Tag: taxes

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Politics

Tax cuts are job cuts: a running total

On 20 February 2019, Jason Kenney, then the Official Opposition leader, said in a press conference that if elected, a UCP government would conduct a performance review of Alberta Health Services within 30 days of taking office. 

“With the most expensive health system in Canada, I believe we can find some savings to do things more efficiently without affecting front-line services.”

Jason Kenney, as reported by Dustin Cook. “Jason Kenney calls for Alberta Health Services review, says UCP will not make cuts to health care”. Edmonton Journal. 20 February 2019.

He reiterated in the press conference, “If we can find the money, there will be increases in the health budget. There will be no cuts.”

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Lethbridge SCS

My response to “SCS isn’t to blame for crime problems”

Yesterday, someone wrote a letter to the editor of the Lethbridge Herald. This person is dealing with drug addiction and was providing some insight from that perspective on the benefits of the supervised consumption site, as well as addressing some myths.

Naturally, the online version of the letter received negative feedback, many with the same, tired myths and rhetoric. I thought I’d address some of them here. 

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Categories
Politics

Tax credits don’t help taxpayers

Must be a federal election. The Conservatives are promising tax credits again, and disguising them as tax cuts.

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Politics

Rhetoric around Indigenous people hindering progress

During the Macleans/CityTV federal leadership debate, Andrew Scheer, was asked whether he would implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada if elected. While he did indicate in his response that he found UNDRIP to be an important provision with “many laudable goals”, he also said the following:

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Politics

How landlords exploit renters

People don’t agree with me when I tell them that landlords exploit their renters to make money.

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Politics SCS

My email to the SCS Review Committee

The Alberta government established a Supervised Consumption Services Review Committee to evaluate the social and economic impacts of current and proposed supervised consumption sites.

This committee is touring the province, and receiving in-person feedback from public engagement sessions. They held two in Lethbridge, and although I attended one, I didn’t speak at the mic. They offer online submissions, as well as email submissions via SCS.Review@gov.ab.ca.

Here’s the email I submitted:

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Categories
Politics

Debunked: 4 myths about undocumented residents

I believe in open borders. And by that, I mean that people should be free to enter into any country they want. Governments seem intent on advocating for free trade, which gives inanimate objects more freedom than people have.

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Politics Racism

Debunked: 4 myths about Indigenous people

A few months ago, I was discussing the concept of “a little bit racist” with a friend on Facebook. Before long, the conversation turned to Indigenous people, and his discussion points started to incorporate common myths white people believe about Indigenous people.

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Faith crisis poetry

The Castle on the Hill

  1. A castle sat upon the hill, where all the power lay:
  2. The storehouse, armoury lay inside, the treasury, every day.
  3. The ruler and his dozen knights would tax the peasants poor,
  4. Would take a portion of their food and money for their store.
  5. They promised safety from their foes, protection from the night,
  6. But told them when to build a wall and when to run or fight.
  7. They the makers of the swords, the helmets, belts, and shields
  8. They the holders of the keys, the oil, and the seal.
  9. The town, in time, began to grow, too big to keep control,
  10. And people died or wandered off or fell in empty hole.
  11. It soon grew clear the ruler dear cared not for every one,
  12. For those who died or became lost, the ruler mourned but none.
  13. In fact, the ones he thought to save were those who knelt before
  14. In adoration, loyalty, allegiance evermore.
  15. From these he chose his guards and chiefs and up the ladder climbed,
  16. And if they worked and kissed enough, they, too, were knights in time.
  17. But there were some who did not die or wander through the mist,
  18. Nor did they bow or heed the beck or betray their heart with kiss.
  19. They stoked their fire and scraped for ore and forged their own sharp sword,
  20. And shaped a shield, a helmet, too, a breastplate for the war.
  21. They pressed their oil, and cut their keys, and carved out their own seal.
  22. Then walked away, just one by one, to find a place to heal.
  23. They were free now of the tax, the burden of the knights,
  24. Their own heads high, their own hearts sure, and ready for the fight.
Categories
Politics

2007 Conservative Tax Plan

The Canadian government issued $60 billion in tax relief this week. Here’s a brief breakdown.

  • GST cut one percentage point to 5 per cent, effective 1 Jan 2008
  • Personal income tax cut retroactive to Jan. 1, 2007, cutting lowest marginal tax rate to 15 per cent from 15.5 per cent
  • Jump in basic personal exemption to $9,600, retroactive to 1 Jan 2007, increasing to $10,100 in 2009
  • $10-billion in federal debt relief
  • One percentage point cut in corporate tax to 20 per cent in 2008
  • Reduction in corporate tax rate to 15 per cent by 2012
  • Small business income tax reduced to 11 per cent by 2008

Overall, a good tax plan. Apply surplus to the debt, cut corporate tax, and reduce income tax.

A couple of comments though.

Generally, I agree with corporate tax cuts. I am especially intrigued by the plan to have the lowest corporate tax rate of any industrialized nation. I am just not so sure giving a blanket tax cut is th right idea. I believe what we need is more diversity in our economy. Our economy is still very heavy in manufacturing (despite the western boom in energy). Blanket tax cuts will encourage manufacturing companies (and export companies for that matter) to use the extra surplus to compete with our strong dollar. Hopefully, they’ll use the surplus to invest in mechanisms that will help them as the dollar pushes higher, but I am sceptical it will get used for much more than profit.

I’d like to see tax structures in place that encourage more economic diversity, so we can prosper no matter the position of our dollar.

The second comment was toward personal income tax. I am glad they are raising the personal exemption amount an decreasing income tax for the lowest tax bracket. when we consider, however, that they raised the income tax for the lowest tax bracket and lowered the exemption amount when they first took power, it’s hardly much of a cut. It brings us back to nearly what we were at when the Liberals were in power.

The GST cut is my last point. I disagree with it. I mean, honestly, 1% savings? How am I going to benefit from getting $1 back for every $100 I spend? Superstore gives me more back in coupons when I shop (e.g $30 for every $250 spent). The only way I can benefit from a smoke-and-mirrors cut like this is making large purchases like homes and vehicles, but these are not things I buy frequently.

How about cutting the lowest tax bracket to 14% and raising the cap to $40,000? Now, that would be a nice tax break. Oh, and make the universal child benefit tax-free.