Them and Us

I live what I’m told is a middle class life… My wife and I both work full time, we have the child, the dog, the house, the mortgage, the cars, the car payments. Sound familiar? If yes, than you are classified as one of “us”.  You understand what it’s like when the spouse loses a job and you see the debt load climb, the unexpected car repair, the expensive summer camp bills.  You understand because ultimately you write the cheque for all of the above… and then some.  We’re the ones who drive the car yet another year longer, don’t take the vacation when times are tough, and work the overtime when offered.  In success or failure... we take it.

As an “us” person I am having an increasingly difficult time understanding “them”.  By them, I mean those we see as the lead stories in our nightly news and daily radio talk shows.  Our politicians… they clearly are not one of us, despite their campaign claims.

When I hear a Canadian Senator being interviewed over allegations of improper expense claims I feel my head nearing explosive pressure.  Clearly they just don’t get it.   It’s bad enough that taxpayers are on the hook for paying their freight every time they fly home. But apparently that’s not good enough, instead they bill 2 other agencies for the same flight. And bill for fictional expenses. When questioned the response is a variation of “I’m entitled to my entitlements”.  And that only the airlines benefited? Seriously?  Well when one of “us” travels and somebody else pays the tab we consider it a benefit.  Whenever I don’t have to write a cheque for goods and services I receive…it seems pretty clear who the beneficiary is.  But not so for THEM.  The look of bewilderment and consternation from our politicians when clearly caught with their hands in the cookie jar is both maddening and pathetic.  Are these people really that delusional or just great actors? Sorry, but the crocodile tears just are not cutting it.

What I do know is that WE are getting tired of THEM.  And I hope that at the next opportunity we exercise our democratic right to clean house. It’s time to take out the trash.