Most of British Columbia experienced some summer-like weather recently and, as a public service, I offer my annual "cold water for the face" commentary. Since I work for an organization that sorts through government waste almost daily, I am almost used to the abuse of taxpayer dollars. So, here is a random splash of cold water to remind us all of tax dollars that could have been better spent elsewhere (or not taken from taxpayers to begin with,) and other statistics useful to remember. Some of it results from research done by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, while other numbers result from clippings filed under "government boondoggles."

$40,000: The amount needed for a custom crane to lift out a blown engine on the "fast" ferry Discovery, an engine no longer under warranty.

$40 million: What the government hopes to get for each on of those three fast ferries.

$154 million: What each one of the three fast ferries actually cost to build.

$60 million: The debt of the BC Ferries Corporation in 1991.

$1.1 billion: The debt of the BC Ferries Corporation in 2000 (before the government swallowed the debt on taxpayers' behalf.)

$72 million: The annual subsidy from gas taxes (i.e., taxpayers) to BC Ferries Corporation. ("Hi. I'm a ferry corporation and I've been a taxaholic for-.")

40%-50%: The percentage of your gas tank fill-up due to tax.

Unknown: The cost to taxpayers for former premier Glen Clark's legal bills in various lawsuits. (The government refuses to release such information.) Note to aspiring lawyers: Taxpayer-funded defense of politicians is a growth industry.

$200 million: The additional cost to taxpayers for students if the BC government ever shut down independent schools and forced those students into the public school system. (Note to Education Minister - please write the following on the blackboard 100 times: "Choice is good and independent schools save taxpayer dollars.")

Half a million dollars: How much of taxpayers' money the government was willing to give to CUPE in a secret deal if they would forget about striking and thus making life easier for government.

$1,077,750: The amount of money given to GOLF Atlantic Canada by the federal government through a federal ACOA grant.

$327 million: The latest estimated cost (ten times the original) of the federal gun registry, which assumes criminals would register their weapons if politicians ask real nicely.

21.3%: How much of the average Canadian household's income goes to just personal (not sales, business, property or user fee) taxes. That compares to 19.6% for shelter expenses and 11.4% for food.

$13,614: A federal Millenium Projects grant for the Flight of the Passenger Pigeons, given to groups who would then give it to students to make paper mache replicas of extinct pigeons.

$50,000, 12%, and 57%: The top 12% of all tax filers (those who earn $50,000 or more) pay 57% of all taxes. (Note to federal and provincial finance ministers: This is what is known as steeply progressive taxation. Punishing successful Canadians in this manner isn't exactly going to create jobs.)

$2 billion: The amount of direct subsidies to business in the federal budget.

$401.7 million: The additional taxpayer money Via Rail (which uses 19th century technology) will get in the first five years of the 21st century, all because Transportation Minister David Collenette likes toy trains. (Via currently receives $170 million annually in taxpayer subsidies.)