Don Cherry and Howard Cossell would have enjoyed talking about the lop-sided match that occurred this week when taxpayers went a few rounds with government in the annual federal and provincial budget dust-ups. Unfortunately, this time government size and strength won out and taxpayers come out on the losing end.

First, taxpayers took a whack to the wallet from Prime Minister Stephen Harper when he delivered "Big Government Conservatism" in a budget choc-a-block full of spending. Then taxpayers took a knockout punch to the paycheque from Premier McGuinty when he delivered a big-spending so-called 'budget for the poor'. Taxpayers would have been revived by broad-based tax relief but that relief never came and taxpayers have been left reeling on the ropes.

When asked why his budget failed to offer even a $100 tax reduction, Premier McGunty derisively referred to tax cuts, as 'trinkets and baubles'. He compared giving tax cuts to the despicable habit of early explorers like Lewis and Clarke. They would trick Indian bands by trading with worthless 'trinkets and baubles'. To those struggling to pay the premier's giant health tax, a tax cut is neither worthless nor a trinket or bauble.

Instead of tax relief, Mr. McGuinty stayed true to form with his free-spending ways. During his term in office program spending has climbed insanely, up $18 billion with total spending now standing at a mountainous $91 billion. This spending bonanza makes it very clear that the premier never met a program he didn't like or a tax he didn't hike.

Do Ontarians remember when Dalton McGuinty signed the Taxpayer Protection Promise Do Ontarians remember that he broke this promise

On September 11, 2003, Dalton McGuinty signed a pledge that stated, "I, Dalton McGuinty, leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario, promise, if my party is elected as the next government, that I will: Not raise taxes or implement any new taxes without the explicit consent of Ontario voters and will not run deficits. I promise to abide by the Taxpayer Protection and Balanced Budget Act." Instead, with no remorse, with no apology, and with no apparent regret, Mr. McGuinty broke his balanced-budget promise for three straight years. Only now, in his final year, on the eve of an election, has he finally balanced the books.

Balancing the budget three years late is no great feat when the provincial treasury is swimming in revenue. Mr. McGuinty's method of operation has been: the more taxpayers send the more he'll spend. Personal income tax revenues have soared over the last four years - up a whopping 42%. Corporate tax revenues are up a staggering 58%.

It is time that Mr. McGuinty recognized that tax relief for Ontarians is not a trinket or a bauble but a reasonable expectation of a people tremendously over-taxed. Taxpayers want to get off the ropes and back into the fight. Mr. McGuinty could do this my returning some tax fairness to Ontarians by eliminating the health tax that, during the last election, he promised never to introduce.