There. I said it. In fact, it wasn't even that hard, which makes me wonder why every political campaign I've seen shrivels up into a pathetic excuse for a retort when trying to explain why tax cuts aren't equal to social programs. And not only do not all people pay taxes, but non-taxpayers are in fact citizens and people, with the same rights as the rest of us. They are often the most vulnerable people in our society, those most in need of some form of government and/or community support, such as families living below the poverty line and people struggling with disabilities. It is a kind of bigotry I haven't even come up with a name for yet to suggest that only tax payers need or deserve help paying for childcare or public transit, but it's exactly what we're practicing when we give lip service to policies that "help Canadians afford the basics" by giving them another f**king tax cut.

...and yes, I am a tax payer. However, I know full well that income should have shit all to do with citizenship. Hell, I'd feel a lot better about the 1/3 of my paycheque that I never see if it were going to programs instead of tax cuts and bailouts. Then I could believe, at least to some extent, that my tax dollars were helping. Instead, they're helping toxify Alberta by paying for tax incentives to keep those oil sands a' burning.