Today in Canada we voted once again, this is the 4th time in 7 years. I say enough elections already. At an estimated $35 million per election I feel that this money could be put to much better use. We have people starving in Canada, what about housing the homeless or adding additional medical services which we are lacking? $35 million x 4 = $140 million dollars. Unreal. But I did my civic duty, I went out of my way to put an X in a small box, will it make a difference? Who knows, all I know is the voter turnout for the last election was something like 58% and seeings I was in the percent who chose not to vote I thought I'd make up for it this time. I tried to vote twice but they wouldn't let me! ;-)
I stand corrected, elections don't cost $35 million, I must have heard only what I wanted to hear... it's more like $300 million!
(Thanks for the correction Rick)
You're going to be even more upset when I tell you that each election costs $300 MILLION ! Looks like the boys who forced this one are paying a heavy price for squandering all this money for something no one else wanted.
ReplyDeleteGot our civic duty done 5 minutes after the polls opened this morning. My view is that those who choose not to exercise their right to vote, forgo their right to gripe ;-) Good for you to get out there, despite your workload.
WHAT? Oh my goodness, I guess I only heard what I wanted to hear dollar wise. That's bloody ridiculous! Whatever happened to end child poverty in ten years? That has come and gone and money is being squandered. I've every right to gripe now that I've marked my X! But enough of that, I don't want to go to bed upset, maybe I'll read myself to sleep with my psychology book, that generally works!
ReplyDeleteI haven't checked back to your responses yet, is your internet behaving now? I hope so for your sake, so far so good on this end for most of the night.
Have a great night Rick, how about a sunrise shot in the morning? lol
You might this very strange - but in Australia we have compulsory voting. Once you are 18 you are required to sign up to vote and once you are registered you have to vote in every election. There is a fairly hefty fine for not voting - I think about $400.
ReplyDeletePeople get very mad about it, but we get very high turnouts - and you can always spoil your ballot paper in protest. But at least this way, we have no excuse when we get the govt that we get, because we have all voted them in.
I agree that the money is a total waste and the advertising etc is even worse - even my young Sarah can see the issue, she wants to use the money to feed the poor and improve education and health - she would make a great politician - one I would vote for.
I hate election time! I get so sick and tired of being harassed by recorded messages calling me and all the stupid signs in every patch of grass and all the monotonous TV commercials. I agree with you, all that money could be put to MUCH better use! The worst of it is, all of the information we are drowned with leading up to the election is normally a waste anyway because once the candidate gets elected they go back on all their promises anyway and do whatever their richest supporter wants them to do!
ReplyDeletePoliticians should be illegal!! :)
But Rick is right, you have to vote if you want to gripe! I do vote and I do gripe! :)
Have a great day! :)
elections...
ReplyDeletegood on ya fro doing the right thing and voting...
i find it hard to believe that anyone misses the opportunity to vote for the course of their own country...
in the US the number is always staggeringly low..i vaguely remember a 19% turn out one year...less than one in five..
Beverly that's awesome that your daughter at such a young age can see what is transpiring. I think that it's great that Australia has such high turn out rates at the voting stations but how often are there elections held there? It's getting ridiculous here having to vote every time we turn around. I also think that it should be choice, if an individual cares enough about what's going on around them and within their own country then they will show up to vote. I believe that we take a lot for granted today while on the other hand our government has way to many hands in the cookie jar. We have appointed senators who are paid a hefty salary for sitting in Mexico all year long, they come home once or twice a year to sign on the dotted line, have a ridiculous argument with others and off they go again. The life of a politician, no thank you!
ReplyDeleteAndy you are so right. Empty promises and way too much money spent. Like I'm seriously going to pick who I vote for due to lawn signs, a real circus show is all that voting turns into come election time.
Bruce, yup... elections. That's unreal that only 19% turned out to vote, that's a staggering low turnout but what's that saying? Either people just don't give a damn or they have nobody they deem worthy of the Presidency is what I'm thinking. It's like here, it matters but all politicians are full of hot air which dissipates once the election is over. I love how the NDP party pushed the Liberals aside here, surprising results there. Other than that my house is still standing and life goes on as "normal" on this end... so far.
Have a great day everyone! Back to my never ending books.
I am so tired of elections. Let's hope that this one will slow them down for a bit....? maybe?
ReplyDeleteI just read in our studies of government this week that Australia HAS to vote- or they get fined. I think maybe they should do that here- it would help pay for the election;)
We have an election coming up too and god knows how much it will cost. I think politics cost to much and deliver little but hey who am I to judge lol.
ReplyDeleteSi
Well there's another thing about voting, here anyway....all registered voters have the chance of being selected for jury duty!
ReplyDeleteDawn I just learned that as well from Beverly's comment here. If we were to be fined here do you think that the funds would be spent on the election? I can't see that for some odd reason! lol
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that the NDP are the new opposition, it's about time the Liberal's took a back seat as far as I'm concerned. I don't like a majority government but this is what we now have so we're going to have to wait and see what happens next now.
Si as long as you vote you have the right to judge and criticize! lol
Karen, I'm not sure how that works here in regards to jury duty, I just hope that I'm never chosen to be on a jury. I can't even imagine having to judge someone and be a part of the sentencing. I wonder if they choose social workers... interesting to check into.
Have a great night everyone!
My internet co-operates some times (speed ok) and amazingly slow at others. I suspect they've oversold the service here and their network hasn't kept pace with the # of subscribers (fixed wireless) - but they won't admit that.
ReplyDeleteAs for a sunrise shot - hmmm, haven't seen one of those since most mornings are rather gray and/or raining (at least by the time I get up ;-)
Have a great week Darlene.
Thanks Rick, so far so good! I even read a chapter in psyc today... it was raining this morning but this afternoon it was wonderfully warm.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't doubt that you're right about the servers, what they can get away with is not acceptable but where does one go when there's only one provider? Or do you have more than one provider?
As for the sunrise shot, I was teasing you. I know you're a night owl. Not to worry, I plan on taking some sunrise shots this year with my new lens I'm anxiously waiting for.
Have a fantastic Wednesday!
Better to vote and participate than to live in a nation where you have no choice.
ReplyDeleteSo true LL. I love being able to make up my own mind, even the ONE time I was wrong it was a learning experience. ;-)
ReplyDelete