From The Hotline, Summer, 2008 By Ken McEwen
Retired IBEW member Here we are back in the land of the carbon tax. Our trip home from the desert was uneventful. Again we visited the gambling Mecca of Pahrump, Nevada. The stopover there did not result in any circumstance that would enhance our financial status so no life-style alterations are necessary. The Nevadans, on the other hand, seem appreciative of Catherine Dear’s periodic contributions to their economy. As we wandered home through California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington we enjoyed warm sunny weather. When we crossed the border at Osoyoos, BC, we encountered cold and rain. That rain turned to snow and semi-blizzard conditions through Allison Pass on the Hope Princeton Highway. I guess that was the best “welcome home” southern BC could muster at the time. We’ve been home a month-and-a-half now and still haven’t experienced very much hot at all. As I’ve asked before, where is all this global warming when you need it? One weather phenomenon we did encounter on our trip north was wind. The wind blew fairly strong every day we were on the road. While driving during Catherine Dear’s “quiet” (nap) times I did some ruminating on the vagaries of wind direction and speed. I’m sure you’ve all heard the expression “tail wind”. That’s purported to be a beneficent wind that gets in behind you and assists you on your way and at the same time reduces fuel consumption. I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that “tail wind” is one of those folklore things. See, we’ve wandered over a fair bit of western North America in our camper and have yet to encounter a “tail wind”. It doesn’t matter which direction we’re travelling, the wind always approaches from either side or head on, never from behind. I think searching for a “tail wind” is much like trying to find Ogopogo or a Sasquatch, you just have to take on faith that it’s there and maybe one day you’ll come across it. Another observable fact that required some rumination had to do with fuel pricing. In our wanders around western North America the lowest gasoline prices we have encountered are in Oregon. While this fact in itself may not necessarily require a lot of consideration, when you couple it with the fact that there are no self serve gas stations in Oregon the need for serious rumination is indicated. Like, if the Oregon vendors are already in a detrimental marketing position by having to pay some person to pump the gas how can they sell cheaper than the jurisdictions where the customers do the work? You know, aside from pricing considerations, I kind of like that Oregon doesn’t allow self serve gas stations. As well as providing a service to the customer (and they even clean the windshield) a lot of entry level employment opportunities are created. On further rumination, maybe the employment opportunities are not all entry level. There may be some career gas pump persons providing that service. I’ve also noted, since arriving home, that our provincial government has a simple solution for fixing perceived problems. It just looks around for something to tax. According to the government, taxation is not really driven by a need for more money but by a need to address popular cause concerns. Like if the concern is global warming (which I have yet to personally experience) let’s find something to tax. So we now have a carbon tax on fuel. Like that’s going to save the planet. I’d have more respect for the government if it would just say, “Look you, we want more money so we’re going to put another tax on fuel.” Oh, I’d still moan and carp and complain about the tax but I’d at least have the satisfaction of knowing the government was being up front and honest. Or, how about if the government used the money to meaningfully improve public transit alternatives throughout the province. As an aside, in my attempts to use transit I have never found it accessible to go from where I am to where I want to be in a timely fashion or with any degree of convenience. And yes, I know the carbon tax is “revenue neutral”. To prove the revenue neutrality the government is going to give each and every one of us $100.00. Some years ago another government with a different name but of the same political persuasion announced they would give British Columbians a lesson in free enterprise. They issued each and every one of us 5 shares of stock in an entity called BCRIC. We all know how that ended. Well, maybe only really old people and retirees remember how that ended. Anyway, it didn’t end well for a lot of people. I’ve also been ruminating on a number of other weighty matters like why do we say “pair” of pliers or “pair” of scissors when there’s plainly only one of them? And how come, when my shoe size is 10 ½ all the new shoes in my closet are size 12 or 13. I know my feet haven’t grown. However, I’ll have to leave those discussions for next time as this issues allotted space is about used up. Please continue to work and play safely because, regardless of taxes, retirement is great. |
