Now we've already met our committments to our Partner Charities for the fiscal year. This is New Money. And as the company, I get to decide where it goes.

Since I grew up in a disadvantaged area called North Central, I think it's incumbant upon me to put this money back into the community.

What I'd like to do is charter a small jet, and fly a dozen or so kids (and a parent or guardian) down to Toronto for a 3-Game Bluejays Series. It would be a jazz, giving these kids a weekend in The Big City they would never be able to afford, and would probably never forget.

What my conscience tells me is that I should use this money to establish a Summer Job Program, putting local kids to work in the community - fixing it up and that sort of thing.

It's a tough choice. As you know, I support Jobs For People, but a kid is only kid once. What price do you put on a Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience? Is Work-Experience and income in a disadvantaged neighbourhood more important?

I don't have a lot of time to think about this. Whatever I do, logistically speaking, I have to start planning it now.

Opinion?

[ February 03, 2002: Message edited by: Dennis J. ]

I think Quik Silver has a good idea -- take a little from column A and a little from column B, balance it out some.

I don't agree about the Roughrider game though. Lots of people donate tix for that, and the "Rider Rookie" section is also fairly cheap. But the Jays are special, and I liked the idea of an extra-special time. The kind of thing that I never had as a boy.

At this point I'm leaning towards the Summer Job Program. For the same price as the Jays trip, you can buy 8 weeks full-time work for 15-20 people. That just might make a difference to the community.

I'm not doing this to be Joe Good-Guy. I HATE paying taxes! Especially to the FEDERAL government. Personally, I think executive federalism is a concept whose time has come, and gone. So if I can put a few bucks into the community and keep them out of the greedy grasping hands of Revenue Canada, I'm more than happy to do it. So please don't lavish praise where it's not necessary. This is a business decision for me. Like choosing an accounting firm, or a lighting supplier.

-Where's Spellchecker when you need it?

[ February 04, 2002: Message edited by: Dennis J. ]

[ February 04, 2002: Message edited by: meades ]

quote:

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But the Jays are special,

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Yeah, I remember those days.

The main branch of The Regina Public Library was originally built "Through the liberality of Andrew Carnegie." I estimate I've invested in excess of ten-thousand hours there over the years in my attempt to compensate for the lack of a formal education.