Federal Dental Care vs Tax Cut

[August1991]

About one third of Canadians pay no federal income tax.

When federal Liberals, Trudeau & Butts talk about a government benefit, I think of those people who pay no tax. Of course, they favour such a programme. It's not money from their pocket.

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There is a huge bias in our democracy favouring government benefits. 

Edited September 24, 2022 by August1991

[August1991]

This guy Butts is a zero-sum thinker.

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In his mind, he wins when the other guy loses.

Edited September 24, 2022 by August1991

[Michael Hardner]

5 hours ago, August1991 said:

There is a huge bias in our democracy favouring government benefits. 

Um... you have missed the bias towards the wealthy keeping productivity gains to themselves, hoarding GDP increases but ok...

[I am Groot]

All I know is that there is no shortage of dentists in this country. No one has trouble getting a family dentist. No one has trouble getting an appointment. If you need dental surgery it happens pretty quickly and efficiently. 

Compare that to the rest of the healthcare system.

Most people have dental care benefits from their employer. Those on welfare or the poor generally get basic dental care from their province or municipality. 

We don't need the federal government doing to dental care what they did to healthcare.

Edited September 24, 2022 by I am Groot

[Aristides]

Neither one is funded. Just means bigger deficits.

[Dougie93]

if they don't stop flooding the economy with newly created dollars

then the working & middle class will simply drown in inflationary prices rises

we have the reached the point where fiscal stimulus is actually harmful

[eyeball]

43 minutes ago, Dougie93 said:

if they don't stop flooding the economy with newly created dollars

then the working & middle class will simply drown in inflationary prices rises

Not until they swamp the boat trying to climb back aboard. Then everyone will be in the chuck.

Quote

we have the reached the point where fiscal stimulus is actually harmful

Or it's the point at which hoarding productivity gains is unsustainable.

The two points are like black holes on the cusp of merging into one. Should be quite the bang when they do.

[Dougie93]

4 minutes ago, eyeball said:

Not until they swamp the boat trying to climb back aboard. Then everyone will be in the chuck.

Or it's the point at which hoarding productivity gains is unsustainable.

The two points are like black holes on the cusp of merging into one. Should be quite the bang when they do.

it's everywhere

every central bank on earth

so we are facing a global financial and economic collapse

then the masses will be enraged, revanchism will spread like a firestorm

the last time this happened, it resulted in the National Socialists, the Second World War, the Holocaust

[August1991]

On 9/24/2022 at 9:58 AM, I am Groot said:

All I know is that there is no shortage of dentists in this country.

....

 

I disagree.

There are few people in this world who can work as dentists.

[August1991]

On 9/24/2022 at 9:13 AM, Michael Hardner said:

Um... you have missed the bias towards the wealthy keeping productivity gains to themselves, hoarding GDP increases but ok...

Michael, zero-sum thinking.

[August1991]

On 9/24/2022 at 10:43 AM, Aristides said:

Neither one is funded. Just means bigger deficits.

IOW, we send IOUs to China, and the Chinese send us stuff.

True, the Chinese - billions of them - are ignorant, superstitious people who love gold, paper Franklins- but how long can this scam continue?

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The West sends the Chinese and Russians paper.

In return, the Chinese and Russians works and sends stuff. 

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by August1991

[August1991]

On 9/24/2022 at 9:13 AM, Michael Hardner said:

Um... you have missed the bias towards the wealthy keeping productivity gains to themselves, hoarding GDP increases but ok...

Huh? Bias?

Michael, we are discussing how we collectively decide our government: each person has one vote.

In Canada, about 35% of voters pay no tax. These voters don't care about tax cuts, but they love government benefits.

Let me make this plain: about 1/3 of people don't listen about tax cuts. About 100% listen to see whether they can get the benefit.

  

Edited September 29, 2022 by August1991

[August1991]

Let me make this plainer:

Harper foolishly but for political gain cut the federal GST from 7% to 5%.

Trudeau Jnr foolishly but for political gain wants to increase the GST refund.

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Mulroney is laughing at both; neither Harper nor Trudeau has the political acumen to enact a GST: a tax that made it possible to make a larger pie, as Belinda Stronach famously said.

Edited September 29, 2022 by August1991

[Michael Hardner]

19 minutes ago, August1991 said:

 

In Canada, about 35% of voters pay no tax. These voters don't care about tax cuts, but they love government benefits.

There have hardly been new benefits introduced over decades.  In fact CPP was rolled back for awhile.

The zero sum game question is answered, if you look at where the benefits of increased GDP have gone.

