I'm a senior citizen and I'm angry.
Once again my health premiums have gone up. In this province if you are fortunate enough to have a family pension of $30,000 a year, one must now pay $136 per month as a government tax or $1,632 per year for very basic health care.
This is the only province in Canada where this is done.
This does not cover dental, which is too expensive for most of us to continue after retirement. It does not cover chiropractic, physiotherapy or massage therapy if needed. It does not cover eye exams or other eye tests.
As seniors, the Liberal government promised that seniors and children would still be covered for eye exams under our health care system. We still have to pay a very hefty "user fee" leaving many to put off having needed care.
Now $30,000 a year sounds like a lot of money does it not? Not.
We won't even go into our long winters with their higher hydro and gas bills, the cost of fuel for those of us still fortunate enough to live in the country and be able to drive with our ever increasing vehicle insurance (another tax grab of which the government takes a goodly portion).
I would challenge Shirley Bond and Christy Clark to buy food, medicine (remembering that seniors often need more medication that younger folk), fuel for both home and vehicle, hydro, phone, house insurance, car insurance, health insurance and all the necessities that we need on this amount.
There are many more much worse off than we and I'm totally fed up with this take-take-take government.
We are taxed to death in this province and it's time the seniors stood up and fought back.
Thank you for letting me vent.
Deanna Boomhower
Prince George
