False Philanthropy of the New Democratic Party

Well lookie here.... guess what I just got in the mail. It's a letter from Floyd Laughren, minister of exsanguination in the former NDP government of Ontario. There is even a photograph of Floyd. Yes, that's right... Floyd, who thinks he has some god given right to spend the money earned by others and to use the power of the law to compel obedience. As if we need to be reminded of what he looks like.

This letter really does reveal something about the mentality of socialist politicians.... about how indispensable they think they are and why therefore, instead of getting real jobs producing real goods and services for real people they choose instead to seep their way into positions of POWER. Once in POWER they can use the force of the legislature to divert the flow of goods and services produced by a portion of the population towards those segments of the population that do NOT produce.

Mr. Laughren's letter says that the reason for provincial spending cuts is not to reduce the deficit but rather to let Ontario wage earners keep more of their hard earned dollars, that in fact, in five years the tax breaks will leave over $30 billion dollars in the pockets of the people who earned those dollars. What a crime!

Mr Laughren seems to feel that the recipients of his letter are worried about what's happening to Ontario. "You're worried about all the cuts to seniors, to children and to those with disabilities. You're afraid that innocent people are being hurt. That the government is moving too far and too fast."

To make it much, much easier to get a handle on just how worried Ontarians are about Mr. Laughren's concerns his letter included a postage paid return envelope. There are two panels on the rear of the card to be filled in by the respondent. Here's what is says on the left hand panel of the card:

Dear Floyd,

I'd like you to tell Mike Harris that:

It's more important to me to provide prescription drugs for seniors than it is to get a tax break.

It's more important to help a person with disabilities get to work or to feed a hungry child than it is to get a tax break.

Tell Mike Harris to stop the cuts and keep his tax break. Please. We want to keep the kind of Ontario we're proud to call home.

YOUR SIGNATURE HERE:  

On the right hand panel you are asked to fill in your name, address and phone number. For some reason, Floyd wants to keep this personal information confidential so he promises to remove this panel before forwarding the card to Mike. Interesting.

Why would respondents wish to keep this information confidential? Perhaps they feel that this sort of generosity should remain anonymous. Or perhaps those filling out the cards are more likely to be tax dollar recipients. I half expect the first five hundred thousand or so respondents to be welfare recipients generously offering to continue paying income taxes at their present rates.

And if Mike doesn't need to know who sent the card what does Floyd intend to do with the panel identifying the respondent? Obviously, as the scheme is constructed, Mike will get a bunch of anonymous postcards and Floyd will get a list of names, addresses and phone numbers of worried people.

I truly hope that Floyd gets an overwhelming response to this initiative. I hope that Mike Harris receives so many of these cards that a dump-truck will be needed to deliver them. The image of a dump-truck emptying it's load on the steps of the legislature would constitute powerful evidence as to the degree of compassion abroad in our province.

And of course, it will demonstrate with equal force, that the welfare state tax machine is utterly redundant. It will demonstrate that Ontarians already care enough to support the needy; that they do not have to be compelled, on pain of fines and jail terms, to make mandatory contributions via taxes to support the needy.

Floyd worries that "In five years, the tax breaks will chop almost $30 billion dollars way from revenue in Ontario." Oh I feel sooooo sorry for the government of Ontario.... booo... hoooo. That $30 billion will remain in the pockets of those who earned it.

If those who fill out and mail Floyd's card are as worried as they claim then they will have extra income after the tax cuts with which they can demonstrate how worried they are without the need for one iota of Floydian intervention.

A whole army of tax collectors and welfare administrators can now be released to perform productive work in the private sector.

I don't think Floyd will be happy with this scenario though. After all, where does that leave him and his compassionate political peers? Looking for real jobs?

Oh, and one more thing..... the half of the postcard that Floyd intends to keep.... maybe it should include a space for the respondent to write down his SIN number. Floyd could forward to Mike Harris as well. It shouldn't be too hard to arrange to have the respondents, and the respondents only, continue to pay taxes at the old rates as they wish.

The pink Ontario Tax form that comes with the annual income tax package will have to change after the tax cuts. Those taxpayers who mailed in Floyd's postcard could continue to receive the old form. Ah, democracy could be so sweet!

Any guesses as to how many postcards Floyd would get if this were the case?

"The state is that fictitious entity by which everyone attempts to live at the expense of everyone else."

-- Frederic Bastiat --

last modified:Wednesday,March 19, 2008 at 04:40