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Originally Posted by Slava
I don't completely disagree, and to be clear I am in line for zero dollars from a personal perspective. But there are taxes on assets already (house, RRSPs and savings, etc.) and this seems fine. There are strategies to get around these things or fund them pre-emptively, and that is also fine.
I guess I'm getting more and more in line with the "dark side" that says if we can't fund everything then where should we begin cutting back? There are many, many places where the government is involved and just shouldn't be. So if you can't meet your obligations to your constituents (healthcare, education and basic services like that) then maybe start by eliminating areas like corporate welfare, advertising, and pet projects?
I also find it disheartening that anytime there is a problem we want to solve the only solution that gains traction seems to be taxes. Too much junk food, too much energy use, wrong lightbulbs, people texting and driving, and the list goes on. And the only way we can address these issues is by giving the government more money? It's bizarre that with so many smart people we can't seem to find any other way.
I look to the campaign by Alberta Health to increase the number of organ donors, and they decided an awareness campaign was the best way. The answer is so simple though; make it the default selection that your organs are going to be donated. If you have an objection and don't want to, then you complete the card. Quick, easy and basically free of cost. Instead its advertising and spending money to get much lesser results.
tldr; we pay enough tax and the government should look for places to cut if they can't fund things.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Slava
At what point is it enough though? The Alberta government already takes in more per capita than either Saskatchewan or BC from my brief look into things. So at what point is it just easier to raise taxes than to find alternative solutions and make tough decisions?
Maybe I'm the only one irritated, and maybe I'm in the extreme minority who feel that way (I doubt it), but that's fine. Just because the majority is with you or against you doesn't make you right.
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Oh I agree, I agree wholeheartedly, but its just a conversation that Canadians have no interest in having.
Look at the Governments being elected all over the Country, all on promises to give Canadians more with no plans on how to pay for it.
That seems to be what people want, but they want it without consequences and they dont want to pay for it.
The fact of the matter is that at the moment we're coming to a tipping point in terms of how much we can reasonably expect people to pay in taxes for what we have now, the highest Marginal Tax Rate in Alberta is 47%.
I'd wager that we are at a point where there is no longer much room left to tinker with Personal Tax rates, and reducing spending and services isnt even a conversation that is on the table which means that they have to go looking elsewhere for money and to that end an Estate Tax fits the bill.
It disproportionately taxes the wealthy which is what everyone is clamouring for and it taxes 'Capital' rather than 'Income' which is also a much easier sell to the vast majority of people.