Election Day

Well, it's FINALLY here. I feel like this election has taken forever to get here.  I'm excited, but slightly anxious as to how this will all end up.

Just as a reference point: over the last four years, I have been laid off once, worked two part time jobs for a total of 50+ hours a week, and have been without healthcare longer than I would like to admit. My husband (then boyfriend/fiancé) has been laid off twice and is also without healthcare. While we haven't had to dip into our savings thanks to my somewhat permanent job, saving anymore for our future house is currently on hold. Luckily we don't have kids or an exorbitnant amount of debt, or we might have been up the metaphorical "shit creek" long ago. Thanks to good parenting and preparation, we aren't nearly as bad as others in our current situation.

As I check the news periodically thru the day, I have to ignore those who say that voting doesn't matter.  Or voting won't change anything, followed up with a sneer. I have to believe they're wrong. Voting matters. Who is President, matters.  Whomever is chosen to lead our country will set forth a plan and an ideology that they believe we, as a country, should follow. 

Now, I didn't write this post today to ram down anyone's throat the way I believe or the news station that I watch/listen to.  All I can do is look at the facts, since frankly, I'm tired of everybody's "spin" on things.

Looking at the facts:
1. The US is $16 trillion in debt (I don't care who's fault it is anymore)
2. Unemployment is at 7.9% (I think I hate this stat most of all since it's impacted me the most)
3. Gas has practically doubled
4. We're looking at a fiscal cliff at the end of the year that could send us into another financial tailspin (higher taxes, implementation of Obamacare, debt ceiling being reached AGAIN)

All I ask myself this election day (in a Reaganesque kind of way (even though I was barely alive)) is am I better off now then I was four years ago?


My answer is no.  What is your answer?