Stephen Harper offers new fitness tax credit after budget gets in shap

[ToadBrother]

He's saying we can't afford to spend a whole bunch of money now......but give me a majority and let me continue to help the economy and balance the budget, and families will be rewarded. This is in contrast to the Liberals who will raise corporate taxes and spend all that money - dampening the economic recovery and not addressing the deficit. Funny thing is, Dalton McGuinty is praising corporate tax cuts in his latest budget in making Ontario one of the best places to do business. He's not liking Mr. Ignatieff's plan to raise taxes again - so you won't see McGuinty out on the stump for him. So....it's OK to cut taxes - as long as it's done by a Liberal. It's time for a Conservative majority....it'll give the Liberals time to get their act together.

The problem with this lovely little story that a good deal of the economic recovery will rely on factors quite external to Ottawa, and to a very large degree, completely beyond its control.

It's an empty promise that the empty heads seem to have bought into.

[William Ashley]

In a related matter I'd like to announce that I'm going to buy every Canadian family a brand new electric car...

...When I get elected PM in 2035.

Actually for the cost of public transit systems every houshold in Canada could be given an electric car, every 3 to 5 years.

--- this number easily sits north of 7 billion dollars annually.

Talk about pensions, and pay of transit users... a generic vehcile could be built for around $3000 (not only this but you can actually make urban grids that allow light weight vehicles to use tritrack like rails, that can actually generate electricity.. for instance by having PBV. and a supporting human powered under schweeb type device for the carless. (people under the age of driving) promoting a healthy society. Special versions for disabilities could be provided as a public taxi alternative for occassional use disabile public transit users.

Intercity version could also be made extending the life and use of these vehciles.

About 2-3 million housholds could be supplied one of these vehciles every year.

The system meanwhile could recoupe by offering low cost energy fed from the PVC system on the tritrack rails.

The system would be phased in that people would get their first vehicle free. With more advanced models for sale. As a $3000 or so tax credit of sorts. The system pays for itself.

Meanwhile users would pay back the money through a slight markup on express tritrack usage. eg. 10cents a KM. or something of the sort

The vehicle of course could be used off track also.

SO THIS COULD BE DONE WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS A FREE ELECTRIC VEHCILE FOR EVERY CANADIAN WITHIN 10 years!

AND A PROFIT EARNING POTENTIAL FOR THE GOVERNMENT IN CREATING LOW COST ELECTRIC GRIDS.

NO MORE GASOLINE RELIANCE!

Non Citizens could buy one... the vehciles would be provided to non vehcile owners first (vehicle owners could buy one) People would have a choice to buy one or to turn in their vehicle/ sell their vehicle. Also individuals who have children registered for school or family homes would be next on the list where the family only has 1 vehicle. - A certain number would be made each year with old vehciles refurbished and reentered into the system (example seniors who keeled - would have the vehicle redistributed) The exact ditrobution would be on a basis of need and communities of medium or large size being rolled out first as tracking expanded.

Likewise due to computer guidance, people wouldn't even need to know how to drive to use it, just input a destination. Crash and collision sensors could shut it down if a pedestrian or cyclist ran or jumped infront of it. After dropping your kids off at school it could come back all on its own. No need for school buses in urban and semi developed areas.(non remote areas) (and they park themselves right on the track, and can be remotely called for pickup or delivery) The cost efficiency created by this novel public transit system that you own your OWN vehicle for... is immense. Commercial lanes could be provided at markup for "high speed" for high speed approved vehciles" eg. over 100km/h delivery vehiciles etc.. the cost isn't high if actually done by people in the know. (it actually makes and saves the government money...)

Efficiency and Productivity increases yeilds profit increases in GDP.

Within 5 years every public transit user in Canada could have their own vehicle.

Take a look at some simple facts here:

http://www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/transportation/transit/facts.asp

Social Totally Revolutionized Transport with Money Making cars, and not at the taxpayers expense, it makes the government money, and saves the taxpayer - say goodbye to high gas prices--- SAY GOODBYE TO GASOLINE!

