Come On People. Get Real

They are politicians. They need community support to get elected. They know who the movers and shakers are in the community and who can get out the vote so why shouldn't they smooze those groups especially when they are doing it with our money.

Ontario Liberals defend grant handouts
Six-figure amount
Lee Greenberg
CanWest News Service
Tuesday, April 24, 2007

TORONTO - The McGuinty government defended itself yesterday in response to questions about hundreds of thousands of dollars in unscrutinized grants to groups with Liberal ties.
The grants include $250,000 to the Ontario Khalsa Darbar, a Sikh organization in court over allegations of financial mismanagement, and $25,000 to an organization run by the common- law partner of Liberal MPP Bob Delaney.
"Clearly this money was going out to organizations that have very close links to the Liberal party, including, as we find out today, the wife of a Liberal member of the legislature," NDP leader Howard Hampton said.
"I would be very embarrassed to come here and advocate that government money be extended to my wife or another member of my family ? I think the integrity commissioner has to look at this at the very least."
Opposition MPPs accused Mr. Delaney of advocating for funding for his partner's organization on at least 19 occasions in the house.
Speaking with reporters, Mr. Delaney, whose partner, Andrea Seepersaud, is the executive director of the Inter-Cultural Neighbourhood Social Services, appeared nonplussed about his role.
"In each case when we read a petition, we run a draft by the ministry involved just to make sure there isn't any problem with it and there wasn't in this case," he said. "This organization is one of the crown jewels in our social services sector in Peel."
© National Post 2007