Giving a real run..

A RUN FOR THE MONEY
A commentary on an old time idiom
“Getting a run for your money”
By Victor Drummond ©
July 2008

The subject idiom appears in a couple of variations i.e. (1) “Getting a run for the money”, and (2) “Giving a run for the money”.

Variation (1) could have connotations to betting on the ponies while variation (2) seems to relate to one’s ability to hold their own in a competition or comparison.

Everyone is entitled to give and to get:- “A run for the money.”

The 20th century brought with it another variation of: - “A run for the money.”
Those with a vested interest in promoting public health started the ball rolling with a series of commercials praising the health benefits of exercise.

Even the Canadian government got into the act by introducing health slogans and programs such as “Participaction”.

Once a significant number of young Canadians became infatuated with the idea of a daily jog the agencies involved in raising funds for worthy causes saw an opportunity to cash in on the fad. They organized fund raising “Runs” for everything from finding a cure for cancer to funding the finding of homes for stray cats.

Since the advent of Y2K hardly a week goes by without one fund raising run or another being publicized and there never seems to be a shortage of willing runners.

In some respects I suppose there are a number of real beneficiaries from these runs.

People participating in the run get a lot of exercise.

The sponsored charity gets their share of the money raised and the sports clothing industry sells a lot of running shoes, sweat shirts, shorts and the like.

Street vendors sell a lot of food and beverages to those who come to watch the event.

The media -- from newspapers to news television – provide a lot of publicity for these charity runs and whether or not it is paid publicity -- by the promoters -- the supporting media receives a considerably more material for their public information mill.

Also the Canadian government receives a slice of the action by way of the Goods and Services Taxes, (GST), generated before, during and following the run.

Last but not least those who contributed money to the fund raising event get to feel really good that they have justified their existence by performing a charitable deed.
So it seems a run for charity money gives a lot of people:- “A run for their money”.

Perhaps the solution to the problem, e.g. where a lot of honest, hard-working Canadians are being obliged to part with more money than they have – you know those victimized by the defective taxable benefit legislation – would be to organize a charity run for them.

Can you think of a more deserving group in Canada than those who have been taxed out of their life’s savings and even out of their homes in some cases?

Just imagine all the good that would be accomplished by publicizing a public run – with no funding involved – but with lots of publicity.

As before the runners, the vendors, the media and the government would all benefit for certain and the victims might even stand a chance of receiving a fair deal from the government.

If anyone reading this article is interested in organizing a run to publicize the plight of thousands of Canadians levied huge taxes on money they never received – then use the E-mail Victor Drummond link and/or the “comment” link associated with this posting and send me some details of your offer.

There is nothing the victims support group, e.g. “Canadians for Fair and Equitable Taxation”, (CFET), would like to see, more, than the government given:- “A run for our money.”

For more information on this issue visit the CFET web page at:- http://www.cfet.ca

Follow the petition and signature links to read victims and supporters comments.
Click on a few of the newspaper article links to read what some journalists have said on this issue.

Even if you are not inclined to organize a CFET Support Run – if you favour fair taxation for all honest, hard-working Canadians -- contact your friends of voting age and refer them to the CFET web page and encourage them to give moral support to this group.

Contact your Member of Canada’s Parliament to inform him, or her, you expect them to support the CFET objective of “Fair Taxation” for all honest, hard-working Candains.

See you at the next federal election polls O’Grady.
(Refer to posting of Jan 28/08 –O’Grady sez.)

Victor Drummond ©