Alberta is Debt FREE today! yay Ralph

[albertGQ]

Originally posted by Bertuzzied@Mar 31 2005, 01:57 PM
That 19% would look pretty good in our pockets. I highly doubt Klein would cut that entire amount like some people say. That said, i think cutting it down to 10% would still make it very attractive.in Calgary.

The first federal tax bracket is 16% and I think the next one is either 22% or 24%, can't really remember. I have no idea where you came up with that 19% number.

But I think the flat tax at 10% is good. Maybe increase the exemption amount a little more (I know its already at $15K, but I want a tax break!).


HOWEVER, the federal exemption amount should double, not just be indexed with inflation

[Incinerator]

Originally posted by Bertuzzied+Mar 31 2005, 09:35 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Bertuzzied @ Mar 31 2005, 09:35 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Tax only the wealthy? Blasphemy! Everyone knows that you have to concentrate society's capital at the top, so that large infrastructure development can take place to assist the little people.

Communist

:P

(I agree, tax everyone making over x dollars, and make x higher than what I make.)

That said. The highest tax bracket in HK is only 15%!!! insane. Well i guess you need the money if you have to buy a 450 squarefoot apartment with NO bedrooms for $350,000us like my sister in law. eek!!! [/b][/quote]
No shinguard, it's a more than fair trade off, that's why I'd rather make $30Gs a year here and let Paul Martin suck me dry than pay no tax and live in a cubicle on the 24th floor of a 40 storey apartment for the price of a luxury penthouse here. And don't even get me started with the air quality, they have a freaking air pollution index colour-coded for your convenience everyday on TV. If it's red you'll have to wear a oxygen tank before you go out. Not to mention being crammed with 7.5 million people in a little island with a tiny penisula across a tiny little stream they call a harbour.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally posted by Incinerator@Mar 31 2005, 09:45 PM
rather make $30Gs a year here and let Paul Martin suck me dry than pay no tax and live in a cubicle on the 24th floor of a 40 storey apartment for the price of a luxury penthouse here. And don't even get me started with the air quality, they have a freaking air pollution index colour-coded for your convenience everyday on TV. If it's red you'll have to wear a oxygen tank before you go out. Not to mention being crammed with 7.5 million people in a little island with a tiny penisula across a tiny little stream they call a harbour.

Well i wouldn't really criticize HK's harbour when we have our massive body of water, Western Canada's Niagara Falls, the Bow River here.Isnt' it suppose to dry up in about 30 years?

Thats why you go over there live with your inlaws or on the street, work for about 10 years and come back to Calgary and buy a $500k house.

[Incinerator]

Originally posted by Bertuzzied+Mar 31 2005, 09:54 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Bertuzzied @ Mar 31 2005, 09:54 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Incinerator@Mar 31 2005, 09:45 PM
rather make $30Gs a year here and let Paul Martin suck me dry than pay no tax and live in a cubicle on the 24th floor of a 40 storey apartment for the price of a luxury penthouse here. And don't even get me started with the air quality, they have a freaking air pollution index colour-coded for your convenience everyday on TV. If it's red you'll have to wear a oxygen tank before you go out. Not to mention being crammed with 7.5 million people in a little island with a tiny penisula across a tiny little stream they call a harbour.

Well i wouldn't really criticize HK's harbour when we have our massive body of water, Western Canada's Niagara Falls, the Bow River here.Isnt' it suppose to dry up in about 30 years?

Thats why you go over there live with your inlaws or on the street, work for about 10 years and come back to Calgary and buy a $500k house. [/b][/quote]
I'm sorry but I'd rather live in a cardboard box before I live with the in-laws... But I admire you for suviving that debacle, you're my new idol

[Bertuzzied]

Originally posted by Incinerator+Mar 31 2005, 09:56 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Incinerator @ Mar 31 2005, 09:56 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Well i wouldn't really criticize HK's harbour when we have our massive body of water, Western Canada's Niagara Falls, the Bow River here.Isnt' it suppose to dry up in about 30 years?

Thats why you go over there live with your inlaws or on the street, work for about 10 years and come back to Calgary and buy a $500k house.

I'm sorry but I'd rather live in a cardboard box before I live with the in-laws... But I admire you for suviving that debacle, you're my new idol [/b][/quote]
Holy crap I never did that! hahaha. A couple of my friends did though! hehe. I went back in the Summer of 94 to work for 4 months and i would NEVER EVER live there again. It's nice to visit and shop but.....

