The federal government, and Corrections Canada, seems to have an overabundance of my tax money to spend:

Correctional Service Canada is setting up inmate-operated tattoo services at six federal prisons, including one in Kingston, to stem the spread of infectious diseases such as hepatitis C.

Corrections officials say they know prisoners have long used odd objects for tattooing, such as old VCR motors and the casings from pens. They say there's no way to guarantee the cleanliness of such items.

The director general of health services for the Correctional Service says an estimated 40 per cent of inmates will receive a tattoo during their sentence.

"Those who are not infected are exposed to potentially acquiring disease while they are in prison," said Dr. Françoise Bouchard. "Then we are increasing the risk to the general population when they're going back in the community."

My first tatoo cost me $75. My second one was bigger, and cost me $150 (worth every penny!). Since this is ridiculous project is going to be organized by a government body, I can only speculate that each tiny "maple leaf" or "heart" or "mom" is going to cost tax payers $500. Why? Who knows?! Everything goes up in price when it's a government idea - that's just the way it is.

I was reading an article this morning (I'm on news overload, and can't remember where) that said Canada may have to increase tuition costs and have less government money involved in our universities. I remember thinkg to myself "Do you think with the leftover money, the Government will cut taxes?" And the I realized that no, they won't. And they won't put that former university money into the hospitals or the police budgets or the military. No, instead, the money will be used to fund a study into the psychological effects of being a child born to a one-eyed, one-legged, black albino mother and a father who smokes, and who lives north of Kujuak. Because that's what our government does. They do not pass the savings on to you (they are not Wal Mart). Instead, they find an absolute waste of a study or organization that could easily be funded by local charities, and they pour my money (and yours) into them, without ever dropping me a line to say "Hey, here's the plan - what do you think?"