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Ontario budget , 2012 - thread #3
April 16, 2012 - 4:48pm
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Not bad, not bad!
Taxing the rich akin to 'ethnic cleansing' – seriously?http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/commentary/barrie-mcke...
Horwath to McGuinty: 'Is it millionaires or daycares?'
Tsk tsk! Geppetto bought him all those books, and he's still only so much kindling.
ISAC incomesecurity.org implied McGuinty and Horwath were still seeking input. There is still a week before decisions are finalized. The Ontario budget can be discussed further, and amended to do the right thing in preventing a worsening of the economy through service, job and wage cuts. Corporate tax cuts of the Harris era which ruined Ontario's revenue can be reversed, as noted in the earlier thread, and wealth taxes implemented, to pay for welfare/disability cost-of-living increases and other services. Policy can be used to support collective bargaining, and minimum wages increased- these measures cycle money through the system- when workers are supported, the economy picks up. The same with procurement of local food. More effective public administration can be retained -rather than privatizing over-sight to profiteering financiers and industry self-regulators. I really hope the labour and Occupy movements, with others, can encourage parliamentarians to develop a budget on these lines.
A fascinating week. I trust Andrea will continue her polite pushing, but not back down. An election might just be what we need if McGuinty becomes the villain.
Gee, I hope that guy isn't managing any of my money. He sounds like a lunatic.
It's an interesting choice. It looks like a concession to what Adam Radwanski called "the price of populism." I think this move will hurt Andrea with Tory voters but better serve NDP (ideological) interests. The NDP can always go back to populism in time for the next election. In fact, I'd be willing to bank on it that they do. The Liberals clearly don't have a populist bone in their body, as this last budget shows. So hoping for the OLiberals' demise.
Ontario Budget: Andrea Horwath Makes Key Concession to Liberals in Effort to Reach Budget Deal
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1164240--ontario-bud...
"NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is backing off her party's negotiating demand that Premier Dalton McGuinty's minority Liberals cut the HST on home heating bills. While she is has not yet agreed to support the Liberal budget, her concession is significant because it is the strongest suggestion yet she wants to make a deal...
'The direction I'm moving in is in the direction of trying to make it work' Horwath told a hastily called news conference at Queen's Park."
they will agree to take from those who have little to give to those that have more than enough, and walk away from the increasingly barbaric conditions of the poor in Ontario. This is class war and the NDP have already clearly declared which side they are on. This will also soon become apparent federally. NDP = No Difference Party.
As I pointed out in another thread, the 2% surtax on incomes over $500,000 is extremely modest. The blustering and prophecy of a mass exodus of the super-rich from Ontario is utter nonsense.
By the way, the previous chunk of this thread is HERE.
The Liberals and Tories are ranting on about the whopping budget deficit in Ontario and the need for austerity.
Pinocchio's Libs are spending more on debt service payments than what's allocated to post-secondary education, transportation, and economic development in Ontario. That's pretty sad. Both parties are for austerity, and austerity will only exacerbate their ballooning debt situation.
Liberal and Tory budgets will lead Ontario down a road to serfdom similarly.
If any two parties are fiscal Frankensteins the same, it is those two same-same parties. They make a good pair and are the most compatible in super-minority government and phony opposition.
And it seems they are about to be joined by a third same-same party, come the budget vote next Tuesday.
Hudak Lagging Behind McGuinty and Horwath in Leadership Poll
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/hudak-lagging-behind-mcguin...
"A Nanos Research Poll shows Conservative Party leader Tim Hudak would be the worst positioned of Ontario's three major party leaders to contest another campaign."
So, obviously no urgency, need or hunger - unlike the underclass she looks like she's going to stiff on this on.
Ontario NDP likely to cave in budget showdown
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/04/20/ontario-ndp-budge...
So Spector and Tim Hudak both want a snap election in Ontario. Anyone else?
Sure likes like the LIberal-loving CBC called it, eh!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/mcguinty-accedes-to-two-ndp...