[Incinerator]

Originally posted by Bertuzzied+Mar 31 2005, 09:59 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Bertuzzied @ Mar 31 2005, 09:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

I'm sorry but I'd rather live in a cardboard box before I live with the in-laws... But I admire you for suviving that debacle, you're my new idol

Holy crap I never did that! hahaha. A couple of my friends did though! hehe. I went back in the Summer of 94 to work for 4 months and i would NEVER EVER live there again. It's nice to visit and shop but..... [/b][/quote]
Oh booo...I knew you weren't such a superhero haha Yeah I agree, it's a nice tourist spot, but the living standards are crazy.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Give some to post-secondary. No more classes in trailers!!!!

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally posted by Claeren@Mar 31 2005, 01:08 PM
Maybe i am in the minority but i would rather see that money put into savings as opposed to subsidizing what are already some of the lowest taxes in North America.

Oil money should be saved and converted into financial assets that then can be milked for generations instead of just one.

Norway already has 100 BILLION saved up....


Claeren.

I don't think you're the minority at all.

We already have the highest spending government by a fair margin. We already have the lowest taxes by a fair margin ('fair' being debatable in both cases).

Put it in the bank so at least some of the huge chunk of my change the government already takes can maybe help my kids in the future, instead of getting p*ssed away.

One small caveat to that: wherever the 'away' is that we put the money, make sure it's far far away from the prying eyes and hands of Ottawa.

[CaramonLS]

Originally posted by Bend it like Bourgeois+Apr 1 2005, 03:35 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Bend it like Bourgeois @ Apr 1 2005, 03:35 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Claeren@Mar 31 2005, 01:08 PM
Maybe i am in the minority but i would rather see that money put into savings as opposed to subsidizing what are already some of the lowest taxes in North America.

Oil money should be saved and converted into financial assets that then can be milked for generations instead of just one.

Norway already has 100 BILLION saved up....


Claeren.

I don't think you're the minority at all.

We already have the highest spending government by a fair margin. We already have the lowest taxes by a fair margin ('fair' being debatable in both cases).

Put it in the bank so at least some of the huge chunk of my change the government already takes can maybe help my kids in the future, instead of getting p*ssed away.

One small caveat to that: wherever the 'away' is that we put the money, make sure it's far far away from the prying eyes and hands of Ottawa. [/b][/quote]
I agree... But yeah Ottawa can't know anything about it, otherwise our transfer payments are going to be jacked right up, and we wont be getting any of the residual effects.

[shoestring]

Well I disagree with all you.

I say put it all ,every extra dollar of surplus into
WATER.
Make the water that flows out of Alberta as pure as our Glacier water.
Do that and we are players in the biggest industry of the future.

Mind you I would like to siphon off a bunch of bucks into paying off the debts of Sask and Man to get those provinces solvent. Low interest loans.

[Resolute 14]

I've had that thought in the past as well shoestring. If Alberta were to start helping such provinces more than Ottawa, it could create quite the bloc when it comes to dealing with the feds.

However, Saskatchewan is becomming a "have" province, and BC and Manitoba are destroying themselves. Is it wise to start dumping money down a giant black hole?


One thing about cutting taxes... King Ralph has floated the idea of eliminating provincial income tax altogether before. If immigration into Alberta is straining our infrastructure now, just think of what would happen if it were to become "free" to live here.

10% flat tax is fair. Dump that money (especially if the oil super spike happens) into things that will benefit Alberta long term. Bulking up the Heratige Trust Fund, R&D, improving infrastructure, completing the LRT systems in Calgary and Edmonton...

Hey. What about a train?!? A really fast one! Maybe from Calgary to Edmonton?

[Mike F]

Originally posted by Snakeeye@Apr 1 2005, 06:44 AM
However, Saskatchewan is becoming a "have" province, and BC and Manitoba are destroying themselves. Is it wise to start dumping money down a giant black hole?

BC is destroying itself?

In what way?

[Looger]

i live here and bc is destroying itself in EVERY way possible.

economic.

environmental.

you name it.

the place is administered and run by people who have never even traveled to where the money is made that keeps them in their ivory tower. it's quite sickening.

thank god for canfor, with any luck they will own the province soon.

[Mike F]

Originally posted by Looger@Apr 1 2005, 08:02 AM
i live here and bc is destroying itself in EVERY way possible.

economic.

environmental.

you name it.

the place is administered and run by people who have never even traveled to where the money is made that keeps them in their ivory tower. it's quite sickening.

thank god for canfor, with any luck they will own the province soon.

I don't know about the environment, but as for economics, BC had a record surplus last year of over a billion dollars, paid down the provincial debt, and is significantly increasing spending.

Is that what you mean by destroying itself? If so, what would you label what happened under the NDP ?

