On The Edge

by JD Boyd

It seems I've traveled every back alley possible while coming through life. Being a non-conformist I've lived on the fringe (underbelly) of society for most of my adult life. Like the saying goes, "If you're not living on the edge, you are taking up too much room." My own past discretions have landed me in hot water many times with 'serious types'. Gangsters I can handle (they are straight forward) but now I'm worried, because the GST police are after me.

"This year will go down in history. For the first time a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient and the world will follow our lead into the future." Although this quote may have come from our honourable Prime Minister it belongs to a different nation's leader, Adolph Hitler in 1935.

Never before in history has our federal bureaucracy so much resembled the government of pre war Germany. Looking at the way they spend our tax dollars one would think that there is an unlimited supply available to them.

My Grandfather, who fought in both the World Wars to protect our freedom, would roll over in his grave if he saw the condition and direction of our Government today. Our Federal Government steals billions of dollars from the common workers through the U.I.C. program. They squander (or worse) billions more on various "boondoggles", the gun registry, undisclosed expense accounts, and more.

The various construction sectors complain that there is a shortage of trained craftsmen to get the work done and yet they still put no value on our work. Years ago, if a man could run a job and get the work done in a quality minded, timely manner, he could make a fair living and feed his children. Then came the '90's, where collecting for work completed often became difficult, and at times impossible. Lax government protections for the self-employed tradesmen did little to help, especially with consideration to the lien laws. Then they came up with the GST, in fact forcing the common man to become their appointed tax collector.

Why and how can it be possible that we are building more than ever and yet more and more self employed tradesman are going bankrupt every day. There is something wrong with the system if the people responsible to build our nation's cities cannot make a fair living at their trades. Over the years, the number of people living off the labours of the workingman has increased to the point of collapse.

Nowadays, the only benefits of being self-employed belong with the big companies. They have no worries about benefits, vacation pay, or pensions, yet only want to pay a minimum wage for your work, and still expect it to be warranted. If you don't have all the government paperwork the only work you can get is for a sub-contractor of a sub-contractor.

After serving the residential housing industry in the Calgary area for the past twenty years plus, and working on hundreds of homes for others, I have none. I also have no pension, no health care coverage, no RSP's, no bank account and no future in the construction industry. What I do have is a bad back, a screw in my wrist, and some lost soul in the government who thinks they can make up their losses by going after the likes of myself. Like many Government agencies, proper paperwork is no deterrent; they merely make their own estimates.

Even though they have already confiscated what little monies I had in the bank some bureaucrat trying to justify his position within this web of deceit still believes he can get blood from a stone. Just like the Gestapo, if they can't get your blood, they'll go after your family. Unhappy over my lack of cooperation they have decided to harass my seventy-year old father who's only mistake was to share his name with his eldest son. Well, get another cell ready boys, and you can put me in next to the Alberta grain farmers and unregistered gun owners. With any luck I'll get federal time (2 years + a day) and will finally be able to realize my dream of a college education.

JD Boyd

After note: If you work in the trades and want any security at all, join a union. At least then you will have a pension plan and proper medical coverage for your family.

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