Alak

iTrader: (9)

Okay Albertans. Time to spill the beans.

What will you do with your $400 'prosperity' rebate from the Klein government?

My money will be spent on various items. Words that include 'drunk', 'sex' and 'in jail'. Preferably not all in the same sentence.


Seriously though, I think I'll buy a that new XBOX.

edv

1 share of Google stock.

7_rocket

iTrader: (6)

You will be paying for sex?

soulja77

prosperity rebate???? wtf

Crymson

I'm not getting mine, i haven't lived in sweet sweet alberta long enough.

But i am certainly going to the bar on 400$ day, that's going to be an f'ing gong show that weekend.

Aviator 902S

Yup. Instead of reducing taxes for Albertans now that the province is debt-free the Klien government is giving "prosperity cheques" to all Albertans who have lived here since before September. This is supposed to be an annual thing in years that the Alberta budget shows a surplus and the size of the cheques are supposed to be dependant on the amount of the annual surplus. The cheques are due to arrive sometime between December and the end of February.

Of course, we'd much rather have had either a) elimination of the $44 monthly medical premium charged to all Albertans, b) elimination (or at least a reduction) in the 10% provincial income tax rate or c) both a and b.

But that would have cost the Alberta government more than a $400 rebate--- the annual per-person health care premium alone is $528.

Not that I'm complaining or anything--- I'll still spend my $400, most likely on bills. Besides, it sure makes the socialist/communist-minded among the non-Albertans mad as hell. Watch and see if the current federal government doesn't run on an election platform of making Alberta "share the wealth." Kinda like if you were to sacrifice 4 years' worth of income as a student and then work your *** off in your new career to earn twice what your ambition-challenged neighbour makes, only to have a judge garnish your wages so that your neighbour can sell his junker and buy a Porsche--- with your money.

Archangels

with my $400 i'm hoping to get my car running properly....

Prôdigy2nd

iTrader: (3)

saving up to import my FD in 2007 :P, other than that maybee blow it on a movie or two :P

(Alberta RULES!!!!!!!!)

Prôdigy

C-Murder

I'll be investing it; then I'll have $800, then $1600.... only makes sence in my mind, even if the numbers aren't that big its better than simply having $400

edv

Brett, being blessed with oil is not the same as "working your *** off". Despite that, I am not an advocate of 'something-for-nothing'.

Does anyone ever consider that perhaps the oil belongs to Canada and not just Alberta? It certainly does not belong to any citizen (farmer, say) who lives on top of it.

Whizbang

well im swimming across lake erie.

Alak

iTrader: (9)

Your wrong Ed. The oil belongs to the US after we sold it to them. We just get money from royalties and such.

Aviator 902S

[QUOTE=edv]

Brett, being blessed with oil is not the same as "working your *** off". Despite that, I am not an advocate of 'something-for-nothing'.

Actually, anybody who has a job generally "works their *** off." The difference is how much you have to do just to make ends meet in times of a poor economy, high taxes and wages that don't keep pace with inflation.

While our provincial economy is currently booming thanks to increased oil and gas revenues, Albertans weren't doing so well during the great NEP scare and later, the following world oil recession. The resulting accumulated provincial debt had to be paid down and Albertans footed the bill. The direct result was (among other things), countless personal bankruptcies, a crumbling infrastructure and higher taxes and fees.

So we had a choice: keep working for substandard wages and tolerate a far-too-much-lower standard of living than that of other provinces (Newfoundland notwithstanding); or "work our asses off" via a second or even third income at some menial job in a feeble attempt to maintain a standard of living somewhere in the same ballpark as our neighbours to the east and west.

So now that the debt has been paid down and the economy has recovered, should we still be paying through the nose as before? I don't think so. The provincial tax revenue requirement is not as high as it was before, so we should all get corresponding tax breaks. Or at least a refund of what we are currently over-paying.

Does anyone ever consider that perhaps the oil belongs to Canada and not just Alberta? It certainly does not belong to any citizen (farmer, say) who lives on top of it.

The federal Liberals have been trying to convince Canadians of that for decades. Actually, no, a province's natural resources do not belong to the entire country any more than your FD belongs to everyone in the Calgary area group of forum members.

This was clearly stated during confederation and later when Alberta joined confederation in 1905. The provinces were their own (for lack of a better phrase) "country within a country", ie: the provinces owned their resources and had custody over all governing procedures within their own borders, ie: health care, unemployment, infrastructure, business and the harvesting/ management (or not) of any natural resources within their borders--- natural resources which they owned.

