"We're all moving to Alberta, get on the bus"; Buffett Rule Coming To Ontario
From the Toronto Star:
"We're all moving to Alberta," says Jason Safar, tax partner at Pricewaterhouse Coopers. "Get on the bus." Or, in a slight variation, get ready to move Dec. 31 — all to avoid a new Ontario surtax on incomes above $500,000.
While the Star admits no one "really expects a mass exodus of people fleeing the province's tax collectors," it concedes the "chance of 100 per cent voluntary participation in the new tax is just about zero."
The tax hike brings the combined federal/provincial tax rate in Ontario to nearly 50%, almost 10% higher than in Alberta, and the provincial government expects to collect $470 million (what's the over/under?) earmarked for debt reduction. Meanwhile, 200,000 people moved from Ontario to Alberta in the last decade, arguably helping both provinces' economies.
Read Reason's Shikha Dalmia on the Gandhi Rule over the Buffett Rule.
Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.
Please
to post comments
No hat tip? 🙁
This was insisted upon by the Ontario NDP as a condition to pass the budget.
A resurgent federal NDP certainly puts Canada's future economy on a very uncertain path.
The Quebecois will not vote the NDP in again, they were just punishing the Bloc for being lazy and indifferent to their votes.
NDP won't fly nationally. Ever.
I wish I had your optimism.
Of course, I might be a little more pessimistic than is warranted as it looks like the NDP are poised to take over in BC.
The NDP has never been able to connect provincial and national politics. The NDP's had power in BC before, they still elect a lot of conservative MPs.
A socialist coalition between the Libs and NDP could be a concern, but the librels are closer to the old Progressive conservatives and are centrists, not bleeding heart NDP'ers.
These are the same Quebeckers who voted for Mario Dumont and the Action Democratique (accent missing because the server squirrels will probably have a hissy fit).
Ah Quebec the only place where secessionists and their opponents both want more of the same except more bankrupt.
Also these same Quebec love the bigger national government NDP and the secessionist PQ.
Actually saw it reading the Toronto Star today! I lurk on the AM comments 🙂
Re the alt-text.
Fortunately, when driving through Saskatchewan, you can put on the cruise control, tie the steering wheel in place and grab a nap for the next eight hours.
Aresen, when I was a youngster I got to go on exactly two out-of-province school related trips. One was a national leadership conference in grade 12 and one was a cheerleading conference first year of university. Two trips. Two years. Both times: fucking Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in winter. I bear that province a grudge to this day, despite the fact that the people there were some of the nicest I've ever met.
I remember reading how wrestlers for Stampede used to call Saskatoon "the bitter end" because it was such a cold, miserable shithole.
I remember finding it charmingly about 10 years behind in terms of music and style of clothing.
Sounds just like Europe in the 80s. I remember being in Rome and all their TV shows were reruns of 70s American TV shows. Same for the music.
I lived in Spain in the early 90's, and the "Grease" soundtrack was everywhere.
No wonder that country is so fucked up. Amazing women, but fucked up politics.
At least there is some show of concern over debt and balanced budgets. In the States pols seem to prefer to believe debtpocalypse is something mean old meanies made up to hurt their feelings.
That said, suck it Ontario. People should move to Alberta, which is increasingly looking like one of the freer places on the continent.
That said, suck it Ontario.
It's my understanding that Quebecois excel at this sort of thing. I may have to put it on the nuke list with Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Depends on if they ever secede from CAN.
Off-topic
I'm getting ready to switch health insurance and want to get advice from the HNR Cabal. My current health insurance is good but ungodly expensive.
For background purposes, I'm a partner in an S-Corp, married, with three kids under 10. No chronic health issues.
So, what do I go for? Super-high deductible with no lifetime limits (catastrophic) or something more moderate? Any suggestions on what to look for?
Just man-up and die, Scruffy Nerfherder. Man-up and die.
Given that I have gobs of life insurance on myself, my wife would benefit mightily, but I'm not quite ready for that.
Moderate. Everything is priced to screw you if you don't have insurance.
But if you have super-high-deductible, you do have insurance in the way that matters--which is to say, for getting insurer-negotiated pricing from providers. I liked my high-deductible plan a lot when I was in the individual market. But I didn't have kids and didn't have to worry about a lot of dr visits. And of course, if PPACA stands, your high-deductible plan will become invalid in a few years.
What are the limitations PPACA is placing on high-deductible plans? Is there a threshold that I should try to stay under?
