If you go on a spending spree and max out your credit cards, you’ll have to either renegotiate your debt, make more income, or cut spending. This is pretty much what has happened in Ontario. With a deficit and debt that need tending, the governing Liberals are going after the obvious suspects: teachers.

The Minister of Education says “the province will save $250 million in the first year of the agreement and $540 million in the second, provided all teachers’ unions follow suit”, meaning if all teachers get in line with the Catholics (who just finished kneeling before the false god Dalton McGuinty and accepted a self-flagellating contract that stripped them of three decades of gains).

That adds up to $790 million over two years. This represents the following: a two-year wage freeze plus a wage cut and a drastic reduction in sick time. There are other baddies in the bag, but this is the biggest grab into our wallets.

Hmm. The E-Health scandal cost $1 billion and the government just cut a cheque for $180 million to shut down a power plant (this might have saved them a few seats and their little minority). Oh yeah, I forgot “the province has spent $730 million to operate Ornge since 2006, plus $300 million in capital expenditures for a fancy headquarters and more helicopters and planes than Ornge [an agency that provides emergency medical helicopter services and was run like the Exxon Valdez] itself said were required. Taxpayers are on the hook for that debt.”

So now teachers have to help pay for this garbage- governing. This is true everywhere (Spain, Greece, Ireland…) when a few public-sector employees get to pay for the excesses of politicians and the buying of votes and privilege.

This is a little like parents getting out of hand with the family finances (partying, expensive clothes and holidays) and then telling the kids they have to forfeit their allowances to help clean up the mess.