PC funding plan is mighty bad. But how is Liberal plan any better?

Dalton McGuiny told the Association of Municipalities of Ontario that a Progressive Conservative government would mean that Ontario municipalities will find themselves back in the Mike Harris days of cost cutting and downloading, the Toronto Star reports.

Cost cutting for sure.

But I am not sure how McGuinty's funding plan is any better.

According to the Auditor General, the funding plan of the Liberal government would see a sharp reduction in overall spending increases (from 7.2% over the last eight years to 1.8% for the next two) That's quite a tumble, to a level of increase that is less than the government's inflation forecast (and 60% of the inflation rate right now). Programs outside of health care, education, post secondary / training, and social services will see decreased funding: reducing spending 1.8% annually for Justice and 5.6% annually for all other programs.

That is one heck of a hit for Ontario municipalities, who depend on cash from the provincial government.

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