Canadian taxpayers are a docile people.

[taxme]

Are Canadians taxpayer's not the least bit concerned about how their tax dollars are being spent(blown)in most cases. I am talking about most of the programs and agendas like multiculturalism,bilingualism,foreign-aid, and immigration(refugees) that has been foisted on them. Why do they not concern themselves about how their tax dollars are being spent?

We have allowed all the levels of governments to just about tax us out of all of our money, and yet it does not seem to concern them at all. They just accept what ever the governments do with their money without a whimper. Most Canadians will go crazy when an animal is treated incorrectly or when there is a tree planting ceremony they are all there in groves, but yet try to get them to speak up about how their tax dollars are spent, and they are quiet as a mouse. We have a bloated bureaucracy, attacks on freedom of speech, and pretty much taxed to death, and no one says anything.

As you can see, I am concerned about how my tax dollars are being spent(blown)and other than the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation trying to point out how the taxpayer's are being doled out, no one seems to care. Pathetic.

Edited April 27, 2016 by Michael Hardner
corrected thread title

[August1991]

Are Canadians taxpayer's not the least bit concerned about how their tax dollars are being spent(blown)in most cases. I am talking about most of the programs and agendas like multiculturalism,bilingualism,foreign-aid, and immigration(refugees) that has been foisted on them. Why do they not concern themselves about how their tax dollars are being spent?

About 35% of Canadians pay no federal income tax at all; about 30% of Canadians receive a GST refund.

About 30% of the electorate don't listen to a politician who promises to cut taxes since the promise (honest or not) is irrelevant. These voters don't pay any tax.

As they say, such people are choosing how to spend "other people's money".

Edited April 18, 2016 by August1991

[August1991]

Like the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, I wonder if the Trudeau-version of Canada is sustainable.

[blueblood]

Like the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, I wonder if the Trudeau-version of Canada is sustainable.

The bond vultures in the late 80s and early 90s didnt think so... Id hate for them to return

[Smallc]

The bond vultures in the late 80s and early 90s didnt think so... Id hate for them to return

That's a different Canada than exists today. We could run $100B deficits now and not get that situation again (not that I'm advocating for that).

[blueblood]

That's a different Canada than exists today. We could run $100B deficits now and not get that situation again (not that I'm advocating for that).

That different canada also happened when pet took the deficit plunge when he first startes as jt seems to be doing now.

[Argus]

About 35% of Canadians pay no federal income tax at all; about 30% of Canadians receive a GST refund.

About 30% of the electorate don't listen to a politician who promises to cut taxes since the promise (honest or not) is irrelevant. These voters don't pay any tax.

As they say, such people are choosing how to spend "other people's money".

The top 50% of earners pay 96% of all taxes.

Why would the bottom 50% be concerned about high taxes? Why wouldn't they vote for whatever party offered them the most free stuff?

Edited April 18, 2016 by Argus

[Big Guy]

...

As you can see, I am concerned about how my tax dollars are being spent(blown)and other than the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation trying to point out how the taxpayer's are being doled out, no one seems to care. Pathetic.

While airing your views on an anonymous public access board may be therapeutic and will promote some discussion, the effort does little in the way of resolving a personal disagreement with the way we are governed. I suggest it is far more effective if the time you spend on the board is put towards contacting your local municipal, provincial and/or federal representative and share your views with him/her.

I am often surprised at the number of people who have numerous issues with their government but do not know how to, or have ever tried, to contact their rep(s).

[The_Squid]

The top 50% of earners pay 96% of all taxes.

Do you have a cite for that figure?

[?Impact]

Do you have a cite for that figure?

More important is what % of income do the top 50% earn. Statistics are very skewed (e.g. children don`t pay any taxes, but don`t earn anything either). We always get comparisons based on two totally different topics, the only relevant ones are % of income vs % of taxes.

[dre]

The top 50% of earners pay 96% of all taxes.

Why would the bottom 50% be concerned about high taxes? Why wouldn't they vote for whatever party offered them the most free stuff?

Who cares about your rhetorical questions? The reality is they don't. Plenty of those low income earners vote Liberal and Conservative even though both those parties produce business oriented governments that favor lower taxation rates. And a large share of those <50% earners don't even go to the polls.

[Smallc]

The top 50% of earners pay 96% of all taxes.

What percentage of the income do they make? That's the only measure that's important.

