Is It Worth Your Time?

As the famous American, Benjamin Franklin, once observed, there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes.

The latter for most of us may be more appealing than the former, even though it can be more frustrating.  (Afterall, once you're gone, your frustration level drops to nothing, right?)

In regards to taxes, let's think for a minute of what they really are.  Taxes are your hard-earned money; but looking at it another way, taxes are a taking of your limited time here on earth.

Time spent in labour is necessary, and those of us who work a full-time job do so so that we can provide for ourselves and our families. Nothing new there.  Most people have no real resentment performing even unpleasant tasks at our jobs if it benefits the family.  But can the same be said if it benefits the government and their spurious priorities?

I am not an anarchist, but I do believe government has a sacred trust to be careful how it spends our money.  It is my belief that I can do more for myself than others can do for me except in specialized circumstances such as medical care, security, fire, and other areas where government control has shown their expertise.  And I know that this costs money.

In this case, I don't mind giving up some of my limited time on earth, exchanging it into money, and giving it to the government.

And that is my point: how much of your time in a labour environment are you willing to give up?  Money that could actually go into your household?

From 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. you leave your family, drive in heavy traffic, arrive to fulfill your quota or what constitutes "work" and then leave.  Next payday, the government takes your time in the form of taxes for about a third of your day.  (So from 8:00 to 10:45 a.m. you worked for "free.")  Then there's more "taking" when you fill up your car, make purchases, or give to the next level of government.  How does that feel, especially when you can't afford a home, a car, or even a once-in-a-lifetime trip?

We all have to work for the government but it can be depressing to think that one-third (or more) of your life's time is being given to the faceless levels of government.  In order for this to make sense, our taxes have to be seen as having some worth.  Do they?  Or could you do a better job with the time-to-money activity you engage in everyday?

When you spend your life working, who should get the benefit of your time?

Style Over Substance

In politics, it can seem sometimes that the only factor that matters is how a campaign is run.

If you smile, avoid saying too many dumb things, and attend enough events surrounded by many people, you might get enough of the common folks to vote for you, even if underneath, some of your policies may leave something to be desired by some voters.

Case in point: Alberta is currently in the midst of a provincial election.  The choice is a conservative or a socialist party for government. 

Many people, as well as some newspapers, support whoever runs the most error-free campaign.  Skeletons that are sometimes long-buried are resurrected and trotted out in the bright sun of the election. And truth be told, some of these should be brought out.

The New Democratic Party for example, seems to have a number of pro-communist candidates in its ranks including Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse (Edmonton-Rutherford), Rob Loyola (Edmonton-Ellerslie), Girinder Brar (Calgary-North), and others(!), some who advocate an end to capitalism.

Much of this gets little to no news space in the mainstream media often because communism was never given the same weight as Nazism as a great evil.  That's extremely unfortunate since Communism's track record of death is 125 million... and still counting, unfortunately.

Am I suggesting that the NDP is a covert communist party?  No.  It is not.  Yet extremists seem to lurk within its ranks and membership and nothing is being done about it.

The United Conservative Party's Premiere Danielle Smith has said some really dumb things, mostly hyperbolic in nature, but dumb nevertheless.

But she has never taken overtly extremist stances on anything. No new taxes and it would be business as usual.  

Some have suggested that she advocates some type of user-fee for medical services, but his is false.  Plus it would be political suicide.  (As an aside, I would be fine with a small fee at hospitals if it kept people with colds and flus out of emergency rooms, saving it for true life-threatening situations.)

So, the NDP might win.  Their campaign has been slicker, their leader has made fewer gaffs, and truth be hold, Rachel Notley does have a better smile than Danielle Smith.

But the substance of a 30+ day campaign should not be the only criteria upon which to base your vote.  Look under the hood.  See who's running and what the policies are and whether you be happy with at least four years of their programs.

This same NDP was the government over four years ago.  Soon after, folks indicated that they had voter's remorse.

If they win again, will it be any better this time?