Zeeshan Hamid wrote:
Okay, back to the topic now. We agree that the first term was bad. No argument there. But I totally disagree about the current term. He did really well in the current term. In the second term he introduced HST, eliminated business capital tax, reduced corporate taxes from 14% to 10% (not there yet, but getting there), reduced small business tax down to 4.5% etc. A lot of deficit is from stimulus spending that Harper required province to match. Just like federal deficit now that stimulus is running dry, provincial deficit will improve too.
I agree, Dalton had a bit of an enlightenments on the corporate side of things in his second term. He’s seen the light, and is doing what he can to make Ontario a competitive environment.
I’m also not concerned about the current deficit (I’m outraged by the pre-recession deficits). Nobody will talk about this during the campaign, but it’s clear that BOTH parties plan to make significant spending cuts after the election. Dalton has a commission doing some sort of ‘efficiency’ study right now, and it’s going to be used as political justification for cutting services and laying off workers. The only question is by how much and where.
Hudak has pledged to cut spending, just not to Education or Health care. It will be interesting to see how he plans to balance the books without touching these two massive programs.
It’s going to be interesting. If Dalton wins, we’re going to get program cuts. But he’s a liberal, so they get away with it because, obviously, they don’t WANT to cut spending. Dalton will probably shed a tear diring the budget, and the whole province will give him a big hug and say “there, there.”
If Hudak wins, we’re going to get program cuts. But he’s a conservative, and will be blasted for it because, obviously, he’s an evil rich bastard who hates children, puppies, and the poor.
The reason why I will vote for Hudak over Dalton is because:
1) Dalton’s an established liar, and that alone deserves punishment.
2) He’s going to raise my taxes again (but will say he won’t – See #1). Hudak, I can at least trust not to screw me over a barrel for every penny I’m worth.
3) The green-energy program is a farce, it’s unnecessary, and we’ve only begun to see the true cost of it.
4) I’m so sick of populist policies enacted simply to please people who don’t understand the issues. Pit-bull bans, pesticide bans, cell phone bans, the green-energy plan, etc all sound great until you try to look deeper into the issue and realize there’s no answer to the problem (or no problem at all)
5) Hudak will probably sell off the LCBO, and I’m hoping will allow alcohol to be sold in corner stores. I am SO sick of having to make a 30 minute drive to/from the store to get a simple case of beer. I’m SO sick of the government assuming that I’m retarded, and will become a raging drunk if this stuff becomes convenient to purchase.
Zeeshan Hamid wrote:
I highly disagree with cutting HST %. Harper screwed up by cutting GST by 2% as well. If we're going to have taxes, we need to figure out best forms of taxation. HST is significantly better than corporate taxes. He left HST % same and cut corporate percentage. Next step is cutting income tax rate. HST is the last thing to touch.
The only reason Harper cut the GST is because in his first run for PM, which he lost to Paul Martan, he pledged to cut income taxes. It didn’t work. So he tried the HST, and he won. You can’t fault the guy for campaigning on a promise and then enacting it. People get way too hung up on the efficiency of the tax. While it’s true, the GST is preferable to an income tax, it’s still a tax, and less of any tax is a good thing.
Zeeshan Hamid wrote:
About eco-fees, implementation was a disaster. But Hudak isn't promising reform, he's promising to scrap it. He isn't saying "we're going to re-implement the program" He's saying "we'll get rid of it". The important part is that electronic recycling is still happening, now you'll pay via property taxes for it.
And that’s the way it should be done! The province has no need to implement a garbage recycling program when the regions already have a garbage recycling program. If you want to collect electronics, then expand the existing programs – don’t create new ones. There’s only one tax payer, so what do I care if it’s the municipal government paying for it over the provincial one? I’m still paying, so let’s do it in the most efficient way possible.
Besides, nobody is going to get off their ass and take their old electronics to a drop off center. It’s retarded. People have better things to do. They do what I do, stick it in a garbage bag and forget about it. If the region took it in the blue-box, I’d put it there instead.
Zeeshan Hamid wrote:
Hudak just had to be "not Dalton". It should have been a walk in the park. But he's saying things that trouble me. He's making populist promises when he doesn't need to.
I hear you on that one. But I prefer Hudaks populism over Daltons.
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. By and large I agree with you - government should be in the business of governing and leave business operations to the private sector. I'd need to do more research on the LCBO. How would privatizing impact the local wine industry?
Hopefully this expansion brings in some new 'less cranky' front line staff.