Open letter to the under 40 crowd:
I am sorry to inform you that the people who don’t care about your future are not the corporations, they are your parents or grandparents, the baby boom generation. They are the largest entitled and wealthiest generation born right after World War 2.
Did you know that the baby boomer’s parents sacrificed and paid higher taxes so that their children (the baby boomers) could have well funded schools, universities, job opportunities and a working infrastructure.
As the baby boom generation has aged, taxes have progressively been lowered and lowered. Federal and provincial governments are selling off government assets to keep the taxes at these unprecedented low rates.
EI revenues go into general funds and CPP payments are going to increase as the baby boomers retire. EI and CPP are payroll taxes that retired people don’t pay. The retired baby boomer will be sucking the working young dry. And you, the younger generation can only retire at 67, if there is anything left to retire with.
Royalties from non-renewables are being used in general revenues instead of being saved for future generations. When the non-renewables are gone and the baby boomers become part of the Big Bang stardust, then guess who will be faced with huge tax increases and a lower quality of life?
You will be increasingly asked to support private and public senior discounts and subsidies to the most affluent cohort.
The protest generation is a big voting block, they may have protested the Vietnam War but I haven’t seen one rally challenging the lowering of taxes. But take away one senior discount, and I guarantee there will be a loud flower power sit-in or petition somewhere.
Dear under 40 crowd: Please get your eyes off that screen. You need to start demanding a better future for your generation—income based discounts and subsidies for all ages, higher income and consumption taxes, payroll taxes that benefit working people and non-renewable royalties to be saved for your generation. Unless you start participating and voting, the ‘peace’ loving generation is going to screw you.
Nina George, Kelowna
