Yesterday, by way of offering aid to the disenchanted, I recommended we think about the house and apartments we inhabit. If they’re too costly, now that rising costs, e.g., taxes and more taxes, are hitting us at every turn, what should we do? Sell? Go small? You decide.
["You can run but you can't hide": photo Mojo]
But before I make more brilliant recommendations re what to do now that the sky is falling, let’s take a look at a recent letter to the editor in one of our local papers (The London Free Press) that gripes about taxes but - with a twist.
Stephen Smith writes:
“As of July 5, gasoline retailing at 100.5 cents a litre consists of the following in cents per litre: oil company revenue 64.2; provincial tax 14.7; Ontario share of HST 7.2; federal excise tax 10.0; and federal share of HST 4.4.
“The total Ontario tax of 21.9 cents is 34.11% of the oil company share. The federal share of 14.4 cents is 22.49%. The combined rate is 56.60%.
“This is an outrageous gouging by Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals and the federal government.”
And here’s the twist.
Though Stephen spent a lot of time doing the math (calculating percentages alone - with only a pencil and paper - could take days), he didn’t spend even five seconds listing any benefits he and most other Canadians (even Ontarians, eh) enjoy on a daily basis as a result of our government at work on our behalf.
Not one benefit.
Not one little perk that is associated to the taxes we pay.
Not one good thing about his neighbourhood, city, province or country.
Yes, benefits are being threatened, but not chiefly by taxes.
["Peace. Dude." photo - of GH, circa 1969]
Smile. We live in Canada.
Yes, we pay taxes, they go up, but we’re surrounded by benefits - for now.
Link to Series: Please click here to read Discontent Pt. 6
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Am I being too cheery?
Should I mope around once in awhile?
Bitch and moan on a regular basis?
.
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