internet Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/fly-away----but-do-it-here-257456261.html?device=mobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boestar Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 At some point the Canadian Government needs to realize that a significant amount of revenue is being lost to border city airports. Ontario just announces a $.04 / L tax on airplane fuel to support their fiscal ineptitude. We all know Aviation is a cash cow that is ready to be raped for all its worth until there is nothing left to rape. The taxes and airport rents need to be cut for aviation which could possible INCREASE revenue to the government since all of those flocking south of the 49th could realize the same prices in Canada. Sometimes lower price and higher volume is the better solution especially when it comes to taxes like this as the entire aviation sector would begin to thrive again. Our government is blind to the facts in front of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 They're not the only blind folks in this scenario. So are the consumers who will walk miles to save a buck but then complain like hell when their job is lost to cheaper foreign competition. Don't **bleep** in your own bed and then complain about the smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Yeah, the guy with the small tire shop figures air travel in Canada is too expensive so he packs the family down to Buffalo for their spring break trip coincidentally the airline employee figures tires are too expensive in Canada so he drives down to Buffalo when he needs replacements. Surprisingly, each feels that they have come out ahead by doing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Yeah, the guy with the small tire shop figures air travel in Canada is too expensive so he packs the family down to Buffalo for their spring break trip coincidentally the airline employee figures tires are too expensive in Canada so he drives down to Buffalo when he needs replacements. Surprisingly, each feels that they have come out ahead by doing this.And financially, they probably have.I am sure you are aware that Canadians are one of the most over taxed peoples in the world.Get rid of some of the "government", (all levels), ridiculous taxes and user fees and you would see more people buy "Canadian".I would venture to say that the majority of opinions on this forum about doing "it" all in Canada are probably gainfully employed professionals and not doing badly with their finances.Your turn will come when you may be living on a pension, perhaps a 'fixed' income, and you may change your opinion about where the best bang for the buck is located. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boestar Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 KipI agree. I get ticked off when I can purchase a MADE IN CANADA product (made in Quebec) in the USA cheaper than I can buy it here at home. Where is the justification for that. It seems pretty @#$%^& stupid to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 And financially, they probably have.I am sure you are aware that Canadians are one of the most over taxed peoples in the world.Get rid of some of the "government", (all levels), ridiculous taxes and user fees and you would see more people buy "Canadian".I would venture to say that the majority of opinions on this forum about doing "it" all in Canada are probably gainfully employed professionals and not doing badly with their finances.Your turn will come when you may be living on a pension, perhaps a 'fixed' income, and you may change your opinion about where the best bang for the buck is located.Kip, you know how much I respect your opinion but "over-taxed"? At the risk of totally de-railing this thread: Canada has a gazillion miles of coastline and 30 million people, a bazillion miles of roads and 30 million people, a cazillon miles of bridges, tunnels and sewer lines and 30 million people - where does the money come from to build and maintain it all.You say, get rid of the tax and more people will shop in Canada, I say, shop in Canada and there will be less tax.BTW, don't you think it's ironic for a guy who gets at least part of his pension (I'm assuming) from the government to say that he can't afford to pay the taxes to buy stuff in Canada? The fact is that when you do buy something in Canada you are subsidizing the going-over-the-border-to-buy-my-stuff crowd. We all pay higher taxes and more taxes because of cross-border shopping.This is not to say that I couldn't name a dozen places where government wastes money and, I agree, these things should be fixed but it's not an either/or situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Seeker..........You are "cherry-picking" my post.I said get rid of some of the tax...please read my post again. I may be old but not senile...I am fully aware that taxes are required to maintain infrastructure etc. but you have even conceded that there is wastage by government and I would assume we can agree ...wastage at all levels of government.Do you feel it is fair, (it was proposed by the ON Provincial government) to increase tax on fuel so Toronto could improve upon its problem with gridlock ??? Do you think that is a fair tax for all residents in Ontario, even if you don't live in YZ and will not, or have not, even set foot in Ford Nation??Why do you think it is ironic that I should complain about taxes when I get a pension from the government?? I did my time, (28 Years) At present I see about 40% of my OAS that I paid into for 28 years, (CF contributions), because the government has the right to "claw-back" the other 60% because I worked for them and "they" don't think I should be "over-pensioned". My airline pension is only 15 years and is not indexed, thanks to AC going into "Chapter 11" so has been stuck at one sum for the past decade+.You say, get rid of the tax and more people will shop in Canada, I say, shop in Canada and there will be less tax.You are dreaming.......do you really believe that if everyone in Canada shopped in Canada, taxes would decrease? Just how long would we have to buy everything in Canada before "someone" said hey, we haven't done this in the history of Canada but we're going to lower taxes on..