LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
You shouldn’t mind that ‘$40K debt’ you’re carrying
The Conservative Party letter-writing machine is likely in full force.
In his attack on Kathleen Wynne and Andrea Horwath, 66-year-old Steven Clift from Whitby wrote saying that every Ontario Resident “currently owes $40,000” of the provincial debt and terms it a “wall of debt” that “threatens the prosperity of us all.”
What complete and utter rubbish. That $40K of debt seems like a pretty good deal to me. Think of it like you do the mortgage on your house, which is likely much higher. For this $40K mortgage, Clift gets: a share in a huge network of provincial roads and highways, GO transit, hospitals, schools, universities and colleges for his kids and grandkids to attend, parks for summer recreation, highway maintenance, provincial policing, free health care and a (albeit weak) social safety net. Clift himself gets free drugs except for a small copay. I am sure that there is much more that others can think of.
As for the threat to our future prosperity, he is again off-base. Government debts and deficits (liabilities) are also ASSETS for our relatively prosperous private sector. Therefore, like our mortgaged homes, they are ASSETS (not just liabilities) for our kids and grandkids.
As a pensioner, Clift himself is a beneficiary of debts and deficits which are often held by pension plans and insurance companies, not to mention the banks in which both he and his pension plans may be invested (see portfolios of mutual funds). If the provincial debts and deficits didn’t exist, the private sector would have fewer resources to operate and its debt load would be higher. If public sector debt goes down, private sector debt goes up.
It is time for people to focus on both the asset side of the debt coin and the liability side. We should be discussing if the debts are assets for the right people. Herb Wiseman, Peterborough
Most public officials are decent people doing good work
Thank you for the clarification of current appointments to the Senate of Canada as detailed in the article by Geoffrey Stevens. A bicameral legislative body is probably the ideal governance model for a democracy.
The recent inflammatory rant against the Senate from a local resident displayed a complete lack of knowledge of the actual changes made to the appointment system by the prime minister.
Whereas Justin Trudeau has instituted impressive reforms in the process, the Conservative (nonprogressive) would-be PM’s reaction is a promise to “undo the Trudeau reforms and return the Senate to its good old patronage days.” As if there is not enough patronage going on in Ontario worthy of genuine complaint.
It is all too common for the general public to tar and feather anyone in public office as corrupt, lazy and not worthy of taxpayer subsidy.
We all know there are bad actors in many fields but most public officials are decent, honest people trying to do a good job, whether at top national levels or local councils.
Government, in general, is not the problem. In an overpopulated world, we need to have things that affect us all (health care, preservation of public land and endangered species, safety for our water, air and food, for example) looked after by knowledgeable entities. Less oversight is not an option we should even consider. Joan Reeves, Water Street
Dark days of winter can be a difficult time
We know that the majority of those who are suicidal don’t actually want to die, they just want the pain of living to stop.
The third Monday in January has, since about 2005, been reported to be the day of the year that people feel most depressed. This correlates with another belief that the most suicides take place on this day.
It’s easy to understand why the belief in Blue Monday persists. After the holiday season, people may be more in debt than usual, they may be missing the family and friends they were able to reconnect with over the holidays or they may have a difficult time adjusting after returning to work.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is another explanation for why people may feel down in the month of January. SAD is a combination of physical and emotional disturbances that include depression.
This is just a small reminder to everyone out there to reach out to friends and family in the dark days of the winter. Go out of your way to make the call to friends or loved ones, or text, or send them an email, to remind people that you love and care about them.
We all get busy with our day-to-day lives, but it’s essential to reconnect and reach out to those who are alone or have problems which leave them cut-off and out of touch.
Year in and year out, I work with the public. I hear about it when someone whom I’ve known, or who was part of this or that scene, has suddenly died. I hear about the shock of the loss, and of the regrets some people have, regrets that they didn’t do more before it was too late.
A simple gift of a “Timmy’s” card can brighten someone’s day.
If you are lucky enough to be a good cook, the world is your oyster when it comes to spreading the love. Make an extra plate of what you had for supper and bring it to someone in need.
Every little bit, or big bit, of good you can do will be appreciated and make a difference for the better. Jim Reedyk A.K.A. Jimmy Light Show, Peterborough
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Letters should be no more than 250 words and include the writers’ full name and address, plus a daytime telephone number for verification. Letters will be edited for content and legality. Email to letters@peterboroughdaily.com.