I would also as part of the Social Party Platform pay for every Canadian to solar shingle their homes, with programs like microfit... essentially not only does the cost of reshingling your home save you money, It actually makes you money! And makes your home completely energy self dependent, allowing you to power your "G-ridE-Car" or make money (the government only gets a small cut of the proceeds)

And for those Canadians without homes, programs like Habitat for Humanity would get help from The Right to Work, and the Strategic Reserve supplying low cost wood(stone and ceramics) and labour. So Every Canadian who wanted a home could have one. This would be done throug a commitment of homes for people under the middle income threshold. By providing community housing, but development housing in ready to go home kits. Provided individuals paid a small monthly lease to own fee to the government that would subsidize the Right to Work Program. (we must ask though is there 'really' a housing shortage in Canada"

And non citizens would be able to buy into all these employment, transport, and housing benefits for only the $30000 or so cost of tier 2 citizenship. (everything but the vote) (after 3 or so years of continued living, you could register for tier 1 citizenship)

This all in a TAX FREE CANADA! 0% federal income taxes FEDERAL REGION AND SPECIAL TERRITORIAL 0% taxes (outside of provincial jurisdiction) THE LOWEST TAXES IN THE WORLD (NONE!) All paid for by essential services and entreprenurial PUBLIC SERVICE!

WHY HAVE A WELFARE STATE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE AN EMPLOYED PUBLIC? A NON TAXED CITIZENRY.. A DEBT FREE PUBLIC...

JOIN THE SOCIAL PARTY the REAL ALTERNATIVE.

-------------

We are talking about change but it is good change, and those people effected would be given a better life along with the rest of society. A cleaner, more productive, less wastefull, more self reliant Canada.

===============

The social alternative to Harpers program would simply be to invest in public GYMNASIUMS, in places like HighSchools and Public Facilities for the public to use.

It costs the government a lot less to provide facilities for people to use in buildings they already have.

Provide free fitness.

(this is a big spurn to the fitness industry true... but they can still get paid as trainers or "private faciltiies" and it increases the health product market that they could earn from. Even one or two extra sales a month would yeild that cost.

Hell the government could sell their own brand of fitness treats at these facilities to pay for them.

THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE BETTER OF TO DIRECT SERVICE DELIVERY.

Edited April 3, 2011 by William Ashley

[blueblood]

geez I thought conservative mantra was let the free market decide process now you want the opposite...not my problem, higher prices don't affect anyone if you refuse to pay, corporations will find ways to keep prices down because that's how the free market process is supposed to work...

Do you know what the free market is?

When taxes go up the free market is going to decide to raise prices, fire workers, relocate, cut other costs in order to keep their margins in tact so their bond and shareholders don't have a coniption fit.

Prices go down when there is competition, by having a low tax regime, it lowers the cost of doing business, which means firms can lower prices so they can get more customers which improves their margins.

[William Ashley]

The social alternative to Harpers program would simply be to invest in public GYMNASIUMS, in places like HighSchools and Public Facilities for the public to use.

It costs the government a lot less to provide facilities for people to use in buildings they already have.

Provide free fitness.

(this is a big spurn to the fitness industry true... but they can still get paid as trainers or "private faciltiies" and it increases the health product market that they could earn from. Even one or two extra sales a month would yeild that cost.

Hell the government could sell their own brand of fitness treats at these facilities to pay for them.

THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE BETTER OF TO DIRECT SERVICE DELIVERY.

Give them TO THE HIGHSCHOOLS. ALLOW PUBLIC ACCESS 5-11pm (as well as class times not used as as part of gym classes potentially example anywhere not within 30 minutes of a break to prescreened individuals/members)

Almost all communities in Canada have highschools..... the demand would likely be medium at best.

How much would this tax credit cost? and how much could that go to improving secondary school access for highschool fitness, where real health buds.

