聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The other day a story came across my Facebook page about Bob from Calgary who has posted the most popular comment on an article on the New York Times website. The article he posted on was from 2010 titled 鈥淭he Angry Rich,鈥� by Paul Krugman.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The article focused on wealth and privilege in the United States and 鈥� to paraphrase Krugman 鈥� how the people who are angry at the government aren鈥檛 those experiencing poverty, nor are they the ones who have lost their homes, it鈥檚 not the young people who can鈥檛 find jobs, or 50-somethings who were laid off; but, the wealthy who were unhappy with having to pay higher taxes.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 So, Bob from Calgary commented, 鈥淢y household makes just over $250,000 here in Canada. One of the best bargains I get for my money is living in a place where I and everyone I know sends their kids to public schools because they are really good. We end up with few criminals, because students learn how to be productive good citizens in schools.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He then spoke about universal health care calling it 鈥淕reat care (rated well above the American system in most measures) whenever you need it without worry about not being approved.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bob from Calgary 鈥� although he鈥檚 actually from Edmonton 鈥� also stated, 鈥淎 third bargain is the modernizing infrastructure. Cities in Canada are building new commuter train systems, rebuilding old overpasses and other roadways, building new schools, new recreation centres, etc. We are not quite like a new city in China, but we are not the decrepit cities of the USA where governments are shutting the lights out at night because they have no money. In Canada, we realize that we can't live off of the work of our grandfathers forever.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎 fourth bargain is the right of Canadian mothers (or fathers) to spend a decent period of time with their children when they are born. With one year maternity leave, we can ensure that parents and kids bond and families have some time to look after one another. I personally think it preserves a lot of marriages. (the pay is about 60 percent your full pay for the year so it is still a financial sacrifice).鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He concluded, 鈥淲ith all of that said, I have to say that along with this, I enjoy one of the free-est countries on earth. Our business freedoms are as extensive as the USA. We are free to hunt and own guns (aside from assault weapons and who needs those anyways). IN fact, I have lived in the USA and I have to say, I can't see any freedoms there that we don't have here.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥h yeah, and my total tax bill is about two percent higher than it would be in the USA. To me, it鈥檚 a bargain!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Now I鈥檓 not sure about total tax bills between the two countries, especially with our dollar the way it is today in comparison, but I think the commenter makes many valid points. Personally I agree with him, I鈥檓 happy to pay taxes which go towards making life easier for all of our citizens. It鈥檚 not a perfect system, but looking at it compared to the system in the United States shows me that paying a bit more in taxes in order to provide opportunities to people that are otherwise non-existent is important.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I pay my taxes happily because all of my needs are covered and even some of my wants, but taxes helps pay to help people. Additionally I鈥檝e begun donating to the Food Bank every year as well as a way to do something for people who simply need a hand.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Not everyone is taking the system for all it鈥檚 worth, it鈥檚 not a waste of your tax money to support others; it鈥檚 being compassionate as a human being. We鈥檙e so caught up in material things that we get lost in that and feel that we work so hard for what we get that it鈥檚 easier to say, 鈥淥h they鈥檙e leeches on society. Stop being lazy and go get a job.鈥� Not everyone is in a position that鈥檚 as easy as saying 鈥済o get a job.鈥澛� Getting a job that pays well enough to actually survive can be difficult and people may try, but sometimes when they鈥檙e in their toughest point in life they need to turn somewhere and at least our government attempts to do something for them with our tax dollars.
