[PublicAnimalNo9]

andyt andyt:

Bart is so out to lunch with the HST. If anything, it was a chance for business to gauge consumers. Which seems to have happened, because I sure didn't see any price drops when the HST was brought in.

Were you seriously excpecting to see any? Seems we heard that same line of bullshit when the GST was implemented.

[andyt]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

andyt andyt:

Bart is so out to lunch with the HST. If anything, it was a chance for business to gauge consumers. Which seems to have happened, because I sure didn't see any price drops when the HST was brought in.

Were you seriously excpecting to see any? Seems we heard that same line of bullshit when the GST was implemented.

Of course not. But then people shouldn't be surprised the vote was against the HST - there was just so much bullshit flung about how wonderful it was, when the average consumer didn't see any benefit. Never mind the pre-election "we won't bring in HST" to the immediate post election "if we don't bring int the HST we're all doomed" crap.

[bootlegga]

Curtman Curtman:

bootlegga bootlegga:

Well, coming from the only province in Canada without a sales tax , I wouldn't know how bad a gouge the HST was - which, IIRC, was simply the GST and PST added together into one charge.

You suckers actually believe you're getting a deal still? Everything costs 10% more and you're happy about saving 7%. Still paying for health care too?

It could be worse - I could live in Manitoba and think that I lived in a 'have' province.

No, we don't pay for health care any more - and we still have lower income taxes (and again, no sales tax) than you guys.

Yeah, sure some things cost more here (real estate for one) than in other parts of the country, but others cost less (like gas, food, etc), so it's a wash IMO.

Alberta isn't Shangri-la, but we have it pretty damned good in this province. Probably the only thing that would make it better was if we had a coastline and climate like BC.

[andyt]

bootlegga bootlegga:

It could be worse - I could live in Manitoba and think that I lived in a 'have' province.

No, we don't pay for health care any more - and we still have lower income taxes (and again, no sales tax) than you guys.

Yeah, sure some things cost more here (real estate for one) than in other parts of the country, but others cost less (like gas, food, etc), so it's a wash IMO.

Alberta isn't Shangri-la, but we have it pretty damned good in this province. Probably the only thing that would make it better was if we had a coastline and climate like BC.

Yep. And next time oil tanks, (if it does) you'll have an immediate financial crisis again because you've become used to a high spending government with low taxes. You're not investing your oil profits in the future, the way Norway is, but living from paycheck to paycheck. Still better than most provinces that go into debt of course.

[Zipperfish]

I love the lame excuses by the retailer . "Economy of scale" my ass buddy.

If you want to sucker Candains in, just levee the prices the same, but stick a "Sale" sign in the window.

[bootlegga]

andyt andyt:

bootlegga bootlegga:

It could be worse - I could live in Manitoba and think that I lived in a 'have' province.

No, we don't pay for health care any more - and we still have lower income taxes (and again, no sales tax) than you guys.

Yeah, sure some things cost more here (real estate for one) than in other parts of the country, but others cost less (like gas, food, etc), so it's a wash IMO.

Alberta isn't Shangri-la, but we have it pretty damned good in this province. Probably the only thing that would make it better was if we had a coastline and climate like BC.

Yep. And next time oil tanks, (if it does) you'll have an immediate financial crisis again because you've become used to a high spending government with low taxes. You're not investing your oil profits in the future, the way Norway is, but living from paycheck to paycheck. Still better than most provinces that go into debt of course.

I agree, that's one place where the Conservatives (since Lougheed anyways) have really slipped - they keep almost every penny of resource income and don't reinvest any of it into the Heritage Trust Fund.

And the Alberta economy is far more diversified now than it was in the 1980s (the last time a big drop in oil prices really hurt the province). Still, we've got no debt and $16 billion or so in the bank - I can't think of anywhere else in Canada that can say the same.