Quote:
Originally Posted by Locke
We can do small changes now and try and slowly let the air out of this thing or its all going to explode in our faces.
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The thing is, I'm not some libertarian anti-tax crusader. I think strong public services are essential to the well-being of Canadians. But the biggest threat I see to strong public health care, emergency services, and education in the coming decades is overreach and unsustainable spending. The relentess increases to the compensation of teachers, police, nurses, and firefighters, and their defined benefit pensions, are not sustainable. The math simply doesn't work. Not in an economy that is growing at a much lower rate than the economy (and tax base) grew in the 50s to 90s.
Whose job is it to make the tough choices to safeguard public services in the long-term? Politicians? They do what have to do to get elected. Voters? They only care about low taxes and access to school and health care
right now. Unions? They're run by baby boomers who are frantically padding their nests for retirement. Civil servants? They might be our best bet. But they're hardly a disinterested party.
BOOM, BUST AND ECONOMIC HEADACHES
The dramatic greying of Canada’s population will reshape the economy, stifle growth and force governments to provide for a growing number of seniors with a shrinking pool of taxpayers