At the Kitchener-Waterloo gathering of Canada at 150, Dr. David Docherty proposed a swear jar be established into which money is deposited by politicians who refer to people as taxpayers instead of citizens. He claims that the idea of citizenship goes beyond simply paying taxes to having a civic responsibility to the country and fellow citizens.
I think he has a point.
I realize there is a semantic game that could be played here, that not all taxpayers are citizens, but I don't want to get into that.
Citizens are an integral part of the country, not just a source of money for pet government projects. Citizens are part of the government. Citizens contribute to the life of the country and the lives of fellow citizens. They can also contribute to the wider global community, individually and through the government.
So, the next political debate you go to, carry a swear jar to collect from everyone who implies that citizens are just taxpayers, sheep to be fleeced.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
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This is a small part of my reason for objecting to the subsidy per vote.It treats voters purely as cash cows.
ReplyDeleteActually, you have to work really hard not to pay a bit of tax here and there, even if you live on a reserve. An infant is a taxpayer because of the GST you add to diapers.
ReplyDeleteI also object to being referred to as a CONSUMER most of the time, instead of a citizen. I contribute lots to society, through parenting, and volunteering, and participation on boards -- I am more than my money. My value is more than cash.