Official (Alberta) Oil Discussion Thread

[Geraldsh]

Speaking as a small-minded consumer; when I make a purchase I want the ticket price to be the final cost. It boggles my mind trying to calculate an additional 5 or 10% at the till. Hide the tax and everyone will pay without all the hatred/drama.

[Red]

What does the PST do for you or me? Big fat nothing. Except for the added cost.

Budget surpluses and deficits are mostly about politics.
The debt will never be paid off (Ralph didn't really pay it off) nor should it even be a priority.

Government borrowing is not the same as what we do. Neither are government budgets. Government doesn't need to pay this off so they can retire. They don't retire. There is no term. It's all about cost to service and with the economy expanding and picking up steam here and there the servicing costs are easily manageable.

Deficits, debt and your kids having to pay for that are election fodder. Don't fall for it.

No PST for me.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Red

What does the PST do for you or me? Big fat nothing. Except for the added cost.

Budget surpluses and deficits are mostly about politics.
The debt will never be paid off (Ralph didn't really pay it off) nor should it even be a priority.

Government borrowing is not the same as what we do. Neither are government budgets. Government doesn't need to pay this off so they can retire. They don't retire. There is no term. It's all about cost to service and with the economy expanding and picking up steam here and there the servicing costs are easily manageable.

Deficits, debt and your kids having to pay for that are election fodder. Don't fall for it.

No PST for me.

How about we just do away with taxes altogether then?


A PST would provide stable revenue so we don't have these kneejerk reactions and put off building things like a Cancer Centre for 20 years. Then, on big oil revenue years, you bank it, or give Ralph Bucks if things are really stable.

[Red]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

How about we just do away with taxes altogether then?


A PST would provide stable revenue so we don't have these kneejerk reactions and put off building things like a Cancer Centre for 20 years. Then, on big oil revenue years, you bank it, or give Ralph Bucks if things are really stable.

This is to assume that a PST would create this prosperity. Which of the Canadian provinces that have PST have no deficits or debt? Should be all of them, right?

[pepper24]

Government needs to cut spending more before thinking of adding another tax.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by Red

This is to assume that a PST would create this prosperity. Which of the Canadian provinces that have PST have no deficits or debt? Should be all of them, right?

Come on, nobody is arguing that.

[Red]

Originally Posted by Torture

Come on, nobody is arguing that.

What's in it for me? Realistically, why is PST good for me?

We have PST all over Canada to reference. Are they better off?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by pepper24

Government needs to cut spending more before thinking of adding another tax.

There have already been big demonstrations against the cuts made so far. How much more can they cut? At some point you also need to increase revenues.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Slava

So what's worse? Using a price for oil that's actually reflective of the current situation or just making up a number to make the projections fit your narrative?

I think the government should use a slightly conservative benchmark strip pricing and takes politics out of the decision.

[Red]

They could start by cutting the war room. Thats 300M over a decade wasted.

[peter12]

Yeah, Alberta has no more austerity room to move. They have to prepare a stimulus package and increase taxes.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by peter12

Yeah, Alberta has no more austerity room to move. They have to prepare a stimulus package and increase taxes.

Alberta should just start selling roads and bridges.

sell the legislature and lease the Nexen building!

Trim the fat! Close down city hall!

Block out the sun to increase energy demand!

Anything to avoid progressive income taxation!

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by pepper24

Government needs to cut spending more before thinking of adding another tax.

lol, guys flipped their ##### in this thread when the government said they were going to stop grooming cross country ski trails in Kananaskis for the 0.000001% of the population that uses them for two hours a year.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by Red

What's in it for me? Realistically, why is PST good for me?

Well, let me see..

• Do you drive on roads in Alberta? Or would you prefer to pave your own?
• Have you ever been to a doctor in this province?
• Did you get an education in this province? Do you think others should be able to as well?
• Do you use provincial parks?
• Do you have children that will grow up in this province? Friends with children?
• Do you think we should have a social safety net? Or should everybody pull themselves up by their bootstraps (without getting a publicly funded education, mind you)
• Ever called the police? Or would you prefer to protect you own land and property?
• If there's a natural disaster, (Like I dunno, maybe a flood or a fire?) would you like the Government to step in and help?
  

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Torture

Well, let me see..

• Do you drive on roads in Alberta?
• Have you ever been to a doctor in this province?
• Did you get an education in this province? Do you think others should be able to as well?
• Do you use provincial parks?
• Do you have children that will grow up in this province? Friends with children?
• Do you think we should have a social safety net? Or should everybody pull themselves up by their bootstraps (without getting a publicly funded education, mind you)
• Ever called the police? Or would you prefer to protect you own land and property?
• If there's a natural disaster, (Like I dunno, maybe a flood or a fire?) would you like the Government to step in and help?
  

A society is overrated, I'll just keep my good job and my internet and tv and live in a cave thank you very much, just like nature intended.

free man on the land!

[Weitz]

Not sure how adding a PST solves the governments spending problem.

[Red]

Originally Posted by Torture

Well, let me see..

• Do you drive on roads in Alberta?
• Have you ever been to a doctor in this province?
• Did you get an education in this province? Do you think others should be able to as well?
• Do you use provincial parks?
• Do you have children that will grow up in this province? Friends with children?
• Do you think we should have a social safety net? Or should everybody pull themselves up by their bootstraps (without getting a publicly funded education, mind you)
• Ever called the police? Or would you prefer to protect you own land and property?
• If there's a natural disaster, (Like I dunno, maybe a flood or a fire?) would you like the Government to step in and help?
  

Yes yes and yes. Got all that and did not pay PST.

So again, why is introducing PST good for me?

[Rando]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Alberta should just start selling roads and bridges.

sell the legislature and lease the Nexen building!

Trim the fat! Close down city hall!

Block out the sun to increase energy demand!

Anything to avoid progressive income taxation!

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

A society is overrated, I'll just keep my good job and my internet and tv and live in a cave thank you very much, just like nature intended.

free man on the land!

A little tact goes a long way.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Red

Yes yes and yes. Got all that and did not pay PST.

So again, why is introducing PST good for me?

Because your province is in a massive fiscal hole and all those services you depend on and enjoy are the result of everybody in the province putting their eggs into one big basket of oil futures and now that those futures look close to worthless, you won't get any of those amazing services unless you figure out how to pay more tax.

[Looch City]

Originally Posted by Red

Yes yes and yes. Got all that and did not pay PST.

So again, why is introducing PST good for me?

So AB doesn't have to rely on a volatile resource revenue?