Government of Ontario Advertizing

Izzy Sommers, MD[retired]
7-140 Elmview Street, West
Welland, ON L3C 4K7, Canada
TEL: 905-788-2237
EMAIL: canadizzy@yahoo.ca

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

The Editor
The Welland Tribune
228 East Main Street
Welland, ON L3B 5P5, Canada
EMAIL: tribune@wellandtribune.ca

RE: advertizing by the Government of Ontario

Dear Editor,

A few minutes ago, the announcer on Cogeco Channel 7, CITY-TV, closed the advertizing flurry of about 2 minutes by quietly declaring that, "This programme is brought to you by the Government of Ontario." There were no additional comments, requests or encouragements regarding a product or a service. What gives?

As far as I know, the structure of the Ontario Provincial Government is set down by law and allows no other organization to govern Ontario. This makes Ontario a monopoly. All moneys are collected by Revenue Ontario and I believe, except for shared money from the Canadian Government, funds collected by Revenue Canada. As far as I know, Ontario, and Canada, are allowed to levy new taxes, and increase old taxes, to cover it's expenses. Since both Canada and Ontario chronically spend more than they collect, they are in deep debt most of the time and are therefore committed to borrowing money and paying interest. They are also allowed to reduce old taxes and abolish established tax programmes. This happens, but it's rare. Tax collection is very serious and the imposition of penalties and interest and the padlocking and seizure of properties and businesses are real threats and realities. This a source of income for governments. Profits are prohibited and frowned upon by governments and citizens, alike. What is allowed, however, is a technique, "Delay," used by insurance companies and banks. This technique makes a lot of money for governments, insurance companies and banks. Demanding taxes immediately while delaying, or even denying, payouts, like pensions and medical benefits, makes millions, perhaps billions of dollars, on a continual basis. Perhaps “Delay” is what keeps the government from declaring bankruptcy. Perhaps that’s what represents their “Deep Pockets.” Private businesses cannot do this for years and years and would have had to close without such “Deep Pockets.”

So what's the government doing advertizing itself when there's no competition? Is this just a small part of the "waste" and "overhead" which seems to be the tradition in most governments? Are they cold-bloodedly advertizing bankrupt, inefficient and collapsing health, welfare, pension, drug control and education programmes, as if to hoodwink the taxpayer to think he, or she, is getting a bang for his, or her, buck? Are they subtly advertizing how efficient they are in collecting taxes and creating huge debts, simultaneously? Are they advertizing some of their successful money-making schemes like taxes on booze, gambling, gasoline and cigarettes, thereby encouraging us to participate? Is it an ironic mistake that one, or more, of our legislators who imagine that the government is a farsighted, creative, bound to be successful entrepreneurial organization? Have I and my fellow citizens, somehow missed the concept that we should be proud of the enrichment of some, or all, of our members of parliament, at our expense?

I believe it is illogical for the Government of Ontario to advertize. In the old vernacular, there's nothing in it for me, or for us! In fact, it may be detrimental to us in terms of what it’ll cost us. Local, interprovincial and international tourism is a worthwhile idea for which to advertize, but the announcer didn’t mention it. Though it's true that Ontario is a beautiful place and a relatively peaceful and bountiful place in which to live and to which to visit, the policies of the Government are actually threatening to make it otherwise. Advertizing by them is part of that threat...

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,

Izzy Sommers, Welland, Canada