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by Jay Arthur
(The following letter was found in a blue box at the North Pole. It seems to have been missed by its intended reader.)
Dear Santa,
As our annual gift-fest fast approaches, I was just wondering what we might expect to see in our stockings from the Ontario Government?
The municipalities have been very good this year, Santa, and really haven't made too much fuss about Uncle Mike playing golf and chewing cigars when he should have been at work. They haven't complained about all the extra chores they now have to do, often without any increase in their allowance. And on the costs of recycling and other programs they have behaved very well, and have promised to show up for the WDO meetings to perpetuate the myth that they will have meaningful input to any decisions made there about their programs.
So, dear Santa, it would be really nice if you could talk with Aunt Lizzie, and Uncle Mike (if you can track him down), and make sure local governments are near the top of the goodies list.
We certainly appreciate that there have already been commitments made to their rich relations, even if we do have a $5 billion deficit. And we do appreciate that there are some--quite a lot actually--who would like some help with their schooling. So money will be tight.
But, it's not as if the Ontario Government--or should we say the Ontario taxpayer--would have to shell out any money, is it? If we understand Bill 90 correctly, the plan is to have the industries whose packaging and products find their way into the blue box pay some of the costs of running the program.
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