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally posted by fotze@Apr 1 2005, 07:51 AM
Or the best idea yet from Mr. Strapon, pump the 10 billion dollar surplus into the Flames and Oilers, buy every player in the world and show the Toronto's and Detroit's that having a bigger payroll is not an advantage.

Since when is Saskatchewan becoming a have province. I've heard there are counties in Sask where 75% of people just cannot and will not pay their taxes this year.

Since they started sucking economically just a little less than the rest of the provinces. The way the formula works you don;t have to actually do well to be a have province, you just have to do better than the avg of QC, ON, MB, SK and BC.

Sask actually barely tipped into have province status a couple years ago I think, and they are just at the edge now. If BC recovers, they won't be there long.

[Tron_fdc]

Why don't we take all the money we have and invest it? And what better investment than REAL ESTATE!! Let's buy an Island and call it "Ralphania"! Or better yet, do you think we can buy Nicaragua? Maybe make a deal with the americans....they can clean out all the insurgents, and we will rape the land and sell all the oil back to the states?

Just imagine owning your own beach front property with a secondary industry based on cocaine! It's be SWEEEET!!


Seriously though, what do you do when your home province is poised to be better off financially than your home country??? How long until Ottawa finds a way to dip in?

[Resolute 14]

Originally posted by fotze@Apr 1 2005, 07:51 AM


Since when is Saskatchewan becoming a have province. I've heard there are counties in Sask where 75% of people just cannot and will not pay their taxes this year.

Saskatchewan is becomming a have province for the same reason Alberta did: Oil.

http://www.canada.com/components/printstor...73-cf96a9c0c189

As for BC, I was referring to the destruction the NDP caused (and will cause any time they are elected into office). I had not realized that the BC Liberals had turned the financial ship around, but, as Looger serves as an example for, I havent heard too many British Columbians who believe BC is all it can be.

[Looger]

Originally posted by Mike F@Apr 1 2005, 04:18 PM
I don't know about the environment, but as for economics, BC had a record surplus last year of over a billion dollars, paid down the provincial debt, and is significantly increasing spending.

Is that what you mean by destroying itself? If so, what would you label what happened under the NDP ?

how aboot stalling on the beetle epidemic when it could have been contained a little, to ensure a ten-year boom of beetle-kill cutdown?

kemano completion project, stopped in the nick of time - alcan was already making too much power and selling the surplus but agreements were inked to bleed the nechako dry. i wonder what the alaskan, or for that matter, the bc fishery industry would have done with no salmon stocks from that region.

the complete and total mis-management of forestry, when land gets handed over to native bands and is RAPED.

strike that last one. rape is nowhere near the term needed to describe what happens when aboriginal tribal leaders get their hands on their 'ancestral mother'.

roads being decommissioned and recommisioned by a crew five miles back. common actually.

these are all policies that continue under polar-opposite administrations, and will continue forever.

it's beyond politics.

the people in the lower mainland make decisions on the long-term resource issues without any plan, whatsoever.

put any government in you want, things will never change. as long as a disproportionate # of people live there, and the whole local political system is run like (and sometimes by) organized crime, things will continue.

the sikh community figured things out a while back and registers thousands of party members the day before nominations. quite effective.

organized crime scandals happen all the time, hell's angels are involved to a level that transcends the night-club ownership alberta thing.

for a province with such a left-wing all-people-should-be-equal bend, there is a tremendous amount of RACIAL inequality.

ICBC is famous for handing huge settlements to groups of immigrants that hunt around in vans for single-occupant white drivers to hit. WHIPLASH!

the registry department a decade ago was selling driver's licenses to immigrants for $50.

and guys like john patterson run huge tracts of the private sector, in fact the wealth is far less spread out here than alberta, which has a lot of millionaires but i'd bet less billionaires.

NDP, liberal, social credit. take your pick, if you think that will help.

[Mike F]

Originally posted by Looger+Apr 1 2005, 12:20 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Looger @ Apr 1 2005, 12:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-Mike F@Apr 1 2005, 04:18 PM
I don't know about the environment, but as for economics, BC had a record surplus last year of over a billion dollars, paid down the provincial debt, and is significantly increasing spending.

Is that what you mean by destroying itself? If so, what would you label what happened under the NDP ?

[snip] [snip] [snip] [/b][/quote]
You clearly disagree with some policy decisions, and aren't afraid to make broad generalizations and exaggerations to get your point across, but most of that has nothing to do with your contention that they've destroyed the economy, which is what I was asking about.

If you want to argue about the BC Liberals, at least start by accusing them of the right thing.

[Looger]

Mike F,

i am a jaded bc-born guy that lived in alberta for 8 years and saw the light.

now i am back.

i do not blame political parties, it is pointless.

the problem with bc is the people living in it.