This whole tax conversation that the federal Liberals have brought up, the one about changing corporation tax breaks so that everyone pays fair taxes, has brought up an interesting side conversation.
I read an article the other day called something along the lines of ‘I love being a doctor in Canada but Canada doesn’t love me.’
It was written by a doctor who is dealing with verbal abuse and heckling from patients, nurses etc. online and to her face because of how much money she makes.
She talked about the long hours she works and the care and love she has for each and every patient that she works with. She also talked about her student loans, the stress she deals with and the significant amount of time she doesn’t spend with her family.
My heart broke a little bit to hear about her struggles.
If anyone earns the amount of money they get paid it’s our health care workers. In some cases they probably deserve a raise.
I don’t know what the tax solution is, I don’t know how to make things affordable or ensure everyone has equal access and opportunity to fulfill their basic needs as well as have a good quality of life, but I do know that unhealthy people cost more money and the less doctors we have, the more unhealthy people there are going to be.
Besides that basic math, it takes a significant investment and more often than not a giant student loan to pay for medical school.
On top of the day to day stress of the high stakes job, the long hours and how grumpy and difficult people are when they are scared, in pain or both, give these people the money!
I have yet to meet a doctor who got into the profession just for the money (I haven’t met that many doctors, but I’m optimistic about this pattern).
Who would want to deal with people at their worst, smelliest, bloodiest, grumpiest, day in and day out, unless they wanted to make a difference, unless they wanted to help people?
Upset about how much taxes you pay? Think things are unfair?
Do something about it instead of complaining about the people who are there to help you.
Vote. Write a letter to your MLA, MP and city councillor. Learn about what your taxes are spent on and ask what you could do without if programs started being cut.
Don’t want to pay more taxes? Donate more of your time and money to not-for-profit programs that help take care of the people who need government assistance.
Blaming people who make more money than you, especially doctors, is only hurting you.