Let me say at the outset that I have no problem with protestors. It is our democratic right to protest if we disagree with something. However, shouldn't there be a specific reason for the protest? According to the crowd at Occupy Wall Street or Bay Street or Vancouver, Saskatoon, Regina, whatever, there doesn't seem to be anything specific about the protest other than "we hate capitalism" or "we want the rich people to share their wealth with us but we don't want to have to work for it" kind of thing.
The protestors in the US at leaset have some justification, with their economy in the tank and their government bailing out the banks only to have those same banks hand out big bonuses. It would be extremely frustrating to see your tax dollars being wasted like that when there are so many people struggling.
Here in Canada, however, we have had no such bailout and our economy is fine in comparison with most of the world, so what are they complaining about? It seems to be just an opportunity for whiners to whine some more, only this time on a national stage, which the CBC is only too willing to supply. The public sector unions have joined in the protest as well. To protest what??? They are already better paid and get much better pensions that their private sector equivalents, and still they whine.
And then there is the cost to the cities where these protests are taking place, the tab for which is being picked up by the taxpayers. In Vancouver, the numbers were released last week stating that the city has already spent half a million dollars on things like police and city crews, and the mayor was saying they could stay as long as they like. I'd like to ask the citizens and the poor merchants around the park if they want to be so accommodating.
I think it's time for the protestors in Canada to climb out of their grimy little tents, stop whining, and start living in the real world.
