Have you ever wondered why countries like the United States, Italy, and Greece, etc. so irresponsibly allowed their finances to spiral completely out of control? Seemingly intelligent officials spending money like there is no tomorrow until the deficits they wrack up are so huge they cannot even manage the interest payments. Well, the B.C. teacher/government situation is now an education in itself of how it could happen here while we are still struggling through a global recession. A recession for many years now, that no civil servant has felt anything like a regular private sector employee has felt, while both private sector and the government, try to struggle with reduced wages and tax income respectively. The teachers respond, we are special, and if you don’t give us what we want we, and all our supporters, will vote you out.
I suggest we, the grim faced silent (non-honking) majority, should show the teachers that our silence does not mean indifferent support. I suggest when we drive by those gleeful roadside wavers we honk our horns to vote. Honk one long deliberate honk to tell the teachers to truly “sticket” and be part of the solution not the problem. Honk twice for; yes please, raise my taxes because you teachers deserve a 15 per cent raise when the rest of the civil servants already accepted zero per cent. Or honk an enthusiastic three times for; yes, I also fully support your wildly creative demands like 10 weeks of bereavement leave for the death of a friend or 26 weeks (that’s six months folks) of paid compassionate leave to care for any sick person, whether a friend or not. Yeah, let’s pile on more debt. Or lastly, honk wildly the whole time you pass by for; yes, I too want to move to Greece where the government gives their employees exactly what they want and - if not - they simply vote them out and put in any other party that will.
Eileen Wright
Chilliwack