AN OPEN LETTER TO KATHLENN WYNNE

Dear Ms Wynne

I am writing to you as life long resident of the province of Ontario. My wife and I, both in our 50's, have lived here our entire lives, as have both our families. We were raised here, met here, established careers here, paid our taxes, bought goods and services and contributed to the fabric of the province

My wife has worked for a public school board in Ontario for over thirty years


In the last couple of years, as we've gotten older, we have permitted ourselves some small luxuries and have tried to pursue our dreams. Recently we bought our first dishwasher, a small thing perhaps, but something that we put off for years. A little luxury, rewarding ourselves for years of saving and working. We also moved into a house with central air conditioning, another luxury to be enjoyed as we have gotten older and to make our house comfortable for our two dogs, one of whom is senior and has trouble in the heat

Five years ago we bought the second new car in our lives. The monthly payments were high but this was another luxury we permitted ourselves and we looked forward to when the payments stopped and we could turn that money to other pursuits

Three years ago I pursued a dream, a dream of working with dogs, I gave up a small freelancing business in order to pursue this dream. Part of this job requires me to drive every day, picking up the dogs and taking them to a private outdoor play area. I knew that gas for the car would be an expense of this job but I factored that in to my operating costs, factored in the fluctuating gas market

But now, gas will be going up another few cents a litre irregardless of the free market. And the Hydro expenses for our house have increased dramatically, and I understand that more increases will be coming

Our Hydro rate has increased so much that the "free" money we gained when our car payments stopped, is now going to pay off that bill. After years of planning on how we would use that money to better our lives it will now be used just to pay a bill.

Our dishwasher, that little luxury we afforded ourselves, is now sitting in a corner unused. I can't afford to run it. We barely use our central air system, even when it is very hot, because we can't afford to run it. We worry about our senior dog who must be left at home when I go out to work.

As for that work, I despair for that. The coming increase in gas prices will dramatically affect my business. Frankly, I may not be able to afford continuing to do this job. This job that I love. My dream job.

What are our alternatives here. As our Hydro bill currently sits around six hundred dollars a month and more increases to come, how will we continue. We have stopped using the dishwasher, we virtually live in the dark, we have most of our devices turned off, I no longer use the microwave.

Are we to leave the province? The place where we both raised, where are families were raised, where all our families and friends live; shall we leave all that behind; shall my wife, who has worked as a public educator for decades leave her school and her students behind and shall we, people in their 50's, move to a strange place and try to start all over, simply because we can no longer pay our bills?

I understand that your government has put these measure in place in an effort to curtail global warming, reduce carbon emissions and help the environment. Noble aims. An aim to improve our world

But when measures deny you luxuries for which you have worked long and hard and perhaps force you to give up dreams, these measure do not feel like improvements, they feel like punishment

Ms Wynn what are we do? Why are we being punished? Why were we not, along with all the other people of Ontario, given an opportunity to consult and comment on these measures? This province is or home. My home. And my home is becoming a place that seems determined to deny me my dreams, deny me the quality of life for which I have worked so hard

The environment is an important cause. But I am not a cause. I am a human being. For all my life I have paid the taxes, I have followed the agenda of governments, I have been a contributing citizen of this province

Now my life has changed. As hard as we work we will have to work even harder, just to get back to the point we had finally reached after all these years

Ms Wynne when you write legislation think about us. Think about two people, children of this province, a part of this province, think of us and our lives and our dreams. Don't just think about numbers and stats and a future, think about our future, about my future and what it is becoming. It is becoming something very different now and I don't really know why

Sincerely,
Victor