Government Spending

Wasted Money

So I did sum research on how our tax dollars have been “spent” throughout the years. I do realize that we won’t all agree on what is considered wasted money and what is considered justified money spent…but there are sum instances where I’d say it was almost unanimous as to what really constitutes a waste. So I selected some of my favourites…I’m sure there are hundreds if not thousands of other (even better examples) but 2 sift through everything out there would take me a lifetime….so I’ll leave the “wasting” 2 the experts.

So here is a sample of where ur money has gone…and the sad reality of it all is…we pay it out but have absolutely no say whatsoever as 2 how it is being spent…they call this a democracy…its ok…in 4 years I get 2 vote again on another Government body who is going 2 do…the exact same thing.

In no particular order here are 13 wasted ways of how our money gets spent…

#1 The place: Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton…the situation: Drops of oil fell from some light fixtures on2 sum fans during the World Athletic Competitions. The Lawsuit: Alberta Justice is suing the City of Edmonton for not reporting the spill immediately. The City of Edmonton is fighting the lawsuit. The Bottom Line: So here we have 2 levels of government fighting each other in our court system. The defence paid 4 by, you guessed it…YOU and ME…the taxpayer. The Prosecution’s set of lawyers being paid for by…that’s right…you and me…the taxpayer. Of course let’s not 4get the judge…security…and any1 else associated with the trial…total damage…undisclosed but estimated at around $400 000

#2 December 2004: Cost the Alberta Government spent on their pre-election campaign for Advertising: $864 102…enuff said

Ok let’s get to the good stuff

#3 April 2002…Federal Government implements 2.2 billion dollar Air Traveller’s Security Tax…aka The Flying tax…ya that’s right we’re getting taxed 4 flying the friendly skies…I always said if there was a way 2 tax air…they would do it…well guess what…that figured out a way.

#4 The Gun Registry by the Department of Justice costs Canadians $700 million dollars annually. This same system has completely lost track of almost 40 000 gun owners and has issued hundreds of duplicate licences with wrong pictures.

#5 Farm Credit Corporation changes its name to Farm Credit Canada at a cost of
$433 000…it is said to be the most expensive name change in Canadian history…ah at least my money got some value since it established a new record.

#6 RCMP commissioner Guiliano Zacca spends…get this…$1064 on ceremonial riding boots…$180 000 on executive office renovations, which included $30 000 on leather furniture and $42 000 on bathroom renovations. Glad you were comfortable while the single mom worked 2 jobs to help pay 4 all that.

#7 BC government spends 128 million dollars to widen the existing lanes on the bridge by 24 inches each…it’s ok, I’ll do the math 4 u…it’s about 1.7 million dollars per inch. No new lanes were added.

#8 19 Saskatchewan cabinet ministers flew almost 1431 times on government-owed aircraft and chartered planes. This comes out to 28 flights per week…cost for this per year (this being 4 years ago) 1.7 million dollars.

Speaking of flights…here’s a breakdown of what we pay for an airline ticket:

#9 A very common flight where I live…Montreal to Toronto…return flight (equivalent to say Los Angeles to Phoenix)

Cost of flight (going and coming): $254

as if that’s not enough…now let’s look at the surcharges

Fuel Surcharge Tax
Nav Canada Surcharge Tax
Insurance Surcharge Tax
Air Travellers Security Tax…you remember this 1…it’s the Flying Tax

Total $36

Airport Tax $30
Federal Tax $24.60
Security Surcharge Tax $9.35
Provincial Tax (where I live…Quebec…Tax on Tax) $26.99

Grand Total in Surcharges: $126.94 (basically half the price of the ticket…way 2 go guys)

#10 Ontario Ministry of Education spent 6 million dollars on television advertising and a 16-page colour booklet mailed to 4.4 million Ontario households promoting the government's education reforms.

I don’t know about you but an ad in the paper would’ve been sufficient

#11 Director General of Audits at Public Works and Government Services Norman Steinberg’s spent $174,581 to purchase of electronic gear, including a $19,000 plasma television, a $3,200 Sony VAIO Picture Book notebook computer, a $22,181 home entertainment unit, and $6,400 for furniture, including a comfy sofa.