MY ALTERNATIVE TO HARPERS TAX CREDIT IS

to connect the community to the resources.. and provide better public resources.

TO INSPIRE A MORE HEALTH CONSCIOUS PUBLIC WITH MORE CAPABILITIES AND RESOURCES...

that $500 per adult could fund state of the art Junior Health Facilities to our Youth and Adults.

if even 100,000 people used the credit that is 50 million dollars if 1 million that is 1/2 a billion dollars to improve high school fitness centers available to the public and youth.

Give to these places....

http://www.studycanada.ca/english/school_find.php?type=SecondarySchools

Fitness facilities are already pretty packed. The quality would dramatically decrease if everyone took part at private places. We need more not more people being paid to go. There is a certain margin here.

Once you provide this money.. within a couple years you could completely pay for public fitness facilities that would last a generation. Rather than money syphoned off as profit.

GET THE MOST BANG FOR THE BUCK.. harper isn't hitting the mark. Has he even worked out in private gyms? Of the commercial value?

Chances are it means gym prices might go up.... they make more money... and really not much a public benefit is created.

There is only a slight margin of benefit. Harper needs to target to specific demographics.

Example between 25 and 40 year olds.

Example provide secondary school access for youth and seniors. meanwhile some type of a tax credit could be phased in for private facilities in areas with surplus capacity and demand.

A tax rebate to companies for instance to develop company fitness facilities might be another alternative. those employing more than say 20 or so people per shift.

In a multiprong aproach to provide A REAL WORKING FITNESS PLAN.

THE SOCIAL BENFITS need to be taken into account... I can alraedy tell his flatline credit would if used only increase rates, and lower the quality of private fitness centres. There is only so much space, and the floorage is what costs.

How long is this credit running?

A bunch of corps already have corporate rates

PUBLIC RESOURCES NOT PRIVATE RESOURCES!

This $2000 or so per family could go to fund adeqeutte public resources for fitness.. instead we have it squandered to potential part time people who may only use the stuff for a couple days a year at best. It is such a massive inefficiency in program spending.

(bear in mind large screen televisions for electronic health and video games should also be in the secondary facilities to serve both as viewing screens for health materials and to inspire flow to the gym facilities by the youth to be around the stuff that they might use)

THE FUN COMMUNITY CENTER APPROACH eg. $1000 games budget $5000 technology budget $44,000 equipment budget etc.. I'm not sure how far a $50,000 grant to each secondary school would go I geuss it would depend on use but that only works out to 100 TAX CREDITS.. per school.... you can see how this quickly could provide VERY GOOD facilities to secondary schools.

Schools are used by 1/6th of the population every weekday they are the central focus of Canadian Society, they deserve a focus of health and fitness spending also.

Edited April 3, 2011 by William Ashley

[cybercoma]

If taxes are higher then that's a cost of doing business and it goes right into the cost of whatever is being sold. The tax applies to everyone so everyone transfers the extra cost to the price of their goods/services and the competition remains unchanged....at least in your country. It makes investment in Canadian business less competitive overall.

You assume that companies are able to ask whatever price they want. They can't. Products and services have different flexibilities. Cigarettes and alcohol, as an example, could double in price and people would still pay it. Computers, cars, televisions, Caribbean cruises could double in price and people would not pay the difference. Conservatives like to ram the myth down everyone's throat that a raise in corporate taxes instantly means a rise in price. It doesn't.

[Bryan]

Provide free fitness.

Thankfully, fitness already is free if you want that. More crunches, less croissants!

[William Ashley]

Thankfully, fitness already is free if you want that. More crunches, less croissants!

Sorry you are wrong.

To get peak efficiency in fitness you need equipment. You just can't get "athletic" without good training equipment. Without it your results won't be very effective, and will likely cause unneeded joint stress. Equipment allows muscle isolations and incremental measurable increases. In order to do free body exercise you need to have a level of relative fitness first. You can get this but it takes time. Equipment allows efficiency and good time managmeent for peak fitness gain. It also allows you to go beyond body weight - and dramatically improves isolation.

