i am one of those (no surprises there) that voted for credit card companies to charge any rate of interest whatsoever that they want to.

in my experience (personal and that of people i know sufficiently well to dicuss personal finance with), credit card companies are extremely lenient and flexible with:

• those who pay off their balances in full each month.
• those who are not habitually late.
• those who manage their credit well (i.e. not have tens of credit cards, and rotate/transfer balances between them just to avoid or delay full payment). 

if such a person misses out or is late on a payment, all they have to do is call the company and ask for an exception---they get it right away and without hassle.

if you did not get such a royal treatment, chances are that you do not fit the profile of a "good customer" to the company.

if you really think that you are a "good customer", and you do not like the rates the credit card company is charging you, your have a very simple plan of action ahead of you:

•  pay off your balance
• cancel your "bad" card
• use cash, checks, or a different credit card

in fact, even the mere threat of cancellation is often enough to get the credit card company to make exceptions, assuming they consider you a "good" user of credit.

conversely, empty threats from "bad" users of credit are recognized for what they are---mere bravado from someone firmly bent over the barrel with their pants down. credit card companies are perfectly free to ream such people as they choose.

i am firmly opposed to nanny-state government regulations restricting what credit card companies can charge people who really cannot afford to use credit (or who are too stupid to use it wisely).

personal responsibility matters.

in your case, if you will be forced to make a lot of sacrifices in your life by giving up credit cards, fucking do it already instead of whining about it here. don't expect me to have sympathy for your bad financial behavior, or expect the government (and indirectly, my tax dollars) to support your lack of discipline in your personal life.

you obviously don't ask for my advice before making financial decisions (including the decision to have a non-zero revolving balance on your credit card); so don't expect me to give you any consolation or support when you screw up.