Queen's Park Politics

[eternallyme]

The tourism ads are legitimate, but the Metrolinx ads are propaganda IMO. The federal government is bad at propaganda ads as well.

[vid]

At least the Build Ontario and Metrolinx ads are advertising programmes that actually exist.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

What the one with the rapper?

"I'm in Ontario y'all!"

What is this, Texas?

-----

Ontario's debt is beginning to get mind-boggling bad. It's now worse than California's infamous debt loads (as a % of GDP).

I hope someone is serious about tackling deficits so we can one day have a balanced budget and possibly even run a surplus to pay down this beast.
-With the baby boomers about to add huge costs to the health care system, our debt loads could get even worse than they are now.

[vid]

We can't do anything about the debt. We're not allowed to raise taxes or decrease spending.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by vid

We can't do anything about the debt. We're not allowed to raise taxes or decrease spending.

Spending needs to decrease greatly, and it can be done with relatively little harm to the average person:

* Eliminate corporate welfare and vote-buying grants
* Repeal the Green Energy Act and eliminate all programs related to it (that alone will bring the economy upward by lowering hydro rates)
* Eliminate full-day kindergarten
* Sell the LCBO
* Eliminate the tuition grant which most students get no benefit from
* Bring salaries for most public employees down (over time) to levels comparable to the private sector

[vid]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

* Eliminate corporate welfare and vote-buying grants

Easy to do, except both corporations and voters will complain about being "ignored" or "punished". Essentially suicidal for a political party, which is why now is the perfect time for the Liberals to do just this. It will make things harder for the NDP or PC government that replaces them to build support next election, too, as they tend to rely on these schemes to get by.

Originally Posted by eternallyme

* Repeal the Green Energy Act and eliminate all programs related to it (that alone will bring the economy upward by lowering hydro rates)

Contractual obligations will cost us, and really won't lower hydro rates all that much. Rates are high because it costs billions to renovate nuclear power plants.

Originally Posted by eternallyme

* Eliminate full-day kindergarten

Busy small business owners will flip their shit. If Hudak so much as attempts this they'll end him. Pretty much every >50 people employer I know in this city depends on in-school daycare and full day kindergarten to manage their lives. I know a few people who actually started working because this programme is now in place.

Originally Posted by eternallyme

* Sell the LCBO

For pennies, and then its profits are gone and consumers won't benefit much outside of the ability to get drinks after 10pm. Only sell the LCBO if it will be part of a plan to de-monopolize all alcohol sales. If any form of monopoly will remain, then there is virtually no benefit to selling the LCBO as you're essentially handing government revenue to a private interest.

Originally Posted by eternallyme

* Eliminate the tuition grant which most students get no benefit from

Replace it with the programme Newfoundland just announced.

Originally Posted by eternallyme

* Bring salaries for most public employees down (over time) to levels comparable to the private sector

Depends on the position.

My ideas:

Eliminate the quadruplication of school boards—or at least get rid of Catholic school boards.

Legalize, regulate and tax marijuana and end the monopolies on alcohol sales.

Redirect all tobacco taxes into programmes designed to get smokers to stop smoking. As smokers become fewer in number, revenue will decline and the programme will scale down. This will significantly reduce the health care costs associated with smoking.

No more multi-billion dollar contracts with private corporations on projects of dubious merit.

[haljackey]

Cancelling contracts is dumb in most cases. When they're over, simply don't renew them.

Also, finish what you started. That now billion+ dollar gas plant scandal is a perfect example. I'd much rather see that money used to actually finish them or pay down the debt.

[SteelTown]

Creepy smile

[vid]

Smarmy.

[eternallyme]

Budget this week...more tax increases, and I don't believe at all they are going to infrastructure. Not given the legacy of scandals and waste like eHealth, Ornge, the Green Energy Act, gas plants and OPG salaries...plus the incredible debt which is in line with Greece.

[SteelTown]

I can't picture the NDP voting against the budget especially since they are still 3rd in polls.

They'll likely just walk off and not vote for the budget.

[haljackey]

...But I want a bullet train!

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by haljackey

...But I want a bullet train!

How to pay for it is another thing! I can understand the positive benefits for sure, but cuts elsewhere are necessary...such as with useless programs like full-day kindergarten, corporate welfare, the Green Energy Act and the tuition benefit that most students aren't eligible for.

[vid]

"Premier Wynne"? More like Premier Lose!

I just wanted to say that. Carry on.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

How to pay for it is another thing! I can understand the positive benefits for sure, but cuts elsewhere are necessary...such as with useless programs like full-day kindergarten, corporate welfare, the Green Energy Act and the tuition benefit that most students aren't eligible for.

... or taxes. nothins free in this world.

tuition benefit that applies to all students whose parent's earn less than (IIRC) $130,000? considering the average family income is $80,000, thats hardly "barely anyone".

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

... or taxes. nothins free in this world.

tuition benefit that applies to all students whose parent's earn less than (IIRC) $130,000? considering the average family income is $80,000, thats hardly "barely anyone".

It doesn't benefit any students out of high school more than four years (which is very common) or any out-of-province students.

[SteelTown]

From government announcements:

A new Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, which will require contributions from employers and workers.
$29 billion over 10 years for transit and transportation infrastructure, including $15 billion for massive public transit expansion in Toronto-Hamilton area.
$2.5 billion over 10 years in corporate grants to secure new investments and jobs.
$1 billion to develop the Ring of Fire mineral deposit in norther Ontario.
$269 million over three years to raise wages of licensed child-care workers.
$280 million over three years to increase pay for personal support workers in the home-care sector.
$1 million to give grants to seniors to help them stay in their homes longer.
$50 million a year to help would-be parents pay for in vitro fertilization treatments.

From documents obtained by The Canadian Press from a source outside the government:

Increased taxes on high income earners and tobacco.
Removal of some corporate tax credits to help pay for the transit plan.
A four-cent-a-litre hike in the tax on aviation fuel, phased in over four years, to help fund transit and infrastructure projects.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilt...pect-1.2628314

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

From government announcements:

A new Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, which will require contributions from employers and workers.
$29 billion over 10 years for transit and transportation infrastructure, including $15 billion for massive public transit expansion in Toronto-Hamilton area.
$2.5 billion over 10 years in corporate grants to secure new investments and jobs.
$1 billion to develop the Ring of Fire mineral deposit in norther Ontario.
$269 million over three years to raise wages of licensed child-care workers.
$280 million over three years to increase pay for personal support workers in the home-care sector.
$1 million to give grants to seniors to help them stay in their homes longer.
$50 million a year to help would-be parents pay for in vitro fertilization treatments.

From documents obtained by The Canadian Press from a source outside the government:

Increased taxes on high income earners and tobacco.
Removal of some corporate tax credits to help pay for the transit plan.
A four-cent-a-litre hike in the tax on aviation fuel, phased in over four years, to help fund transit and infrastructure projects.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilt...pect-1.2628314

They need to scrap the pension plan (read: much higher taxes for small businesses mostly) and the corporate giveaways which do not create jobs at all. Corporate welfare is the WORST way to create jobs - those companies getting tax money are usually profitable as well.

[Innsertnamehere]

whelp, here come the polls..

[SteelTown]

BREAKING: NDP will not support Ontario budget, triggering election

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/44...ring-election/

TORONTO - Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says her party will vote against the minority Liberal government's budget — pushing the province to the brink of a snap election.