#12 In October 2002, Queen Elizabeth II and Wayne Gretzky ceremonially dropped the puck at a Vancouver Canucks game. According to information released under British Columbia’s Access to Information law, here is how the bill broke down: $21,000 for catering; $11,000 to decorate the loading area; $1,000 for new wallpaper; $9,000 to rent a tent and red carpet; $13,000 for media services; and $7,800 for other costs, including ice cream for camera crews.

The Final 1 Goes to: Adrienne Clarkson (Governor General of Canada)




I got this 1 off a website call the Canadian Taxpayers Association (CTA). Rather than summarize it and put it in my own words…I’m just going to copy and paste it for the final Hum Dinger…coming in at Lucky #13

…Adrienne Clarkson for taking an office most Canadians respect and admire, and treating it with contempt,” said Williamson. “At a time when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has begun to pay taxes it is unseemly that the Representative of the Sovereign in Canada shrugs off legitimate inquiries into her spending habits by announcing she is ‘above politics.’”

Warning signs of Mme. Clarkson’s prolific spending came early in her tenure. On a visit to British Columbia’s capital in 1999, the Governor-General opted for the lavish Empress Hotel over Government House. The 102-room Government House has hosted members of the Royal Family, including the Queen who visited in 1994, yet it was not good enough for Mme. Clarkson.

Since 1995 the costs for operating the Governor-General’s office have doubled from $10-million to $20-million. On top of the $20-million, Mme. Clarkson’s office also receives an additional $15-million from other departments.

Included in these figures is $10-million from the National Capital Commission for “renovations.” In 2001, the NCC spent $2.6-million including $29,242 for a new dining room carpet, $55,171 on repainting, $32,000 on furniture repair, $7,787 on drapes and $40,300 on fabrics. Then there were costs associated with the gardens at Rideau Hall, including $77,290 for “landscape consultants.” Mme. Clarkson also spent $43,449 for a new rose garden, $9,318 for top soil, $63,000 for other shrubs, fruit trees and emerald cedars and $32,665 to install beech trees. Finally, Mme. Clarkson spent $1,299 on snowshoes and $378 for storage of her fur coats.

Of course, Mme. Clarkson will be best remembered for her three-week “Quest for the Modern North Tour” in the fall of 2003 to Russia, Finland and Iceland. The trip was taken despite the Governor-General having no foreign policy or foreign representative function as the Queen’s representative in Canada. With husband John Ralston Saul, 22 staff members, and 59 luminaries like Bob Rae and Michael Ondaatje, the junket was expected to cost $1-million. The final tab was $5.3-million.

Birthday

well my birth certificate says so...so it must be true



Hmmm interesting analysis...well if my horoscope says it...it must be true!!

It's really amazing that if I look into my character traits according 2 astrology (Pisces)...a lot are true...not everything but al lot...I'm also very close to Aries...and I definately have a lot of Aries in me as well...but u kno wat? I can read my horoscope 4 the day and somehow relate it 2 my life...then turn around and say...yes there is truth to this. The truth really is that I can read ANY horoscope and come to the same conclusion. As a matter of fact if i go 2 my daily newspaper's horoscope section...cut out the zodiac names...libra...pisces....aries...etc. Then cut out each and every horoscope and mix them all up...i challenge any1 to pick 1 and try and guess which 1 is theirs.

Now some people live day to day based on their astrological forecasts. Literally millions of sites on the internet dedicated to astrology and horoscopes. There are an infinte amount of books and readings published on the subject including daily guides. So if it is written there must be sum truth behind it...right? Or shall I take it like that saying says...don't believe everything u read. Things that make u go hmmmm

In reality this is really what I think about astrology...i think there is sum truth to it but I wouldn't base my daily life decisions on it. I think sometimes when all else fails...its good 2 read ur horoscope but do not put 2 much emphasis on what it has to say. Use it as a reference rather than as a rule. Some people will swear by it. Some people will not date some1 based on the fact that their zodiac forecast says...cancer and virgo (for example) do not get along. I think that's going a little overboard. Every1 is different...yet the same in certain ways. If u click...u will know it...and no book or internet site can tell u otherwise. This is not only true about people but about anything and everything. Use ur judgement...and if u have no judgement...well then time will tell.

