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Perth County Pork
Perth County Pork Producers NEWSLETTER
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* The Rural Voice is provided to Perth County Pork Producers by the PCPPA perthcountyporkproducers@gmail.com Can you describe the state of the world in one word?
Any opinion expressed is that of individual County Directors or Representatives and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Perth County Pork Producers. If you were asked to describe the state of today’s world in a single word, what word would you choose? Today my word would be “fragile.” By the time this gets to mailboxes across Midwestern Ontario this may have changed, but while I drank my tea this afternoon, I read about Quebec’s proposed tax that will be levied on people who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine. It has not been enough to strip them of their mobility and social lives – now they must be taxed. I do not understand why older adults choose not to get vaccinated, as it is effective “insurance” against severe illness or death. While I may not understand that choice, I firmly believe that each person deserves the autonomy to make their own decisions pertaining to health and to do so without fearing undue discrimination for their choices. The division among everyday people that has been fueled by our political and media classes now threatens many of our most cherished Canadian values. People choose to consume alcohol and tobacco every day, something that we know is detrimental to their health. These goods, along with cannabis, are all subject to elevated tax rates here in Ontario. These taxes are colloquially known as “sin taxes” to reflect the unhealthy nature of the products being purchased. One can make an argument that Quebec’s proposed tax is no different – being unvaccinated is a choice that can be detrimental to your health and therefore should be taxed to defray the increased healthcare costs. This argument in itself is rickety as there is not even a global consensus on vaccination policy. For example, multiple countries have discontinued the use of specific vaccines in people under 30 due to elevated occurrences of heart problems. A 22-year old in Montreal may have to pay a tax for a decision that they felt was in the best interest of their own health. Consider that same 22 year old, if they decide to go out for a night on the town, they are accepting the possibility of decreased health and are willing to pay associated sin taxes in return for what they view as a fun night. But for the sake of simplicity, let’s ignore the nuance and complexity of these personal decisions and agree that the unvaccinated should be subject to taxation. Taxes are not new. Nor is the phenomenon of arbitrage opportunities that arise when neighbouring regions adopt different approaches to taxation. Many a car full of Aggies from the OAC swung across the border when in eastern Ontario to stock up their beer fridges back in Guelph. Black and grey markets also arise when individuals feel that the potential economic windfall of foregoing the tax outstrips the potential penalties for breaking the law. Consider how many people have changed their purchasing behaviour around tobacco – instead of purchasing their pack from the corner store they wait and buy in bulk from one of the many places an Ontarian can purchase cigarettes that are not subject to government taxes. How will this sin tax change behaviour? For one, it will hasten the talent drain that has already begun as people seek less draconian jurisdictions to call home. It definitely will not aid with existing conspiracy-laden beliefs that there is a global cabal out to steal everything from the unvaccinated. It is a dangerous decision that will cause further division and anger. People are not homogenous; it is one of our species' finest traits. We are also the only species that has consistently maintained the ability to motivate massively large groups of individuals to achieve shared goals. Even primates like monkeys usually break apart into smaller social groups once there are over 50 members of a clan. How is it that massive groups of humans can work together while other species cannot? Humankind’s ability to conquer the field of organizational behaviour stems from each individual believing that they can advance their own station by participating in the grander project. When people start to lose faith that they as individuals can thrive within the larger group, fractures will emerge. Enough fractures and things start to crumble. Failure to address the degradation will eventually lead to collapse. Right now, things are fragile. ◊ – Submitted by Stewart Skinner
Fill your freezer with local pork products. Order today from Tanya & Darryl Terpstra (519-291-7603) and Dave & Ruth Kloostra (519-347-2619) or visit Leis Feeds in Milverton, open Monday to Friday from 8 to 5:30 and Saturday from 8 to 12. BBQ services for large groups are also available, contact perthcountyporkproducers@gmail.com for more details
– Pork supplied by Perth County Pork Producers –
