Really stupid things the government did with our money

[Guest Peeves]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/13-stupid-things-the-government-spent-your-money-on.html

I've taken to reading just a couple at a time of the 99 in total.. Who could really take more without cutting their wrists. I wonder if we shouldn't have an Auditor General with the right to censure the government with a 'time out' Currently there is no recourse is there for such stupidity???

What can we really do? writing letters doesn't help. Unless you have a suggestion all I can do is constantly shake my head. I dare you to view the entire 99 without foaming at the mouth. Frustrating!

Still some are simply exquisite in their stupidity.

I.E. "JOB CREATION — Take this job and shovel money into it

No answer: Quebec gave IQT, a U.S.firm, $670,000 to set up two call centres in the province in 2000, but in July, ITQ shut its doors, laying off 1,200 employees. The reason: Nashville offered it $1.5 million to move south."

"Canada’s finances may be the envy of the world, but the bar is awfully low these days. Whether it’s Ottawa, the provinces or municipalities, governments across the country face horrendous deficits. We must tighten our belts, say the politicians. Austerity and cutbacks are the order of the day.

Only, you wouldn’t know it looking at this list. What follows is but a slice of the silly, wasteful, craven and often outright stupid ways governments at all levels spent taxpayers’ money over the last year. To find our 99 items, Maclean’s scoured press releases and auditor generals’ reports, contacted watchdog groups like the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, and waded through news reports, looking for examples where the money was either spent or announced in 2011. We also included a handful of egregious instances of waste that only came to light in the past 12 months, even if the actual cash was doled out in previous years."

Now I'm certainly not going to post them all here, but they surely deserve your attention.

Here in this post are just 13. I've posted a couple more to perhaps pique your interest. BUT WHAT CAN WE DO?

MAKEOVERS — What government will do to make itself look good

Brand bust: Two years ago, the government of Alberta spent close to $4 million to come up with a new slogan: “Alberta. Freedom to Create. Spirit to Achieve.” When Alison Redford became premier last year she scrapped the expensive, meaningless mouthful.

SURVEY SAYS — studies, polls and research on the public dime

Double trouble: The federal Finance Department and Privy Council Office separately paid Ipsos Reid a total of $200,000 for two focus-group surveys that both concluded: “Generally speaking, participants were not looking for a quick fix to Canada’s budgetary deficit.”

THE PAY SCALES OF JUSTICE— Spending on lawyers and judges

A real Thriller: Last January, the City of Summerside, P.E.I., filed a lawsuit against an American concert promoter over a worldwide Michael Jackson tribute concert that officials thought was going to kick off in their little town. The city wired $1.3 million in two separate payments to the promoter between 2009 and 2010 after they were allegedly promised that Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and Usher were lined up to perform in Summerside.

For Maclean's full list of "99 stupid things the government spent your money on," read Part One and Part Two of their story on macleans.ca.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/01/10/99-stupid-things-the-government-spent-your-money-on-iv/

[The_Squid]

That article is simply sensationalism. No substance.

Plus two of the pages of the article are broken links. Who wrote this.... an aspiring right-wing hack journalist?

[Guest Peeves]

That article is simply sensationalism. No substance.

Plus two of the pages of the article are broken links. Who wrote this.... an aspiring right-wing hack journalist?

Hack? I didn't see your handle on it.

There's lots of substance for criticism in my opinion in the MACLEANS ARTICLE.

I read it originally in the magazine. A good exposé piece.

This link works and the full 99 are available if searched from there.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/01/10/99-stupid-things-the-government-spent-your-money-on-iv/

/

[TheNewTeddy]

in-government regulation tends to produce waste. Do a search for - Al Gore David Letterman Ashtray - and you'll see what I mean.

[madmax]

Still some are simply exquisite in their stupidity.

I.E. "JOB CREATION — Take this job and shovel money into it

No answer: Quebec gave IQT, a U.S.firm, $670,000 to set up two call centres in the province in 2000, but in July, ITQ shut its doors, laying off 1,200 employees. The reason: Nashville offered it $1.5 million to move south."

Nashville Revoked the $1.6 Million dollar grant upon hearing of IQT actions in Quebec.

IQT screwed themselves.

I also wonder why the Article keeps switching IQT with ITQ?

Garbage in Garbage out.

Edited July 14, 2012 by madmax