Do The Math

I just read an article in one of our local free daily papers about how the government of my province can on one hand crow about BC having the best and most robust economy in the country while still crying grinding poverty when it comes to properly funding housing, education, social and health services.  Our premier boasts about our province's triple A financial rating as a place to do business while housing becomes increasingly unaffordable in my city and  people with middle class incomes are migrating from here in droves to other parts of the province, the country, or emigrating to other countries since they don't want to end up in low barrier shelters.  Public schools are being closed while private schools are getting a boost in public funding.  Our health care system needs badly to be repaired, overhauled and greatly improved if we are to be provided with quality services on our single-payer system.  The homelessness crisis here has reached record proportions and people on social assistance and disability assistance are stranded on considerably less than a subsistence income.  There is no such thing as adequate, publicly funded daycare and record numbers of children from low-income families are going to school with empty stomachs. 

Everyone I talk to or hear from is very worried about our future here.  We do not anticipate any general improvement in the general standard of living for those who are not obscenely wealthy.  For all the lip service we get from our mayor and city council about affordable housing none of the efforts being promised and undertaken seem anywhere near enough to put more than a band aid on a cancer.

I just read in a different article in the same newspaper that our members of parliament, when they retire stand to collect a pension of $120,000 a year.  Oh yes, you can say that they have earned it, they have served their country and its people in so many ways, or maybe they have simply further sold us down the river for corporate and international banking interests.  By the same token, I have also served, working hard for years caring for the elderly, the dying, the addicted, the unwanted.  So what's going to be my reward?  I will be lucky to collect more than thirteen hundred glorious bucks a month when I retire and yes, I do expect to go on working till I'm pushing up daisies.

So, why these disparities, and especially, why aren't our governments able to balance the needs of our vastly diminishing social contract and public safety net with the best ever economy since sliced bread?  We might well recall, Gentle Reader, that when the BC Liberals were first elected into power, it was on the platform of throwing people off of welfare and cutting back on health care and education spending, tearing up contracts and slashing in half the earnings of many institutional workers in hospitals and schools.  They also promised to balance the budget.  Well, guess how they balanced the books?  By punishing those who are least capable of defending themselves.  So now the books are balanced, and our economy is cooking like crazy. And look now how our imbeciles in Victoria squeal like pigs being slaughtered whenever it is suggested that some of that new money be reinvested into those places that need it most!