Dear Editor.
Re: “Cheer up, Canada, it’s not that bad,” Letters, Sept. 21.
I cannot agree with the confidence of Mr. Sanghera’s assessment of Canada placing second-best country to live in, based on surveys of around 17,000 people living in 87 countries.
Perhaps, the Canadian survey responders were comfortably employed in the senior ranks of Public Service Workers with secure inflation protected incomes and future pension benefits.
It’s hard to believe residents of Canada facing significant increases in living costs - energy, food and housing would agree.
The murder of an RCMP member in Coquitlam on Friday and the murder of another victim in Richmond today do not support the survey results.
The biggest cost of living factor can be attributed to demands of the federal, provincial and municipal governments for increased tax revenues on the backs of inflation. Increased costs of goods and services = increased tax revenues. Increased wages and salaries = increased tax revenues.
Increased tax costs for providers of goods and services to government = increased cost recovery amounts for business from government at taxpayer expense. At day’s end, consumers of goods and services pay. In Canada, when tax revenues fall short (always), government simply borrows (deficit spending/stealing) from future generations.
Increasing numbers of Canadian residents risk harm, injury and death with exposure to readily available unsafe and previously illegal recreational drugs because social engineers in and outside government condone and enable this known unsafe scourge in Canadian society with ineffective prohibition consequences for all participants.
How many children were introduced to this scourge last week/last month? How many people die every day?
Meanwhile federal and provincial authorities enable supply participants to suffer minimal risk and prompt, significant consequences for their unlawful activities.
The miscreants enjoy the benefits of - no tax on sales, no tax on profits, no tax on income, no accounting administration and no tax filing obligations.
Proceeds of crime are eligible TFSA (tax-free savings account) contributions. Lawyers can collect fees from their guilty client’s proceeds of crime.
Every consumer of these products is contributing to crime without financial consequences. Real taxpayers continue to pay the costs of ineffective and incompetent leadership enabling the problem to expand.
Mr. Sanghera, I can’t agree with your assessment. Canada was a great country.
Disrespect for our nation’s laws by government leaders and criminals continues to erode our dignity and status in the world community.
Ken McLennan
Richmond
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