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All at Clearance Pricing. 1 5 Thursday, Septem ber 22, 2011 O A K V ILLE B EA V ER w w w .in sid eH A LTO N .co m Time is here to ask tough economic questions fFree pizza or MADD Setting financial priorities andbeing better money managers issomething families strive to do every year. This Ontario election period is a perfect time to extend that conversa- tion to our provinces fiscal manage- ment. A recent poll by Ipsos indicated jobs and the economy are the number one issue for Ontario voters heading into this election. Consumer and personal debt are at very high levels and families are being forced to make tough decisions. Families are constantly re-thinking how they will spend their money. Sometimes they have to adjust their spending habits by making diffi- cult decisions. Can they take that trip this year? How much can they put into their RRSP? Can they afford that kitch- en renovation? Do they really need that new car? Corporations are under the same financial spending pressures because many have been hit hard by the recent recession. Many companies are forced to take measures such as going out of business, merging, laying off a signifi- cant number of employees or other cost-reduction moves. Now nations are under the micro- scope. The United States had its credit rating decreased and many European countries require financial bailouts so they can continue paying their bills. Canada and Ontario are relatively strong compared to other places in the world, but they are not immune to economic hardship. They have to ensure they are as prudent as possible. Our standard of living is greatly dependent upon the financial strength of our province. Ontario provides us with education, health care and a long list of other benefits. Ontario is our partner in our overall financial planning process because of the many services it provides. Given that, are we happy with how it manages our tax dollars? Does it think with as much financial discipline as we do? Does it spend our money wisely? The best time to have this conver- sion is now; during this provincial election. Hard talk about serious issues is needed. Yes, there will be new fancy cam- paign buses, lots of town hall meetings and endless 20-second sound bites primed for the media. Everything should be open for dis- cussion. We will provide one example: should the Province be the sole dis- tributor of liquor? Tough issues like this are why dis- cussion is needed. Some will have very good reasons why liquor should be only sold through LCBO stores. Others will have strong arguments liquor should be sold through grocery and convenience stores. There are a number of factors that can influence this decision. There are the ongoing costs of the LCBO labour force, real estate costs, whether or not the tax revenue gener- ated from the sale of liquor would be greater if sold through other venues, or the concern of effective control against distribution to minors, etc. Just like family budget decisions, money isnt the only factor. There are quality of life issues that go beyond money. The Ontario government has simi- lar qualitative issues to deal with. Discussion is crucial so the various Today, Sept. 22, is Ginos Day in support of MADD Canada. In-store customers get one free slice of pizza for every mini- mum $1 donation made to MADD Canada between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Ginos Pizza is the newest national sponsor of MADD Canada's School Assembly Program. The 2011-2012 program, Damages, kicked off its national tour earlier this month. Damages and the French show, Dommages, will be seen by more than one million students across f the country over the course o this school year. Ginos Day will not only raise much-needed funds to support MADD Canada and our School Assembly Program, it will also raise a great deal of awareness about the dangers and terrible consequences of impaired driv- ing, said MADD Canada National President Denise Dubyk. Visit one of 60 Ginos Pizza locations in Ontario and make a minimum $1 donation to MADD Canada. For a list of Ginos Pizza loca- tions, visit: www.ginospizza.ca. issues and points of view can be raised and addressed. We hold the power because we, through elected representatives, make the rules. If it makes sense to continue the status quo then fine. If there is a better way, then we should consider it. As strong as the opinions many will have, this and other similar con- versations should take place. We need to talk about how our financial part- ner, the Province of Ontario operates. Our responsibility is to ask the questions. What are the issues that are important to you? Our concerns and ideas can con- tribute to having a stronger province. The stronger our province, the better it will be for all. Submitted by Peter Watson, MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI. In 1991, Peter founded Peter Watson Investments in Oakville. Peter can be reached at 905-842-2100 or visit the website at www.peterwat- soninvestments.com. Dollars & Sense By Peter Watson