Harpers plan doesn't adeuettely address public fitness it is a kick back that will degrade fitness center quality.

It makes it dramatically easier to see gains and feel a sense of accomplishment. Equipment helps. Your free body is only a last resort. Ergonomics and return on time investment are important for social efficiency. People won't waste their time on 0 return - that is why graduated results are a psychological advantage to any federal health program.

So to put back your single line out of context quote:

The social alternative to Harpers program would simply be to invest in public GYMNASIUMS, in places like HighSchools and Public Facilities for the public to use.

It costs the government a lot less to provide facilities for people to use in buildings they already have.

Provide free fitness.

(this is a big spurn to the fitness industry true... but they can still get paid as trainers or "private faciltiies" and it increases the health product market that they could earn from. Even one or two extra sales a month would yeild that cost.

Hell the government could sell their own brand of fitness treats at these facilities to pay for them.

THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE BETTER OF TO DIRECT SERVICE DELIVERY.

The social alternative to Harpers program would simply be to invest in public GYMNASIUMS, in places like HighSchools and Public Facilities for the public to use.

It costs the government a lot less to provide facilities for people to use in buildings they already have.

Provide free fitness.

(this is a big spurn to the fitness industry true... but they can still get paid as trainers or "private faciltiies" and it increases the health product market that they could earn from. Even one or two extra sales a month would yeild that cost.

Hell the government could sell their own brand of fitness treats at these facilities to pay for them.

THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE BETTER OF TO DIRECT SERVICE DELIVERY.

Give them TO THE HIGHSCHOOLS. ALLOW PUBLIC ACCESS 5-11pm (as well as class times not used as as part of gym classes potentially example anywhere not within 30 minutes of a break to prescreened individuals/members)

Almost all communities in Canada have highschools..... the demand would likely be medium at best.

How much would this tax credit cost? and how much could that go to improving secondary school access for highschool fitness, where real health buds.

MY ALTERNATIVE TO HARPERS TAX CREDIT IS

to connect the community to the resources.. and provide better public resources.

TO INSPIRE A MORE HEALTH CONSCIOUS PUBLIC WITH MORE CAPABILITIES AND RESOURCES...

that $500 per adult could fund state of the art Junior Health Facilities to our Youth and Adults.

if even 100,000 people used the credit that is 50 million dollars if 1 million that is 1/2 a billion dollars to improve high school fitness centers available to the public and youth.

Give to these places....

http://www.studycana...econdarySchools

Fitness facilities are already pretty packed. The quality would dramatically decrease if everyone took part at private places. We need more not more people being paid to go. There is a certain margin here.

Once you provide this money.. within a couple years you could completely pay for public fitness facilities that would last a generation. Rather than money syphoned off as profit.

GET THE MOST BANG FOR THE BUCK.. harper isn't hitting the mark. Has he even worked out in private gyms? Of the commercial value?

Chances are it means gym prices might go up.... they make more money... and really not much a public benefit is created.

There is only a slight margin of benefit. Harper needs to target to specific demographics.

Example between 25 and 40 year olds.

Example provide secondary school access for youth and seniors. meanwhile some type of a tax credit could be phased in for private facilities in areas with surplus capacity and demand.

A tax rebate to companies for instance to develop company fitness facilities might be another alternative. those employing more than say 20 or so people per shift.

In a multiprong aproach to provide A REAL WORKING FITNESS PLAN.

THE SOCIAL BENFITS need to be taken into account... I can alraedy tell his flatline credit would if used only increase rates, and lower the quality of private fitness centres. There is only so much space, and the floorage is what costs.

How long is this credit running?

A bunch of corps already have corporate rates

PUBLIC RESOURCES NOT PRIVATE RESOURCES!

This $2000 or so per family could go to fund adeqeutte public resources for fitness.. instead we have it squandered to potential part time people who may only use the stuff for a couple days a year at best. It is such a massive inefficiency in program spending.

