Sad, desperate caller on VOCM Night Line and the Government's unfairness!!

So a lady called into VOCM Night Line complaining, as do virtually all callers, that the government is simply not doing enough! She was upset because she does not qualify to receive Canada Pension until she is 60, which is a few years away. She got injured on the job and cannot work. The story seems sad. But later you find out her husband is working (at an undisclosed location) and she receives compensation from Workplace Compensation Commission. But the evil government will not give her her pension 3 years early.

This is absolutely absurd. First of all, she did not make a special contract with the government at any point to start receiving funding early from her Canada Pension. Why should she receive some special benefit that no one else in the country can receive? Who does she think she is?

Secondly, she is receiving an income from Workplace Compensation Commission and her husband also has an income. Perhaps she needs to consider living more frugally to make ends meet.

Once again, people have a special sense of entitlement and believe the government should cater to their every whim. Otherwise the government is evil.

In any event, this should never happen because the government should not be involved in pensions or in workplace compensation for injuries. These should be privately acquired by citizens either individually or within the company for which they work. Why should everyone get the exact same thing whether they want it or not.

Little do people realize, when an employer considers hiring someone, they have to take into account ALL expenses associated with that person. Even if they are only paid minimum wage of $10, the employer might end up having to pay $15 or $18 per hour once all the stupid government taxes are taken out.

Give the money to the employees instead and let them decide what they want to do with it.

But another important point is that this lady was whining about how she "paid into" this pension plan all her life and she owns it. Sorry, you're wrong. You don't own a particular pension plan. There is NO pension plan with your name on it. Instead, everyone is grouped together, they pay into an enormous fund and then it's doled out in some particular way once someone retires. The problem is that the whole thing is based on a certain working population which supports a smaller retired population.

But things are changing. Fewer children means the ratio is skewed. There used to be far more workers to support the retirees. But now there are more retirees and fewer workers. Eventually it will be completely unsustainable!

This is all just government mismanagement. Once again, the government needs to butt out!