By Rob Koci
There is something truly pathetic about grown men in suits whining for government handouts, especially when they are builders and you are working 15 hours a day trying to make a go of an honest, above-board renovation business without handouts. At a recent conference in Ottawa, representatives of the green building industry gathered to show a united front of whining and complaining that, though they represent the salvation of our environment and the answer to all that ails our economy, the government is not giving them enough financial incentive to build green. Their ardent claim is that they will create jobs. But do they mention the offsetting job loses that occur when your potential customers put off their home improvements to pay the increased taxes required to pay the green world’s consultancy fees. And I wonder also, if their vision of a green future of is so compelling and lucrative, why don’t they want to invest in it themselves? Why use taxpayer’s money?