Good morning from the Region — three cities, one wire, zero time for small talk. Let's go.
### Your tax dollars bought a private jet and then it disappeared
So, the Ford government bought a private jet. Fine, maybe not ideal, but it happened. Here's the kicker: they apparently sold it for the exact same price they bought it for – $28.9 million – and now they won't show anyone the sale documents. "We've moved on," they said. Moved on from what? Basic accountability? This isn't some garage sale where you just say 'sold as is' and walk away. This is public money, our money, and frankly, it feels a bit… schmeary.
Here's the thing about this region: we're building an LRT, we're investing in tech, but we're also watching our property taxes climb like the CN Tower. When the provincial government is playing shell games with millions of dollars, it impacts the funding that comes our way for things like affordable housing projects in DTK, or the much-needed repairs on regional roads near St. Jacobs. It's not just about a plane; it's about trust and transparency, especially when those dollars could be doing some actual good here.
* **No Paper Trail:** The core issue is the refusal to release documents. If everything was above board, why the secrecy? * **Public Funds:** This wasn't a private enterprise; it was paid for by taxpayers, which means transparency is not optional. * **Impact on the Region:** Every dollar mishandled at the provincial level is a dollar that *isn't* going to critical local infrastructure or services in Kitchener, Waterloo, or Cambridge.
We need to know where our money is going, especially when we're constantly being told there isn't enough to go around for things that actually affect our daily lives, like transit improvements on the ION or support for local businesses in Uptown Waterloo. This isn't just a Toronto issue; it's a Region issue, because those are our provincial tax dollars disappearing into a policy black hole.
That’s your Buzz for today.
The gang at *The Morning Wire* really gets into these provincial decisions and what they mean for us here in KW – catch their take live at mornings.live.