Ontario Circus

February 2, 2009
Well McGuinty finally came clean today and said we would be in deficit mode for several years. Unfortunately its probably the first time he has ever told the truth. I guess you can't hide a $5 billion estimated deficit.

This government has been a train wreck from the first time it was elected and yet it seems to stay in power. How is that? Someone suggested to me its because the other 3 parties are even less desirable. That may be true, however I am sill shocked that anyone but McGuinty isn't a little better. Think about this for a second, Ontaio will go into major annual deficits for an extended period of time and what will we have to show for it? New roads? more houses? Pan Am Games? An auto industry on continual life support? Highest post-secondary costs in Canada? Increased transfer payments? Highest unemployment in Canada? Hospital lay offs (while our population will surge in elderly) the list goes on for ever. This guy would hav ebeen fired eons ago if he was running a corporation.


Auto industry running on empty

The Toronto Star contends that Premier Dalton McGuinty's $500 million auto-investment fund (nearly half of which went to General Motors) was money well-spent, and speculates on what the industry might look like today had the provincial government not forked over taxpayers' money to secure $7 billion in new automotive investment – thereby enabling Ontario to overtake Michigan as North America's No. 1 auto producer.

The editorial conveniently neglects to mention the fact that much of that $7 billion in investment and increased production came from new Canadian auto manufacturers like Honda and Toyota, which, instead of laying off workers, are expanding their workforce and providing new jobs without the benefit of direct government handouts.

Defence of the Ontario government's decision to provide corporate welfare with no strings attached to the Big Three automakers is somewhat misguided and short-sighted. McGuinty's plan has only enabled uncompetitive vehicle manufacturers and overpaid CAW workers to continue building gas-guzzling, smog-producing behemoths that nobody wants for a couple of more years, and has only served to postpone the inevitable decline of these dinosaurs.

Instead of building vehicles in Ontario that no one wants to buy, perhaps this province should take the lead in producing more fuel-efficient or hybrid cars?

Premier Dalton McGuinty, with the help of the federal government, should encourage auto manufacturers to make vehicles that are needed for the future, not for the past. Both Ottawa and Queen's Park should be financially supporting new transportation technology that is good for the economy, the environment and the workers of Ontario.

Or are they more interested in collecting their share of the profits in the form of gasoline taxes?