Labyrinth

Labyrinth


Labyrinth

What a super cool word !!! The definition according to www.dictionary.com is:

An intricate structure of interconnecting passages through which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze

This is pretty much the way I see the world and everything it contains...hence my name...which i also proudly own on 1 of my email addresses...just wanted 2 let every1 kno the reasoning behind the word as well as my signature :)

Jetsgoed

Jetsgoed: To be screwed, stranded, left upstream without a paddle

The Oxford Dictionary 4 the English language should soon add a new word to its database…JETSGOED, meaning to be screwed, stranded, abandoned, left high and dry, stuck or marooned (take your pick). Midnight March 4th, the Canadian airline Jetsgo filed for bankruptcy protection. In the wake of this it grounded its entire fleet of airplanes…stranded 17 000 passengers all over North America and told its 1400 employees they were now unemployed. This literally happening overnight with absolutely NO WARNING!!! Any1 who had airline tickets for that day on Jetsgo could’ve used them as a bookmark to chapter 11…YOU ARE SCREWED because they were utterly useless 2 be used for any other function. Those people had to dish out more money to fly another airline to go where they needed to go. To further exasperate the problem, Jetsgo had the audacity to sell tickets up 11 pm on Thursday, March 3rd just 1 hour b4 announcing that they were closing their doors !!!!

HOW ON EARTH DUZ THIS CRAP HAPPEN?!!! For a regular company I can understand…but for an airline this can not be allowed. In my opinion the federal government should assume immediate temporary responsibility if a company such as an airline decides its going belly up. For at least a week or 2…the government should assume responsibility of all operations just in order to get the people where they need to go.

Jetsgo was owned by a guy named Michel Leblanc who first created an airline back in 1986 called Nordair Metro who eventually renamed the company Intair…in 1990 this airline ran into financial trouble and despite rescue efforts from the Quebec Government closed its doors.

In 2000 Mr. Leblanc creates Royal Aviation which turns into Canada 3000…within a year that company filed for bankruptcy…in the exact same fashion as Jetsgo it left 11 000 customers stranded and almost 5000 employees jobless. Only 1 year later…Leblanc launches (with no financial backing) Jetsgo…4 years later…deja vue.

Jetsgo offered the lowest fares over its competitors Westjet, Air Canada, and Canjet but recently compromised its safety as a result…Transport Canada had issued a notice to the airline giving it 30 days to correct maintenance problems…Just last month a Jetsgo plane skidded off the runway in Calgary. A week ago a jetsgo plane aborted take-off in Toronto because an engine failed, and the very next day there was an oil leak on another plane in Florida caused Jetsgo to divert the entire flight. Jetsgo’s fleet was one of the oldest in the market and it was beginning to show with no plans of upgrading in any sense....the mounting debts to its creditors eventually led to its demise.

Leblanc’s response to every1 who had been “Jetsgoed” : “Unfortunate”

Thanks Asshole !

-BK

Thanks Stereo Girl

Altho I never met her...I have sabs to thank 4 in beginning my blog...I may not ever update this thing ever again but that's besides the point. Sabs is frum my hometown of montreal who i met on a site called hotornot. We "matched" and we added 1 another to our msn's. I think it's safe to assume that I've been deleted and blocked from her msn list due to the fact that I never see her online anymore :( I think my lack of communication with her probably had a lot to do with it)...nevertheless...she has her own blog going and yes i read it daily or weekly...bottom line is I'm pretty up 2 date with her random thoughts. Sometimes her blog will make me laugh and other times it'll make me think...whatever the result...it never seems 2 ever bore me. So based on that I figured maybe I'll start my own but regardless of where this 1 goes...I'd like 2 say a special thanks 2 sabs 4 providing better entertainment than anything on Fox...CBS...NBC...or ABC 4 that matter...btw the spelling errors are intentional on my part(so get use 2 it)...at least 4 the common words such as...wat...kno...peeple...altho...etc

i write em like i pronounce em

Bellow is her blog and her pic...I won't sho her face cuz maybe she wouldn't want me 2 :)

figuring out how 2 post a pic took me 4ever btw

http://asthediscoballturns.blogspot.com/

Stereo Girl