Pursuing Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau presented his Fall Economic Statement this week. The Niagara Independent, November 23, 2018 – In his fall economic statement, federal finance minister Bill Morneau mused: “We could have ignored the concerns of business leaders, decided not to make the investments and the changes that are part of the fall economic…
On this the day of the fiscal update announcement in Ottawa, here are five of By George’s favourite memes on the subject of taxes. Seriously, it is not a funny matter… Join By George on Facebook and on Twitter for daily missives that are both provocative and entertaining. You can zap your friends with…
The Niagara Independent, November 9, 2018 – Recent government announcements and news reports have provided Canadians with an accounting of how much our Canadian governments are in debt. The current federal government, spending hundreds of billions of dollars, seemingly pays no heed to the size of their annual deficits. Add the sum of all provincial governments’…
A research institution announced the discovery of the heaviest element known to science. The new element has been tentatively named “Governmentium “. Governmentium has 1 neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons, and 11 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons,…
To begin 2018, the Fraser Institute has provided Canadians with 10 financial facts about our government and its spending that we all need to better comprehend. By George reprints these alarming facts unedited. 1. The total tax bill for the average Canadian family will exceed $35,000 in 2017, or 42.5 per cent of their…
This theory is sometimes referred to as “Government’s Political Correctness.” Here’s the predicament: The tribal wisdom of the Plains Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that “When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount, then get another horse.” However, in Government, more advanced strategies…
On this Canada’s budget day, a day when we can expect our federal government to find new ways to intrude into our daily lives and mess about in our future prospects, By George reprints this priceless and timeless list of proverbs for elected politicians – of all stripes, in every level of government. Law…
The sirens are now going off south of the border that Canada’s provincial governments (namely Ontario and Quebec) are spending beyond their means and endangering their future taxpayers to a mounting tax headache. Here is the Wall Street Journal’s news column: Canada’s Budget Watchdog Says Provincial Debt Unsustainable The WSJ writes: Canada’s budget watchdog Tuesday…
Public administration expert Donald Savoie calls ‘em as he sees ‘em. In a recent study he has published, Savoie views the federal public service as (ed. -get ready for this vivid imagery!!) – “a big whale that can’t swim.” The whale-like simile is on account of the federal government having too many management layers and…
Equalization payments are Canadian governments’ grand design to ensure all its citizens can live in a Province that will have the resources necessary to deliver similar levels of public services. This system has the Federal Government redistribute payments from those Provinces that are richer to those Provinces that are poorer. So, tax money is taken…
On the heels of the damning report from CFIB of earlier this week that revealed there was a growing disparity between private and public sector salaries and benefits, there comes a new Fraser Institute study that exposes just how wide the pay gap has become in Ontario. The Fraser Institute released today: “How Compensation Spending…
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business’ (CFIB) released a telling report yesterday on private vs public sector jobs that confirms yet again the increasing advantage our government workers enjoy with their salaries and benefits. The CFIB report “Wage Watch” exposes the bloated bureaucracy in Canada, documenting a 10%-15% “wage gap” between higher paid public sector…
In speaking from the standpoint of a libertarian, we must be ever-weary of those who argue for government controls, education and intervention “to fix” a societal problem. Most often, the programs and services conjured up will inevitably encroach on a citizen’s rights much like the proverbial camel’s-nose-in-the-tent. Big government will beget bigger government – values…
Did we need further proof that Ontario’s public sector enjoys much more than “the rest of us”? Not really, though here it is: a Fraser Institute study just released says that “Government workers in Ontario receive higher wages and likely more generous non-wage benefits than their private sector counterparts.” Niels Veldhuis, president of the Fraser…
Surprisingly, there are folks who don’t seem to be bothered by the debt load the Ontario government has incurred. For many Ontarians, it just doesn’t matter. But, here’s why it should. Simply put: Interest payments on government debt eat up revenue at the expense of other priorities. Interest payments on government debt in Canada consume…
A recent article in The Objective Standard quotes the President of the United States making the following observation about taxes: “Taxes take from everyone a part of his earnings and force everyone to work for a certain part of his time for the government. . . . I want the people of America to…
For many libertarian-minded people, Ronald Reagan’s observations on government probably comes closest to their perceptions of “government.” Former U.S. President Reagan stated: “I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer, just as liberalism is a misnomer for liberals… The basis of conservatism is a desire…
Canadians are spending more and more on government. In fact, we are spending more on government than we do on our families! The Fraser Institute produced a new research study that shows the average family brought in $77,381 in 2013, paying out 41.8 per cent of that in total tax, and 36.1 per cent on…
Ever wonder what a pay increase to an Ontario public sector worker (i.e. teacher, firefighter, white-collared bureaucrat) costs a taxpayer? It was recently explained in this manner with a modest sum of $100… If a public sector employee receives a raise of $100, paying the average of nearly 50% in combined taxes in Ontario, that…
The day after the night before – and I am both irritated at how the election played out with the public sector unions ruling the day; and I am troubled about what the next 4 years will bring with a Liberal majority government. We all work hard; pay our fair share of taxes; and should…