[Thanos]

Bring in a sales tax. But only if it's countered with a minimum 10% cut in business and middle/working-class personal taxes. The layers and layers and layers of taxes have to be stopped somewhere. Want to know the core reason why Gen X and everyone else after the Boomers will have much-diminished lifestyles? It's because we're stuck paying three or four times more just to survive than what the generations prior to us had to shell out. It's too much, it's simply too fucking much.

[DrCaleb]

llama66 llama66:

You are right. We should have a sales tax.

Please excuse me, I have to lie down. I just advocated for a new tax.

You aren't wrong. Economists have been telling us for years that the way off the oil rollercoaster is a small provincial sales tax.

But Kenney would rather end the Police Services agreement, create a new police force, claw back Albertans Pension funds, create a Provincial Revenue Agency - all expensive things - rather than implement a sales tax.

[uwish]

Thanos Thanos:

Bring in a sales tax. But only if it's countered with a minimum 10% cut in business and middle/working-class personal taxes. The layers and layers and layers of taxes have to be stopped somewhere. Want to know the core reason why Gen X and everyone else after the Boomers will have much-diminished lifestyles? It's because we're stuck paying three or four times more just to survive than what the generations prior to us had to shell out. It's too much, it's simply too fucking much.

bingo!

[uwish]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

llama66 llama66:

You are right. We should have a sales tax.

Please excuse me, I have to lie down. I just advocated for a new tax.

You aren't wrong. Economists have been telling us for years that the way off the oil rollercoaster is a small provincial sales tax.

But Kenney would rather end the Police Services agreement, create a new police force, claw back Albertans Pension funds, create a Provincial Revenue Agency - all expensive things - rather than implement a sales tax.

as compare to even the most conservative estimates of transfer payments over the decades?

[DrCaleb]

uwish uwish:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

llama66 llama66:

You are right. We should have a sales tax.

Please excuse me, I have to lie down. I just advocated for a new tax.

You aren't wrong. Economists have been telling us for years that the way off the oil rollercoaster is a small provincial sales tax.

But Kenney would rather end the Police Services agreement, create a new police force, claw back Albertans Pension funds, create a Provincial Revenue Agency - all expensive things - rather than implement a sales tax.

as compare to even the most conservative estimates of transfer payments over the decades?

Yes. If you think creating our own mirror agencies to the ones the Feds already have will be any cheaper added to the trend of Alberta Conservatives with their hand in the cookie jar then; I can only assume you haven't been paying attention.

A provincial sales tax, and reduction of federal income taxes is faster and cheaper, with less overhead.

[uwish]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Yes. If you think creating our own mirror agencies to the ones the Feds already have will be any cheaper added to the trend of Alberta Conservatives with their hand in the cookie jar then; I can only assume you haven't been paying attention.

A provincial sales tax, and reduction of federal income taxes is faster and cheaper, with less overhead.

Alberta does not control that...

and yes I know it is not cost effective but hey Qc does it and they are just about balanced in there budget, thanks to Alberta ...

[fifeboy]

Thanos Thanos:

Bring in a sales tax. But only if it's countered with a minimum 10% cut in business and middle/working-class personal taxes. The layers and layers and layers of taxes have to be stopped somewhere. Want to know the core reason why Gen X and everyone else after the Boomers will have much-diminished lifestyles? It's because we're stuck paying three or four times more just to survive than what the generations prior to us had to shell out. It's too much, it's simply too fucking much.

Does that include 23% interest rates on a home loan? That's what I paid in the '80's!

[bootlegga]

llama66 llama66:

You are right. We should have a sales tax.

Please excuse me, I have to lie down. I just advocated for a new tax.

I'd be happy with the one the Liberals proposed in the last election (same as the one conservative Jack Mintz unveiled a few years ago) - 4% PST and every Albertan gets a $56,000 provincial income tax credit.

That makes it revenue neutral for most Albertans (except the top 20% or so) and brings in about $1.5 billion every year from tourists and non-resident workers (TFWs and other Canadians).

[herbie]

How exactly does "revenue neutral" help Alberta?
You just had a gov't that threw away a revenue stream with the carbon tax. A refusal to implement a sales tax (or your revenue neutral idea) might increase consumer spending, but that only helps collect more GST. Without a PST Alberta gets nothing.

[DrCaleb]

uwish uwish:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

Yes. If you think creating our own mirror agencies to the ones the Feds already have will be any cheaper added to the trend of Alberta Conservatives with their hand in the cookie jar then; I can only assume you haven't been paying attention.

A provincial sales tax, and reduction of federal income taxes is faster and cheaper, with less overhead.

Alberta does not control that...

With a minority government, anything is possible.

uwish uwish:

and yes I know it is not cost effective but hey Qc does it and they are just about balanced in there budget, thanks to Alberta ...

And that's why it can never be cheaper. If Quebec is balancing their budget with our money, what do we have to do that with, and how are creating new levels of bureaucracy going to be cheaper?

[DrCaleb]

herbie herbie:

How exactly does "revenue neutral" help Alberta?

It's revenue neutral for Albertans. Not for everyone.

[uwish]

because it won't cost ~$11B annually which is the estimates of transfer payments..hence cost less (but agree not as efficient)

[Thanos]

fifeboy fifeboy:

Thanos Thanos:

Bring in a sales tax. But only if it's countered with a minimum 10% cut in business and middle/working-class personal taxes. The layers and layers and layers of taxes have to be stopped somewhere. Want to know the core reason why Gen X and everyone else after the Boomers will have much-diminished lifestyles? It's because we're stuck paying three or four times more just to survive than what the generations prior to us had to shell out. It's too much, it's simply too fucking much.

Does that include 23% interest rates on a home loan? That's what I paid in the '80's!

Taking out a mortgage is a voluntary act. The government doesn't force anyone to buy a house. Taxes though? That's as compulsory as it gets.

[herbie]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

herbie herbie:

How exactly does "revenue neutral" help Alberta?

It's revenue neutral for Albertans. Not for everyone.

I thought the object was to increase the provincial coffers? Not gonna get much from only effectively taxing people from elsewhere working in Alberta.
Better to maybe cut the Provincial tax rate on people making less than 60K and increase it on those making over 60K.

[Thanos]

Because $60K a year, before taxes, is rich according to some.