IF I HAD A BILLION DOLLARS

If politics are said to be a game of chess, they are sometimes closer to one of those neverending winter Sunday nights game of Monopoly, when everyone’s running close to bankruptcy except for that one player who keeps banking the twenty thousand bills, and refuses to declare the game over because he is still buying hotels. There is a New York version of the Monopoly, and it has come to life.

no, I'm not kidding, he REALLY looks like that.

Tom Golisano is a billionnaire, meaning he is a thousand times richer than a millionaire, living in New York, which Senate has recently tried to pass the “billionnaire’s bill” – a decree raising the billionnaire tax by a mere 2% in order to cover recent governmental expenses. Tom Golisano wasn’t very pleased. Those 2% were apparently enough for him to lose his quick billionaire temper. Tom Golisano and his billion of dollars have left the democrat building and thrown their billionaire support behind the Republicans. Tom Golisano stormed off like the diva that he is, moved to Naples, FL in his billionaire sea front mansion. In the meantime, Republicans took over the New York Senate.

Although a billion dollars do not necessarily speak to my heavily indebted self, I know that Tom Golisano might have not even noticed this slightly smaller dent in his stellar earnings. I may not know exactly what those 2% might have rewarded the glorious State of New York, but I know that governmental expenses cover services that are in dire need of financial support. Tom Golisano withdrew necessities from firemen, policemen, nurses, health care buses, etc. Tom Golisano, whilst closing the door behind him on New York, gave the proverbial finger to a non-negligeable number of New Yorkers who, unlike him, have never seen a paycheck with more than four numbers before the comma. After a certain amount, money is just paper, meaningless and fruitless, numbers on your speculative screen. Under a certain amount, money is more than wages, it becomes food on your plate and a roof over your head. Tom Golisano is not just another selfish billionaire. He’s an ungrateful, obnoxious and self-absorbed little prick.

Now, Tom Golisano‘s weight in the New York Senate is just as frightening as his disgusting refusal to throw more pennies at his home state. Where does the democracy lies in a representative board that just switches over anytime a billionaire decides to throw a fit? New York Democrats fell into Golisano‘s black books; the Senate immediately switches, without any input from the people of the state of New York, without any popular mandate, without any consultation. The difference between Tom Golisano and New Yorkers is obvious though: most of New York State residents don’t necessarily have a secondary residence by the Atlantic Ocean to retreat to when things fail to go their way.  Let’s see it from a different perspective: New York residents could be upset at Tom Golisano for refusing to give away 2% of his unfathomable dividends to public services, but sadly, New York residents are not in a position to slam the door in his face, telling him to go sulk outside and leave without dessert. The world has officially gone backwards.

At the end of the day, what it comes down to is that not only it is easy to evade your duty as a citizen to pay taxes – and more than a duty, it is a responsibility you owe your state and country – but it can be easily forgotten about since it no longer provokes ire and outrage in the very people you are depriving of the most necessary protection the state is supposed to be providing them. Tom Golisano has enough power, I mean, money to decide who, where, what and when citizens of New York will be able to be protected from assault, arson, be treated in the ER, or receive their administrative forms. Tom Golisano‘s Monopoly money bought him an entire state. Go him.