walktheplank

joined 1 week ago
[–] walktheplank@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

I have to say this so much I have a copy paste now.

I'm a disabled guy with a family. I live on less than half of what is considered extreme poverty for a single person in my area per year not including my wife's income. I have no extra healthcare, dental or vision care and pay out of pocket even though I worked for ~20 years before my disability and was a part of a union. I am not disabled enough according to my government, but too disabled to work according to all medical professionals I have seen, so I get no more than basic CPP. I have chronic pain and neurological damage that affects Ballance and muscle control as well as my ability to walk somewhat and do basic tasks. But most days I am in public, I can walk and drive and from the outside look "normal" to most people.

My wife works for the federal government in a public facing seasonal position. It is a contracted position now, that used to be permanent. This avoids unions, healthcare payments, full time employment, benefits and more. Again, she works for our federal government but there is not one politician suggesting that this is no better than what private industry does to people by treating them like wage slaves.

There is no politician in this country that cares about me and my family. I have three choices on my federal ballot. The politicians would all rather I be dead. I can MAID whenever I like but I am not permitted respect or a decent life and neither are my kids. My wife doesn't deserve a full time job or benefits that would really help pull us out of poverty even though she is highly educated in her field and uses it for her work for our government. Even if I could try to work my way out of my hole I lose all support when I hit a very low income threshold ($6900/year) and should I somehow work past that threshold by convincing a public employee to allow me, on a case by case basis, I can be assured to be watched extremely closely as if I were commiting a crime and having to report regularly not just on my taxes on a yearly basis like every other citizen.

I have spoiled every single ballot I have cast for more than a decade in every single election at every single level of politics in Canada and I get derided for it. I voted against fascism this time and held my tongue but you better believe I'm on my MP already. I'm sure my email address will be banned internally and I highly doubt my calls and emails will ever get a response as they never have in the past no matter who was in power.

People could give a fuck though. They prove it time and time again. Tell me again who I should vote for? And why I should give a fuck about you and your politicians? People have a lot to say but it's all bullshit. They care about themselves.

As of 2022 there were over 320,000 people on CPP disability in the country. It has risen significantly since then. That's certainly not 22 million but we deserve just as others do.

[–] walktheplank@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

Except in Nova Scotia.

[–] walktheplank@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

The politicians and people of this country already keep me intentionally poor because I am disabled and from a lower class due to this disability. Now you want to charge me money, I certainly don't have for not voting for someone who does absolutely nothing for me? That's democracy all right.

[–] walktheplank@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

It can't all be retirees voting that way though. Our entire province, aside from Halifax (HRM) is dominated by retirees. Yet we went almost entirely liberal.

[–] walktheplank@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

I also studied and worked in northern BC in forestry and lived on the coastal islands as a hippie. Please don't presume to know me. Did you move to BC? That's a very un-BC thing to say in my experience of living there and being from somewhere else.

I have also in my fifty years of life, thirty five of which I spent travelling and living in many different places and provinces, most west of Manitoba and east of Quebec, never ever once have I heard Alberta and Sask called the mid west. Never.

[–] walktheplank@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

He keeps people in poverty willingly and doesn't fight for them as their head representative or even talk about improving their station in life. He tells them to "pull up their bootstraps" while not supplying the help they need to do just that. He openly tries to rewrite and defy laws written to control his governments overreach. He makes sure his rich buddies can build their excessive homes by denying coastal protection.

If he was fiscally conservative our province would be doing much better than it is. Some of the highest personal taxes in the country and lowest wages however. Some of the highest rates of elder poverty and child poverty in the country. A healthcare system that has been in a shambles since the 1990s and he is in his second term of not fixing anything but ensuring his buddies get good hospital and parking garage build contracts as well as fancy homes on the ocean in environmentally sensitive areas, where they block access to all Nova Scotians who by law have legal access to all shoreline.

I could go on and on and on. He has charisma though. People like him for unknown reasons that is for sure.

[–] walktheplank@lemmy.world 6 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

And that pressure comes from the citizens who never put pressure on. I live in a fascist government situation in Canada simply because I am disabled. But people like you would tell me to stop complaining that at least I have some support. I have chased my MP to no effect or response at all. I have done the same with my MLA. I have educated my fellow Canadians. I have ranted and raved for decades and protested about how we are treated as second class citizens and you all are not standing up for us. None of you. I'm purple in the face from screaming into the void.

You expect people to stand up for you? You're delusional. My experiences at the bottom of Canadian society tell me otherwise.

[–] walktheplank@lemmy.world 10 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

I'm a disabled dude with a family. I live on less than half of what is considered extreme poverty for a single person in my area per year not including my wife's income. I have no extra healthcare, dental or vision care and pay out of pocket even though I worked for ~20 years before my disability and was a part of a union. I am not disabled enough according to my government but too disabled to work according to all medical professionals I have seen, so I get no more than basic CPP. I have chronic pain and neurological damage that affects Ballance and muscle control as well as my ability to walk somewhat and do basic tasks. But I can walk and drive and from the outside look "normal" to most people.

My wife works for the federal government in a public facing seasonal position. It is a contracted position now, that used to be permanent. This avoids unions, healthcare payments, full time employment, benefits and more. Again, she works for our federal government but there is not one politician suggesting that this is no better than what private industry does to people by treating them like wage slaves.

There is no politician in this country that cares about me and my family. I have three choices on my federal ballot. The politicians would all rather I be dead. I can MAID whenever I like but I am not permitted respect or a decent life and neither are my kids. My wife doesn't deserve a full time job or benefits that would really help pull us out of poverty even though she is highly educated in her field and uses it for her work for our government. Even if I could try to work my way out of my hole I lose all support when I hit a very low income threshold ($6900/year) and should I somehow work past that threshold by convincing a public employee to allow me, on a case by case basis, I can be assured to be watched extremely closely as if I were commiting a crime and having to report regularly not just on my taxes on a yearly basis like every other citizen.

I have spoiled every single ballot I have cast for more than a decade in every single election at every single level of politics in Canada and I get derided for it. I voted against fascism this time and held my tongue but you better believe I'm on my MP already. I'm sure my email address will be banned internally and I highly doubt my calls and emails will ever get a response.

People could give a fuck though. They prove it time and time again. Tell me again who I should vote for? And why I should give a fuck about you and your politicians? People have a lot to say but it's all bullshit. They care about themselves.

As of 2022 there are over 320,000 people on CPP disability in the country. It has risen significantly since then. That's certainly not 22 million but we deserve as others do.

[–] walktheplank@lemmy.world 24 points 23 hours ago (17 children)
[–] walktheplank@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Can't disagree with you there. That shit can fuck right off and should be torn to a million pieces never to exist again. I'm not an authoritarian however and people are free to do as they choose. They choose badly a lot. Even those I love the most.

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