Taxpayers' dollars spent to save taxpayers money??

I think the dumbest idea ever has to be TakeCHARGE NL. The purpose of TakeCHARGE is to help people save money on energy. Does this make any sense? First of all, every night on TV they present this stupid advertisement featuring talking insulation, and thermostats making bad puns. I've seen this commercial countless times, and the basic point is to tell people it's a good idea to save energy and money! But how many millions of dollars does this useless organization cost taxpayers? I want someone to tell me because I think they have an obligation to make people aware of this.

Not only do they spend tons of money on TV commercials during prime time, they spend money sending out brochures, maintaining an internet website and facebook page, and employing many people. This is total waste, and here's why.

PEOPLE WANT TO SAVE MONEY ANYWAY!!

Seriously, what makes this group think that unless they TELL people to save money, people will just waste it instead?? People are naturally inclined to reduce their energy bill. Private companies can easily sell cost-saving equipment and people will want to purchase them! It annoys me to no end that some "central planners" think that unless they help you make financial decisions, you will be completely helpless.

The irony is that they spend millions of YOUR dollars to tell you to save money. Seriously??

This program probably makes some people feel better. They feel they are "helping the environment", etc. The problem is this should all be voluntary, not paid for our of hard-earned tax dollars.

But what about the people who don't care enough about saving money on energy to research it for themselves? I think by asking that question, it is answered! If someone doesn't CARE about saving money on energy, that's their problem. They can pay for it.

We don't have advocacy groups telling people how to save money on groceries, or on cars, or refrigerators. People WANT to save money on their expenses, no government bureaucrats have to tell them to. It's just one of the basic tenets of economics - people want to spend less!

To those who say this is not government funding, it's funding by Newfoundland Hydro and Newfoundland Power. News Flash: They are public companies. If these were private companies, they would encourage people to buy more energy, not less.

So do we really need government bureaucrats telling us to spend less of our own money? Are you kidding me??