[Smallc]

More important is what % of income do the top 50% earn. Statistics are very skewed (e.g. children don`t pay any taxes, but don`t earn anything either). We always get comparisons based on two totally different topics, the only relevant ones are % of income vs % of taxes.

Beat me to it.

[Moonlight Graham]

Canadians are very docile. We are a very reserved people for the most part, though there are exceptions, like much of Quebec (those people know how to party). Most of us don't like to speak up or make a big fuss for fear of causing a scene. "Peace, order, and good government"...I mean not much of an exciting raison d'etre.. Give Americans credit, they don't take s*** from anybody. I guess that's in our very natures if you compare the different ways both countries gained independence from our imperial overlords.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Moonlight Graham

[Argus]

What percentage of the income do they make? That's the only measure that's important.

You are missing the point. Those who have no skin in the game are still deciding how the game is to be played, and deciding on how much skin must be sacrificed from other players - even though they don't have to worry about any such sacrifice themselves. You don't think that has an impact on voting habits?

[Smallc]

So you feel that only people who pay net taxes should get a vote? Should money really be the driver of democracy?

Edited April 18, 2016 by Smallc

[Argus]

Do you have a cite for that figure?

I'm actually understating it. This is from 2013 and taxes on the 'rich' have increased since then. Ontario, for example, put a special wealth surtax on incomes over $250k two years ago, then increased taxes on those earning over $250k last year. And of course, Trudeau just increased taxes on the 'wealthy' at the federal level, so the following understates things.

This progressivity can help us understand why the top 1% of income earners paid a staggering 21.2% of the total federal and provincial taxes in 2010. The top 10% paid 54.8% of all taxes while the bottom 50% of Canadian income earners contributed 4% towards the collective personal tax bill.

http://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/taxes/heres-what-the-wealthiest-of-the-wealthy-in-canada-earn-and-pay-in-taxes

[Argus]

So you feel that only people who pay net taxes should get a vote? Should money really be the driver of democracy?

No, and no. However, it troubles me that a growing number of voters, people whose choices will impact how high taxes are and where they're directed and spent, don't have to worry about how such policies will impact themselves. That will, given human nature, inevitably lead to such people favoring spendthrift parties which promise them lots and lots of free stuff - as we just saw. I think everyone needs to have skin in the game, needs to be sacrificing some portion of their income, however small.

When you think of the top 10% basically carrying this country, paying for over half of everything all levels of government do, it should make you wonder about what these people are getting for that money as compared to the 50% who pay virtually nothing.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Argus

[Smallc]

I still think it's important to know what percentage of the income they're making.

[The_Squid]

So you're talking about income taxes, not ALL taxes as you stated previously.

[Argus]

So you're talking about income taxes, not ALL taxes as you stated previously.

What taxes do you imagine the lower 50% pay that the upper 50% don't pay a lot higher amount, both absolutely and as a percentage?

The lower your income, the higher your GST cheque, for example. In Ontario (don't know about other provinces) there is also a sales tax credit for low to moderate income earners. Low to moderate income earners are also unlikely to be paying hefty municipal taxes since one third of Canadians don't own their own homes, and those who do, who are in the lowr 50% of income earners, probably own smaller homes. if your income is lower you are less likely to own a car so less likely to be paying gasoline taxes.

[Smallc]

The lower your income, the higher your GST cheque, for example.

Not quite. Really low income people get the basic minimum. The GST rebate increases until a certain income is reached, and then quickly falls to nothing.

[Moonlight Graham]

I'm actually understating it. This is from 2013 and taxes on the 'rich' have increased since then. Ontario, for example, put a special wealth surtax on incomes over $250k two years ago, then increased taxes on those earning over $250k last year. And of course, Trudeau just increased taxes on the 'wealthy' at the federal level, so the following understates things.

This progressivity can help us understand why the top 1% of income earners paid a staggering 21.2% of the total federal and provincial taxes in 2010. The top 10% paid 54.8% of all taxes while the bottom 50% of Canadian income earners contributed 4% towards the collective personal tax bill.

But what % of all income did the top 1% earners make? Same with the bottom 50%? That probably includes retired seniors, children, the disabled, the ill etc. Possibly even prisoners?

[Argus]

But what % of all income did the top 1% earners make?

About 10%.

[Moonlight Graham]

About 10%.

quote?