spaced
Active Member
What?!? I think I agree with John Tory. What is happening to me? Maybe I've been reading The Economist too much.
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Sorbara Endorses 1-Cent Campaign
- Thread starter unimaginative2
- Start date
allabootmatt
Senior Member
I love how the Globe, which seems to be becoming increasingly right-wing (or at least on provincial-municipal issues) placed the heading "Raising Taxes" above the article describing McGuinty's refusal, and has characterized Dion as advocating "raising" the GST. Wow. Quite the successful spin job by the the PMO!
Disparishun
Active Member
Tory talks about using some of the Ontario surplus instead of the one-cent GST (well, PST). (The surplus was $2.3 billion.)
I mean, sure. For all our talk about the feds rubbing Toronto's nose in their $13.8 billion surplus, it's a bit ironic that noone has had anything to say about Ontario doing the same thing -- when Ontario is the one which runs the municipalities.
But Tory's idea is not nearly enough, because it's a one-shot deal. Last year Ontario ran a large surplus, okay. But the point of the one-cent campaign was to create a sustainable funding source. Hoping for a surplus, then hoping for crumbs of that surplus, doesn't quite do it.
doady
Senior Member
Tory is such a hypocrite. If he was able implement his religious school funding, there probably would be no surplus left.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
Because the Globe knows how to get readers. Accuracy has never been the strong suit of newspapers, and the Globe is no different in that respect.
Of course the GST should be increased - a point higher than it was originally set at. But that should come only with a corresponding decrease in income tax.
Beyond that, the issue is not about raising taxes, but redistributing them. The Conservatives have negated this possibility.
TrickyRicky
Senior Member
We all know the federal government taxes too much for it's responsibilities, the Province taxes about right and the municipalities get the shaft. But to say that the federal government should subsidize cities because that is where the surplus taxation goes doesn't really make sense either. Do we really want critical funding for city responsibilities to be handed out by the federal government, a body that Torontonians don't have direct control over? The 1 cent GST initiative just doesn't make any sense. How about instead the city lobby the federal government for more powers and control over areas of federal jurisdiction, similar to the new deal granted by the province? It might not make sense politically but practically they should be asking for a 1 percent of income tax, not a 1 cent of GST. Income tax is the holy grail of taxation powers. It is also the greatest source of tax power the Federal government has. People talk about the commodities boom and the federal surplus but look at where the money comes from, surging personal income taxes. Where do the overwhelmingly disproportionate number of high income earners in the country live? The GTA. It's not going to happen but if you want to involve the Feds you could go down this road.
P.S. There already is a 33 billion dollar federal infrastructure investment fund. To bad it is so small, so quick to include money already promised by the federal government, and so ideologically charged.
P.S. There already is a 33 billion dollar federal infrastructure investment fund. To bad it is so small, so quick to include money already promised by the federal government, and so ideologically charged.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
I see what you are getting at, but as cities are a provincial responsibility, it is the provice that should be moving on this issue. The one-cent GST issue is simply a call for investment equal to that amount of revenue. The federal government has responded by cutting the GST by that amount. This means that the province can respond only by increasing its taxes by the corresponding amount - which means that provincial governments must raise taxes (not politically popular - particularly when you promise not to do such a thing).
My rebated portion of the GST won't make me rich, personally speaking. But that sum total of one-percent of the GST would have made a nice infrastructure investment, and over the long run, that would have been much more noticeable to everyone.
My rebated portion of the GST won't make me rich, personally speaking. But that sum total of one-percent of the GST would have made a nice infrastructure investment, and over the long run, that would have been much more noticeable to everyone.