Randy Cassingham's Blog

Posted by Justin, WI on January 11, 2008:

I have to say I'm not surprised - the average government employee is used to having other people cough up money to pay for things!

Posted by Alan, Iowa on January 11, 2008:

$50K with 5 children in DC is not a huge salary. I would guess his children may be eligible for free meals at the local public school.

That said, I bet he could spend $2 per month for something he wants so badly (or go without).

Posted by Christine, VA on January 11, 2008:

As a former Federal employee, this is a pretty typical mentality: take everything for nothing without considering the cost to everyone else. This is probably the same kind of person who has "use or lose" paid holiday at the end of the fiscal year too but seems to have plenty of time off. Funny how that works. Not.

Posted by Ron, NY on January 11, 2008:

I am disturbed about this enough to write.

I am a long time reader, who had a premium subscription for a while but felt I had to let it lapse due to financial pressure. I really know what it would be to (still) have a premium subscription, and I will eventually scrape some money together again.

I make less than this person. I support two domiciles, between where I live and my daughter in our family home. I have a chronically ill wife, which costs quite a bit each year, even with insurance. My wife and daughter do work and help maintain all this.

It would NEVER occur to me to ask for this kind of help, at least not for more than a second when reading about some others who really needed the help. I am well aware that even though I feel I can't afford the premium, the reality is I could find the money by cutting out some extra that I wasted a few dollars on. This makes it MY problem, not some one else's.

How can someone be a reader for any length of time, and not realize their own personal responsibility?

Posted by Marcy, Michigan on January 11, 2008:

This is just one more example of how so many people in our country feel entitled to have anything they want. I'll admit that I haven't prioritized the money to subscribe to Premium, but I wouldn't dream of asking someone else to do it for me.

The real shocker in this story is that I expect better from This is True readers.

Posted by Moose, WI on January 11, 2008:

I am an unemployed web developer. I can't seem to get anyone to offer me a job (any type, from working at Best Buy to working at Apple or anything in between.) I average about $300/mo against $1000+/mo expenses. Yeah, I wish I could get a free sub. I have been reading This Is True for a long time (back when my friend of a friend at JPL told me about it.) I think I originally subscribed using my CompuServe, Prodigy or Bigfoot account before I moved to having my own domain at one point in the 90s. (Also HeroicStories.)

In any case, Randy does offer a FREE subscription... while it is not as awesome as the premium edition (that I have only seen during the previews that Randy was kind enough to send out at various times,) I am happy that I can get so much out of something that is offered for free.

So, Randy.. Thanks for the FREE subscription and I appreciate you making it available to those of us who cannot truly afford the premium edition at this time.

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And as I've always said, anyone who can't afford an upgrade is absolutely welcome on the free list for as long as they'd like. -rc

Posted by Melanie, Canberra (Australia) on January 11, 2008:

Good grief! I'm a government employee myself, at a MUCH lower salary than 'Bill' is probably getting - I can't afford a car and my mortgage at the same time - and I manage to pay my own Premium subscription just fine, thanks!

(We don't all try to get freebies, Justin. ^_^)

Posted by Kathy in West Virginia on January 11, 2008:

This just makes me sick! Anybody making that kind of money and still trying to get handouts. I've been on the free list for years. I would love to have a premium...can't afford it, but I've also never asked for anyone else to buy me one. (Heck, I don't even ask for food stamps though I would qualify.) He's having money problems?! Tell him to come on down to WV and let's compare: I'm disabled, but Uncle Sam says I'm not (the lawyer is still fighting this one.) My husband makes less than 1000 bucks a month. We do without a whole lot just to pay bills. So you tell Mr "oh I'm so poor I can't afford the premium" to live with the free version like the real poor people do. (And for the record - you're the first "luxury" on my list when my disability finally comes through.)

Posted by Pierre, Ontario, Canada on January 12, 2008:

This is going to sound weird, Randy, But I am going to try and put up a defense for Bill. (No, I am not attacking you!)

I'm likely the only person who will try defend Bill.... Mind you, I am NOT saying you should give him a free premium subscription. I'm just trying to defend his actions....

And if you think I am eccentric, well, you're a pretty good judge of character! And yes, I am still perfectly thrilled that I can still get the regular non-premium free one. And I too, am biding my time... when someday...

Your source says Bill makes $40-50K a yr.
Assuming your source has Bill's job pegged down right....
Then too, his experience, qualifications, number of years on the job... all this could affect his pay level....

But there are some government workers, even in the IRS who are at the bottom of the scale. (...like in the $20 to 30k category...) What if your source made an error? I dunno.

Next, I wonder if Bill might not maybe have some responsibilities that he did not tell you about that are sucking up his income. A sick relative. Something like that. (I would assume you would not have censored such info, because I have had your honesty vouched for by some really savvy people.)

The other thing that comes to mind, is, some people feel that unless they are in the 6 digit income land, they are poor. This might be a psychological problem. Or maybe just a side effect of working at the IRS.

Now then, (this is a joke entry, folks!) maybe working for the IRS has warped Bill. I mean they are such experts at "getting stuff out of people" that maybe Bill has been seduced by the Dark Side?

It could be he was joking about his request. I hope not. But then, he is an addict to your stuff. And you do have a somewhat, ah, er, well, I mean, your sense of humor is, um....

But, I honestly would find it hard to condemn someone for being addicted to Randy Cassingham's wit and wisdom. Maybe Bill is one of us poor cases?

I dunno. Then again he might be a scammer.

Or maybe he is deluded, and thinks that RC is filthy stinking rich... He works at the IRS. Maybe he double checked your tax return!!! (It's a joke, folks, lighten up!)

At any rate, thanks for reading my 2 cents.

At any rate, Randy does not say this all the time folks, but he does accept PayPal money. I won some on some survey site a while back. I promptly spent it on one of those nifty water bottles he had before xmas. It is my second such purchase. This may be why I cannot afford premium. I spend all my mad money on Randy's other stuff!

And no, please, I am a stubborn little doggy. I will find a way to get premium on my own. This may be one of my faults.... being stubborn.

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I not only don't mind a defense of Bill, I'm struggling to understand him, so I'd like other points of view. Indeed I didn't edit anything out of Bill's letter -- it's complete. So far, I'm tending toward the explanation that others have given: that Bill is caught up in the entitlement mentality. He wants something, but rather than sacrifice something else and saving for what he wants, he makes an excuse and wants or expects someone else to provide for him. And I'm pretty confident in my IRS friend's assessment of Bill and his salary, by the way. -rc

Posted by Fred, Wichita,KS on January 12, 2008:

Tell whining Bill that there are many of us out here that would love to have his income. Try being 70, in bad health & living on $14,800 a year. Maybe he should run for Congress. They are always begging for money. Appreciate what you have and try to get a life. I doubt that you would recognize it if you tripped over one.