Where Are All Those Tax Dollars Going??

Programs Being Cut Left and Right
Yet Taxes Continue To Rise!

Locally the International Children's Festival is the most recent event to suffer from government cut backs. (Why they can't survive without funding, is another matter).

This particular program is reported to spend nearly $250,000.00 putting on this three day event which is claimed to attract 10,000 people. The cut back of $40,000 in government funding is said to be the straw to break this camel's back and the festival is being cancelled.

Here's an idea, why not get city council to just give them the money, they had no trouble finding over ten times that much to pay Jerry Berry to stay home for two years! Neither do they have any trouble finding the money to prop up the convention centre which could literally turn into a black hole for your tax dollars.

There also is no trouble finding funds to support the Port Theatre, where people spending upwards of $65.00 to be entertained need to be helped by the average taxpayer in Nanaimo. I would be really interested to know what percentage of local residents have never been inside the theatre, yet they still have to support it year after year.

It could be that locally, provincially and federally the good ole Canadian goose is just about done being plucked. It could be that the attitude of arrogance, greed and entitlement which is rampant within the public sector is finally hitting a wall and is rapidly becoming unsustainable.

Provincial government is already having to look to alternate sources of finance other than the 'Hissing Goose' to feed their spending sprees. For example the increase in the amount of money you can gamble online being increased to $9,999 per week is just an example of government out of control.

Even with increased gambling revenues, the provincial government is continuing to claw back gaming funds which used to be directed to local 'public service' type enterprise.

Just what kind of a mess do we think we are going to be passing onto our children and grandchildren? There used to be an anti drug campaign in the states which adopted the slogan 'Just say NO'.

This Hissing Goose says perhaps it is time for ALL of our governments to 'Just Say NO' when it comes to out of control spending. We have long since stopped spending OUR money, we are now into at least two more generation's pockets and we never asked their permission.