Letter to Editor (re HST) is long on angst, short on accuracy

Arn Brown's angst is so vividly portrayed in a recent letter to the editor (Sept. 23, The Londoner) that I regret pointing out weaknesses in the accuracy deptartment.

Then again, somebody should. Why not me?

Mr. Brown begins:

"When you wake up in the morning, the last thing you are thinking about is HST."

Now, that's almost true in my own case. There are 142 other things I think about first.

E,g., "get to the bathroom quickly" is number one. Number two "make coffee." Then 140 other things before "the HST."

However, then 12 other items follow, including "put pajamas back under the pillow."

So, Arn starts off in dramatic fashion, but let's be honest, the HST isn't last on everyone's mental list.

Arn writes:

"However, while you were sleeping you were racking up an HST bill."

Again, high points for drama (I mean, my gosh, what if we left on every light and appliance in the house, including the oven at 500 degrees and the electric lawn mower in the dining room, and left every tap on in the house full throttle, our hydro and water bills plus the dreaded and dang-fangled HST would be what - 10 dollars?) but the HST for one typical night's rest in cozy country I like to call my home would be what- 10 cents?

Arn continues:

"When the alarm rings, HST kicks in; when you stumble to the bathroom, more HST."

I'm completely befuddled. Unless Arn's alarm clock is the size of his dining room and draws a huge amount of hydro and turns on every light and opens every tap in his house when it rings, how will he notice any difference in the amount of HST that has already been "racking up" - one penny at a time - while he was snoozing?

And how does the government know when he's stumbling to his bathroom? Is Arn charged more HST for falling down? What if he turns around halfway down the hall and returns to bed? Does he get a rebate?

I like the drama, the mood ("That dadgum HST is up my snoot!"), but I think Arn is incensed beyond reason and needs to tighten up his argument - if he even has one.

I'd like to make some suggestions.

Tune in tomorrow.

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Link to my most recent column - see It Strikes Me Funny: Weekly Column - side margin.