One reader responded to my recent column about the study the CBC released about the economic impact of the corporation’s $1.1 billion budget. Followers of this blog who did not read the piece may wish to know that I pointed out in that article that you get roughly the same economic impact from throwing $1.1 billion from a helicopter over the cities of Canada. This image inspired the reader to suggest “Ten moral advantages of throwing money from an aircraft instead of giving it to the CBC”:
1. It would not favour those who would think of spending money extracted from taxpayers to curry favour with politicians elected by taxpayers
2. It would do more for the CBC’s climate change agenda than the CBC itself by discriminating in favour of those who walk to work instead of driving
3. It would favour those committed to healthy habits such as jogging or cycling
4. It would save healthcare dollars by encouraging people to spend less time in their chairs
5. Its multiplier effect would be all the greater because the money would be tax-free
6. It would save money on bureaucracy–just think of the CBC’s large bureaucratic costs
7. It would encourage Canadians to see the country first hand, scurrying around the country looking for money from the sky, instead of relying on secondhand reports from the CBC.
8. With Canadians seeing the country for themselves, there would be less need for local programming and the CBC would be sheltered from the unfriendly comments of “Friends” of Canadian Broadcasting about the Corporation’s cuts to local stations
9. It would bring unity to Canada because, unlike broadcasting, money from the skies creates no barriers between language groups
10. It would end CBC-style union strife because who would want to go on strike at the risk of missing out on free money coming out of the blue
The only downside I can think of is that some people, seeing manna from heaven, might confuse Harper with God.
On the other hand, if they confused the Governor of the Bank of Canada with the Almighty, that might not be so bad.
