What's the deal with the traffic here?????

[Greysholic]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

What cities fit this mold?

Beijing? Shanghai? Hong Kong? Taipei? Seoul?

[bostonkid123]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

In large part, it's political rhetoric delivered in the form of a marketing scheme. Vote me in and "I'll lower your already-too-high-taxes." In reality, the American experience is "a la carte". If you starve yourself of the sides, you can have a remarkably high quality meal for cheap. But that sucks over the long-run because you can't live like that forever.

Our transportation, education and healthcare are all too expensive respective to quality because we do not contribute and invest enough. Part of it is fiscal responsibility as well (war is expensive!). Regardless, other countries will continue to pass us in those areas and that will greatly affect the QOL for Americans (it already has).

On the one end, I agree that Canadian and U.S. taxation levels are more outliers than the norm in the context of western industrialized societies. Taxation for your average joe in Canada/U.S. is actually quite simple - a nominal sales tax (in some provinces/states not even that) and an annual income tax. For corporations, both Canada and the U.S. offer some of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world when you factor in the myriad of exemptions and deductions. Canadian corporate tax rates are already at an all time low today compared with 1970s and 80s levels. So, this prevailing "our taxes are too high" rhetoric really doesn't stand up to scrutiny when you look at the actual taxes paid by corporations as a proportion of their revenue.

On the other end, I also see and sympathize with the fact that a good portion of the dollars collected by our governments are not well spent. I'm not implying that there is ingrained corruption - but rather the careless manner in which taxpayer dollars are being utilized by certain government agencies simply because it is part of their "allotted annual budget" (with the mentality that if you don't spend it this year your departmental budget may get axed the following fiscal year).

[AJNEOA]

Originally Posted by bostonkid123

On the one end, I agree that Canadian and U.S. taxation levels are more outliers than the norm in the context of western industrialized societies. Taxation for your average joe in Canada/U.S. is actually quite simple - a nominal sales tax (in some provinces/states not even that) and an annual income tax. For corporations, both Canada and the U.S. offer some of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world when you factor in the myriad of exemptions and deductions. Canadian corporate tax rates are already at an all time low today compared with 1970s and 80s levels. So, this prevailing "our taxes are too high" rhetoric really doesn't stand up to scrutiny when you look at the actual taxes paid by corporations as a proportion of their revenue.

On the other end, I also see and sympathize with the fact that a good portion of the dollars collected by our governments are not well spent. I'm not implying that there is ingrained corruption - but rather the careless manner in which taxpayer dollars are being utilized by certain government agencies simply because it is part of their "allotted annual budget" (with the mentality that if you don't spend it this year your departmental budget may get axed the following fiscal year).

I'm not sure how it works in Canada, but Americans also pay property taxes which can be very significant. Still relatively low for worldwide standards.

But what you're saying makes sense. And while I know there is a ton of corruption in American politics, I take issue with the lack of investment America is making in comparison to Canada. Canada has a solid education system (better than the US in most ways), health insurance covered, far lower crime, and better infrastructure on average. Investment into public spaces within cities, investment into transit rather than pouring money into endless roads, and just a better QOL.

If America could have an honest review of the tax structure, make some good decisions around the larger problems (like war funding), and then start to improve schools and infrastructure, people would probably be more open to an increase. But America is not in a position to invest in the future TBH. We are failing politically and financially.

Toronto appears to be making some good steps toward infrastructure change. When someone or someplace can make a stand and make change like that, it's pretty powerful.