(bear in mind large screen televisions for electronic health and video games should also be in the secondary facilities to serve both as viewing screens for health materials and to inspire flow to the gym facilities by the youth to be around the stuff that they might use)

THE FUN COMMUNITY CENTER APPROACH eg. $1000 games budget $5000 technology budget $44,000 equipment budget etc.. I'm not sure how far a $50,000 grant to each secondary school would go I geuss it would depend on use but that only works out to 100 TAX CREDITS.. per school.... you can see how this quickly could provide VERY GOOD facilities to secondary schools.

Schools are used by 1/6th of the population every weekday they are the central focus of Canadian Society, they deserve a focus of health and fitness spending also.

Edited April 3, 2011 by William Ashley

[William Ashley]

What I'm left wondering is..

Was this in the budget or is he just buying votes?

If it wasn't in the budget who is paying or this $2+ billion dollar tax credit?

That is all Ignatieffs programs spending .. Harper putting it all into private fitness memberships?

I'm really concerned about the effect of 10 million new Gym memberships appearing... in the limited spaces in local fitness clubs, and the potential for masses of seniors and unfit people flooding peak performance facilities.

I favour the public funding system for secondary schools far more than Harper's tax credit system for private memberships. (a reduced membership example $200 per year (to pay the first year membership signup cost and subsidizing subsequent years might be good.. with the rest going to public funding) Private fitness clubs are a luxury and will only remain a luxury if there is some financial barrier to joining. More public fitness facilities are an awsome compromise to insure that the luxury is not lost and people still have access to equipment for health.

There isn't enough to go around in fitness clubs if membership spikes especially in small pools or saunas... it would be packed. You'd spend more time waiting to use something than using it.

This is why the secondary school option and other community centers are useful to bridge the demand by utilizing current floor space, introducing new equipment allowing promotion of private health to a certain extent, and allowing other social programs and things like libraries to be accessable to the public to maximize efficient.. example daycares, fitness facilities, and libraries in the same general areas where possible.

Giving a boost to private gyms isn't bad, but it needs to be handled on a means of "overall benefit" -- also an offset in health costs to program funding could be a direct correlation and see if returns actually exist. If they do then it should be geared to those below the middle income line.. because that is where any self funded health care is draining the public so we must improve the health of the poor because they can't do it themselves. Things like nutirition are a major leading cause to what is termed mental illness... malnutrition leading to non normative function or underfunctioning. If even a quarter of the mental health population is removed by health promotion and nuturition then 1/2 a billion dollars or more will be saved --- estimated at ~$5000 annually on ~800,000 mentally unfit individuals that would be saved through public health and nutirtion programs.

Health programs need to focus on those who cannot afford health. The people who can should do it themselves. AND JUST CUT OUT TAXES COMPLETELY.

Youth don't have money for fitness memberships.

Secondary schools are the way to go.

Edited April 3, 2011 by William Ashley

[Bryan]

Sorry you are wrong.

No I'm not.

To get peak efficiency in fitness you need equipment. You just can't get "athletic" without good training equipment. Without it your results won't be very effective,

You don't need any of that, those are just excuses.

I lost 54 lbs in about three months a few years ago. My body fat dropped while my muscle mass increased. I got in the best shape of my life, and I did all of it with only one piece of equipment: a bicycle. I biked to work everyday, went jogging, and did body weight exercises (pushups, pullups, dips, crunches).

Moving your body creates fitness, machines are only one of many ways to do that.

Edited April 3, 2011 by Bryan

[William Ashley]

No I'm not.

You don't need any of that, those are just excuses.

I lost 54 lbs in about three months a few years ago. My body fat dropped while my muscle mass increased. I got in the best shape of my life, and I did all of it with only one piece of equipment: a bicycle. I biked to work everyday, went jogging, and did body weight exercises (pushups, pullups, dips, crunches).

Moving your body creates fitness, machines are only one of many ways to do that.

