Why do people vote

While canvassing and listening to people, through this election I have noticed a number of things. . .

1) People say that they cannot get the information on what the parties stand for or are running on. . . but that the parties are just "bashing the other guy". What they mean is that they don't get the details of the party platforms from 30 second TV spots - I may be wrong, but I think a bit more time and energy is required on the part of individuals - its not all the parties' problem. If you watch a nightly newscast, (at least CTV or CBC - not gonna' get much from Global - the Fox News of Canada - or CNN - American news coverage) read the papers, or look at the party sites online. . . you can get a pretty good idea of exactly what the parties stand for. . . It is a one hour undertaking at most - and then you can always watch the debate.

2) People decide who to vote for, for very strange reasons. Some people feel compelled to vote but not to any any attention at all to what they are voting for - for example someone I know told me that she votes for "the best looking one" becuase that is the only thing she can base her judgement on, since she has no idea "what's going on" or what it will mean to her. (She trusts my judgement and so, will, this time, vote for Megan Leslie. )

3) When canvassing, and I get a "don't know/haven't decided" or when people say - "oh we have just started to talk about/think about the issues. . ." I ask them what they will base their decision on - the leader?, the party?, or party platform?, the local candidate?, something else? Most people cannot tell me even that. . . it is like a huge % of people just base their decision on a hunch that they get before or on election day. I wonder how many people actually know the name of the candidate that they want - since they seem to be focussed on he national campaigns. Then the parties are not listed on the ballots. . . No wonder people don't get the government that they want.

4) People tell me that they cannot get the info but they don't actually want info - they want one minute promises - I promise if you vote for me I will make sure that there is more money in your pocket - That's it that's all they understand. I know that the Liberals are way down in the polls and the pundits put it down to Dion's failure to communicate - but actually I think it is just one word - tax - and not that people believe that cap and trade would be a better solution than carbon tax (it is) - they just hear tax, believe that taxes are bad and so don't want to vote for a tax.

5) Canadians (unlike Europeans) seem to have no idea what taxes are. Most people seem to believe that taxes are something that is taken out of your pocket and is given to someone else. Canadians have started to believe that taxes are just a wealth transfer from the poor to the rich. Why wouldn't one believe that. . . with the US bailout, and some Canadian history -- like Stephen Harper's or the Chretien Martin's government's with big corporate tax cuts and no relief for the middle class or the poor (once again see growinggap.ca) . . . but taxes can and have been used and are necessary to make things BETTER for you and your family. I am not advocating an increase in taxes for average people but I am advocating a change in the way that taxes are assessed and that the rich and corporations should pay their share. How do we make people understand again what taxes are for and what they can be used for?

Taxes should not be seen as bad" but as a way of pooling resources fro the greater good -- but no one believes in the "greater good" anymore, they don't believe in altruism, they don't believe that any politican wants to improve things for everyone -- why is that? It is not that they did not wish it existed - they just don;t believe that it does exist. They just think all politicians are self- interested at best and totally corrupt at worst. . . I cannot imagine how they think that the country should be governed. A country based not on liberty, like the Americans, but on Peace, Order and Good Government. . . not small government, not no government but "good" government." What is good government? Government that does the greatest good for the greatest number, I figure - government for the 80% of the population not the top 1% that own 20% of the wealth.