NDP recklessly charges ahead, putting businesses under

[Rwede]

Maybe you better qualify that 20% figure. I'm guessing you're talking about the increase in the corporate tax rate from 10% to 12%. Technically, 2% is 20% of 10% so you're not actually lying there, just spinning a 2% hike into 20% for presentation purposes. Conservative governments had steadily dropped over the years (from around 15% I believe) supposedly in exchange for the promise of plentiful jobs and tax revenues. Guess what? No more jobs, no more tax revenues. The current rate of 12% is still at the low end of the national average. Personal income tax increases will be phased in over three years and will only apply to those making over $100K/yr.

I suspect your hatred of anything NDP related is clouding your perception. It is most definitely affecting the way you present your "facts".

It's a 20% increase.

If your expense was $10,000 and Notley increased that to $12,000 it is a 20% increase, not a 2% increase.

Math is hard. Leftists don't get it. Should have stayed in school.

[fluffy]

It's a 20% increase.

If your expense was $10,000 and Notley increased that to $12,000 it is a 20% increase, not a 2% increase.

It's just spin. The rate used to be 10%, now it's 12%. If your corporate profits were $100,000, you will pay taxes of $12,000 this year. Last year you would have paid $10,000. Fifteen years ago you would have paid $15,000. If you were out on the east coast where times are really tough, you would be paying as much as $16,000. The average provincial corporate tax rate in Canada is 13%. That's what, 10% higher than the Alberta rate? You're the math expert, you figure it out.

[bob vernon]

West Texas intermediate crude price fell $1.71 today. NDP carnage continues unabated.

[madmudder]

West Texas intermediate crude price fell $1.71 today. NDP carnage continues unabated.

I never knew the NDP were in control of world oil prices. Thanks for the info .

[The Green Barbarian]

It's just spin. .

LOL - leftists always hate it when their own spin techniques are used against them. When a union-funded "think-tank" produces a giant load of polluted garbage trying to show how great the NDP was in BC, using totally manipulated stats, everyone on the left stays quiet. But when it's pointed out that the NDP jacked taxes by 20% in Alberta (true) they poop their pants. You guys can't have it both ways.

[The Green Barbarian]

West Texas intermediate crude price fell $1.71 today.

It's up $1.00 today.

NDP carnage continues unabated.

this would continue unabated no matter what the price of crude would be. The NDP know no other way.

[fluffy]

But when it's pointed out that the NDP jacked taxes by 20% in Alberta (true)...

Sure. It could also be said truthfully that the increase was 2%. It depends what "whole" you are taking the percentage of.

It's not really an issue for anyone with an ounce of skepticism in them, who knows that facts can be presented in a number of different ways without being technically wrong. My point here is that there are usually ways to present facts without bias, and ways to present those same facts in ways that will favour one side of an argument or the other. An objective reporter would have written "The NDP government raised the corporate tax rate from 10% to 12%" and let the reader judge for themselves the magnitude of the change.

[Rwede]

Math test for NDPers:

Fluffy's bill for gasoline was $1,000 last month. This month, his bill for gasoline is $1,200.

By what percentage did Fluffy's gas bill increase?

A.) 2%
B.) 20%
C.) Don't use such big numbers, they make my head hurt!

[The Green Barbarian]

Math test for NDPers:

Fluffy's bill for gasoline was $1,000 last month. This month, his bill for gasoline is $1,200.

By what percentage did Fluffy's gas bill increase?

A.) 2%
B.) 20%
C.) Don't use such big numbers, they make my head hurt!

When it comes to leftists, definitely C!! :)

[hobbyguy]

Let's see, a business has 10 employees, a facility, some debt etc.

So:

- payroll costs: 400,000
- property taxes: 25,000
- utilities: 15,000
- advertising: 12,000
- debt servicing: 25,000
- company vehicle: 12,000
- equipment/building maintenance: 25,000
- licenses/fees etc. etc. all add more.