PICS or STFU

Loosing weight and becoming athletic are two different things. You didn't break your own body mass on this... It is good for a start but that bike isn't "free" either is the bar.. and crunches arn't ergonomic. The Results you got in 3 years could have been gotten in a much shorther time with proper equipment, and you would have excelled well beyond it, and you would have been enticed to continue improving your fitness beyond basic health.

One missing element here in harpers plan is

"Will provide fitness tax credit for adults once the budget is balanced in 2015-16."

The fabled end of reality tax break.

Yes the Tories will balance the budget, must note to find that dealer if I want to leave sanity.

Edited April 3, 2011 by William Ashley

[Shady]

You just can't get "athletic" without good training equipment.

Complete nonsense. Running or walking in conjunction with pushups, situps, and lunges can get you in really good shape. You don't know what you're talking about.

[blueblood]

PICS or STFU

Loosing weight and becoming athletic are two different things. You didn't break your own body mass on this... It is good for a start but that bike isn't "free" either is the bar.. and crunches arn't ergonomic. The Results you got in 3 years could have been gotten in a much shorther time with proper equipment, and you would have excelled well beyond it, and you would have been enticed to continue improving your fitness beyond basic health.

One missing element here in harpers plan is

"Will provide fitness tax credit for adults once the budget is balanced in 2015-16."

The fabled end of reality tax break.

Yes the Tories will balance the budget, must note to find that dealer if I want to leave sanity.

Personal fitness is a hobby of mine and I've invested some money in fitness equipment. What kind of fitness are you talking about? If your talking about getting stacked, equipment helps with that, but that's only half of it. You are also going to need protein and lots of it as in 1 gram per pound of body weight at least. Then there is possible creatine and other supplements. It is expensive to get stacked. No way a govt could afford a program like that.

Howver there is cardio fitness, which is much cheaper. It is very effective, tiring yet effective. You do not need equipment to participate. Its all will power. Personally I don't do as much cardio as I should be. Shame on me.

[Bonam]

Anyone know the details on the adult tax credit? What expenses would it apply to besides memberships at fitness gyms? Would purchasing sports equipment be covered? I wouldn't mind buying myself a nice new bike and getting a tax credit, for example. Or maybe a kayak.

[William Ashley]

Complete nonsense. Running or walking in conjunction with pushups, situps, and lunges can get you in really good shape. You don't know what you're talking about.

No frankly you don't know what you are talking about, pushups, situps and running arn't ergonomic. They are ok in moderation but after 5 or so years stress injuries start cropping up.

They are only a base, you need equipment to excell. Show me any examples of world class atheletes who didn't utilize equipment in performance sports in the last 20 years.

Edited April 3, 2011 by William Ashley

[Bonam]

No frankly you don't know what you are talking about, pushups, situps and running arn't ergonomic. They are ok in moderation but after 5 or so years stress injuries start cropping up.

They are only a base, you need equipment to excell. Show me any examples of world class atheletes who didn't utilize equipment in performance sports in the last 20 years.

Being a "world class athlete" and being in excellent shape are two different things. Yesterday I ran a marathon, today I biked 100 miles (160 km) and then went rock climbing. I haven't been in a fitness gym or used fitness equipment since they made us do it in grade 11 (~9 years ago).

[William Ashley]

Personal fitness is a hobby of mine and I've invested some money in fitness equipment. What kind of fitness are you talking about?

