geoffrey

I'm taking your side on this one. Don Drummond's outlook was $60/bbl by the end of '08 in a market report I read about a month back. I'm siding with this argument. The US is sliding fast into a recession, led by a further declining housing market (it's declining in real terms and their is less access to financing... bad news) and if no one has a place to live, fewer will have cars (unless they live in their cars I suppose.....). I'm guessing business is good and getting better for a guy like you, hey jbg?

The GST is likely the only tax that effects you as a student. For my first two years of school (when I wasn't working full-time), I earned around $30k and was tax free. Your going to be income tax free unless your making enough money to be spending some serious GST. This is the first year that I'll be paying full income tax (2008) and I've not been low income for at least the last two. Eliminating the GST from textbooks would be a nice touch, mind you. I honestly think that a GST cut benefits that middle class 40-60k range earner more than anyone else. I save 20% of my earnings, it's not GST taxed. 5% is my car, with GST. 25% is my mortgage which is GST eligible. The other 20% after income taxes and stuff is discretionary spending which is certainly taxed by GST. So ya, 45% of my total income is GST affected and 30% is income tax. That tiny 25% that is not affected... oh well. I like the GST cut. Using the above calculation, the 2% reduction saves me about $700 a year.

I find it funny how the hardcore left winger types here want low oil and energy prices but still want to reduce GHG emissions.

The government takes money from low income people renting mediocre apartments to give me fancy appliances and lower power bills. It's really unjust.

Won't happen. Curious observation though, I find that 2nd gen immigrants, especially from the area you speak of, are very racially focused. It's all about the white guy, the asian guy, whatever. What do you think is the cause of this? Canadian is a ridiculous term. People have values compatible with western culture or they don't. Those that demand you play hockey and drink Timmy Ho's is are rather foolish. Really, if your a progressive type, I don't see why you can't enjoy cultural food or what not. I come from a very diverse workplace, where I'm easily a minority as a the white guy. So, for lunches and stuff we tend to go to various ethnic eateries and things like that. The bottom line, I eat more non-"Canadian" meals than normal "white" stuff. Does that make me not Canadian?? I've got to say that most cultural behavoirs and practices have nothing to do with assimilation. These are all just external things that people see... clothing, food, language. It's just about having the underlying values that go along with western society. 95% of immigrants and minorities are ok with this. It's those that want to vote with faces covered and things along those lines that cause grief. The scary thing is that many people actually hold the opinions you speak of.

I agree. And the old deal is still an option, it just means he can't have the new one as well.

Investment in builders... it's great really. The tax paying family of 4 renting out a small two bedroom in Calgary is about to fund all these great green inititives in this new development I'm thinking of picking up an investment property in. It's certified green. I wonder how much money I'm taking from them by buying there? You've got to love the rob from the poor style of Green government investment!

So his endless whining about the Atlantic Accord and getting every last deal on the table is was all a big waste of time because it's all over in a year anyways?

So they'll stop being a net receipient of the transfer program? Not likely. Ontario will continue to fund Danny's adventures for some time yet... Danny himself said Newfoundland is entitled to both the Atlantic Accord AND Harper's new program... all giving them more than Ontario gets despite having higher per capita GDP and earnings. Hmmm... Got to love Canada.

Clubbing seals. Oh wow. I love how much emotional attachment trumps rational behavoir. No issue with cows being slammed in the head or chickens force fed feed down their throats, got to hate the guys that club seals... Not for any other reason then that they are cute.

That's what I'm talking about... I must just not have noticed until August pointed out a similar issue. No biggy Greg.

Why should the government support one lifestyle over another?? There is no justification to give a break to a $200k earner living with an unemployed person together than to give me a cut. It simply makes no sense. It encourages people not to work.

But Michael Moore says otherwise!! Waaahhhh!

Stop egging the children on boys, just let them blabber to themselves.

I still have the white bars between posts.... using Standard format. IE 7 on Vista Ultimate 64-bit. Actually, I also have the white bars on Firefox using Windows XP Pro. Hmmmm... I'm pretty sure they weren't there before... but perhaps August just had me looking at something I hadn't seen before.

Calgary used to be a pretty boring nightlife city, but that's quickly improving. To be honest, just because you don't know of any good places doesn't mean there aren't many out there. The opportunity in Calgary is beyond ridiculous, compared to anywhere in Canada or maybe the world. I'd never be close to where I'm at in any other Canadian city. Absolutely for sure. Calgary has better access to outdoor recreation than any other city, with the possible exception of Vancouver. Your right, Calgary isn't a very urban city. It's alot of suburbia... which makes it highly attractive to those with families. Ya, we don't have a downtown like Montreal or Vancouver or Toronto, but we're also not 2-7 million people. Compared to Edmonton, we have less nightlife because we're a bit more of a mature, professional, white collar city. Edmonton is full of young oil field workers, of course they'll need a few more bars. Calgary is much safer than Edmonton crime wise as well. Sure, if you want to sit around and do nothing, Calgary might not be your place. But if you want opportunity, then you've got to be here to enjoy it. Depends on your group of friends and what you decide to emerse yourself in. There is alot of cultural opportunities here, they just may not be as easily accessible or widely promoted as in a younger party city like Edmonton.

Stealing other's property is always cheaper, but eventually, one has to recognize that the materials belong to the artists and labels that produce them. I see no difference between downloading a song and stealing a chocolate bar. Your a thief either way. Let the legislation go through and let's start prosecuting those that take what doesn't belong to them. I wouldn't want my property and hard work stolen.

Oh well. We also can't make $5 t-shirts. Doesn't mean the government should subsidize sweatshops. We can't do everything, why waste our money on what we do poorly.

Sadly, the Conservative party and the PC's before are the only parties in Canadian history that have actual real results on the enivronment. You can sign all the stacks of paper you want, but that doesn't make problems go away. Eventually, you actually have to do something. That fact is lost on Dion and was lost on Chretien and Martin.

Sure. But he's funded by selling commercials I can choose to watch or not. CBC's bias is funded by my paycheque. There is a significant difference. I'd have no problem with the CBC if they funded themselves. Using tax dollars to push agendas exclusively is inappropriate. The price of Alcan stock just went up. Like I said, who cares about bias if people are willing to pay for it? All media is biased. That's why the government should stay the hell out of it.

Some 30% of Canadians voted CPC last election. Ties to Tories? Please. You've got to do better. It's expected through pure statistics that Tory supporters will get appointed to a huge chunk of positions. It's even more likely if Tories make the appointments as people are likely to get jobs in either the public sector or private if they share similar values or outlooks on the job at hand.

No there wasn't. Williams can still take the Atlantic Accord, that was kept. If he wants the better deal, he can take that too, but not both at the same time.

I would have made over $2k at $0.25 a post. Where is my cheque?!

No, the police generally arrest those that break the law out here... because then those that continously break the law and get away end up shot. Especially in the rural areas. It's much easier to charge the white guy. How many people have gone to jail so far for burning down the CN bridge and digging up our highway?

I'm so suprised that Ontarians haven't dealt with this matter themselves. I'd like to see how long these people would block a highway in Alberta. Perhaps those living in Toronto need to spend a day with these thugs to understand that electing a government that supports such lawlessness is ridiculous. McGuinty has let you guys down. Shame. Your province is hostage to the demands of these extortionists and thugs.