The decision by the sa国际传媒 government to end free ferry rides for seniors has stirred up a predictable storm of protest, but it has also brought attention to the issue of discounts and other special treatment of seniors.
A sense of entitlement, it seems, is not the exclusive domain of the younger generation.
Advancing age brings with it a lessening of mobility and other impairments. In many cases, it means income is reduced. It鈥檚 a realm that calls for compassion, understanding and, where necessary, material assistance. A responsible, thriving society cares for its seniors. They should not be abandoned to loneliness and poverty.
Society recognizes this in an array of benefits and programs that become available when a person turns a certain age. But few of those benefits are automatic, one exception being the old age security pension, which requires only that a person be at least 65 and a citizen or legal permanent resident of sa国际传媒. Benefits from the sa国际传媒 Pension Plan are based on contributions.
Nearly every other kind of assistance available to seniors is based on need, and that need is determined by level of income. It鈥檚 a fair and sensible approach. Seniors shouldn鈥檛 be made to beg when they need help, but there鈥檚 nothing inherently shameful or demeaning in establishing that the help is truly needed.
Riding ferries for free simply because a person is 65 or older is not a right, nor should it be. It has been a nice perk, but times have changed. A half-price fare is still a generous gesture, in line with sa国际传媒 Ferries鈥� practice of offering reduced fares for students and children.
But seniors have earned it, goes the line. Maybe, maybe not. Some people pay their way and more along the journey of life; others consume more than they produce. Besides, those who have contributed the most realize that worthwhile achievement is its own reward 鈥� they don鈥檛 think society owes them a perpetual debt.
To automatically assume that seniors are in poverty and need a free ride is age discrimination, a stereotype not necessarily based on fact. Yes, most are on fixed incomes, but many younger people would love to anticipate those fixed incomes. Defined-benefit pension plans are harder to come by these days, and the federal government is raising the age of retirement, meaning those who are not yet seniors will not have the same benefits today鈥檚 seniors enjoy.
Massively higher real estate prices that have benefited many seniors are the scourge of people just beginning their careers. The golden years are getting further away and a little less golden.
Many businesses offer seniors鈥� discounts, and those are appreciated. But as the senior-citizen proportion of the population grows, those discounts are subsidized by younger people at an increasing level.
When the passage of time brings illness, disability or other difficulties, we should ensure assistance is available for those who need it, but we shouldn鈥檛 assume that merely turning 65 suddenly renders people helpless, irrelevant or unable to pay their way.
That鈥檚 selling short many people who still have much to contribute, and are willing and able to do so. We shouldn鈥檛 shove aside the valuable experience and insights that people have gained over the years.
Most seniors have gained wisdom and understanding with time. A few think that having 鈥減aid their dues鈥� entitles them to special consideration. It is appropriate to proffer respect to age, but demanding that respect 鈥� and discounts 鈥� is graceless.
We should ensure that everyone, regardless of age, has the basics of life. Better to regard the ferries as part of the highway system and make fares reasonable for all, rather than providing free rides based simply on age.