Real fitness. Basic health is not fitness it is the absence of illness - I'm talking about being fit, not being non obese or able to not be out of breath going up a few flights of stairs or running a km. Fitness is being able to run 5 or 10 km without being out of breath, or lifting your own body weight. Doing 20km or lifting 2x your body weight is athletic. You can become fit with equipment MUCH easier than without it, and you arn't going to easily become athletic without equipment. People may not understand IT IS EASIER TO BE FIT WITH EQUIPMENT than repetition exercises - because there is WAY WAY WAY less stress. Using non equipment exercises can be ok for part of an exercise routine, but equipment adds to it. All I got back home is my bench and a bar and bike, -- and some other activity related things... but I GET BEST results when I'm in an urban area or private gym with actual gym equipment - the REASON.. you can add more weight than yourself, and you have more SAFETY due to equipment having inbuilt safety and ergonomics in mind. It is way safer and reduces injuries. I have worked out with equipment and without it, and the only thing no equipment is good for is cardio and stretching. The stress is way to high on joints to do anything else regularly in high repetitions - imo (atleast for a large boned person such as myself.. smaller people may have less stress but when you are large the stress on the body adds up - the amount of stress for return is DRAMATICALLY less using equipment. (There is a cardio threshold where stress increases before performance decreases, you'll hit it eventually without equipment, I did - with high stress you get body part failure - what equipment does is Dramatically reduces stress while allowing performance to continue to increase, it is WAY safer ~ failure at high levels with equipment is mostly redundant - and due to that you might become more aware of proper form and safety protocols)

If your talking about getting stacked, equipment helps with that, but that's only half of it. You are also going to need protein and lots of it as in 1 gram per pound of body weight at least. Then there is possible creatine and other supplements. It is expensive to get stacked. No way a govt could afford a program like that.

Protien is a bit of a myth.

Your body optimally only absorbs a certain amount of protien which is often far less than often recommended in body building mags. This is a whole different story and is open to debate, but the BODY weight thing is totally the wrong way of looking at it, you should be addressing muscle mass not body weight. This would take a VERY long response. But even two cans of tuna or some fish is 50+grams of protien and that is $1.50. There are massive amounts of complete protiens, that is part of nutrition, I have a relatively high protien diet, and it is all what you eat.

Howver there is cardio fitness, which is much cheaper. It is very effective, tiring yet effective. You do not need equipment to participate. Its all will power. Personally I don't do as much cardio as I should be. Shame on me.

The heart is a muscle too. Lifting is cardio too, it is actually one of the most calory burning exerices out there... right up there with sprinting and rowing.

Edited April 4, 2011 by William Ashley

[Shady]

No frankly you don't know what you are talking about, pushups, situps and running arn't ergonomic. They are ok in moderation but after 5 or so years stress injuries start cropping up.

They are only a base, you need equipment to excell. Show me any examples of world class atheletes who didn't utilize equipment in performance sports in the last 20 years.

Who said anything about world class athletics? The tax credit is for people to keep in generally good shape, not to achieve world class status. You're really reaching with that false choice. And by the way, even world class atheletes choose pushups and situps. Even world class boxers use skipping rope for training. You know how much a rope costs? A few bucks.

[Bryan]

Loosing weight and becoming athletic are two different things. You didn't break your own body mass on this... It is good for a start but that bike isn't "free" either is the bar.. and crunches arn't ergonomic. The Results you got in 3 years could have been gotten in a much shorther time with proper equipment, and you would have excelled well beyond it, and you would have been enticed to continue improving your fitness beyond basic health.

I got my results in 3 MONTHS. Results anyone could get.

Government equipment programs are not needs for even high level fitness. All that is required is for people to stop being lazy.

[Bonam]

I got my results in 3 MONTHS. Results anyone could get.

Government equipment programs are not needs for even high level fitness. All that is required is for people to stop being lazy.

Oh of course they're not needed... but they could encourage lazy people to make use of those credits. I'm just hoping I can get tax credits for buying outdoor sports equipment though.

[msj]

Back when I was running 70+ km per week I would go through at least $900 per year for shoes/vibrams.

Throw in the socks, shorts, technical shirts, yak trax (just kidding, I live in BC so don't need them) , Garmin, body glide - oh, the body glide! - and I was easily spending $2,000 per year.

Yes, it could be done for about $400 per year if one really wanted to develop black and calloused feet.

Of course, none of this matters: I run for fun and it's a hobby and, like yoga which sets me back around $1,200 per year, has no business being a tax credit for anything (even though I suspect my yoga passes would count for this stoopid tax credit).

