Do you know where YOUR health tax is going?

Christina has some pretty harsh words for Dwight Duncan this morning - Duncan Doles out Surplus:

In his fall economic outlook released yesterday, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan reported revenues are up $2.6 billion. Coincidentally, the so-called Ontario Health Premium raked in $2.6 billion in 2006-07 and is projected to bring in $2.7 billion in 2007-08.

( . . . )

So who did Duncan give that extra money to? Hint: He didn't give it back to me and you. No, yesterday the government announced $3 billion in hand-outs -- to businesses. That's right, they're speeding up the elimination of the capital tax for the manufacturing and resource sector.

She call it the 'Reverse Robin Hood' - "Your health tax money goes to give fat-cat banks and other businesses a tax break." Oh, and of course Duncan slips his pal David Miller a "bail-out", according to Blizzard.

Well the Liberals have never denied that most of the so-called "health" premium or tax goes into General Revenues, so her story seems plausible. That fact was highlighted by the Globe during the past election:

...what the Liberals call "a health premium" is really a surtax that goes into general revenues, with only a notional allocation to health care.

Personally, I'm not going to get worked up about this. Uncle Dalton and his well-paid friends knows what's best. To be fair, Ontario does need to do something to mitigate the exodus of manufacturing, but as Christina says, let's call it a business assistance tax or a transit tax or a even a 'keep Liberals elected' tax. But don't call it a health anything when the money goes to general revenues - left to dole out for the most politically expedient cause of the day.

So if your kids have to go without this winter because of the health tax, just feel warm knowing that you're doing your part to bail out big business and David Miller.

It's the Ontario way.

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Update: Record - Let Santa Dalton keep on giving.