I'm not sure yet, but I don't think it's been defined; see here. It's true that you need to pass it before you know what's in it when HHS gets to write half the law after the fact...
Generally, the idea that it must "[provide] essential health benefits [and follow] established limits on cost-sharing (like deductibles, copayments, and out-of-pocket maximum amounts)" makes folks think truly catastrophic plans won't be good enough (e.g., you'll need something that has a "reasonable" copay for dr visits and prescriptions).
More from here:
The Secretary will specify the "essential health benefits" included in the "essential health benefits package" that QHPs will be required to cover (effective beginning in 2014). Essential health benefits will include at least the following general categories:
ambulatory patient services;
emergency services;
hospitalization;
maternity and newborn care;
mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health
treatment;
prescription drugs;
rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices;
laboratory services;
preventive and wellness and chronic disease management; and
pediatric services, including oral and vision care.
Also, "A catastrophic plan will be permitted only in the individual market (1) for young adults (those under age 30 before the plan year begins), and (2) for those persons Congressional Research Service 16 exempt from the individual mandate because no affordable coverage is available or they have a hardship exemption."
It's not clear to me at this point whether you might be grandfathered in if you had such a plan already, although even if you were, the plan might need to be modified.
Thank you
if u have daughters, best get modest deductables since teen girls (which i have) develop female probs which ur wife will insist only a doctor can solve.
That's right, Mary, you have two. One's not bad, but one looks as retarded as you.
Aaaand we're walking away...
Where is this Saskatchewan place? Is it an island in the south seas?
Isn't that the name of Newcular Titties' moonbase?
No, that's named Moon Base Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Really? I need to get an update from my sources within the campaign.
Your mom?
No, my mom doesn't like him much. I'm friends with the android Romney inserted into the campaign team.
So...your dad.
No, my dad is human. You could be thinking of my uncle, the cyborg.
Android? You mean Gingrich's (current) wife? We talking about his campaign now?
South Asia? No, I was thinking of Saskatchistan.
You mean Sashacatchewin.
Your ugly American spellings offend me.
1. Russians are in Asia.
2. American Indians are Asian.
3. American Indian languages are Asian.
4. Sasha is a Russian name.
5. Therefore, the name is Russian, and it's Sasha Cat-Chewing.
How to find Saskatchewan:
Go to the coldest place in Hell.
Keep on driving until you reach a place that is colder and infested with a google of mosquitoes.
I always wanted to go to the Arctic Ocean beaches in the Yukon.
My tiger friend has got the sled
And I have packed a snack.
We're all set for the trip ahead.
We're never coming back!
We're abandoning this life we've led!
So long, Mom and Pop!
We're sick of doing what you've said,
And now it's going to stop!
We're going where it snows all year,
Where life can have real meaning.
A place where we won't have to hear,
"Your room could stand some cleaning."
The Yukon is the place for us!
That's where we want to live.
Up there we'll get to yell and cuss
And act real primitive.
We'll never have to go to school,
Forced into submission,
By monstrous crabby teachers who'll
Make us learn addition.
We'll never have to clean a plate
Of veggie glops and goos.
Messily we'll masticate
Using any fork we choose!
The timber wolves will be our friends.
We'll stay up late and howl,
At the moon, till nighttime ends,
Before going on the prowl.
Oh, what a life! We cannot wait,
To be in that arctic land,
Where we'll be masters of our fate,
And lead a life that's grand!
No more of parental rules!
We're heading for some snow!
Good riddance to those grown-up ghouls!
We're leaving! Yukon Ho!
DORK ALERT
Uh, huh. Your stuffed tiger typed that for you, didn't he?
DON'T TALK SHIT ABOUT HOBBES
Mr. Bun sends his regards.
He's kind of comatose.
Girls are like slugs--they probably serve some purpose, but it's hard to imagine what.
Don't get slime on me; I took a bath last Saturday and I'm all clean.
Google is a search engine (among other things).
Googol is 10^100.
You just reminded me of the toy Googolplex. When I first heard about Google the search engine, that's where I thought they got it from.
Googolplex should sue.
follow the stoners to all the pot ash.
You can't make an apples-to-apples comparison between the two provinces.
What would Alberta's tax rate be if they weren't reaping in oil revenue?
What would Ontario's tax rate be if it weren't for the protectionist measures that have favored its industries over the last 145 years?
Does that dude really know what is going on? I mean like seriously?
http://www.Gotta-Be-Anon.tk