Who will get my vote?

 

 Who will get my vote?

I knew a couple from China who came here with nothing and after a short while opened a restaurant. They worked day and night, raised their kids while working, and survived any competition that took them on. After some years, they bought a nice home, sent their kids to university, and even managed to bring one set of parents here. They are a living example of how private businesses can operate successfully and efficiently.

I also knew some people who chose a career in the civil service. They worked for less than their equals in private industries but had more benefits and security. Most did well, but a few abused the system. Sometimes when politicians promise to create jobs, they do it by increasing the civil service without providing proper supervision. Elected politicians focus on staying in power, not on managing the workforce like a business would. We all know that if you leave kids unsupervised, they will get into trouble.

There are two solutions to the problem. One is to connect the pay of the high-level civil servants and their political masters to the performance of their departments. People in the cabinet should have clear goals and regular reviews. Being a premier is not just delivering speeches but acting as the CEO of a large company. Those who get elected only to be yes-men and vote with the party are not the same as those who strive to improve the system. I like the municipal way of governing. Each member of the council can use their moral guiding system.

The second is to privatize the service, which will not be free. Whoever is going to do the supervising for the government will do so usually for high returns. The government that privatizes public assets and services may have a free ride for a short duration, but the citizens will pay the price in the long run. We should never consider essential services, water, electricity, the internet, air, transportation network, police, health care, public education, courts, government revenue, and a few others, for privatization. If we must pay someone to let us stay alive, it is akin to extortion.

The problem we currently face is that people think we can privatize government functions and have them run like a little Chinese restaurant. There is no possible way that a private corporation will take on a great responsibility, like for example, health care for a province, and make it as efficient as the Chinese restaurant, without skimming high rewards for its investors or owners. We will pay for what we get, but the profits will go to a private pocket instead of back to the citizens.

The voting public is seeking simple things. The voting public seeks health, safety, political and religious freedom, and above all, an economy that does not set them back. Those who work wish for security and equality with their parents and other workers. They face a choice about parties promoting different ways of getting it.

I look for who is most likely to protect my way of living now that my work life is over, (oops, I am working right now) and who will treat my kind of people best in a sustainable way. I know all politicians will promise great things, so I look at their histories and what they have done in the past. If they had workers, I try to see how they treated those. Did they pay fairly for work? If they were in politics, did they do what it takes to ensure that their citizens enjoy a reasonable life? Did they treat my hard-earned taxes with respect as they should?

Take, for example, the latest controversy about the replacement of the Saddledome in Calgary. People in my area will have no benefit at all from the Calgary Flames new home. The team’s owners will. Yet the province was pretty insistent a few years ago on saving money from the pay of rural medical professionals. We paid and still are paying dearly for that move. People like me died from the shortage of doctors and nurses. It will take us years now to attain the level of care we were accustomed to.

So many people, especially the young, choose not to vote because they think that their one vote won't make a difference, or they don't trust all politicians. I like to say to them, making a few right moves can make a significant difference. Life will go on if we do anything or not, but not in the same way.

The people who started the little Chinese restaurant years ago could have worked for minimum pay for someone else who became rich from their efforts. They took action, made a sacrifice, and did not give up. We can all do that.

I look at where I live and pay attention. A few years ago, the main street here was full of for sale or rent signs and you could taste the feeling of despair. Now the Real Estate people are left with nothing to list. We are full. We only need more competition, but it will come. The Co-op is moving in. The people can own their needs without privatizing.

I also consider the state of our world. Spain last year had the hottest summer in 600 years. Are my leaders considering if our actions are good for the Earth? I only have one vote and I will make it count.