Let's hope fiscal conservative councillors like Lloyd Ferguson and Robert Pasuta are out in force at tomorrow morning's council meeting.

If they're not, be prepared to see the city kiss $120,000 goodbye on little more than a feel-good whim.

That's roughly what it will cost taxpayers to provide free bus rides on two smog or heat days this summer, an idea approved at the committee level in a 4-3 vote yesterday.

The spur of the moment wienie was cooked up by Councillor Sam Merulla and wolfed down by Chad Collins, Bob Bratina and Russ Powers.

It passed in the face of opposition from Mayor Fred Eisenberger, Margaret McCarthy and Tom Jackson, who, quite reasonably, wanted to defer discussions about any new transit fare discounts

until the '09 budget.

It also passed despite acting city manager Joe Rinaldo's warning that the city is already facing a $7.6-million budget shortfall next year.

Will the two fare-free days be chosen at random?

How will the public be notified when the free rides are in effect?

Can the HSR make up the sudden loss of revenue?

Bad enough none of these basic questions were debated, worse still that not a single councillor had the wit or presence of mind to ask senior staff what they thought of the idea.

So much for careful planning and co-ordinated policy.

Mind you, the squandering could have been much worse.

Merulla originally wanted to provide free bus service for a total of seven smog days this summer.

He capriciously based that proposal on nothing more substantial than a shot-from-the-saddle guess from Scott Stewart, general manager of public works, as to how many smog days might be

expected.

(There were 31 smog advisories all last year.)

Merulla scaled back his scheme after Stewart noted it would cost $50,000 to $60,000 a day to provide the freebie and, yes, his department is already in a deficit situation.

The helpless glance exchanged between Stewart and Rinaldo as Merulla's two-day idea gained traction was almost poetic.

Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why ...

This is not to say that free transit on smog days is a bad idea.

As staff pointed out, when Windsor did it as pilot project in 2003, they reported increased ridership of 30 per cent to 40 per cent over four smog days and had to add extra buses to meet the demand.

Windsor's month-long program, however, wasn't the result of a passing fancy or quirk. It was planned ahead of time by the city and co-funded by Environment Canada.

Merulla may be on to something with the broader concept, but his rush to implementation is too devil-may-care to inspire confidence.

If, however, his proposal is ratified by council tomorrow, there will be one small perk buried in the knee-jerk splurge.

Never again will we have to take seriously Collins' budget-time lectures about fiscal responsibility.

It was Collins who seconded Merulla's proposal.

It's Collins' reputation as a fiscal watchdog that's now hovering on the brink.

Andrew Dreschel's commentary appears Monday, Wednesday

and Friday.

adreschel@thespec.com

905-526-3495