WUN FEATHER – Which bus should the people living on the reserves take? What about poor folks living in St Paul, Bonnyville, Lac La Biche or Conklin? Which bus should they take to get groceries?

 

As many of you know, I am an old Time Indigenous trapper guy, and I have a lot of Elders within my circle of friends … Elders who may not have large household budgets.

 

When you sit down with them, and discuss their monthly expenses, you discover that food, clothing and energy to heat their homes are their highest costs. When you help them out with a budget, you quickly discover that there may only be seven or eight components in their budgets; one of their biggest costs is the old van or car.

Filling it up with gas is a real challenge. And then Justin Trudeau levies a carbon tax on Canadians. What he doesn't realize is that the carbon tax has a greater impact on poor people's budget than it does on people who have a larger household income. People who have more money tend to spend it on luxury items, and if the price of gas goes up 10 or 15 cents, it really does not make a big difference in their monthly spend. They may have a budget with 30 or 40 components!

Entertainment, meals in restaurants, fine dining, luxury items, cell phones, and electronics, high speed bandwidth, automotive insurance, repairs, satellite radio subscriptions, exotic pet food, travel expenses, hotel rooms and membership fees to golf courses and social clubs, make up a part of their budgets. But the people on fixed incomes and those who depend on honorariums or stipends to make ends meet, are really hurting right now.

The wealthy can trim back on a golf game or two and use that money to put gas in their cars. But what about the poor folks? Ask Justin Trudeau and his merrymen what the poor are going to cut back on in order to put some gas in their cars? He will say, "Take the bus."

Oh, sure Justin. Which bus should the people living on the reserves take? What about the poor folks living in St Paul, Bonnyville, Lac La Biche or Conklin? Which bus should they take to go get groceries?

And the carbon tax has caused all the grocery prices to increase. Again, this affects the poor people a lot more than it does the wealthy. Wealthy people just buy a lesser quality steak. The poor people go without food.

The carbon tax, put in place to combat climate Change, is only going to change one thing right here in Canada -- that is going to be a negative change on the average Canadians lifestyle and health.

We all know that healthy foods are more expensive than junk foods, but no one seems to care about the poor average folks in Canada … or why would they vote for the kind of Liberal government that is hurting our seniors with the added burden of a carbon tax?

 

About Wun Feather:

I am one of the last of my generation to have actually attended residential and Indian day schools. I have lived on and off reserve and have seen the benefits and the hardships of my people in both situations.

My parents taught me that any time I fell down physically, or emotionally, I just needed to pick myself up, shake myself off, and continue in a forward direction. So, I cannot claim that I did it on my own; I had great Elders.