Franco Farrugia (TMID 13 November) posed a reasonable question as follows: “If you are paying so much to stay in Canada and it is so expensive, why choose to continue living there and not come back to good old Malta where, as you would make us believe, we have never had it so good?”
Although Mr Farrugia (and others) have already asked the same question in blogs on other papers and I have already given him my answer, I shall do so again.
1. My family is here and therefore I belong here.
2. I visit often enough to see for myself. My last visit for a month was last August-September.
3. I live in a mature society where people do not take to the streets every time there is an increase in heating gas and oil prices, or the government raises taxes and that is not because we are a bunch of dimwits. It is precisely the opposite. We all know that we have to pay for what we use. If the electricity bills are too high, we cut our unnecessary consumption. I changed my filament light bulbs two years ago not because I received ‘free’ light bulbs or was mandated to do so. It was because it affected my pocket. My W & E bills were never subsidised.
Please don’t go into the pay cheque issue, or in my case, pension cheque, which is larger than yours because I have already explained that my taxes and expenses are much higher than yours. When I cannot afford a juicy T-bone steak, I go for a lesser but nutritionally similar cut of beef. Try that simple trick yourself! That is not lowering my standard of living – that is facing reality like the rest of the world faces each day.
As I write this, news came that General Motors could very well declare bankruptcy by the end of next week. Do you know what that would mean? And you think that Malta should be so lucky not to be affected? Or that it is all the government’s fault? A GM bankruptcy would cause a massive earthquake and resultant tsunami the likes of which has not been seen, ever. But then your favourite party is worried about its much-delayed (if not totally scrapped) earthquake seemingly oblivious to what is happening throughout the rest of the world.
And now, may I pose a question to you? Knowing very well that you attended the MLP ‘manifestation’ with much courage, did you learn anything new from Joseph? Watching the news and reading reports, it was more of the same dumb speech he made in Parliament and which was systematically ripped to shreds by the Prime Minister the following day. I am pretty sure that you would have gained some more knowledge by attending the unions’ protest on Friday. I will be waiting with (a)bated breath for the usual pearls of wisdom. Grow up Mr Farrugia. No wonder I choose not to live in Malta. Would I want to risk having you as my neighbour?
J Martinelli
London, Ontario
Canada