While it’s been said that we get the government that we deserve, as I look around I sometimes wonder what we did to deserve the kind of government we end up with. The fact that other places in the world are much worse off is small consolation. Around the world we are seeing growing backlash after years of failed social policy and government ineptitude as the pendulum starts to swing radically in the other direction. While social policy issues are typical sources of intense debate
and friction, fiscal management doesn’t typically get as much heat and light. That balance is starting to change as social policy matters much less to people that can’t afford groceries. The ability to continue buying votes with taxpayer money and mounting public debt is evaporating. Closer to home we selected a federal leader that was big on progressive policies while he and his party demonstrated fiscal incompetence with statements such as: “budgets balance themselves”. The clapping seals thundered their approval. As a nation we re-elected
him in two subsequent elections and continued to ignore the lack of any fiscal compass and mounting federal debt. After a decade of fiscal mismanagement we rewarded the same party once again, albeit with a new leader. A year later there’s little indication that Canada will get its deficit under control any time soon while we continue to mortgage the future of our children to pay for our unaffordable current excesses. Provincially, in just a few years we have rapidly declined from a balanced budget
to record-setting deficits. Meanwhile we continue to be distracted by other problems of our own creation. Calling this a disaster on all fronts might be an understatement. It will be a few more years before we have an opportunity to reinforce failure. Much closer to home we are finally starting to hear public complaints about the scale of property tax increases. As a community we seem to be waking up to the realization that municipal taxes have steadily risen by approximately 53% during this current
council’s term. In any other jurisdiction citizens would be marching in the streets. Not long ago I spoke with one of our councillors during public budget consultations and expressed my concern about the continued significant rise in taxes. He responded that he had spoken with 47 people during the open house and I was the first one to complain. In light of that public response I suppose our elected representatives can be forgiven for pursuing our current fiscal policies. If you’re concerned about fiscal policy
it’s not enough for a few people to howl at the moon and write angry letters to the editor. The tally at the ballot box determines what type of government we deserve for the next four years. Eric Boucher
letters, fiscal policy, deficits, property taxes, municipal taxes, Canada
So basically the people did this to themselves? Cool.
Property taxes going up 53%?? That’s wild. I didn’t even know any of this stuff was happening while everyone was arguing about social stuff. Who even keeps track of budgets these days.
“Budgets balance themselves” sounds like something a cartoon villain would say. But aren’t letters to the editor kind of the same as “howling at the moon” tho? Like if only voters can change it then what are they doing right now, writing… letters. Seems hypocritical.