Bribing the Electorate

Just over 20 years ago our provincial government sent every family a $200 voting bribe. It worked; they won the next election. It didn't buy my vote, however: not after they slashed spending and programs for four years, which certainly included cuts to the school system in which I taught.

I gave the money away to good causes although I forget now what they were. I may have sent half to World Vision or a similar charity and half to the local Food Bank.

I had voted for that Conservative party in the previous election, but that was the last time I marked my ballot for the louts. Although they also won this next election, they found themselves out of power for more than 10 years after that.

Now they're in control again and up to their same old, vote-buying tricks, and I am going to mention some of them.

The previous Liberal government had planned to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour in 2018 (or 2019, not sure), but when the Cons came to power, they killed the raise. It was too extravagant. Suddenly, with an election looming, they have decided that, by golly, a $15 minimum wage is a darn good idea. The delay of 3 years meant that low wage people had to endure 3 more unnecessary years of  trying to scrape along.

There are several toll roads in the province. Now, as an election looms, it is time to stop those pesky tolls. Look, it may or may not be the right thing to do, but if it is now a good idea, it was probably a good idea 3 years ago. In my opinion, this is not doctrine and policy driving their decisions but cynical vote-buying.

Finally, there is the thing that sticks in my craw most. It used to cost drivers $120 to renew our licenses for 1 year. We'd get a sticker to affix to the corner of our license plates to indicate that we were all paid up.

With an election coming up soon, it is, lo and behold, a marvellous idea to dispense with those fees.

Not only that, but we obtained a rebate for renewal payments made in the past two years. So it came to pass that I recently received a $240 cheque in the mail.

Naturally, I deposited it. But almost immediately I donated it to the cat lady who does an incredible job rescuing cats and kittens. She has recently trapped two colonies and had them all neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and other health issues taken care of.

She will try her best to rehome them, particularly the kittens. If adult cats are feral, she has farmers who will keep them, and she will provide the food.

She does all of this through donations and online auctions; her efforts are not supported by any government funding.

Once again, I don't know if waiving license renewal fees is a right or wrong thing to do. However, if it is the right thing to do now, it was the right thing to do 2 years ago. It's not just an impending election that should drive policy. Even if it is the right thing, actually rebating drivers for past fees, is nothing but a gimmick in my opinion.

It is so obviously, a vote buying ploy, that I refused to allow the bribe to assist me in any way. Contrary to their intensions, however, it only reinforced my resolve to cast my vote for their opposition.