c9 | I hate email forwards...

Normally, I'm bombarded with "Microsoft and Pepsi are testing a new email system and will send you $100..." or "This kid's dying of cancer and wishes..." type email forwards. They're all hoaxes, by the way. If the email says "forward this to everyone you know," it is guaranteed to be a hoax.

But today I got this from a friend. Not seriously, he just thought I'd be amused by it. The thought that this email might be being forwarded around the country and actually influencing people made me cranky though. So here's my response...

*I am forwarding this email for your information. The decision is yours to make but this sure is interesting and informative...*
**

*SOMETHING WORTH THINKING ABOUT

*
*Hello.
*
*My name is Alan Robberstad I am a Canadian. One voter out of
millions of Canadian voters.

*
*Paul Martin is no friend of mine. Liberal governments have not made
my life any better. Liberal governments have made the future worse
for my children.

*
*Jean Chretien and the Liberal Party became Prime Minister many
years ago. Guess who was the Liberal Finance Minister.....Paul
Martin...LEST WE FORGET

These are all standard Reform Party lines, nothing new here.

*Since 1993:
(1) My taxes have increased.

No they haven't. I can't find a good link for pre-1998, but since 1998 federal tax rates have dropped quite a bit. For example, to hit 29%, you had to make $59,180 in 1998, but $118,285 today. Provincial rates would muddy the waters a bit, of course. You can research it here.

(2) My family's share of the national debt has increased.

100% incorrect. First, the debt has gone DOWN since 1995, by around $60,000,000,000. Also, Canada's population has gone UP by a couple million, meaning his family's share has dropped a ton.

(3) My personal expenses have increased.
(4) My waiting time to see a doctor has increased.

I'll just say this once, so I'm not repeating myself. Health and education are provincial jurisdictions. Complaining that the federal Liberals should fix these issues means you want them encroaching on provincial responsibilities, something that Alberta and Québec really like to complain about. You have to pick.

(5) My concerns for my family's safety have increased.

be that as it may, but Crime in Canada has dropped consistently since 1991:

(6) My costs to educate my children ! have increased.
(7) Government interference in my life has increased.

This is an example of a good campaign argument. No specifics, no way to rebut. Nice for a speech, but not helpful if you're looking at the facts. Personally, I find that interference has lessened. No more rules about only straight people getting married. A new Privacy Act. But everyone defines "interference" differently, I suppose.

(8) My personal debt has increased.
(9) My income has stayed more or less the same.

Possible, especially if he means just for him. Maybe he's not such a good worker? I have no idea. This page says average Canadian incomes have increased every year from 1996-2003 though. Combined with tax cuts since then, average income likely continues to rise. I make no claims about whether it's fast enough.

(10) My savings have decreased.
(11) The buying power of my dollar, in Canada, has decreased.
(12) The value of my dollar, in the U.S., has decreased.

I can't speak to item 11, but item 12 is completely false. This week, the dollar reached its highest value relative to the US$ in over fourteen years. Basically, the dollar went down until 2002, and has been shooting up ever since.

(13) My trust of elected officials has decreased.
(14) My trust in the justice system has decreased.
(15 )My trust in the immigration system has decreased.

This last one is a little odd. Canada's immigration system is a model for the world -- we invite in more immigrants per capita than any other country, period. The vast majority settle, become prosperous, and help Canada become prosperous. Exactly what does Alan Robberstad from Edmonton, Alberta want changed? The Tories won't even answer the basic question of whether they think immigration should go up or down!

(16) My hope that a Liberal won't waste my tax dollars has decreased.
(17 )My dreams for a better future for my kids, in Canada, have disappeared.

*
*That is my story since the Liberals came to power.

