[thechat] canada's new democratic party

[Martin Burns]

On Mon, 27 Jan 2003, rudy wrote:

> > It's like they think that they live in a vacuum, or at least not in
> > a society of other people.
>
> hey, i don't mind paying taxes for social programs, what p*sses me off is
> that the social program slice of the pie gets so bloody roaring out of
> control whenever left-of-center parties get into power, and has bloody
> little to do with the actual recipients of society's largesse than with
> furthering the political careers of those in in power

Compared to the entirely altruistic rhetoric of 'the era of big government
is over', yes?

> i personally want a government that says "this is ridiculous" and puts the
> onus back on people to stop expecting handouts and start supporting
> themselves more
>
> yeah, i know, i know, there are those who cannot, et cetera...

And given that, where would you like the default line drawn (assuming it
cannot be done perfectly)? Would you prefer that there are few people
who take advantage, or that there are people who fall through the net?

> not enough affordable housing?  gee, let's have the taxpayers build some
> more
>
> i think socialists have a fundamental blind spot as to how the economy works

True, a better way around would be that planning permission is only
granted to private developers if they allocate a certain %age of their
build to homes affordable on basic salaries (or a mix of salaries).

Cheers
Martin

--
"Names, once they are in common use, quickly
 become mere sounds, their etymology being
 buried, like so many of the earth's marvels,
 beneath the dust of habit." - Salman Rushdie