------

As for what would count - it likely would be based on the children's tax credit which means that we will be paying CRA agents to scrutinize receipts to make sure that the program is "ongoing" and supervised and has enough physical activity to count.

Then there will be the fight over what counts and what doesn't - just look at the kids and Scouts Canada.

Will we see similar letters from the Yacht club with their summer weekend racing schedule?

We already know the lawn bowlers are in - right demographic for the CPC.

[Jack Weber]

I need some new boxing equipment...

My Everlasts have seen better days and new Everlasts are way overpriced..

I'm looking at this iconic name for some gloves and shoes...

http://gsboxing.com/details.php?iD=1-0-0-3

and

http://gsboxing.com/details.php?iD=67-0-0-61

Can Economist Stevie help me out now,or do I have to wait for some questionable later date for me to get a tax credit on my purchase???

'Cause I need these things now...

[msj]

I need some new boxing equipment...

Can Economist Stevie help me out now,or do I have to wait for some questionable later date for me to get a tax credit on my purchase???

'Cause I need these things now...

At the rate we're going, you can get those and maybe even a X-Box 360 with Kinect boxing too.

Maybe even Wii bowling will count?

If that's the case, I wonder if they will offer another tax credit for underwear for wearing while playing Wii bowling?

[Tilter]

He's saying we can't afford to spend a whole bunch of money now......but give me a majority and let me continue to help the economy and balance the budget, and families will be rewarded. This is in contrast to the Liberals who will raise corporate taxes and spend all that money - dampening the economic recovery and not addressing the deficit. Funny thing is, Dalton McGuinty is praising corporate tax cuts in his latest budget in making Ontario one of the best places to do business. He's not liking Mr. Ignatieff's plan to raise taxes again - so you won't see McGuinty out on the stump for him. So....it's OK to cut taxes - as long as it's done by a Liberal. It's time for a Conservative majority....it'll give the Liberals time to get their act together.

Hmmm someone hinted that the McPremier had 1/4 of an inkling of what a "sound fiscal policy" should be---- hinted that he didn't like "tax & spend"????

Keepitsimple you must live in a province that doesn't have a liberal government. Dultone has made at least twice as many rosy promises as does Iggy and has kept at least as many as Iggy has so far---- to be exact about 1%. The province of Ontario has to be liberal heaven--- no one alive could have lied about so many things in a political campaign and get re-elected anywhere but Ontario. But then, didn't they teach us that if you lie you go to HELL-- therefore this can't be any kind of heaven-- it's taxed too highly

Edited April 5, 2011 by Tilter

[Jack Weber]

Hmmm someone hinted that the McPremier had 1/4 of an inkling of what a "sound fiscal policy" should be---- hinted that he didn't like "tax & spend"????

Keepitsimple you must live in a province that doesn't have a liberal government. Dultone has made at least twice as many rosy promises as does Iggy and has kept at least as many as Iggy has so far---- to be exact about 1%. The province of Ontario has to be liberal heaven--- no one alive could have lied about so many things in a political campaign and get re-elected anywhere but Ontario. But then, didn't they teach us that if you lie you go to HELL-- therefore this can't be any kind of heaven-- it's taxed too highly

The problem is that we had to deal with the Harris crap for so long we all looked to something we hoped would be better...

Frankly,it was just the really bad opposite side of the same coin...

[Shady]

The problem is that we had to deal with the Harris crap for so long we all looked to something we hoped would be better...

Yeah, all the damn Harris crap. The Harris balanced budgets. The Harris lower taxes. The Harris job growth and lower unemployment. The upgrade of Ontario's credit rating. Damn that crap!

Frankly,it was just the really bad opposite side of the same coin...

So massive deficits instead of balanced budgets is the opposite side of the same coin? And higher taxes instead of lower taxes is the opposite side of the same coin? And higher unemployment instead of lower unemployment is the opposite side of the came coin?