And what shall the poor man do?
By poor, here, I mean the middle class workhorse who is neither too poor to be indifferent about his/her poverty, nor is too rich to be able to look down upon people of his own ilk.
It's the classic case of the middle class person sandwiched between the income with which they try to climb up the social ladder and do and have all the things that the socially and financially "happening" people do and have , and the government trying to snatch it all away from them with taxes and the like.
Every year, as the budget rouds the corner, the MIG-P (Middle Income Group person for the uninitiated) can feel their heart sink - I can tell you with full "caanfidence" - I feel it every year too, so let me put myself in the place of the MIG-P. So, the reasons my heart sinks are many - will the taxes increase or will the powers that be (the powers that, by the way, I helped make) go easy on my already light pocket? Will fuel prices go up again, thereby increasing the bus fares - or dent my budget because my ancient car - the only one I can afford - is a fuel guzzler? Will food prices fall or will the prices of chocolates go up? Well there's a small blessing there...less chocolates, less weight gain :D. But back to my woes. Will this budget bring yet higher LPG prices? What in God's name do these "powers that be" want? That we stop eating? Will I be able to buy that DVD player that I'm clamoring for or will even going to the movies warrant a second thought?
These are, but a few thoughts that flash through my mind, companions to the empty feeling in the pit of the stomach and cold, clammy hands...
And then comes the B-day, with reports in jargon that would confuse any thinking mind, let alone one distubed and filled with thoughts of impending doom, like the mind of one waiting for the guillotine to fall. Budgetary planned and non-planned expenditure and such like for the entire nation. Who wants to know all this? All I want to know is what's going to be the hole in my pocket this time around?
Sigh. I know what's going to happen. Import duties will be cut back on in the name of 'liberalisation of the economy'. Petrol and food prices will be hiked because "international situations demand so". Interest rates will go up on loans and pulled down on savings. Taxes will go up because "revenues from expected quarters have gone down" and " to serve you better and to provide you with the best, we need your co-operation. Please pay your taxes in time and honestly."
Never mind that those services never see the light of the day. And that I, a member of the MIG-P, have paid my taxes honestly and on time.
Truly...where shall our poor MIG-P go? And what shall we do?
By poor, here, I mean the middle class workhorse who is neither too poor to be indifferent about his/her poverty, nor is too rich to be able to look down upon people of his own ilk.
It's the classic case of the middle class person sandwiched between the income with which they try to climb up the social ladder and do and have all the things that the socially and financially "happening" people do and have , and the government trying to snatch it all away from them with taxes and the like.
Every year, as the budget rouds the corner, the MIG-P (Middle Income Group person for the uninitiated) can feel their heart sink - I can tell you with full "caanfidence" - I feel it every year too, so let me put myself in the place of the MIG-P. So, the reasons my heart sinks are many - will the taxes increase or will the powers that be (the powers that, by the way, I helped make) go easy on my already light pocket? Will fuel prices go up again, thereby increasing the bus fares - or dent my budget because my ancient car - the only one I can afford - is a fuel guzzler? Will food prices fall or will the prices of chocolates go up? Well there's a small blessing there...less chocolates, less weight gain :D. But back to my woes. Will this budget bring yet higher LPG prices? What in God's name do these "powers that be" want? That we stop eating? Will I be able to buy that DVD player that I'm clamoring for or will even going to the movies warrant a second thought?
These are, but a few thoughts that flash through my mind, companions to the empty feeling in the pit of the stomach and cold, clammy hands...
And then comes the B-day, with reports in jargon that would confuse any thinking mind, let alone one distubed and filled with thoughts of impending doom, like the mind of one waiting for the guillotine to fall. Budgetary planned and non-planned expenditure and such like for the entire nation. Who wants to know all this? All I want to know is what's going to be the hole in my pocket this time around?
Sigh. I know what's going to happen. Import duties will be cut back on in the name of 'liberalisation of the economy'. Petrol and food prices will be hiked because "international situations demand so". Interest rates will go up on loans and pulled down on savings. Taxes will go up because "revenues from expected quarters have gone down" and " to serve you better and to provide you with the best, we need your co-operation. Please pay your taxes in time and honestly."
Never mind that those services never see the light of the day. And that I, a member of the MIG-P, have paid my taxes honestly and on time.
Truly...where shall our poor MIG-P go? And what shall we do?
posted by ShaluBhuchar at
10:04 PM
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