Take Care Of The Pennies and ......

The Dollars Take Care Of Themselves.

A Proverb No Longer Considered of Value

I know that the idea of actually only buying what you can afford is no longer in vogue as witnessed by the recent numbers indicating the average Canadian household owes $1.67 for every $1.00 of annual earnings.

As for taking care of the pennies, we consider them of such little value now, we are going to quit minting them as it costs more to make them, than they are actually worth.

Taking care of the small expenses at city hall seems to also be an idea whose time has long since passed. Even the local media sees no reason for concern when the city decides to forgive $300,000 in taxes as it is such an insignificant amount when compared to the BIG picture.

There are so many items in a city budget that in themselves are insignificant and the fact that all those pennies add up to dollars seems to be a consideration lost on city staff and council. However, those pennies have been adding up into dollars over the years with the result that our city budget has nearly doubled in the past 10 years, a rate that far exceeds the cost of living index.

Current Example of A Few Pennies

The other night at city council 11,000 tax dollars were spent on several small items, all of which I am sure have merits of their own. Or do they?

$1500 was given as an honorarium so the Old City Quarter Association could pay someone to pick up litter in the neighbourhood. At a mere $6 per day I am sure it is money well spent.

$970 was given to an Old City Association so they could host a Halloween party in the neighbourhood as part of a community building exercise. Again, I am sure it is money well spent.

All of the items recommended by committee were given the royal nod of city council without a question being asked.To question such paltry expenses would be pure nonsense after all, as the local Daily pointed out, the city is in no fear of going bankrupt. How could they be, they simply raise taxes to meet whatever level of spending they deem necessary.

A penny here and a penny there.....................