Imperfection by definition
It’s been almost a week since the gang in Ottawa rang the budget bell, and the thing is still ringing. I spent a couple of hours this afternoon tuned in to Cross Country Checkup, where almost everyone was somewhat dissatisfied, each for a different reason. I guess that’s one result of governing by obfuscation.
You see, although a budget for you and me is simple, the governments of the country are unable to do things in a simple manner. Even with an abundance of cash, spending is still fraught with political landmines. Where we decide to pay, in the usual order: house, lights, heat, food, everything else; governments never seem to get the order down to something clear and net.
I learned that there were all sorts of nuances in reading a budget, depending on where you lived, if you had a life, if you had a job, if you had a natural penchant for complaining. Who would have thought that one profession can deduct their food expenses, while the rest of us just have to ante up? Who would have thought that having natural resources is just another reason to want someone else to pay for things? The rationale that the resources will someday run out is seen as reason enough for everything else.
My take at the end of the afternoon is that nobody really liked the budget this time around, but we’ll treat it like bad tasting cough syrup, and go on our merry ways. Not one person admitted that we really haven’t a choice in the matter; the government already has our money, and we’re spectators.
