Unless my families "fiscal gap" is taken care of by the government I am going to buy a flag and flag pole, put the flag up and the immediately take it down. Then I am going to stomp my feet and hold my breath until I am blue in the face. The last two seem to have worked for Premier McGuinty.
...The Martin government is offering an additional $3- billion a year for at least the next three years to the Ontario government in response to its demands to close the so-called $23-billion gap in taxes and federal spending, a senior Ontario aide says.
The aide said the $3-billion-a-year offer is being viewed as "an opening offer" as Premier Dalton McGuinty enters into talks this afternoon with Prime Minister Paul Martin on Parliament Hill.
...Mr. Martin and his colleagues have been cool to Mr. McGuinty's claims, arguing that Ontario pays more into the federation simply because it is wealthier than other provinces.
The Ontario leak about the opening $3-billion offer from Mr. Martin was dismissed by one of his senior aides as "untrue."
"This not accurate and therefore can't be coming from someone who has actually been involved in the discussions. Our focus is less on the numbers right now than the issues.
Is there anyone who doubts that PM Martin won't cough it up? The feeding trough is wide-open, assymetrical federalism is running wild and the only loser is...is...you and me, the taxpayer.
