tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708375.post994008838999830507..comments2024-03-28T03:54:21.932-04:00Comments on Canadian Cynic: So how much is this costing us?CChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11406057201126015750noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708375.post-16320140644864964032010-01-04T19:33:38.839-05:002010-01-04T19:33:38.839-05:00Perhaps a ballpark number would suffice. As long a...Perhaps a ballpark number would suffice. As long as it is backed up with proper reasoning (such as done in this post) then I think you can get to a number that's somewhat close to the exact number.<br /><br />Don't forget to include savings such as trips to Ottawa not made, lower electricty bill of the Hill etc, no dramatic savings but those will make the final $ number more trustworthy.Erikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15012567844101960274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708375.post-31671057972772305842010-01-02T12:37:23.830-05:002010-01-02T12:37:23.830-05:00Seriously, is there someone who's willing to c...<i> Seriously, is there someone who's willing to crunch the numbers?</i><br /><br />No. Even if someone is willing, deciphering government spending (or any corporate spending, for that matter) is a nightmare at the best of times (I was hired as a research assistant in grad school for six months just to find out whether spending for one particular program had increased or decreased in constant dollars over two decades). And now with Herr Harper in charge, someone who won't even allow the parliamentary budget officer to do his job and who's shut down the FOI request process, it's impossible. And that's not even taking into account the fact that the Harpies lie, all the time, about everything. They even lie when they don't really have to.<br /><br />I generally settle for how well government is living within its means. That the Harpies had racked up a <i>structural deficit</i> before they engaged in debt-financed stimulus spending is proof that they don't know what they're doing. As if we needed any more proof that "Conservatives" are the worst financial managers there are.Ti-Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06620550471437012866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708375.post-88380102694795125932010-01-02T10:20:37.608-05:002010-01-02T10:20:37.608-05:00The point that needs to be made to Canadians, thou...The point that needs to be made to Canadians, though, is that the New Conservatives don't care about the financial waste because they don't believe government works, anyway. They are there to destroy all things perceived of as Canadian. That goal forms the basis of the Reform ideology.sooeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07259420303500863081noreply@blogger.com