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Originally Posted by Antithesis
I have to disagree with the list of needs that you've provided. I can see a car being a need, but I think there are ways to get around it. A computer is definitely not a need as far as I'm concerned, and extra money to play sports in order to keep kids active certainly is not. There's all sorts of things you can do to stay active that don't require you to spend any money. It all boils down to people's definition of 'need', and how they are willing to acquire those needs.
With the exemptions to things that are truly needs (such as food items and the like), I really fail to see how a consumption tax would be more punitive to the poor than the rich. Of course, I'm far from an expert in such matters.
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I totally agree. Cars and iPads and computers aren't needs. I'm sorry if that comes across as harsh, but its the truth. Funnily a lot of people don't have a car by choice. People rent by choice also, and while it might be some peoples desire to make more people capable of buying for their own good down the road that's not a need either. People have to live within their means, and its a fact of life that some peoples means are greater than yours. It doesn't make anyone else responsible to make sure that you can have some of lifes luxuries. If you want those things, apply yourself and work for them.
Before you get the wrong impression, I should say that I grew up in a poor family. We had no car when a lot of my friends did, let alone many other cool things that all my friends and kids that I went to school with had. Did that suck? Well, ya. Of course there were times when now thirty years later I remember in great clarity the sheer embarrassment of some situations. So, lest anyone think that I am just some spoiled rich guy who has no sympathy for low income earners its not the case. It doesn't mean I'm right about this, or that my opinion is anymore valid, but I do have some context for my comments.
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Originally Posted by Sylvanfan
If they made the tax 11% on earnings over 100k, 12% on 200k and 13% over 300 k, I doubt those high earners are leaving the province.
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I do agree with this. I don't want to pay more tax personally, but most people earning over $100k in general aren't leaving Alberta because of a 1-3% tax increase. I'm not sure that is the test. I mean if you increased taxes by say 8%, how many people would leave? If its a small amount do we go ahead and do that as well?