Alright, we know it's Christmas and it's a time for family, fun and celebration. But who says it can't be fun to complain about the government during the holidays Sometimes it's healthy to vent frustrations over the Christmas season in a bid to dispel negative vibes and foster a renewed energy for change in the new year.

We just couldn't resist jotting a few of the most annoying government-created problems.

Number 10: The Crown Scare
Everyone watched in disbelief as the NDP ran an election on raising fears about the possibility of the Saskatchewan Party privatizing crown corporations. The reality is that private companies tend to be more efficient, flexible and better capitalized.

Number 9: The Bingo Boondoggle
The province invested $6 million in electronic bingo equipment and the whole concept went bust and all was lost. What's even more confusing is that the same scheme was tried in other provinces and failed.

Number 8: Mind's Eye Entertainment
On top of a substantial tax subsidy given to all Saskatchewan film productions, the province owns a stake in a movie company. Said movie company recently entered into protection from its creditors.

Number 7: Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA)
The organization currently enjoying a monopoly on Saskatchewan casino operations plays fast and loose with taxpayer dollars. Year after year the Provincial Auditor calls on SIGA to implement fundamental business controls. CEOs of private companies would be fired in an instant under similar circumstances. So should SIGA CEO Ed Bellegarde.

Number 6: 'Our Future is Wide Open' ad campaign
From the day it was announced, the province's ad campaign to turn our frowns upside-down was criticized for being a phony taxpayer-funded campaign to re-elect the NDP. More recently, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) exposed rampant over-spending on the campaign, and government deception on how it was being paid for.

Number 5: Land Titles System
$18 million was budgeted for the system, and $110 million has been spent-and it still doesn't work! Earlier this year the CTF revealed that land titles bureaucrats were flying to places like Hong Kong and Albania trying to sell the system.

Number 4: Sasktel's Max TV service
The government-owned phone company is now a television broadcaster and competes with private operators. So far, $62 million has been invested, yielding only 10,000 customers. Even more worrying is the fact that the technology is already outdated, as it can't broadcast high-definition television.

Number 3: Government liquor stores
Here's a dumb idea: Let's pay unskilled workers ridiculous salaries so that they can sell us booze. Alberta privatized theirs, and yielded more jobs, more revenues for government, and more privately run businesses.

Number 2: Provincial debt
Since Calvert took over, nearly $1.5 billion has been added to the provincial debt. It's likely they will raise taxes in the new year to try and make up this shortfall, even though they are collecting more taxes than ever before in history.

Number 1: School taxes
In virtually every other province, schools are funded through general revenues. Sask residents are burdened with onerous school taxes. Watch for the government to raise the PST in the new year to "offset" a reduction is school taxes. The CTF's message is simple: cut school taxes by cutting spending, not by raising other taxes.

Happy holidays from the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation!