It's being called a "profoundly gloomy" outlook on Ontario's financial situation. The former TD Bank economist Don Drummond has released his 362 point plan that he says must be followed for Ontario to prevent plunging into a debt crisis like Greece. Among the measures affecting the majority of Ontarians are: bigger class sizes, higher electricity and water bills and making seniors pay for prescription drugs. Drummond says the province needs to cut program spending by 16.2% for every man, woman and child. Among the measures in the report: HEALTH -Cap growth of health-care spending at 2.5 per cent each year to 2017-18 -Increase the use of home-based care -Make the portion of pharmaceutical costs paid for by seniors rise more sharply as income increases -No increase in total compensation for Ontario's doctors, the best paid in the country EDUCATION -Cap growth in primary and secondary education spending at one per cent each year to 2017-18 -Cap growth in post-secondary education spending at 1.5 per cent each year to 2017-18 -Cancel the full-day kindergarten program, or delay full implementation from 2014-15 to 2017-18 -Increase the average class size from 22 to 24 in Grades 9 to 12 and from 24.5 to 26 in Grades 4 to 8 -Set the cap in class size at 23 in primary grades and eliminate the other requirement that 90 per cent of classes must be 20 or fewer OTHER -Cap growth in social services spending at 0.5 per cent each year to 2017-18 -Decrease program spending in all other areas by 2.4 per cent each year to 2017-18 -Higher water bills to recover the full cost of water and wastewater services -Begin charging for parking at GO Transit parking lots -Eliminate the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit "as quickly as possible'' -Consider having security providers take over police officers' "non-core'' duties -Close one of the two casinos in Niagara Falls and one of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's two head offices
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