To My Friendly Tory:

Re: Alberta's Budget

Grace...

Alberta has been growing on a "hand-up, not a hand-out" basis for years.

NGO's can help, gov't job isn't to doll out money for people to live off of.

To be blunt... why should gov't hand out more cash? Beggars on the street when we are in dire need of pipe fitters, welders, construction workers, ... . People need to step up to the plate in this economy. Some need to get a job, others who have jobs will continue to make donations to NPO and NGO's.

Hand-up, not a hand-out.

c/o
Your friendly Tory :)

My response:

Sometimes I think there is too much bias on financial aid given to real "people" by the society. If we take a step back, blindfold ourselves for a while, try this: imagine businesses were people (Indeed, businesses are regarded as "persons" under the law). Businesses have been given a lot of "hand-out" if you will for as long as government existed. And yes, so it has been for Canada. Take a look at the WTO dispute by the Brazilian government against the Canadian government. Canada's Bombardier Corp. have been accused of being given export subsidies by the Government of Canada. Then there's the oil and gas industry that though flourishing, are still being given subsidies by the government - 1.4billion last year. These are just a few instances, but the reality is that many businesses and corporations are given tax breaks, subsidies, protectionist policies, loan guarantors by the government. And does the society states that these are unjust, undeserved hand outs (well, I believe some are, but that's another topic for next time!) and go rioting over it? No...it is because there are some truths about protecting your domestic industries when they are young and vulnerable...and to let them fly when they have wings at an older, matured age.

In the same manner, why can't we appreciate the fact that some people in the society needs to be protected, needs to be nurtured until they are able to fly? For instance, the UOA charges Canadian students approximately 30% of the educational costs. And this is because the government wants to educate the people in a bid for them to become skilled in the future and contribute towards the economy of the country. The fact is that there will be some costs expensed to help society move forward.

And as for some people in our society who will not be able to work due to some circumstances, there is a need for society to act as a community to support them. This statement may seemed flawed and unreasonable, but try listening. The natural or zero unemployment rate is not targeted at zero. Economists realized that there will always be factors that contribute towards unemployment. And there are many reasons for that - mismatched of skills, locations etc etc. However, there is also another factor which some of us seem not to pay attention to. There will always be people plague by diseases and illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, severe addiction, mental illness which unable them to work. And can we say that it is all their fault? No, we cannot...because any one of us can be in their shoes and in desperation. So, I can only say that the huge majority of us who can contribute should do, and government has an obligation to take care of their citizens this way. Afterall, we are a community of one race - the human race.


Sources:
1. http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_ aviation/print.main?id=1245257
2. http://www.dundee.ac.uk/cepmlp/car/assets/images/

Adriano.pdf#search='bombardier%20subsidised%20by%20Canada'
3. http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/ national/2005/12/21/green-oil051221.html