TGIF: Controversy

Budget night is a big thing for accountants, we get our pens or laptops and sit down to spend a night watching the televised coverage unfold, taking notes to discuss around the water cooler the next day. Well some of us anyway. I was only aware it was on because I client mentioned something and I am excluded from the water cooler talk because other staff are getting the impression I hate them.

The day following the budget we always receive several emails from various groups summarising the tone and import of the recently announced budget changes. Which is why I don’t bother following the coverage; someone spoon feeds me the important parts in bullet point. Well that on top of a general air of indifference that I can almost float on. My firm also generated a list of budget reforms that we could send out to clients and prove we both knew and gave a shit about what was going on in the country.

The controversy was in the picture they selected to accompany our firm’s newsletter. It displayed a young girl climbing a fence on a lookout with a large picturesque drop in front of her. My first thought was that the girl had given up life and was obviously going to jump. I heard a comment from a nearby cubicle along the lines of the budget wasn’t that bad. Which, as an aside, was valuable feedback for me because I hadn’t read any of the summarised budget emails so I could at least parrot back to anyone who asked about the budget, “It wasn’t that bad”. As a note, I have no intention of reading them in the future either. In any case, the watercooler was afire with gossip about who selected the picture. I suppose the theory behind that particular graphic was, “Fucking tax grabbing bastards, better top myself” and from an artistic sense, who can fault that?

On arriving to work this morning I received a firm-wide email from the managing partner who advised that complaints had been made, both staff and clients were upset and he apologised on behalf of the firm. In breaking news another email from the person who selected the picture was sent with further apologies and I heard from the person beside me that same person was now outside crying. Number one point was that I was just happy to be included in gossip and just because I don’t want to talk to anyone doesn’t mean I didn’t want to hear the juicy tidbits. Number two, damn them both for putting a human face on this.

Obviously I don't

represent this firm.

Now my current artwork in MS paint of the picture with ‘Budget 2017’ in really cool font over the poor little girl just seems mean and insensitive. I tried drawing horns on the girl with a tail and pitchfork to illustrate the corrupt nature of government but it didn’t really help either. Close without saving? Yes. Dammit, I don’t always listen to common sense but someone was crying. Other reasons as well, probably.

My thoughts on the budget? It wasn’t that bad.

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