People vote for extra benefits, maybe, but lobbyists ensure that the real money gains go to their bosses.

[I am Groot]

7 hours ago, August1991 said:

I disagree.

There are few people in this world who can work as dentists.

My statement was not an opinion. You don't get to disagree with it unless you can show it's wrong.

[Moonbox]

On 9/24/2022 at 4:07 AM, August1991 said:

There is a huge bias in our democracy favouring government benefits. 

There's a huge bias in our democracy towards _____ depending on what party is in power.  Not sure what's shocking about that.  

[August1991]

On 9/29/2022 at 12:52 PM, I am Groot said:

My statement was not an opinion. You don't get to disagree with it unless you can show it's wrong.

A society that takes (too much) from surgeons/dentists is doomed to failure.

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Let me explain:

To be a Dentist takes years and years: why? So your teeth are white? 

Surgeons? There are guys who study years and years to make breasts bigger.

Edited October 1, 2022 by August1991

[August1991]

The federal government is about to tax us all so that some women can have larger breasts.

Our various governments do this now with subsidies for education.

The Liberal federal government plans to do this with its dental plan.

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Understandably, dentists (and teachers) agree with these subsidies. 

Edited October 1, 2022 by August1991

[August1991]

People with white, straight teeth are not richer. People with more diplomas are not smarter. And women with a bigger bust-size are not more productive.

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Several years ago, I was in a spa in Germany where I saw an older woman who had lost a breast to cancer. (I don't know if you have seen a woman after breast surgery.) This older German woman was not shy. Her lack of shyness made me realise that a diploma is one thing; the ability to do something is another thing.

 

Edited October 1, 2022 by August1991

[August1991]

Sorry for taking time to get to my point.

But Gerald Butts is fundamentally a zero-sum thinker: As Reagan said about the Soviet Union, "We win, they lose".

Justin Trudeau is a guy that wonders if maybe the ideas of his mother maybe exist.

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Our successful federal politicians understand the zero-sum game, but see the broader positive sum-game at play.

-Laurier, Mulroney, St-Laurent, Trudeau Snr 

Butts never did that.

Maybe Poilievre will.

Edited October 1, 2022 by August1991

[betsy]

Trudeau and Singh are both tone-deaf.  Their priorities are really so faulty. 

It's the CRUMBLING HEALTH CARE SYSTEM that needs URGENT FIXING!

 

Furthermore, I was just talking to the dentist.  If that program kicks in, private dentists (like this one), wouldn't be part of it.  Only government dental clinics will be accepting patients for that program.

 

Have you heard of any GOVERNMENT dental clinics?  DO THEY EXIST?

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by betsy

[RollingtheBall]

1 hour ago, betsy said:

Trudeau and Singh are both tone-deaf.  Their priorities are really so faulty. 

It's the CRUMBLING HEALTH CARE SYSTEM that needs URGENT FIXING!

 

Furthermore, I was just talking to the dentist.  If that program kicks in, private dentists (like this one), wouldn't be part of it.  Only government dental clinics will be accepting patients for that program.

 

Have you heard of any GOVERNMENT dental clinics?  DO THEY EXIST?

 

That is ludicrous!  So yet another level of government health care will come in to play?  The freaking madness of this socialist state.

[myata]

Any tax cut will be minuscule if noticeable at all. Federal dental care will have lineups, risings costs on the day one and eventually, a capacity crisis. Governments in this country don't know how to run effectively and efficiently. This is simply the other side of a near total lack of accountability.

[Moonbox]

Dental care is a type of health care.  The same arguments apply to both.  Having rotten teeth because your parents are poor will probably ensure that you remain poor, because nobody wants to hire what they'll perceive as a low-class slob who doesn't brush their teeth.  There's also the added benefit of teeth-health having a strong correlation with cardio-vascular health.  

I'm generally strongly against government spending, but this is a program I can support and we'd be way better off spending our energy tackling our bloated public sector bureaucracy and their absurd compensation and benefits.  

[Moonlight Graham]

On 9/24/2022 at 9:13 AM, Michael Hardner said:

Um... you have missed the bias towards the wealthy keeping productivity gains to themselves, hoarding GDP increases but ok...

This is the crux of the problem in our society.  The solution is some kind of redistribution.

Giving low income people, especially their kids, free dental sounds good, but doesn't actually address the problem because the feds aren't taxing the rich to pay for it, they're just adding to the debt.  This has been their solution to most economic problems since elected.  They are solving one problem by creating another.  The political cost of adding to the debt is low because then it becomes the problem of future generations to pay for it instead of the rich right now.