*
*I am not voting for Paul Martin's Liberals. I am voting against
Paul Martin and his Liberal Party in January.
*
*I am voting for Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party.
*
*Do I like the Conservatives? Not particularly......I don't really
like Politics. I am not political by nature. I am not passionate
about politics. I am a middle age guy (48). I live in a small house
on a fairly quiet street in Edmonton. I have a wife, Kathy, and two
children (ages 19 and 17). I have no pets. I am a middle class man.
I don't usually say too much.
*
*Until now.
*
*Now I am going to say something!
*
*In 35 of the past 37 years, Canada has been ruled by: !
(1) Pierre Trudeau - a multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec.
(2) Brian Mulroney - a multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec.
(3) Jean Chretien - a multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec.
(4) And now we are going to vote for Paul Martin???? - a
multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec???
*
*The leader of the Conservative party, Stephen Harper, is:
(1) Not a lawyer.
(2) Not a multi-millionaire.
(3) Not from Quebec.

You can spin anyone's background any way you want. I'm not suggesting Martin's any good -- I can't stand him actually. But here's how I could describe Harper: a rich (compared to Canadian average income) extreme right-wing (helped found and set policy for Reform Party) career politician (that's all he's ever done) with no understanding of the real life issues of Canadians (economics degree). It's all in how you spin it.

*Stephen Harper says that the Conservative party will:
(1) Reduce my taxes.

Actually, both the Liberals and the NDP are also promising this.

(2) Pay off the national debt as fast as they can.

Some consider that dangerous, since the money could be paid back a little more slowly, with social programs benefiting in the meantime. Imagine the education issues and healthcare problems if the government had made NO deals for new funding since 1995!

(3) Shrink the size and influence of the federal government.
*
*That's good enough for me. I'm going to give the Conservative party
a chance with my vote.

*
*But wait! Paul Martinis now saying the same thing. My mother told
me forty years ago: "Fool me once - shame on you. Fool me twice -
shame on me!"
*
*The Liberals have had 34 years to be financially responsible.
Remember, Jean Chretien was Trudeau's Finance Minister. Remember
also, Paul Martin was Jean Chretien's Finance Minister These people
have been raising my taxes for thirty four years. They have been
mis-spending my tax dollars for 34 years.

Chrétien was in fact Minister of Finance for three years, 1977-1980. But "these people" both raised and lowered taxes, with Paul Martin almost exclusively lowering taxes. It's misleading to only tell half the story.

And the rest is basically just the standard "convince people to forward the misinformation, falsehoods, and opinion" bit. *shrug*

*
*34 years!
*
*And now Paul Martin says he'll stop taxing and spending. No way.
*
*Thank you for reading my story so far!
*
*Why am I telling my story to you?
*
*Although I feel alone, I know that I am not alone. Your story may
be similar to mine. And you may also feel alone. One small voter in
the midst of millions of voters.
*
*What can you and I do together to change things?
*
*Here is my idea: Lets you and I join up together. Just ! you and I.
Together. As a small team of two.
*
*How can you and I fight a huge political machine?
*
*You and I have two things that we can use:
(1) Our individual personal connections.
(2) The Internet.
*
*The Internet is supposed to be this globalizing tool, right? Let's
put it to use.
*
*I have 27 Canadians in my personal e-mail address book. I am
sending this e-mail to each of them.
*
*I'm asking you to do two things:
(1) Forward this e-mail to every Canadian in your own address book.
(2) Vote against Paul Martin and the Liberal Party in January of
next year.
*
*Vote for the Conservative candidate in your riding.
*
*I have probably written this e-mail too late. As I said I am not
politically adroit. I feel like Peter Finch, in the 1976 movie
"Network", when he shouted: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to
take this anymore!"
*
*Please, forward the e-mail RIGHT NOW!!
*
* I hope the Internet is as fast as some people claim it is.
*
*This may not work. This e-mail may "fizzle out" and go nowhere. But
you and I will have tried, won't we have?*
****
*My best wishes to you. My best wishe! s to Canadians everywhere.

*
*My thanks to David Stokes from Toronto He actually wrote this just
(5) days before the last federal election. Fool me once - shame on
you. Fool me twice - shame on me!"
*
*Alan Robberstad Edmonton, Alberta .

So, to summarize: I hate Internet forwards.