The B.C. Government spent $48,000 of your tax dollars last year to bring the TV show Entertainment Tonight Canada to Vancouver for a three-night series of live broadcasts, October 24-26, 2011.

Read that again: the B.C. Government spent $48,000 of your tax dollars to bring an entertainment “news” show to town.

Sigh.

According to documents released on the government Freedom of Information website (requested by a member of the media—bless you, kind stranger), Tourism BC paid for:

• 16 flights for ET Canada's Toronto based crew =approx $16,000
• Media rate accommodation (includes breakfast) at Coast Coal Harbour Hotel for ET Canada crew times approx. 90 nights =approx. $12,000
• Ground transfers with Vancouver All Terrain for ET Canada guests (note: ET Canada is responsible for covering cost of flights and accommodation for their guests) - approx. $2,800
• Car rental from Budget - approx. $1,000
• Rick Graham's fees and expenses for Scout #1 - $4,341
• Rick Graham's fees and expenses for coordinating and escorting for the live broadcast dates - $12,000

That totals $48,000 of your hard-earned tax dollars.

Apparently Tourism BC was hoping to promote Vancouver as a destination for viewers—claiming ET Canada has a viewership of 500,000 people across Canada, mainly women.

Tourism Vancouver, which also receives tax dollars, apparently sponsored a wrap party.

In an economic downturn, I can think of roughly 48,000 better uses for this money.