Divide and conquer
Budget promises are funny animals. Today, the provincial government showed off a shiny new budget that included a measure where they would pay for bus transport. Now, the fine print shows this is not exactly true. What is offered is to give a tax subsidy to any company which institutes a program to fund public transport fares for their employees. The company must create and administer the program in one of the few areas of the province that has a public transit system. The employee will not be fiscally penalized for participating in such a program. The figure given for such a measure is utopist.
In reality, the number of bus fares that will eventually be paid by such a program is extremely low. In my building, I am solo. One out of fifty. I will be very surprised to see a program instituted for me. Meanwhile, the rest of the public will believe they are paying to cart me around, as a share in a multi-million dollar waste, because I already take the bus so no further incentive is really needed.
You see the beauty of this. The government has announced a measure that will cost very little, look wonderfully “green” in print and in the end will make others jealous of something I won’t receive. A perfect sleight of hand.
