Genius Doug Ford Abolishes Cap-n-Trade... Brings in Carbon Tax!

[Centerpiece]

8 hours ago, OftenWrong said:

Just curious, why did you say you would like this to be true? 

Don't know where you got that - must have mixed me up with another post.......

[turningrite]

14 hours ago, ironstone said:

Cap and trade IS a carbon tax! How on earth can you not understand that?If there was an initial cost to emitters(many of them received free credits to start with)they would have passed on or just added more cost to consumers.Companies don't pay....we pay.

I find hidden taxes to be particularly problematic and regressive. I agree that cap and trade amounts to a hidden tax. And aren't free credits, which presumably can later be traded in open markets, effectively corporate subsidies paid for by consumers? If they are, then the system would appear to be even more skewed. Ford probably can't avoid having Ontarians subjected to a carbon tax. But his approach of allowing consumers to know what they're paying and assigning accountability for such taxation to the federal government, where it belongs, is probably very good political strategy.  

[OftenWrong]

5 hours ago, Centerpiece said:

Don't know where you got that - must have mixed me up with another post.......

The question was directed to MH. Your quote was posted to show someone already asked for a cite.

[Centerpiece]

3 hours ago, turningrite said:

I find hidden taxes to be particularly problematic and regressive. I agree that cap and trade amounts to a hidden tax. And aren't free credits, which presumably can later be traded in open markets, effectively corporate subsidies paid for by consumers? If they are, then the system would appear to be even more skewed. Ford probably can't avoid having Ontarians subjected to a carbon tax. But his approach of allowing consumers to know what they're paying and assigning accountability for such taxation to the federal government, where it belongs, is probably very good political strategy.  

The eco-nuts will openly tell you that their goal is to change behaviour and to do that, they have to make "bad" behaviour hurt - as in "it's going to cost you". And the poor get hit the most - they are the ones who can least afford it. So as a first step, let's digest that.

While they say one alternative is to return all the money to the taxpayer - including the poor - that defeats their purpose of changimng bad behaviour....because the poor get money back - and the rich can afford to pay extra. So digest that part.

Now comes the kicker. Governments say they will use the revenues for "green initiatives" - just trust them. Sure. It's just a game of "hide the pea". Investing in transit is "green" - but that's the job of government to begin with - keep people moving! Toronto is still looking for subways. But they don't want to spend the money - because of all the other money they are wasting and want to continue wasting. So instead of using our tax money wisely to build transit - they slip it in the back door through Cap & Trade - or whatever scheme they decide to try to fool us with. It's all a shell game - it's just a tax.

There's only one behaviour that has to be changed - government spending. Get back to basics.