Carbon tax cost: 600

percentage expense increase: on the order of .12%

If that business is in such bad shape that a .12% cost increase from a carbon tax bankrupts it, I really think that it is disingenuous to blame the carbon tax. It was hooped anyway.

[Rwede]

Let's see, a business has 10 employees, a facility, some debt etc.

So:

- payroll costs: 400,000
- property taxes: 25,000
- utilities: 15,000
- advertising: 12,000
- debt servicing: 25,000
- company vehicle: 12,000
- equipment/building maintenance: 25,000
- licenses/fees etc. etc. all add more.

Carbon tax cost: 600

percentage expense increase: on the order of .12%

If that business is in such bad shape that a .12% cost increase from a carbon tax bankrupts it, I really think that it is disingenuous to blame the carbon tax. It was hooped anyway.

Uh, do you have any clue what we were discussing?

[Veovis]

When all else fails insult employers and make up numbers. NDP strategy 101 rwede.

[hobbyguy]

Yup, this started with a complaint about carbon taxes putting businesses under.

I am not an NDP fan, but taking the approach that every NDP policy is incorrect is disingenuous.

And it isn't government policy or taxes (except maybe the Calgary property tax increase) that are the major negatives for Alberta businesses. You know it, it has been backed up with articles from Calgary papers. It is simply that the boom times are gone now that oil prices have dropped to more historically average levels.

If your business model assumed that boom times would be forever, then your business is in trouble. It is that simple.

It is also a tale of "winners and losers" that is playing out across the country as the retail scene changes: http://globalnews.ca/news/1776781/wave-of-retail-bankruptcies-a-sign-canadians-are-tapped-out/

And when your customer base is shrinking and in trouble: http://www.alger.ca/albertabankruptcytrustees/calgary-edmonton-bankruptcy-news.htm

Government policy and minor tax changes are not going to do much when the consumer is "tapped out". If a business doesn't have customers, or enough customers, it fails - and no amount of lower taxes or higher taxes will ever change that simple fact.

No, I am not defending the NDP, just saying that stepping back a bit and taking a rational approach is in order.

[fluffy]

It's my opinion that at worst, the Alberta NDP are the victims of bad timing. The oil price crash would have thrown a huge wrench into the works no matter who was in power. The NDP's new tax policies are not an unbearable burden no matter how loud the sour grapes right want to cry about it, and there is a responsibility for the rank and file citizenry to help shoulder the burden created by the loss of tax revenue from the oil industry. It's a simple fact that people in general don't want to pay. When the price crash was fresh and the election campaign was on, the conservatives suggested that the province might have to look at things like sales tax and moving away from free healthcare. That cost them the election. the NDP have made up some revenue in other areas and now everyone is screaming to get rid of them. The money has to come from somewhere, any government would be faced with that problem.

[Veovis]

It's my opinion that at worst, the Alberta NDP are the victims of bad timing. The oil price crash would have thrown a huge wrench into the works no matter who was in power. The NDP's new tax policies are not an unbearable burden no matter how loud the sour grapes right want to cry about it, and there is a responsibility for the rank and file citizenry to help shoulder the burden created by the loss of tax revenue from the oil industry. It's a simple fact that people in general don't want to pay. When the price crash was fresh and the election campaign was on, the conservatives suggested that the province might have to look at things like sales tax and moving away from free healthcare. That cost them the election. the NDP have made up some revenue in other areas and now everyone is screaming to get rid of them. The money has to come from somewhere, any government would be faced with that problem.

And perhaps if they had shown some decorum of restraint in their policies of "let's spend more" and actually had tried to spend less while increasing taxes it would be a better situation. Especially if they had done something smart like graduated tax increases. Instead it has been large increases in many areas while they spend even more more more and then tell you "well everyone should kick in....just not us" They are short sighted policies from a shortsighted party that knows they are gone next election so better grab it all while the grabbing is good.