The numbers game

Anonymous talking-pointer Red Rantingtory picks up a theme and a statistical factoid that have repeatedly been hurled in the face of residents of The Straits & White Bay North lo these past several weeks:

Red Rantingtory from Da Bay, NL writes: Trevor Taylor hit the nail on the head with this one. To see Yvonne Jones on TV you would think she is saddened and all torn up over this decision. When in fact she was the one who kept asking for a review of the system to get the service moved to Labrador, her beloved land.
In the end as Taylor said 163 million dollars spent in a district wasn't enough and never will be enough for a district that depends on government to much for it's existence. That mentality of government owes us something is prevelant and ramphant in the district. If 163 million is not enough then how much is? If you feel this isn't good enough and you voted in a Liberal hoping to get more then I suggest you made a mistake and will never be satisfied, no matter what any government does wether they be PC or Liberal.
Right now you have a Liberal who is quickly finding out that he can do nothing in opposition. He told you he could do better and to vote for change and as Taylor said change is what you are getting.
Posted 11/05/2010 at 1:21 PM

Let’s do the math here: $163-million over six years works out to $27-million per year for the district, or about 0.6% of all provincial government program spending.

But all things being equal – not that they are equal, but play along, here – all things being equal, you should expect one district to receive 2.1% of all provincial government program spending. One district, there are 48 of them; 1/48 = 2.1%.

There is, of course, a much bigger implication with the eagerness of Trevor Taylor and the other talking pointers to throw these figures around. Not only do the cite the $163-million for Triv’s former district, the Minister of Labrador Affairs has taken up tossing out a comparable statistic for the four districts which in the aggregate make up Labrador.

So, for how many other districts has Danny Williams-Government compiled these statistics?

And to what purpose, besides – or in addition to – bashing His own subjects for their insolence and ingratitude?