Let 'em go

I am mildly dismayed to see the Canadian GP left off the sched., but in light of the deteriorating track conditions and perennial threats and bribes to keep it on the island, I'm happy to see some Asian / Middle East country fork over the subsidies instead. I've always said if the government wants to "help" support the arts, industry, sports, entertainment whatever...cut everybody's taxes and let them direct money to the things they value most. Of course, such widely dispersed voluntary measures wouldn't help desperate politicians in the middle of a tight election race which is why it will never happen.

It is interesting to wonder whether running tobacco sponsorship out of the sport ended up shifting the big money burdens back on governments (and ultimately taxpayers) but in any event, by leaving a big North American sized hole in the tour, there's the possibility that with a fresh sheet of paper, others may take the lead in bringing F1 or even NASCAR to Canada in the future. Could Alberta's Oil Patch become the next generation equivalent of the tobacco giants?