From: nadeau@bnr.ca (Rheal Nadeau)
Subject: Whither our economy (was: Ontario $11 billion debt)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd., Ottawa, Canada
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 16:55:19 GMT

In article <18k070INNdrb@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> bj368@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Mike E. Romano) writes:
>
>However, I believe we are looking at a greater recession 
>ahead.  Jobs may have to be created and I am currently study
>ing how for example here in the US, some of the defense
>budget can be redirected.
>There are "radical" solutions being proposed:  work programs
>financed by gov similar to the WPA of the 30s, a new proposal
>to allow free homesteading of small farm land parcels in
>some states where larger farms have been foreclosed at a
>high rate for over a decade, encouragement and support of
>the concept of employee owned businesses, job creation as
>a significant result of clean energy programs (the Green
>Peace 5% Proposal for redirecting defense money), etc.
>If the situation gets significantly worse, I suspect some
>of these programs may be proposed.

I'd make an even more radical proposal.  I would like us to revise the
basis of our lifestyles and economy, to start from the bottom and
really look at our needs and priorities.

The industrial revolution, the rising standard of living (defined in $,
not in enjoyment of life) was supposed to make life easier.  I grew up
amid predictions of the leisure society ahead:  we would all work 10
hours a week, have machines to do most of the work for us, so the rest
of the time we'd just have fun.

Instead, what do we have?  Those people with jobs work 40 hours or more
a week to earn the money they need.  Much of that money goes to pay for
the machinery that's supposed to make life easier.  But does it?

Consider the car.  First a few stats (applicable here in Ottawa, maybe
a year or two out of date).  The average cost to own and operate a car
(purchase, financing, maintenance, gas, insurance, etc) is something
like $6000 a year.  The average family income here in Ottawa is
something like $40-50K a year.  I think it's a fair assumption to think
that $30K a year is pretty average as a take-home pay.  If we assume
our average family has only one car, then 1/5 of the net family income
goes to pay for the car.  Certainly, the car saves us time - but does
it save enough to justify working one day a week to pay for it?
(Personally, I'd rather work 4 days, spend a bit more time taking the
bus or cycling, and I'd still have more time free.  Heck, I'd probably
spend the extra time cycling anyway!)

So maybe we should do a budget, as individuals and as a society.
Remembering that the real goal is not to get money, but to meet needs
(and wants) while leaving time free to enjoy life, let's not do this
budget in dollars, but in hours.  We might be surprised at what we find
out.  (I'm certain we'd find, for example, that disposable or
planned-obsolescence products cost us more in time to earn the purchase
price than they save us in maintenance time!)

Now, I'm no expert, but there are sources for this sort of
information.  Certainly, people who choose to be part of the Conserver
Society, rather than the Consumer Society, do not seem to sacrifice any
of life's real pleasures - if anything, they probably have MORE time to
enjoy themselves than those of us stuck in the rat race.

The Rhealist - Rheal Nadeau - nadeau@bnr.ca - Speaking only for myself
Newsgroups: soc.culture.canada