May 22, 2002

Recent comments by Ontario Social Services Minister Brenda Elliot, in which she says that homeless shelters are not Holiday Inns, reconfirm to me that our provincial government continues to be one whose mandate is driven by the need to blame and punish the less fortunate in society for all of the ills afflicting it. For seven years now, they have driven a wedge between the upper class and those below it by cutting social services and the taxes used to pay for those left behind. Education, health care, affordable housing, welfare, the environment, you name it. These public institutions continue to be crippled by the provincial government, in hopes that more "cost-effective and efficient" private solutions can take their place. It's an agenda of the rich, for the rich and by the rich, designed to line the pockets of the haves and pick the pockets of the have-nots. It's running the government as a for-profit business, where the bottom line isn't the public good but the public purse. Therein lies the flaw of all governments these days, I believe. This whole notion that government has to make money, to be run like a corporation, is a misguided and skewed perspective from which no real good for all citizens can come.

The primary function of government is to serve its constituency. To do this best, it is my belief that government must be run as a not-for-profit entity. It is there to serve the public - the entire public, not just those who fill party coffers with the most treasure. As such, government must build and support a proper infrastructure of public institutions that provide the entire population a decent standard of public works, be it in health care, education, transportation, environment or housing. I believe it is entirely possible to have a socially conscious and fiscally responsible government. More and more I see people living the life of instant gratification - I want it now; how does it affect me now; why should I care about what happens to others, it's all about me now. There is no consideration for the consequences of actions taken. The current provincial government is a reflection of this growing attitude of near sighted narcissism. There is little in the way of Spocks "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one" in society today. If we don't change soon the philosophy of how we go through life, then I fear for what will become of us. That is why it is imperative for government to focus on building strong public institutions and infrastructure, all the while doing so on a solid foundation of being both socially and fiscally responsible.

Man, I don't know how speech writers and policy makers do it. My brain hurts from getting those thoughts out of my head and into a format that hopefully makes sense. Mind you, I'm sure there's a pool of catch-phrases that they all dive into when it comes time to whip out a new platform. I'd love to expand on what I've written thus far, only I'm not sure yet of what I want to say. This bit above came out of thinking in the shower this morning. (What to do when scrubbing ones body? Why, think politics! Some anatomical locations are more apropos than others.) Another time, perhaps, when the mood strikes again and the thought process is fuelled up.

We came home from work this past Friday and discovered that the Neighbours From Hell are no more. They moved out! Praise be! We slept sooooo well this weekend. For the first time in 2 years, I was able to actually relax in my own home. I cannot begin to describe how good that feels. It is all short-lived, of course. We'll have new folks upstairs all to soon enough. Here's hoping they'll be responsible apartment dwellers, at least for the 6 months or so we'll still be here.

Speaking of 6 months, it's hard to believe that we will be moving into a house where currently nothing but a muddy field exists. We went out for a look on the weekend and spoke to our sales rep. He said things are finally dry enough for the construction to start in a couple of weeks. First in will be the base coat of the road surface. After that, construction of the foundation will begin and actual visible progress will be made. I can hardly wait.

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