Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Although it will be hated it does seem inevitable.
Wynne knows that a balanced budget by 2018 is not only wanted but essential if Ontario is to keep it's credit rating.
I don't think a rise in the HST would be bad but the carbon tax must be handled carefully. Most don't have a problem with a carbon tax where you charge for polluters but what people dislike is when you don't reward those who don't. Most view a carbon tax as something that should be revenue neutral. Many believe it is a tax that is more about reducing emissions and creating a change in behavior and how people and business function.
Taxes are always hated but a carbon tax should not be implemented if Ontarians just see it as nothing more than a tax grab. if the amount raised goes back into infrastrucure like HSR to London or operational costs for transit then people will be far more receptive.
Although it will be hated it does seem inevitable.
Wynne knows that a balanced budget by 2018 is not only wanted but essential if Ontario is to keep it's credit rating.
I don't think a rise in the HST would be bad but the carbon tax must be handled carefully. Most don't have a problem with a carbon tax where you charge for polluters but what people dislike is when you don't reward those who don't. Most view a carbon tax as something that should be revenue neutral. Many believe it is a tax that is more about reducing emissions and creating a change in behavior and how people and business function.
Taxes are always hated but a carbon tax should not be implemented if Ontarians just see it as nothing more than a tax grab. if the amount raised goes back into infrastrucure like HSR to London or operational costs for transit then people will be far more receptive.
Frankly, the best way to keep the carbon tax ideologically pure and popular would be to implement it like they did in BC, where it was kept revenue neutral. That is, cut taxes by the exact same amount as the carbon tax raises, so no extra money is coming in. That makes the carbon tax impossible to criticize as a tax grab as it is a tax cut for most people, just shifting incentives to get a greener economy. If more revenue is needed, it should be handled by things like the HST increase, or other traditional taxes. Using the carbon tax to raise revenue muddies the water and poisons the true idea of the carbon tax.
[quote=mooguy;37516965
I don't think a rise in the HST would be bad[/QUOTE]
What's wrong with you, People! Being already taxed to the bone in Canada, is not enough for you? You want more!? Maybe a negative income is best, for the socialist, "common good".
McGuinty was completely incompetent and corrupt to the core and his mismanagement was obscene. That said, most of Ontario's woes have had relatively little to do with him, he simply made a bad situation worse.
The closing of plants to China is not unique to Ontario as every Western country can attest. Also, Ontario is a major manufacturing exporter and the value of dollar soared 60% in just 5 years. That meant that everything {mainly automotive} that Ontario exported to the US rose by 60%. Frankly its remarkable how well Ontario managed to keep most of it's manufacturing. Despite these problems Ontario still produces more cars & trucks than Britain, France, or Italy. This backed up by a major recession all hit Ontario particularly hard.
Ontario is still a very major manufacturing, financial, and research centre and has become a world powerhouse in terms of technological start ups and innovation.
What's wrong with you, People! Being already taxed to the bone in Canada, is not enough for you? You want more!? Maybe a negative income is best, for the socialist, "common good".
Objectively speaking, Canada only has high taxes when compared with America. Yes, many of us in America are spoiled to the core with low to non-existent sales tax in certain states, and yet we complain about why our infrastructure is falling apart...
Just for some perspective, Canada (Ontario) actually has one of the lower sales taxes in the world among OECD developed nations.
Germany: 19% Federal Value Added Tax on most goods and purchases
China (PRC): 17% VAT
Norway: 25% VAT
Denmark: 25% VAT
Netherlands: 21% VAT
United Kingdom: 20% VAT
Austria: 20% VAT
Turkey: 18% VAT
Spain: 21% VAT
So we have higher taxes and our infrastructure is also falling apart. I don't even know where to begin with this. On the local level we've had one issue after another in recent years, and time and again one hears it is because something is reaching or has reached it's maximum expected lifespan. And even better is all of the infrastructure that is about a century old. But apparently this older infrastructure that was put down around WWI is holding up better than that which is half as old. Go figure, the former was constructed when municipal taxes were low, provincial and federal funding minimal. But now we have high taxes and unionized construction that will inflate the cost of upgrading the system. It used to be that infrastructure was a means of civic improvement and creating a better society, now it's become a massive burden because of greedy and corrupt construction companies and the Communist-led unions.
You know what's a real ? Saying Canada isn't so bad because we have lower taxes than the quintessential Nanny States. Well, duh! The whole point of keeping Ontario (and Canada) from becoming a Nanny State is to stop us from trying to become like them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bostonkid123
Objectively speaking, Canada only has high taxes when compared with America. Yes, many of us in America are spoiled to the core with low to non-existent sales tax in certain states, and yet we complain about why our infrastructure is falling apart...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
