Some great highlights from Mintz' article today:
"The first question — how much to tax — depends on spending. In my view, Alberta does not have a revenue problem, but it does have a spending problem. In the past decade or so, spending outstripped nominal economic growth by a wide margin, with generous public salary compensation and inefficient delivery of public services.
Health care is a perfect example, which accounts for over 40 per cent of Alberta government spending. While Alberta spends more per capita on health than almost all other provinces, the Canadian Institute of Health Information has shown that health-care delivery in Alberta is mediocre among the provinces.
More spending does not necessarily mean better public services.
.....
Specifically, Alberta should switch from income to consumption-based taxation, whether user fees, excise taxes and especially a sales tax....And let me repeat: None of the tax reform revenue should be used to reduce the deficit. The government must learn to deal with its spending problem."
Read more:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/busines...#ixzz2KiarXJAA