Dear Editor,
Politicians often frustrate us with their bizarre decisions and policies, and failure to get things done. This has given rise to the saying, “If only businessmen ran government, everything would be fine.” As if there was any truth or meaningfulness to that statement.
It takes a millisecond to remember that the current president of the United States is a self proclaimed “successful” businessman. We have only to look at his record to see how dismally and destructively his policies as president have been.
He has surrounded himself with billionaire business people like Elon Musk, for example, and all these geniuses have not helped the American people get better medical care, cheaper housing, or less expensive food. In fact Trump and his friends have gotten a lot richer this year because of a major tax cut he has given them. The great big beautiful bill Trump boasts as the best thing for America includes taking away food stamps from the needy. He is proud of shooting drowning sailors who he claims, without proof, were drug traffickers. He has made it clear he wants to destroy Canada’s economy. He blames the world for America’s economic woes. His rude interactions with anyone who dares question the logic of his actions are unprecedented and undignified. His cruel policy of wrenching civilians who have been living in the U.S. for years working and raising families, and sending them to dire prisons in foreign countries, is abhorrent. And yes, he has supported the war crimes against the Palestinian people.
Closer to home we see another wizard who is a business person. He runs the Quebec government. His cabinet is full of business people designing failed laws that harm more than they help. The premier’s new Quebec Constitution plan doesn’t give me, as an anglophone, the warm and fuzzies. Legault wages war on anglophones, wants to install a Quebec Constitution that will certainly exclude many people from enjoying their hard fought for human and civil rights. He has battled Quebec nurses, teachers, doctors and unions. His secularism law is a thinly veiled attempt at persecuting Muslims. His so-called health reform has not materialized. In fact his actions seem headed for deliberately destroying the health system in Quebec as he seems more interested in privatizing health care than making the system work for the benefit of the people. Pontiac does not exist for the business elite in Quebec City, and the Pontiac knows this, suffering economically from the negligence.
Rather than wishing for cheap promises and tax cuts, people should vote for good candidates who will truly work to represent them and bring helpful policies into action. More care has to be taken in checking out their commitment to people-oriented actions and solutions. And this includes not voting for candidates who will try to sneak Trump-style policies into Canada. There are no miracles in bringing the people good government; hard work and clear solutions are needed from our elected officials. We do not need cliches like electing business people who make us repeat the cycle of electing self-interested imposters. We need candidates who pass the test of doing good for the people, even if it means thinking a bit outside the box.
Carl Hager, Gatineau
