Thursday, April 9, 2015

Post 2927 - Today's Budget

This one comes close to home.

The provincial budget was today, and quite a number of civil servants - staff and management - were fired, or found out today their employment will be over at such and such a date.

People fired today were ushered into a room, told their services were no longer required, and given a short period of time to pack their personal possessions, before they were escorted out of the building. Which just shows that government can be just as dickish and uncaring about firing people as the private sector can be, and usually is. Which is funny, because it is the government that devises these labour codes and practices in the first place.

Patricia learned that some land registry offices in rural parts of the province will close in the coming months and years. These are good, well paying jobs in communities that need them.

It is a very dispiriting day. I am sure that the private sector folks who hate government workers are jumping for glee. I would remind them that those people losing their jobs will not have money to buy whatever crap these businesses are selling.

Sorry for the foul mood tonight. It's late and the news is not good.

See you tomorrow.

Bevboy

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I read the comments by posters to the news stories and am astounded and disappointed at the vitriol aimed at dedicated civil servants and can't understand how short sited these 'haters' are...civil servants provide a substantial tax base and are consumers that keep the economy going. Without us, where would the economy be? And these ignorant folks seem to forget that we are tax payers too. I know people like this, my ex is one of them - it was easier for him to sit on the couch, sucking on his 9th beer, to blame us for not getting ahead rather than getting off his arse and get an education and actually work to better himself. When I read these comments, I immediately picture him.

Unknown said...

I am astounded and disappointed when I read reader's comments that blast civil servants or show such delight whenever we lose our livelihoods or a benefit (we are not given any perks like in privacy sector and are wages are lower). People don't realize that we make up a substantial tax base and that as consumers, we help keep the economy going. My ex was one of these ignorant folk - he would sit on the couch sucking on his 9th beer, complaining about civil servants. It was so much easier to do that than get off his arse and get an education and actually work to improve his lot in life. When I read these comments, I think of him.

Bevboy said...

Andrea, you posted the same comment twice.

As a civil servant I tolerate a lot of negative comments lobbed my way by people who think we just sit around all day and suck off the government teat. I figure that they indirectly pay my salary and as long as they don't accuse me of committing a crime, I don't care that much.

But leading up to the budget we had Kevin Lacey, the guy from the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation, who appointed himself to speak on behalf of all taxpayers. He goes on and on about civil servants.

The public hates us because of the perception that we are lazy and stupid.

What happened to the people who got laid off yesterday was terrible. But we both know that the public, having smelled blood, will have a taste for more. Let's hope I can hang on until I can retire in a few more years.

Sigh.

Bevboy