Cracking the Books: A Lesson on Government Spending

At the same time as kids are preparing to open their school books, the government of Ontario just closed its books for the last fiscal year 2007-2008. A review of the these books - the Public Accounts of Ontario - should worry taxpayers, as they reveal the McGuinty government has much to learn about managing public money. They subscribe to the school of 'if you send it, we will spend it'. Instead, a better lesson plan they should follow should be 'a penny saved is a penny earned'. If the government would get its spending under control it would have ample room for tax relief and debt reduction.