Come on Steve, buy my vote too or at least try

Steve's government likes to announce things. And since they really don't like to talk to the press that much, unless of course there is a good patriotic, picture opportunity for Steve or some ministerial screw up or back room blunder that needs to explained, compared to worse misdeeds by the liberals and/or white washed, they profusely release proclamations via their Canada News Centre. This month alone, since May 1st, Steve and his gang have made close to 600 press releases.

For the most part these are somewhat trivial announcements covering traveling schedules, and statements of support for various causes, organizations and individuals. Everything from honoring hockey, to ongoing support of Cuban democracy (?), concern about world disasters, to a minister showing up in their local riding to open a library. Oh and stay away from Smith's Small Clubs and ground beef from the Paradise Halal Meat Market. But the site also announces how and where Steve is spending our money.

So far this month Steve has announced that he has awarded, granted, funded, promised and spent over a $1 billion dollars of our money.

The largest amount of almost $300 million went to a research program to develop ways to reduce damage to the heart from resuscitating oxygen-deprived newborns. With a newborn grandson, this is certainly important to me and I'm sure the rest of Canadians. But where did Steve decide to spend the rest of our billion dollars.

While April was all about awarding grants to ethnic community associations and career counseling for new immigrants (part of Steve's "our new immigration proposal is really for you" roadshow and promotion) May is getting down to hard core vote buying in key target ridings.

Well over a third (with more announced this week) of our billion dollars is going into key ridings in rural Quebec where Steve believes that he has a chance to either retain or garner new Quebec seats in the forth coming election. Recipients included tourism, societies, projects, infrastructure and initiative investments as well as direct support of select small businesses that I would assume make up the largest employer in some towns. (see list below). 

No wonder, I'm about to be living in a have not province. Unfortunately I live in the 905 and apparently the only way that Steve is going to even attempt to buy my vote is if I move to Whitby or Oshawa. Of course that could be Flaherty's own private promotional fund.

Yes Steve likes to announce things and similar to the crazy, right wing, neocons south of the border they actually tell you about how they are manipulating the system to their advantage. On the premise of course that the opposition can not afford to criticize in fear of loosing the riding and that we the citizens that are funding Steve's re-election campaign won't read what is in right front of us. 

I really miss the Liberals. They were like the cook in a mining camp, you expected them to steal some of the food,  just as long they didn't take it all, flaunt it in your face and the meals tasted good.

Unfortunately with Steve, it's flaunted in your face and you are left with nothing but a bad taste in your mouth.

Quebec Expenditures for May

$118 Million to Improve Productivity & Innovation

$86 Million to improve mfg productivity

$46 Million for tourism development

$32 Million to bolster Innovation Capabilities

$20.26 Million for Trois Rivieres project

$5.8 Million for Improvements

$5,15 Million for Waterworks Upgrade

$2.9 Million to help charities

$2.2 million for Water Filtration

$1.0 million for funding J. B. Martin

$175 thousand for Tourisme Abitibi

$175 thousand to Talkdynamics Inc.

$150 thousand transfer of gas exise tax

$130 thousand more excise tax transfer

$121 thousand again for excise tax

$115 thousand for infrastructure

$115 thousand to plastic company

$92 thousand award to ecological society

$51 thousand to radiator company

$50 thousand another company

$50 thousand in Funding to Brico-Lamine

$44 thousand to Entreprises Bizier Inc.

$41 thousand to Habitation de l'artisan

$37 thousand to Valléa d'Or

PS: Oh and the Maritimes also got a big hunk or at least PEI did ($270 million for infrastructure) must be conservative. No snipe, I like the Maritimes, but I prefer Hants County, Nova Scotia.