Wynne's 2016 Budget

[MarkB]

When taxes grow faster than inflation, it means disposable income is shrinking. It means someone is pocketing more money.

I could imagine health overall is costing us more due to baby boomers - and that is understandable, but there's got to be more.

For taxes to be calculated on income, which supposedly keeps up with inflation, and actually grows as GDP increases, and for that increase in tax revenue to not be enough, for the government to ask for a bigger piece of the pie ... well, is all that extra money really going into health, and is it because there's more patients or has taking care of patients become more expensive (per person), or is someone stealing the money??

If we can't explain where exactly the money goes ... I have another question.

At what taxation level does the government break the economy? I feel that the average person in Ontario is actually borrowing lots of money to survive, and so things are already unsustainable. More taxes (carbon tax on gas) is just pushing people closer to the brink of declaring bankrupcy.

What is truly a sustainable level of taxation (income, HST, fuel taxes, other sin taxes, duties, etc)?

[MarkB]

As student enrolment declines the cost of education climbs. Simply put it usually just means paying more for the same services/staff wether or not we need the service anymore. Information technology can probably eliminate 25-30% of clerical staff on the public dime. The technology exists but the unions wouldn't allow it and they control government now.

Yes, but the total cost per annum should not increase by more than inflation. So as long as the tax base doesn't change, then there should be no increases in taxes needed for education. The cost per person educated may go up, but the total cost doesn't.

[mosquito]

Speaking of the Ontario Conservative party.
http://www.therebel.media/patrick_br..._s_progressive

Interesting points.... 350,000 jobs lost, $1,000,000,000 A MONTH to pay the interest on the debt, ORPP will cost 54,000 jobs, 39% of healthcare is administration, graduating students without the skills for the modern world, 9,000 teachers graduated for 5,000 jobs etc. "Unethical to young people"... :-)

Before you say anything, it actually sounds like a good play to me, I think his "carbon tax" comments are a good idea for the low info greenies to feel like they can still vote for them and be green.



and a bit more about those $6000 dinners.... the Librano's are back and accountability and integrity really don't matter any more in Ontario!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com//opin...click=sf_globe

[JBen]

It's not hard figuring out where the bulk of the money goes. One only need look at the budgets.

Revenue = X
Debt payment = Y
Salaries and Compensation = Z

X = 120 billion
Y = 11 Billion
Z = 65-70 Billion

Leaves about .30 to .35 cents on the dollar for actual end product. Be that classroom supplies, new computers, MRI machines or new hips.

Doesn't leave much for roads, bridges, recipients (aka the lowly tax payer).

[MarkB]

It's not hard figuring out where the bulk of the money goes. One only need look at the budgets.

Revenue = X
Debt payment = Y
Salaries and Compensation = Z

X = 120 billion
Y = 11 Billion
Z = 65-70 Billion

Leaves about .30 to .35 cents on the dollar for actual end product. Be that classroom supplies, new computers, MRI machines or new hips.

Doesn't leave much for roads, bridges, recipients (aka the lowly tax payer).

How much of Z, salaries and compensation is:

1) for essential services to the public like teaching, policing, doctors, nurses, firemen, peramedics, urban development, defense

vs.

2) administrative services - parliament, policy making, marketing, etc.

I'd like to know that we aren't spending the majority of our money on Z(2).

[JBen]

That Mark, is the multi billion dollar question.

This has been "debated" here many times. Do I think, they are "over" compensated? Do I think there are too many of them? Do I think it's one specific "branch" or do I try to think big picture and use the umbrella word......PS. Which includes all of them, from the pencil pushers and beuaracrats to some of the more vociferous/militant Unions.


I don't mind saying that in a general, loose sense some...um...famous ones like teachers, or OPP are over compensated these days.

Reality is, statistically only a small segment of society pull in that magical number of 100,000 year in "salary". Roughly 10-15% of the population. The vast majority make a lot less. Our mean duo income is 75k. So any Public Servant who gets paid 75k, earns what, 50% of the couples earn...........And have way better benefits.......way better job security (just look around these days)...and Pensions (very expensive and something only 35% (most of whom are PS) have.)

I'm going to be unemployed in a couple weeks. Given the climate, want to guess what my prospects are? Want to guess what some very specialized requiring years of education, years of continuing CE and PD, and liscenes, designations "earn".... I'll tell you, most jobs be it vanilla FA, or credit specialist, or mortgage specialist, or even a specialist in Anti Money laundering, Anti Terrorist financing ( heres one posting) even at the highest rates, it's in the 60k range.

http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=bW1hcm....W12mXlu4.dpbs
.
The vast majority, don't earn the mean....But that is largely neither here nor there because PS have something, the vast majority in "private" don't.

They don't lose sleep worrying about their jobs, nor figuring out how the hell they are ever going to be able to save enough for their own futures (especially these days with soaring Hydro, Taxation and fees, taking thousands from their pockets) . I wonder, what that lack of real life stress is worth, over and above their "salary".
************

And very few of them get it, or apparently care. See the past the few elections.

[Hunter John]

Good luck JBen.

[JBen]

Am sure I'll be fine. My perspective on life is, ime (xperience) very different from most. This isn't the first time "life" has dealt me a major curveball. For starters, I don't have the same attachment to things big chunks of society do. Things like careers, homes, and more...Things like how much I earn or think Im worth (see PS Unions)..I lost my attachment to the "rat race" about 8 years ago.

A number of people I work with are envious of me (right word, not sure). The crap hit the fan 3-4 weeks ago. Many have already been let go, and within the next 1-3 weeks the Co will be closing it's doors. Everyone is going to be on the unemployment lines like tens, hundreds of thousands of others......

I've already sold my house. As of today I'm a vagabond. No house, no-where to live and no job. Im not all that freaked out, I don't need to earn 150k, 100k, or 60k to "be happy". I am now officially free as a bird, nothing tieing me down, to go where I want, do what I want.

Many of my colleagues though? Well many are still caught in the race and trappings of life. Many have been here 10-20 years, many haven't earned 80-100k. None have security, none have Pensions and many wont be getting severance packages....

They unlike some, are stressing, losing a lot of sleep for good reasons, and live in the "real" world.

/looks at those who have it good......
/looks at soaring Hydro, taxes, more....
/looks at the reasons why.

[terrym]

Sorry to hear all this Jben. You have the right attitude though. You have positioned yourself to be mobil and move quickly for oppurtunities that will come up.

[JBen]

Honestly, it's all good (though the "situation") isn't. Ill be just fine, haven't decided yet what in going to do. Maybe it's the opportunity to get out of the race, (which includes the God almighty dollar and feeling like we need or deserve X) and dive into photography full time. Or simply move to rural Ont and do something entirely different. Many of my colleagues though........


Just another difference between life in the "real" world and "PS". Where things like protecting tax payers, accountability and more are worlds apart.

in our business we do more than talk the walk. Though don't believe everything in the press. It's easy to make "examples" of the little people.
http://www.financialpost.com/m/wp/bl...-of-maple-bank