(fill in the blanks).You must be aware of why INCOME TAXES were imposed and when they were "supposed" to cease. The decrease in GST was just an election ploy and the average savings for a family will probably allow a family to have pizza four nites out of 365.Cross border shopping? You bet I will...let me give you one example.................I had an engine room blower go on my boat. The cost to replace the part in Canada was $256.95 plus GST plus shipping.I got the identical part in the USA, (California), for $90.00, (close to $100.00 CDN) and that included shipping and Customs didn't even want to do the paper work for taxes. I was installing the part, (I had to reach across an engine and over a gas tank and when doing so a small tag on a string dropped down from the part. I pulled the part back thinking it might be an installation warning I missed. The tag had the part number on it, (identical to the part I could have purchased in Canada) and on the other side were three words - MADE IN CANADA.You tell me why we get screwed in Canada when we want to buy MADE IN CANADA items in our own country............ and bear in mind this is only one example.And finally "Over-taxed"........you are correct................ we are not the top country in the world that pays excessive taxes...we are number 4...and we pay close to 54% of our gross income for all the taxes we encounter in Canada.And here is another factoid.....at one point, about 10 years ago, we were second to Italy in lost days of productivity due to Union strikes....(no, I am not enamored with Unions, never have been. There was a need for them many years ago but at the present time they have grown to be self serving greedy corporations just like the "corporations" they are supposed to be protecting the workers from).Don't get me wrong...I love this country but I am disgusted with the financial position most seniors are finding themselves in,(I am not included), and fear for their welfare...............all prices of everything is going up yet so many are trying to make it through life on paltry pensions and very low fixed incomes......yet all levels of government keep heaping increases on the necessities of life to those that gave their all for this country and taxes for those necessities NEVER go down.. Rant over..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Kip, I hear what you're saying and I go on a similar rant from time to time. I'm not an economist so I can't really prove anything but I do know one thing - increasing the amount of money spent cross-border won't make taxes go down. You don't believe the converse is true but I actually do believe that. How long would it take? Not long in my opinion, government starts showing a surplus and there would be lots of pressure to start kicking it back.Anyway, earlier I went and read the article at the top of this thread. The most interesting part are the comments to the article. Dozens of people posting their stories about driving to America and saving a bunch of dollars on their trip south - a whole lot of "look how smart we are for doing this?" What they don't realize, or acknowledge, is that the endgame is fewer airline employees in Canada, less tax dollars in Canada, higher unemployment, higher taxes on some other industry or product or perhaps fewer benefits in some other government program all of which will be to their detriment.As for the seniors on the fixed income? Well, times are tough all over; university grads crying the blues cause their debt is too high, seniors stuck on a fixed income, meanwhile, I'm gonna retire with a house that hasn't appreciated in value much for years and years after working longer than those who came before and will be getting a smaller pension to boot. I guess I should start buying as much of my stuff as possible from Amazon.com and rest from Walmart.ca. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest longtimer Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Seeker: you talk about retiring with a house that hasn't appreciated much in value, I don't know where you are based but in the 3 western provinces that is not the case (unless of course you paid well in excess of market value), however the value of your house when you retire is only important if you sell it and downsize in a higher priced market. If you don't sell it but continue to live in it, then you will not be the one that enjoys any additional value when it is sold upon your death. Regarding cross border shopping, I do agree with your POV. Going across the border to buy cheaper only helps to eliminate "Canadian Jobs" and does nothing to help our economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Seeker: you talk about retiring with a house that hasn't appreciated much in value, I don't know where you are based but in the 3 western provinces that is not the case (unless of course you paid well in excess of market value), however the value of your house when you retire is only important if you sell it and downsize in a higher priced market. If you don't sell it but continue to live in it, then you will not be the one that enjoys any additional value when it is sold upon your death. Oh yeah, I understand that. My point was just that very few manage to get through life with a tailwind the whole way. Lots (not all, of course) of the boomer generation were able/will be able to sell their homes for greatly increased values and fund a good retirement. I won't be able to do that nor will my kids in all likelihood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fido Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Complain all you want about poor prospects in Canada.My wife and I just experienced the Spirit of Alberta.We were getting a delivery of a new washer and dryer.When the delivery team shows up, it is a man and a women; husband and wife. The regular 'helper' did not show for work today so his wife takes over. They had two young children under the age of 4 and no way to get a baby-sitter, so she followed the truck in their car. The kids with them all day.The wife handled everything that the helper would do and more and maybe do it better. She says that she has to fill in every few weeks; it is a regular occurrence that a helper just does not come into work without giving any notice.They are recent immigrants from Columbia. They are happy to be here and they are making a go of it. Their hard work and can-do attitude was evident.Her biggest concern was trying to find a place for their 4 year old son to play soccer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.