With two Elections coming up within the month; the US Congressionals and the Ontario Municipals, the time is ripe to consider who best to Elect.
For me, the olde tried and true is no longer a viable option.
Simply stated, the Professional Politician has failed miserably to look out for the interests of the humble Taxpayer.
When one says 'Taxpayer' one tends to think only of the poor slob who wrestles with his / her annual Income Tax Return but in truth, this has become only a portion of an individual's annual tax liability. Other Taxes, including Realty, HSTs, various User Fees, Hidden taxes on such things as Gas/Fags &Booze are now taking an ever increasing bite out of the growing tax revenue pie.
Plus more and more government services such as Hydro are going stratospheric to cover the airy fairy 'green costs'.
Let me be clear as well, I am not pointing solely at the individual politician in regard to this failure, in truth the major responsibility for the tax and spend orgy rests with their respective Leaderships. But that said, the individual politician has allowed this to happen by following blindly along.
I have flagged in past Blogs one particular area where any semblance of fiscal control has been totally lost for want of proper management and that is in regard to the Civil Service. And when I say civil service I am speaking about all those who receive their wages from tax revenues. This obviously includes the Politicians themselves plus their Bureaucrats but the ranks also include our teachers, our doctors, nurses, police, firemen, military and so on and so on.
Statistics show that the average civil servant is paid up to 40% more than his private sector counterpart and retires a good 10 to 15 years earlier, on an enhanced pension.
How did this come about you might ask?
For the sole sake of Harmony with the Civil Service Unions. Our Politicians have time and again solde out by awarding far too generous wage and pension settlements. As a result, taxes have continually risen and vital services have been crippled for lack of available funding.
In one particular Senate Race in Deleware, the Republican candidate is accused of being a Witch because she met with a Coven in her University days. (I seem to recall though that one of our former Prime Ministers motor cycled around the streets on Montreal wearing a Nazi Helmet which did not preclude for him electoral success). In any event, this lady - witch? - is backed by the Tea Partyers and is being condemned by both Republicans and Democrats alike. Indeed the GOP's senior strategist Karl Rove is on record in opposing his own candidate.
And why is that? I can tell you that it is not because of her minor fling with the occult during her school years, rather it all has to do with Power and more importantly the Loss of Power. Both main stream US Parties are fearful of losing their clout to the ordinary Jane and Joe via the success of the Tea Party.
I can also tell you that if I was an American living in Deleware, the Witch would get my vote since both she and her Tea Party Conferes stand for Smaller Government and less Taxation.
Turning to our own Municipal Election - I am indeed fortunate since all but one of the Candidates can be classed as a Towne Clown. The odd man out is the quintessential politician and sadly, the likely winner, Jim Watson and it is he that will not garner my vote.
Recently, I did read that a Towne Clown had in fact been elected to an office in some jurisdiction and I smiled in the knowledge that he or she could have counted on my vote, if I'd been there.
As I see it...
'Galagher'
