Sherbrooke Record · an hour ago by Matthew McCully · Commentary
Tim Belford
The latest issue of MACLEAN’S magazine featured what I’m sure was meant to be a ‘grabber’ on its cover. “The Great Generational Rip-off.” The accusation was simple. The author accused Boomers of hoarding all the wealth while Millennials fought for the scraps.
My reply to author Ali Amad, one of the scrappers, is phooey! Yes, I’m one of the ‘rip-off artists’ from the baby boom, but I suggest he spend more time analyzing his accusation and less time looking for a scapegoat.
Essentially, Amad says seniors get too much money from the government in the way of pensions, grants, tax breaks and the like, which they don’t need, and the money would be better spent on the nation’s youth.
Admittedly, there are well-off seniors who, because of savings, company pensions, stock dividends and other investments, could afford a cut in Old Age, Canada Pension, and Quebec Pension benefits. But I suggest they might be in the minority.
I would also suggest that a bigger problem is Millennial ‘expectations.’ Take housing, for example. When my own parents finally bought a new home, it had three bedrooms, one bathroom, a small kitchen/ dining area and a living room. There were six of us, and it worked just fine. Young people today, who can’t ‘afford’ a home, apparently want a bedroom for each child, an industrial-sized kitchen, three bathrooms, a dining room, a living room and a game room for the kids.
Then there’s the question of high interest rates. No sympathy there. One year after I purchased my first home, interest rates shot up to 18 percent.
Amad also complained about the lack of decent apartments at reasonable prices. It was the same for boomers. One of my first apartments was in Victoria, B.C. The walls were concrete block, and even with the mild West Coast winters, frost would form on the interior walls of the bedroom. In another oddity, the toilet seat was set against the radiator, and you had to sit side saddle to avoid burns to your leg. But it was all that was available and all we could afford.
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