Dear Editor:
RE: High finance, March 24.
Such dire words from the pen of Dave Adsett about being fiscally responsible. Too bad nobody else seems to care (except for only one federal party that is).
The way I see it, there are two significant problems preventing any elected official from ever trying to right the wrongs Mr. Adsett so clearly highlighted.
First of all, you take away a baby’s soother and it won’t be happy. Never give it back and you’re probably going to have a wailing child. Most of us, and I’m assuming our elected officials are the same, just don’t like crying babies. The very thought of it is enough to dredge up bad memories and make us shudder. So why would any cuts or reforms be made, essentially taking away the pacifiers we were promised in previous elections?
Secondly, most Canadians these days forgot what it’s like to be fiscally responsible themselves, so why would they expect anything different from our leaders? Canada is pretty high up there on the list of household debt to GDP. We are the third highest in the world, which is absolutely ridiculous! Seeing red seems commonplace. Maybe that explains why red is the major metropolis’ favourite colour these days.
Perhaps I’m oversimplifying things, I’m certainly no economist. But, in my line of work keeping things simple is usually the best solution, so I try to use that approach for most things.
So then, if I could add just one more simple idea to Mr. Adsett’s wonderful warning (please sit down if you’re standing): if our country is fiscally responsible for what now needs to be a much longer time thanks to Trudeau, we could end up with lower taxes – imagine that!
But, maybe Mr. Adsett is right about that rationale being an age thing. After all, it certainly has been a while since the top three parties made that a priority in their platform, so the last time that happened might have been before my day. Thus letting the cyclical irresponsibility continue.
If I’m dreaming of an unattainable euphoric future with lower taxes, roads paved in gold, and free Wifi for the moose or caribou, please let me know. But, before you do, I need to ask, who in their right mind wouldn’t want that (minus the gilded freeways and antlered internet for now); is that too lofty a goal?
Doug Vanderveen,
Belwood