Is there any real reason I should go out and vote? Will it really make a difference what party is in power?
I recently spoke to a campaign volunteer for one of the parties and asked how people are feeling when they visit their homes. She said the biggest thing she hears is people aren’t going to vote and have never voted. I wonder why these people think this way? Is it because they have lived in Canada for so long and have seen so many different political parties with really no difference between them that they don’t care? Or do they come from another country where the government is even more corrupt than ours so it never matters if they vote?
I always wonder why people don’t want to vote. I feel it is my duty and right that I can vote but this time my feelings have changed some.
Is it really going to matter if the PC’s get in and continue to do the same things as always? Will the Wildrose or NDP really make things different for me?
The PC’s have lived the life of entitlement for years in this province and yet we have allowed them to do this as we keep voting them in election after election. The Wildrose on the surface seem like they will change things and take the politics out of running a province to all of our benefit. But how long would this last? Would they soon realize it is best to just let the money flow in and let corporations do as they want?
Are the NDP the extreme left wing party of old when they were called the Communist party of Canada? I think being left wing in Alberta probably still means you are right of centre. We just have different levels of right wing in this province. So would a small move to the left really hurt any of us that much?
This election, as with all others, will have a very low voter turnout ‘cause most people don’t care. Why should I go and vote? What’s in it for me?
As an above average income household with no children nobody is making me any promises to get me to vote for them. I understand the world isn’t all about me and there are lots more people with larger needs, but a tax break here and there would be nice. Why is it families get all the tax breaks? Isn’t my vote just as important? Maybe there should be a tax incentive for not having kids because I have no one else that will use the health or education systems or drive on our roads.
If all the benefits the parties are promising are for the lower income or families, should I care? Maybe if one party said the very wealthy were going to be taxed at a much higher rate than the rest of us, that might make me a bit more interested. The gap between rich and poor is getting way out of hand so maybe the ones at the top need to pay more. I almost can’t believe I said that. The guy I was only a few years ago wanted all the money and thought the wealthy worked hard for it and deserved to keep it. But maybe I am getting soft in my years and I have done enough community work to really see that something needs to change.
No matter who you vote for make sure the party you choose has the platform you are looking for and let’s hold them to it. No more 40-year free rides.
Cameron Christianson
Publisher, Rocky View Publishing
