Counting the Cost

As a former Science/Maths teacher I'm often caught calculating this and that instead of simply accepting things as they are.

It's true; if you stop to count the petals you may not appreciate the flower.

I do try and resist my natural urge to count and calculate at the drop of a hat falling with an acceleration due to gravity of 9.8 m/s/s, in order to experience the greater totality of life but the recent Federal government takeover of the Mersey Hospital sent my cogs whirring.

At $45,000,000 to service 35,000 people, it works out at $1285 each or about $4,000 per family unit.

All so they won't have to travel 60km to the next nearest hospital.

For that money the government could provide a fleet of chauffer-driven limousines to ferry the sick Merseysiders to Bernie; and throw in a comlimentary bottle of champers per trip to boot.

Now for a little algebra.

If T= the total government money available then T/20,000,000 is the amount of government money available to spend on each Australian.

If the good Burghers of Mersey get first bite to the tune of $45,000,000 then the total money avavilable is now T - $45,000,000.

Since (T - $45,000,000)/20,000,000 is less than T/20,000,000 then it follows that; you guessed it, YOU GET LESS.