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?

The Enemy Within

COVID-19 has been with us for over a year now, and in spite of promising new vaccines, it still doesn't appear that it will fade away anytime soon.

Stringent isolation protocols are still in effect in most jurisdictions and while that, along with wearing face masks, has had some impact, the numbers are still too high according to some government health agencies.

And the effects to society are really starting to show.

Even the most amiable of folks are starting to become irritable, resenting that they can't go anywhere beyond their immediate surroundings (government members apparently excluded).  Even worse are the sacrifices these same folks are making by not visiting friends and family.

So what do we do?  Do we continue down this isolationist road?  Businesses, including mine, have taken a huge hit.  Will we continue to survive?  At this rate, some of us will be presented with two choices: close up shop, or open up on the sly hoping we don't get caught.

Or there might be a third way:

Target and isolate the most vulnerable to ensure their safety and open up the rest of society.  

This was an idea proposed by Emergency Expert Lt. Colonel David Redman (https://www.calgarysun.com/news/local-news/corbella-10/wcm/dae297ae-4fbe-4035-a467-68a05ec2ba4e)

Is this controversial?  Is it THE answer?

Society is ill right now, not only with just COVID, but also with the effects of constantly being at home and away from other people.

What do the numbers need to look like before we are given the "all clear" by government? Will we ever be totally rid of this pestilence?

So what is the answer?  Should we isolate the few most at risk and open up society once again, accepting COVID as a part of life like we do the flu or the cold?  Or do we stay the course for however long?

Something has to change.

Why I Will No Longer Recycle

Some time ago, I watched CBC's "Marketplace," a rather unusual occurrence for me since I normally avoid "Canada's broadcaster."  But in this case, I made an exception and I'm glad I did, because what I saw not only surprised me, but it also caused me to re-think about something I thought was under proper government control.

For years and decades, I felt I was doing my bit by recycling.  When the blue bins were introduced and my monthly City bill went up, I grumbled because now I was paying for something I was already doing.  Nevertheless, I had no choice, so every week the usual paper and plastics went into the bin.

But no more.

Paper is still fine but leftover plastics now go into my regular garbage.  Why?  Because it's not recycled, or at least not very much of it.

According to "Marketplace," only 9% (NINE PERCENT) of all Canadian plastic is recycled.  The rest is either tossed in with the landfill (surprise!), incinerated (ick!), or...

It is sent via boat to Malaysia where it clutters their forests.  Piles and piles of it.  Just one storage area of plastic was two stores high, about 50 feet wide and 100's of feet long.  In amongst the plastic were shopping bags from Superstore, Canada Safeway, various Co-ops, and Canadian Tire.

Not all the plastic in these dumps are from Canada, but it angered me to see that we were well represented.

In Malaysia, much of the post-consumer plastic is illegally obtained with false permits and bogus shipping labels, and of course, corrupt businessmen on both the shipping and receiving ends.  Burning the plastic, which is common in that country, causes horrible conditions for the workers and the surrounding population.  Toxic gases and sicknesses abound and workers are often denied basic safety protection when working.

Honestly, I don't what Calgary's record is on this issue, but I'm taking a small stand.  No more plastic recycling me for.  But if we are to continue to keep using plastic instead of alternatives, then it's at least going to stay in Calgary where it belongs.

It's not going to Malaysia.

If I Had a Little Money...

...with apologies to ABBA.

We work.  Sometimes very hard.  Many of us go to University or some other school of higher learning just so we can do better for ourselves and our families.

And then we find a job, or if so inclined, so go into business for ourselves, which often is a far more riskier venture.

But the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel arrives when we get our paycheque.  And then the non-fun begins when we notice all the deductions, especially income tax.  The amount on our paycheque goes down, sometimes way down.

But we worked, we payed our taxes (and then some), and finally we get our net pay.  Great!  Money free and clear!

But hold on there...this is Canada.  Income taxes are only Part A.  There's Parts B, C, D where government insists it's not done with our pocketbooks yet.

You want a new car using your net income?  Fine, but now you get to pay the government again in the form of a consumer tax, the mighty GST!  Is that fair?  You already paid taxes on your income?

Oh, you want gas for your car?  Hoo boy! There's excise, provincial, carbon tax PLUS you pay GST ON THOSE taxes as well as on your actual purchase.  All with the net income you received AFTER you already paid the government its mandated share.

Enough said.  You get my drift.

"But the government needs all that extra tax revenue to run programs!" someone bleats.

Assuming for now that that is true, the government does us, the taxpayer, yet another disservice.  Rather than just using what it takes in from all revenue sources, the government du jour goes above and beyond that amount and "borrows" money, creating a deficit in the budget.  Yep.  Taxes aside, the "smartest guys in the room" go even further and pin further financial burden on us lowly folk often leaving it to accumulate to the point where TPers pay more of their income on taxes than they do on food, clothing, and shelter combined.

And they leave the debt to grow and grow.

To their credit, our new UCP provincial government is trying to hack away at their debt, created by our previous socialist administration.  A 2.8% reduction. That's it.  2.8% with a decimal point after the two.  And...their popularity has dropped.  The knives are out.

Should we keep spending so the Left will put those knives away?  I think not.

But that's where we're at now.  Think about it.