The federal government's job was to act as a national entity dealing with issues such as international trade, national defense, national law inforcement (NWMP, now the RCMP) and later, collection of federal taxes for the purpose of supporting said federal responsibilities.

But this arrangement has been slowly and methodically hijacked by decades of (mostly Liberal) federal governments that were leaning farther and farther away from the system of free enterprise on which this country was so successfully built. The prevailing attitudes at 24 Sussex Drive is "what's yours is mine, and what's mine is my own," and "if we can divide east and west, if we can instill envy and resentment in the minds of those unable or unwilling to succeed in their own right, and if we can manipulate the education system so that each and every child is a dumbed-down, ill-informed flag-waving citizen we can tell them **** is champagne and they'll gulp it down. We'll be in power forever."

These bastards have us on a track that's leading closer to a socialist system--- one that threatens to not only rob us of the standard of living our predecessors worked, fought and died for but also to lead us into a dictatorship where speaking our minds could land us in jail or at the very least into financial ruin. Canada may still be one of the better places in the world to live, but we're on a downward spiral. I say it's time for the provinces to level out, pull up and take back what is theirs. If they don't, the only alternative will be to pull out of confederation.

(end rant).

Aviator 902S

Pretty much true. After the NEP killed off the Canadian oil companies the only ones who could afford to buy them out were established rich American entities. In other words, Pierre Trudeau and Marc LaLonde handed a large percentage of Alberta's oil to the U.S. on a silver platter. Alberta still gets the royalties on all oil and gas produced, but once pulled out of the ground and the royalties paid, the oil itself belongs to the company that extracted it--- even if said company is American.

bbmac

I don't think our taxes need to be reduced I think the klien government should put the money back to where they have slashes budgets in the past like education, health car, etc.. Personally I don't need my vote to be bought because I am not going to vote for them anyway..

Anyways, my 400 will go towards my projects and I will be hoping that in years to come if the money is there it will go to something a touch more useful.

Felgar

I agree completely. Although I'm worried about his successor... Really though, for me $400 is not a big deal. I don't really need $400 from my government; what I need is a quick MRI if I get cancer, and a road system that keeps my 15 mile commute under 45 minutes.

I think with the ridiculous boom in Ft McMurray a bullet train should be seriously considered. People could litterally live in Calgary or Edmonton and commute to Ft McMurray. It could change the province I think. Credit to Klein though, they are starting a serious investigation into building a train starting this month; basically a study to see if it makes sense.

Oh about the $400... Too bad Sony couldn't get the PS3 arriving at about the same time.

Aviator 902S

You're right--- Klien's rebate cheques are a vote-buying scheme, not to mention a method to meet increasing demands from Albertans to return some of the excess tax that was necessary to pay down the provincial debt--- without actually creating a permanent tax reduction such as eliminating health care premiums, a tax by any other name.

But then again, Ralphie is a closet Liberal at heart even though he was savvy enough to join the Conservatives in a province that tends to lean right of center. Personally, I thinks he's long past his best-before date and wont be getting my vote either.

But neither will the Liberals or NDP, choices that would prove to be infinitely worse. For proof of this, look no further than Ottawa or B.C.

That only leaves one party with both the ***** to stand up to Ottawa and the common sense to look after Alberta's interests and future in a relatively efficient and responsible manner, thereby winning votes and keeping them: the Alberta Reform party.

As for putting the excess budget money into infrastructure, health care and education, this is an absolute must. However, between booming oil revenues and the interest and principle that Alberta is no longer paying out to service and pay down a $23B debt there is enough money to both rebuild Alberta and reduce our tax load.

Alak

iTrader: (9)

Federal government is the one raping us of our taxes. Did you know we are the highest taxed rate non-revolutionized country in history? In rotorhead terms, we pay more tax than anyone, and have NOT had a revolution because if it. We just suck it up while they suck it up. Example: It nice to see my $2000 paycheck. They detail and illistrate exactly how much they take from you. You look at the top, $2000. You look at the bottom and see a measly $1200 for all your hard labour. 40% tax rate in that tax bracket. What do I get at tax time? I have to pay of course. 40% isnt enough so the end of the year is where they get you.

Now, if everyone were making $2000 and we used 30 million population as an example, that would be 24 Billion bi-weekly which translates to 48 billion monthly. Times that by 12 and you get 576 Billion in income tax revenue per year. Now thats hardly realistic, but you get the point.


If Paul Martain can dish out 1.14M to cover his ***, why are the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Since when did government become a buisiness? I thought churches were the only ones able to jump ship.

