FightHST canvassing

Social action is called for today. The people are hungry for justice and there is a sharp awareness of the erosion of fairness in society. As in the Roman Empire, the rich are becoming richer and are gradually pushing the ordinary people into subservience, dependence and yes, even slavery.

My experience canvassing for the "fight the Harmonized Sales Tax" campaign has allowed me insight into many lives. People have shared stories with me of a gradual loss of income. Many feel that they are sinking into poverty year by year. One young lady said, "We must stop them before they steal our children's future.". Another young man, "I have a good job working in steel. I earn $30 an hour but it is very hard work and I don't know how much longer I can do it." He was afraid of what his life would hold as an old man. Older adults are living on the edge unable to afford a coffee at a restaurant already, and wondering how much worse it will become. They told me they thought things would get better for their children, but inflation and taxes are so bad now that they see their children falling behind and finding it hard to get employment. They fear that they will never be able to buy their own homes. A young man who owns an export business did not want to sign the petition because he knew he would benefit from the new tax. He was however, honest enough to admit that he would pocket the extra money and buy a few more glasses of wine. He admitted he did not intend to hire more people or pass the gains down to his workers.

There is a lot of anger out there. We canvassers are hunted down by people eager to sign the petition against the new tax as they see this as a faint hope that they may still be able to make a difference. I am empowered by this hope and will work as hard as I can to make change.

Now is the time to reverse the tide of inequity. If this sounds like rhetoric, ask yourself if a fair share of tax is paid by the rich and powerful, the big business enterprises that seem to control our world. Some think we must pay taxes if we want social services like health care and schools. This is true, and there is little objection to the idea of fair taxation. This does not exist now and will exist even less with the HST which penalizes the poor.
So I ask our political masters, please give us a fair taxation system that we can all support and stop bashing the ordinary folk who are already struggling to make it.