The Spendometer Anti Dix campaign. This is a winner

[DIBdaQUIB]

Pretty poor selection we face however, when considering the state of taxes in this country, the idea of a government running on a tax-and-spend platform is irresponsible. Promising to spend money (our money) close to home is bogus. Leave the money in the hands of the families and consumers and they will spend it far more wisely and effectively than government ever could. Remember, for every dollar the government gets into the hands of families etc, it costs 3 or 4 in administration and government propaganda regardless of who is in power.

The following article reflects what has happened ot Canadian families under the tax and spend policies of all governments since 1961. THe tried and proven formula is to bribe voters with their own dollars. "elect me and I will deliver all these qwnderful things to you". The problem is, all those things are funded with tas payers incomes and the well is running dry. The NDP (and most politicians) appear to be slow to get the message.

Canadian families are spending more money on taxes than on food, clothing and shelter combined, a new Fraser Institute report says.

Nearly half of the average family's income (42.7%) went toward federal, provincial and municipal taxes in 2012, the conservative think-tank says.

The average family earned $74,113 and paid $31,615 in taxes, including income, sales and property taxes; employment insurance and Canada Pension Plan contributions; and what the institute calls "hidden" taxes like import duties and gas taxes.

The tax bill has ballooned 1,787% since 1961, the report says.

Meanwhile, basic necessities took up 36.9% of the family budget.

That's the reverse of the situation in 1961, when food, clothing and shelter accounted for 56.5% of the budget and taxes took up 33.5%.

The outlook is even worse when government budget deficits are factored in, the report says, because today's taxes aren't covering current levels of government spending.

"Deficits must one day be paid for by working Canadians unless governments take serious steps to reduce spending," the report says.

Dix's promise to up taxes and spend billions is irresponsible to the extreme. He may in fact create some short-term job creation, paid for by other people's dollars but in the long run, his fiscal policies will drive the economy down due to higher taxes than other jurisdictions. THe 'fat" of government is unsustainable but no-one - especially the roghly 50% of workers employed by or receiving government hand-outs - want to hear that so they will vote for who promises to give them their share of the public pie.

Short-sighted and selfish voters combined with politicans more interested in being elected and rewarding their constituents will be the economic ruin of BC, Canada and the west.

[ronthecivil]

Yes yes yes, scary scary scary.

[Kryten]

Isn't that the point of any political debate?  Trying to figure out which one sucks less?

[inane]

With remarks like that you will have to excuse my schadenfreude when austerity is forced on us not by choice but by economics and I hear of people that voted NDP ending up with their pensions taken away and living in shanty towns as is happening all over Europe.

[Langdon Algur]

Politics aside, electronic billboards are tacky and unsafe. I'm surprised the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure allowed this, talk about a driver distraction.

[Langdon Algur]

Pretty poor selection we face however, when considering the state of taxes in this country, the idea of a government running on a tax-and-spend platform is irresponsible.  Promising to spend money (our money) close to home is bogus.  Leave the money in the hands of the families and consumers and they will spend it far more wisely and effectively than government ever could.  Remember, for every dollar the government gets into the hands of families etc, it costs 3 or 4 in administration and government propaganda regardless of who is in power.

The following article reflects what has happened ot Canadian families under the tax and spend policies of all governments since 1961.  THe tried and proven formula is to bribe voters with their own dollars.  "elect me and I will deliver all these qwnderful things to you".   The problem is, all those things are funded with tas payers incomes and the well is running dry.  The NDP (and most politicians) appear to be slow to get the message.

Canadian families are spending more money on taxes than on food, clothing and shelter combined, a new Fraser Institute report says.

Nearly half of the average family's income (42.7%) went toward federal, provincial and municipal taxes in 2012, the conservative think-tank says.

The average family earned $74,113 and paid $31,615 in taxes, including income, sales and property taxes; employment insurance and Canada Pension Plan contributions; and what the institute calls "hidden" taxes like import duties and gas taxes.

The tax bill has ballooned 1,787% since 1961, the report says.

