are no promises in life. We make our own way. Personal initiative. Responsibility.
Fifty, sixty, seventy years ago, people would work for a company their entire life and then retire with a certain amount of financial security, but even that was subject to change with mergers and acquisitions of the parent company or with new management.
For anyone in this day to honestly expect that their company owes them health benefits, a pension, or any other benefit is to not understand the current economy. This is especially true in government because the underwriters for the government progams are we the people. Government can promise, we have to deliver.
Two hundred years ago, people relied on their families, their small close-knit community, and their church for charity. The elderly were respected and revered. The entire town looked out for them. In many ways, we had a stronger country then.
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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com, or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. Listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.
Steve Hoffacker - Consultant, Coach, Author, Blogger, Photographer, Motivator, Teacher, & Strategist - for Realtors, Real Estate Sales Professionals, Home Builders, New Home Salespeople, Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, and Independent Sales Representatives.
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