Wasaga Beach has suffered through some tough times recently. First there was SARS. A media-overblown pandemic that threatened to annihilate all but the strongest of us. Then there was the Fire that destroyed Wasaga Beach. Another grossly exaggerated event that did much to hurt our local economy, if only because it made good headlines for the big Toronto newspapers. Last summer it was Mother Nature who threw us an anvil and asked us to sink or swim. Business in Wasaga Beach is tied to the weather and when she has a hissy fit, nobody is happy. Now there is a new threat and it is coming from our own elected Government. Yes, I'm talking about the Harmonized Sales Tax or HST as it is more widely known. 

Nobody likes new taxes. We all complain about them. But most times they are passed with little more than a whimper from the electorate. We make crude jokes about bending over and taking another one in a place where the sun doesn't shine, but other than the collective groan by office water coolers, most Ontarians won't take the time to write a letter, or make a phone call to let their thoughts be known to the people we elect. Just once I would like to see a full scale revolt when something is so obviously unfair.

I'm no malcontent. I love my Province, and my Country. I feel fortunate to have been born here and I understand the need for taxes. I believe as many do that healthcare, and our social safety net are worth preserving and that without these things we could not be considered a civilized society. I expect that roads cost money. I think schools and libraries are currently under-funded, and we probably don't put enough money into preserving our culture. I'll even go one step further and say something that might not make me very popular. I think politicians are often under-paid and that good civil servants are worth what they make. Heck, who would want a job where people are constantly yelling at you? It can't be easy. However, we are in the middle of a recession and people are hurting. Jobs are leaving - permanently. There is no such thing as job security any more. And many of us are worried as hell about what we are going to do about retirement. I feel for those parents who are wondering if they will be able to put away enough money to send their children to college.

We should never lose sight of the fact that the money spent by any level of Government is not theirs; it is ours. And, if we had been allowed to keep this money, it would hardly be for luxuries. Forget the BMW, or the marble kitchen countertops or that wide-screen TV. Set aside your lofty goals of pricey vacations in the Mediterranean. Most people could never dream of such luxuries. The money, if you are listening Mr. McGuinty that you want to take for your sales tax, was meant to keep me off public assistance when I am old. It was to ensure that modest income earners do not become a burden to society should they be laid off. It is in our best interest to make sure people can afford higher education for their children, so the next generation doesn't become some cliché statistic; high school drop-out, parent before 20, a life of servitude, always one step from collapse, struggling to survive and popping anti-depressants just to make sense out of life. Is this the vision of Ontario that McGuinty has? It's the one I see if you tax people past the point of comfort.

You see taxes Mr. McGuinty aren't to be treated lightly. The citizens of Ontario work hard for what they earn. Further, it is the job of our elected officials to manage our money in the best possible way. Scandals and waste are signals of incompetence. The people of Ontario are already telling you that they are stretched to the limit. Look around you. Those "For Sale" signs you see everywhere aren't indicators of the Jefferson's TV family, movin' on up to a deluxe apartment in the sky. No Sir, those signs indicate something much sadder. Many of those For Sale signs are people who can no longer afford the Canadian dream of home ownership.  Did you miss the news about the banks and the auto industry collapsing? How many years do you think it will take for the families who lost everything, under your watch I might add, to recover well enough to afford your tax? And the credit cards, yes the 28% loans that have effectively enslaved struggling Ontario families for the foreseeable future. Perhaps people wanted to use some of your 8% tax to try to upright themselves after toppling over at these loan shark rates. 

Here's a thought. Perhaps we should be handing the job of financial planner to the much maligned Welfare Moms of this Province. They sure know how to make a meal stretch to feed an entire family. Never underestimate what a single Mom with three hungry children can do with a can of SPAM. What we are sorely needing in politics right now - at all levels - are people who know how to do the best they can with less. Millions of Canadian families live this reality every single day. During this recession, wouldn't it be a strong message for our Government to do the same? 

I'm not picking on you Mr. McGuinty. I am only saying what so many other overstressed Canadians are saying. Please find some other way to fund Government projects. We aren't asking you to cancel things outright, just streamline a little. Let's face it, when I am short on cash, I might call up the cable company and tell them I can't afford cable for a few months. I will eat chicken drumsticks instead of chicken breast. And, I'll clip some coupons if it will save me a few dollars on my grocery bill. And just for you, I made up a sample coupon which you might want to consider.

When the average person suddenly finds their money isn't buying as much, or they are forced to accept a lower wage or face job loss, don't they learn to do more with less? We've all been there. So go ahead, ask the guys who make the highest salaries to take one for the team. Trim the fat from non essential programs. Don't give money away like it's candy. Right now we can't afford it.

It's time to put your hand down and stop asking for more. Most of us simply don't have it to give. Our belts are tight enough. As a stressed out citizen of this Province I say it's your turn.

Darlene Watters is the author, editor and publisher of Day At The Beach. She also operates the wasaga.com web site. Views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author alone, and do not represent the official positions of any organization or company who advertises on this website