Equity vs. Cash Cow

My wife and I went through a separation recently that involved the sale of our house. We were always on the cusp of foreclosure due to bad job/school investments, but we always stayed close enough to hold onto our equity. Even though we sold under market, we cleared over 50,000 dollars on the sale, after three years of ownership.
This memory was triggered by an ad for a Chase Bank equity loan. The advert-gal was almost chiding the owners of homes with any equity for not refinancing to fuel their profligate lifestyles. I'm sorry for pointing this out, but what is wrong with cutting back on that profligate lifestyle and paying off your mortgage? Why does Chase or any other lender deserve the fees and interest from your life so you can keep over-spending? Pay off your house loan or pay it down, and only re-finance for something important. Re-finance for your children's education or for your retirement, not for your lenders.
I know that Mr. Bush asked all of us to go out and shop after 9/11/2001, as if that were some patriotic act, but you have to realize by now that he was only acting for his corporate masters, not for the good of the nation. We are the nation, we the people, not Wal-mart or Exxon/Mobile and not Chase-Whatever. My name is Phillip and it will always piss me off that Phillip Morris has more influence in our government than Phil Fears. I have only one vote, and Phil Morris has a million dollars worth of influence, as if my speech is somehow equal to that. We all know better.
Vote your heart, vote your conscience, vote your true beliefs.