Ontario will have $22.6B in 'excess funds,' could be used on programs or debt, FAO says
Ontario will have $22.6B in 'excess funds,' could be used on programs or debt, FAO says
Glad to hear it, now re-invest it into public services like healthcare and transit where it's sorely needed.
... and education, infrastructure, social programs, addiction treatment, low income housing, etc...
...but instead it's being hoarded to be transferred to private companies and individuals.
For this government, cutting funding in health, education, social services and infrastructure is intended to make them all fail so that privatization is the only answer. It's not some kind of accident or unexpected surplus. They are starving us.
Well it's not great. That $22.6 billion comes from not committing funding to any one thing and sticking it in a contingency fund. Since those funds aren't earmarked for any particular program services that rely on government funding have difficulties planning for the long term when funding relies on the largesse of the government in any particular year and those generous gifts can be taken away and bestowed to somebody else in the next calendar year. It makes programs reliant on being in the government's good graces and hopeful that funding their program advances the government's goals, much like nobles of old backstabbing each other to stay in a monarch's good graces.
No no no... it won't be used on programs or debt. It'll be used to reward those supporters of the duly-elected government who graciously contributed vast amounts of money to the election campaign. All together now: Huzzah to the lobbiests!!
With bill 124 scrapped, the public service unions are using their contract reopener clauses to negotiate retroactive wage increases. That should make a dent!