Sure likes like the LIberal-loving CBC called it, eh! What jerks!
But now we have a right-wing lovers Globe and Mail B...S...
....because where are the taxes on the rich?
McGuinty accedes to two NDP demandshttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/mcguinty-accedes-to-two-ndp...
The statement did not mention Ms. Horwath’s key demand – a new tax bracket for individuals who earn more than $500,000 a year. But Mr. McGuinty is meeting Ms. Horwath part way just one day after she made a major concession by dropping her demand for a break on hydro rates.
The NDP has said the tax-the-rich measure, which has strong support in the McGuinty government cabinet as well as from the public, would raise additional revenues of $570-million a year. That money could be used for child care, disability and other programs to help families, Ms. Horwath said.
Well, it wouldn't be a snap election. But if it's a choice between an election an austerity budget, I'll take an election any day.
This will help Andrea; even if Eric Grenier's analysis of polls is sometimes suspect:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/04/20/ontario-budget-polls-ndp-andrea-horwath_n_1440111.html?ref=canada
Their 'austerity' budget which is just the beginning of the planned take-aways counts on the usual wilful indifference of most, to remain silent while they further crush those on the bottom. Make no mistake, your elevated position on the totem pole won't save you in the end. McGuinty and TD Bankster Drummond should be told to take their budget and shove it. No deal, throw the bastards out.
"Mr. McGuinty stressed that he is not increasing program spending to meet the NDP demands. The additional funding for child care will come out of the Ministry of Education’s budget. The extra funding for disability payments will come from savings on generic prescription drugs. The government cut the price of generic drugs in 2010."
So from the Globe article, McGuinty wants to steal from Peter to pay Paul. I'm hoping Andrea just says "no" and ensure there is a surtax placed on the super rich to pay for the additional child care and disability payments. McGuinty is pitting the education community against the childcare community and ditto for the other - so ignorant to do that.
Education is already going into the hole with just maintaining one percent increase. Of course, McGuinty could get amalgamate the public and catholic school boards which would get rid of the duplication of senior administration and services and resources but geez, that would make too much sense. Oh, and religious education (catholic) could remain protected at the school level rather than the board level, which would be in the best interest of all kids, but nay, it's not about kids, or proper funding of public education or efficient use of public dollars.
Andrea needs to hold out or she will piss off 4 public sector communities.
McGuinty has said all along that he will neither increase program spending nor increase taxes to placate the NDP, and it appears he has not budged from that opening position. Horwath, meanwhile, has been backpedalling in order to avoid an election.
Looks as if the Liberals are emerging the clear winners in the negotiations.
It's sometimes referred to as 'taking a dive'.
I think Horwath has been superb in this. The fact that she has been getting so much public attention, and that the public seems to be in favour of a tax increase because of her work (admittedly, only a minor one on those earning over $500,000, but still, it's a start), is fabulous. Horwath is excellent. Her past training in labour negotiation is paying off now, I feel. The HST concession for a tax increase was brilliant, I feel. Superb negotiating. I predict the Liberals will cave.
Of course they will. Why wouldn't they 'cave' when Horwath is willing to keep them in power in exchange for peanuts?
The Liberals should be reminded of this - I'm sure they wouldn't want people's eyes popping at their electricity bills during an election campaign.
Horwath was heckled at the OFL rally at Queen's Park.
Throw the bastards out and you still have the same situation as described in the Drummond Report. An economy growing at 2% and spending without change growing much faster. Ontario can and should increase taxes to eliminate the deficit but that still leaves this problem to be solved or it will return. If the real estate bubble pops, as it must at some point, this all gets worse.
Ontario Budget Sparks Anger: Thousands Demonstrate at Legislature
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/ontario-budget-sparks-anger-1484...
"NDP Leader Andrea Horwath told the cheering crowd she would rather avoid triggering another provincial election but would keep pushing to change what she called a 'profoundly flawed' budget.."