I'd glady join anyone who wants to cause some revolution crap. I've got my pitchfork and torch ready. I'll take a hit for the team.

C-Murder

Really? we pay more tax than anyone and haven't had a revolution? There is this one country called Sweden...

Felgar

Point of clarity on mty post. I misread bbmac stating that he would not vote for Klein, thinking he said he would vote for him. So I only agree with bbmac about where the money should be sent; I'll definately vote for Klein (assuming he runs which might be a long shot)

You guys are nuts to vote Klein out. You should see from the Feberal Liberals, or from the Provincial governments of BC and Sask just how terrible leadership can be; in comparison Klein is both a saint and a genius. There aren't many who would have had the fortitude to lead us into this position of prosperity, as evidenced by those who came before him as well as his contemporaries I've mentioned.

Aviator 902S

Klein has done a lot of good for this province, and compared to the Federal Liberals or NDP (in spite of Klein's closet Liberal leanings) he's still a saint even now. But he's also not doing much to keep the feds at bay and those in his inner circle (one of which will likely be his successor at the top of the Alberta Conservative party) aren't likely to do much either. This leaves only one viable party to vote for unless you want to be ***-raped by the feds via another NEP-like tax grab: the Alberta Reform party.

Aviator 902S

You're right. Sweden is the only other country that is more heavily taxed than Canada--- but not by much. And in spite of the fact that there is corruption in the governments of pretty much every country, I believe that the corruption, waste and democracy deficit in Sweden's government pales in comparison to that of our own Liberal government.

As for Alak's comment that we are paying over 30% of our income to income tax, that's only part of the equation. Add to this the fact that GST, user and enviro fees (taxes by any other name), corporate and taxes on fuel: we are paying about 50% of our annual income on taxes. Tax freedom day in Canada falls between June 26th and July 7th, depending on which province you live in.

Prôdigy2nd

iTrader: (3)

Damn rights they pay more, but not a whole lot, but think of this, you wanna become a doctor and go to school for 8 years, in Canada that is a helluv alot of money, cause of all **** you need, other than just the school it's self, if you are a Swedish citizen, you get post seondary education free........ that means no $1000 for a night course running for a month, no huge student loans to pay off when you finnish school, in sweden all you have to look after is your living expoensies (which can be) alot but i'de still have my school paid for then a kick in the *** from the government, for trying to learn ****. thats my take on things, and as far as reecltion,i dunno, i just turned 18 but i still think Klein is doing a pretty damn decent job when you take the sponorship scandal into effect and the billions of dollars that feds have fed out to Certain, "influencial" companies, and yes i do believe Klien can do a better job. Lets say government got ranked on how good they operate, like 100% being everyone loves them, they do not screw up with personal affaris and bring them to their jobs(EI Bill Cliton, genuis but could not keep his **** in his pants). now i'de say Klien is hovering around the 63-68% for effecnicy (you know what word i am trying to spell) now not hte best but then you look at the feds and i'de rank them somewhere around the 25-28%. ya Klein can improve but remember he is already doing a decent job. By the way, not to bash the PM but i think pual martin, is a idoit that got his hands in too dirty of water. he (in my opinion) should just drop out and let someone else (NOT liberal) run the counrty, and i'm not foudn of the NDPs, or the stupid marriwanna pary of Canada, as bad as some people think, my Vote would go to the Alliance party, cause i know atleast some of the people in the party are not complete selfish bastards (not saying that the liberals don't have some honest hard working MP's but they are few in many to find, where as i personally think the Alliance party has much better ways of helping Canada. God only knows how much those diplomatic fat asses have stole from this country, not the countries government, but the Countries People, and that just pisses me off. alot of liberal cabinate ministers, help there freinds, out, so then the hard working Canadian has to work even harder just to put food on his table for his family, and $1.55 for gas in his car. thats all i got for right now.




Prôdigy

now

iTrader: (1)

my plan for my 400 is:
use it to heat the house for part of a month!

Felgar

If the Feds try a tax-grab like that I don't think it will hurt us. As someone already said, the damage from the NEP is already done in that most of the Alberta-based O&G companies were taken over by American companies. Even if the gov't forces the O&G industry to pay for brunt of Kyoto via emission taxes, in the end all that will happen is the entire industry will raise the price at the pumps by whatever they need to. All of North America will pay for it, not just us, don't you think? Since all the O&G intrests here now are NA wide, it's almost impossible to single Alberta out I'd say.