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I'm going to step away from the normal theme of this site (being online journalism) and rant about something a bit more political.
Ontario's provincial government has been following on an intense schedule of fiscal management. It's meant closing shelters for women and the homeless, reducing the amount of people eligable for social support, and relaxing environmental policies.
And despite this, the government mailed out a tax-free cheque of up to $200 this month. The money was raw from the public coffers as a Taxpayer Dividend, and was a key part of the government's 1999 election platform.
The cost for this is close to $1 billion, this while the projected debt is $121 billion.
The Minister of Finance, Ernie Eves, wrote to the recipients of this money encouraging them "to spend, save, invest or contribute your Taxpayer Dividend in any way you choose."
I have and encourage you to do the same: donate the money to charity.
If you live in Ontario, the $200 donation would give you a 17 percent tax credit, while any extra money you donate would get a 29 percent credit.
Since it's found money, you won't miss it, but it could make all the difference to those receiving your donation.
