Ray Micallef wrote an interesting letter regarding the effects of the higher water and electricity rates to be adopted soon. (TMID October 30)

He wrote, “People will stop going to restaurants, or cut down on the habit; they will stop buying clothes, or buy less; and they will start living from hand to mouth”. He went on, “The money they will earn will go towards food, education, health and paying of bills – and they will have little to spare, if any, for other things”

So, with present rates, people can do all the above things and have a bit left over too? If by ‘people’, he means ‘the general public’ I can assure him that the Maltese in general are living in virtual luxury because the middle class in most other countries have to forfeit some of the above items just to make do.

I live in a country called Canada, regard myself as ‘middle class’, now retired but always had decent jobs and salaries but had to be careful with my money because at times not only my net pay did not cover my monthly expenses but I had to dip into my savings or use plastic.

My obligations include all the above expenses and then some. Let me give you an idea:

• My electricity bill so far this year – January to 5 September exceeded E1,000.

• My gas bill for heating costs me approximately E80 per month.

• I pay Income Tax/GST (VAT) and Provincial Sales Tax.

• I pay around E2,000 per year in Property Tax.

• I pay Capital Gains on any return on investments however small they may be.

• My petrol prices vary from day to day depending on the price of oil.

• Electricity rates have increased substantially from a year ago and so has heating gas.

But, the services I receive are much less than what you get, such as:

• My garbage is only picked up once a week and we are without service the week after a public holiday which means that in such a case my garbage stays around for a full two weeks.

• Social services are inferior to yours.

• Waiting at an A&E hospital department is painfully worse than at Mater Dei.

• Waiting lists for knee replacements, cardiac surgery and cataract surgery are from a few months to a few years long.

• We pay $100 per year per person for our “free” medicines and only for seniors (over 65) all others at their own expense or through private insurance paid by individual/employer.

• Unemployment Insurance kicks in six weeks after one loses his job and only lasts 12 months – after that one is on his own.

• Our “needy” line up for a meal at ‘soup kitchens’.

• Our homeless fill all available shelters and the rest live in cardboard boxes – some even freeze to death in winter.

• I almost forgot – going to restaurants were reserved for business reasons or special occasions. Could not afford to do it more frequently than that.

I can go on and on and all I can say is that in an oil producing and exporting country, I pay for fossil fuels the international price (OPEC dictated) and I see no reason why anybody else expects otherwise. I receive no subsidies and if I request a service, I am expected to pay for it.

My wages were indeed higher than what I would have received in Malta but by the same token I have a lot more tax layers to pay and a lot more to pay so that I can live in comfort due to the extreme temperatures both in winter and in summer. To add to that, what benefits I receive do not come near what a typical Maltese citizen expects from its government.

Time to wake up and face reality. Life has never been a bed of roses, not for Maltese, French, Canadian and the rest. If Mr Micallef thinks that he was better off until now, I have news for him – so was I. Or, was the past a mere illusion?

J. Martinelli

London, Ontario