Meanwhile, basic necessities took up 36.9% of the family budget.

That's the reverse of the situation in 1961, when food, clothing and shelter accounted for 56.5% of the budget and taxes took up 33.5%.

The outlook is even worse when government budget deficits are factored in, the report says, because today's taxes aren't covering current levels of government spending.

"Deficits must one day be paid for by working Canadians unless governments take serious steps to reduce spending," the report says.

Dix's promise to up taxes and spend billions is irresponsible to the extreme.  He may in fact create some short-term job creation, paid for by other people's dollars but in the long run, his fiscal policies will drive the economy down due to higher taxes than other jurisdictions.  THe 'fat" of government is unsustainable but no-one - especially the roghly 50% of workers employed by or receiving government hand-outs - want to hear that so they will vote for who promises to give them their share of the public pie.

Short-sighted and selfish voters combined with politicans more interested in being elected and rewarding their constituents will be the economic ruin of BC, Canada and the west.

[NightHawkSniper]

ah yes, the destruction of the BC economy by the NDP is going to be so sweet.

[ronthecivil]

My point is the NDP plan is very much like the Liberal plan, but somehow they are regarded as totally different as though one is free market capitalism loving democracy fans and one is socialist shanty town destined communal farm commies. They're the same thing in different clothes.

[ronthecivil]

FDR got the U.S. out of the depresion with what many today would consider a "tax and spend" strategy. IT worked so well that even ultra right winger George Bush tried it to get the US out of there last recession.

[inane]

The NDP policies are much less friendly to business and much more friendly to our already hugely unaffordable public service.

Are we doomed to higher taxes and lower services under the liberals? Yes!

Will it be much, much worse under the NDP? You bet it will!

At least Christy Clark has a potential savior in trying to make a killing off of exporting nat gas (and make no mistake oil as well).

The NDP? Well, let's just say the track record isn't stellar and we already have a confirmed NO on the two oil pipelines (though the feds might push it through anyways) and a confirmed "let's study it" on the fracking issue. If history repeats itself (and it must if Adrian Dix is running the NDP after Bill Vanderzalm killed the united right with reckless policy decisions) the study will eventually morph into a zany plan to run it as some sort of crown corp that never gets off the ground and eventually becomes a NO.

So no, not scary, and not Radically different, but different enough to make us all a lot poorer.

Being poor doesn't scare me. I am used to it.

But it's going to scare the bejesus out of a LOT of people in BC who are already barely getting by what with the record high housing costs and strangling levels of personal debt. You can bet they aren't looking forward to an economic downturn!

[ronthecivil]

More fear mongering. You go and on about how scary the NDP are but ignore the current financial situation under the Liberals.

And no, we're not one step away from Haiti. We can protect the environment and make money. Those two things aren't mutually exclusive.

[Harbinger]

More fear mongering. You go and on about how scary the NDP are but ignore the current financial situation under the Liberals.

And no, we're not one step away from Haiti. We can protect the environment and make money. Those two things aren't mutually exclusive.

[inane]

Sure, like the wind and run of river independent power projects? Doubtful we will see any contracts signed, at any price for power, once the NDP run the show.

Or say site C? I suppose there's an off chance the NDP would support that but who knows since they haven't been clear on that either.

It's not fear mongering. It's the truth of what the consequences of NDP policies are. It's not like we haven't seen this show before with many of the exact same people with the exact same plans that will inevitably have the exact same results.

I am not afraid I can't wait for the economy to collapse. I am shorting it. Bring it on.

[aGENT]

It's the same under the Liberals!

[Harbinger]

Sure, like the wind and run of river independent power projects? Doubtful we will see any contracts signed, at any price for power, once the NDP run the show.

Or say site C? I suppose there's an off chance the NDP would support that but who knows since they haven't been clear on that either.

It's not fear mongering. It's the truth of what the consequences of NDP policies are. It's not like we haven't seen this show before with many of the exact same people with the exact same plans that will inevitably have the exact same results.

I am not afraid I can't wait for the economy to collapse. I am shorting it. Bring it on.