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Highlands Today > Raliegh Whiteman Columns

Real change has finally come

By Raleigh Whiteman | Highlands Today

Published: October 14, 2009

A young girl just recently out of college and a supporter of the winner of the last presidential election was finding herself in a bind affording the upscale apartment that she shared with two of her girlfriends. Her girlfriends had lost their jobs at car dealerships and could no longer pay their share of the rent.

As she had in many instances, she wrote her grandparents for help in paying the rent.

Her grandparents had always been very generous with providing her with money often despite the fact that she criticized them for having voted for the Republican. Ashley was joyous when Obama won and constantly reminded her grannies that a change was coming and it was going to be a much better world now that her party was taking over.

The grandpa wrote back that for sure a change had come and his business was suffering to the point he had to layoff workers and her grandmother was having to work in their place. He had no extra money to send and suggested that she contact the White House. Surely Mr. Obama would transfer some stimulus money into her bank account.

He reminded her that she had always stated only the richest would be affected with the upcoming change and she was right. Since they owned their own business they were classified as rich and with the banking failures and people losing their jobs his business was almost at a standstill.

"Ashley, the well has run dry," he wrote, "the free lunches are over. I again suggest you call your "savior" for some of the money he has the authority to manufacture. Grandma and I no longer have any to share. We still love you."

Wine connoisseurs

I am not a wine connoisseur and could not tell a $75 wine from a $5 wine. However, my wife likes the stuff and whenever we are down in Ft. Myers it is necessary that we stop at this upscale wine store so she can stock up on several bottles of the more exclusive liquid which the average stores do not carry.

It usually takes her more than half an hour to find the brands that she has tasted in the past several months. I do not go in and sit in the car listening to the radio while she shops.

I do not consider myself to be a slouch in the automobile department. I am proud of our new car but it does not compare in price or name to many of the vehicles that I observed parking close to where I was sitting while the owners shopped in the wine store. There were three Lexuses, two BMWs - one a convertible with the top down - a Hummer parked next to what looked like a three-quarter ton Nissan truck painted in a white pearl with chrome bumpers.

A distinguished looking fellow at least 10 years older than my 75 years pulled up on a beautiful big boy Honda motorcycle with all the goodies. He went in and several minutes later returned with two large bottles, which he put into the oversized trunk and put on his radio equipped helmet. When he left a, Porsche Boxster convertible took the spot. If our economy is suffering these people shopping at this wine store did not show any indication of being hard up.

A four door Saab with three young fellows parked and shortly afterwards came out, each carrying two six packs of beer, Heineken's of course.

Raleigh Whiteman, of Lake Placid, is a contributing writer to Highlands Today. You can reach him on the Internet at rwwhiteman@comcast.net.

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