Carrots and silly donkeys
Another provincial budget was presented last evening. Or as someone once put it, a promise to spend even more of my money, badly. Not too much I can do about it, other than to remember the faces of the bandits, and watch for them on an election poster some day down the road.
Two groups are getting the juice squeezer applied; students and folks that wish to retire from the workforce. In the case of people that are already rich, there’s not much to worry about.
I’m starting to keep an eye on my future income streams, and the best mental image that this budget produces is that of a donkey, chasing a carrot dangling from a stick.
The latest deal is that if I continue to “work” past the age of 65, my pension (the cheap, general one) will be increased by a tiny amount. On the other hand, if I decide to leave before the magic age, the amount will be decreased by a tiny amount. A mix of positive and negative reinforcement, if my psychology notes hold true.
Except, a government doesn’t really want to offend anyone. The amount of increase is tiny, and if I use that calculator provided by the operating system, I can soon work out the numbers. The real answer is that I’d have to live for a really long time to feel the pain, since I can start to receive my pension as soon as I’m eligible. The amount I’d “bank” completely offsets the penalty clause.
Sorry, but you won’t trick me with your carrot. I don’t particularly like them anyway.
