Party your way to equitable politics?
By Contributor
The under 45 generation are getting tired of working and studying more, to have less. With rising home prices, cost of living, and incomparable wages, young people and their families are being squeezed of time, and income, and are being forced into crushing debt. On April 15 – 17, from 7 – 10 p.m. at Birchbank Golf Club (Trail), Dam Inn Pub (South Slocan), Finley’s Irish Pub (Nelson) the Generation Squeeze Campaign deals its first round to local supporters looking to party their way to a better generation deal for young people.
Generation Squeeze Campaign spokesperson, Dr. Paul Kershaw explains further, “We want to shine a light on the spending imbalance between younger Canadians and spending on retirees so it becomes part of the campaign conversation for the upcoming election.”
To be sure, governments spend just $12k on benefits and services per Canadian under 45, compared to around $45k for every retiree. This is not a “good deal” for Gens X, Y or the Millennials, and the Generation Squeeze Campaign team thinks it’s time to party about it.
Yes, party! In an attempt to breathe life back into politics for young people and stem the embarrassment or anxiousness they often feel about their lack of financial independence, celebrating a chance to make change around a presentation about ‘the Squeeze’ is just the way to do that. Kershaw and his team have experienced that, “once we know about the Squeeze, many of us move from feeling shame to renewed confidence. Confidence that the Squeeze is not a problem we cause alone, but it is a problem we can solve together.”
Generation Squeeze party organizer Sonia Tavares, West Kootenay Early Years Coordinator hopes to start a conversation about the Squeeze in Trail, South Slocan and Nelson and ways to ease it, while getting the socially savvy under 45 generation out to party. The party schedule includes a short presentation from Generation Squeeze staff, then, attendees from all walks of life can start chatting, texting, facebooking, tweeting, emailing, gathering, and making merry in common cause to give all generations a chance to reduce the squeeze using the knowledge they gain through the presentation. All this is to be followed by an exciting live performance by Chrisy V and Worldly Strings in Trail and South Slocan and Karaoke night in Nelson.
“The goal is to have people leave the parties knowing no one is personally responsible for the fact wages are down for young people while the cost of housing has skyrocketed,” explained Sonia Tavares, “and of course while having had a great time with their peers.” To join the party check out the facebook page West Kootenay Early Years and check out the events page. A large network of partners support the Generation Squeeze Campaign (gensqueeze.ca) to ensure younger generations have a chance. A chance to deal with lower wages, higher living costs, environmental change and an imbalance in government spending without compromising the family they have, or the family they want.
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