Raise the Hammer

Seancb, >> ps: regarding the conversation above, do you realize you are arguing with a caricature of yourself?

Yes, seancb, I get it, but thanks for your concern. I think it was his name, "A Idiot" that first tipped me off.

>> Regarding the reason it becomes harder to pay off debts with each passing day, watch the video that I linked to, and look up fiat currency.

Get government out of the business of issuing currency, fantastic.

>> In your ideal world, lakes and rivers would be privately owned? What a disaster. So one entity owns lake ontario and its entire catch basin?

Why would it be a disaster? In the former U.S.S.R., where all land was owned by the "public", they actually destroyed a massive body of water (Aral Sea). Once again, when you give individuals ownership of something, they have every incentive to take not destroy it, but rather protect it.

>> An extreme example indeed, but a good indication that the free market does not work in practice the way you think it works in theory.

Then why haven't we used up all the oil in the world? If flooding the market with product is a good business model, then why do companies increase or decrease production based on market prices?

>> Now go back to your game of monopoly and leave the rest of us in peace

???

JonC >> but to switch the tax rate overnight would be catastrophic.

Really? So when commercial rates fell from 6% to under 4.5% from 2002 to 2006 that destroyed the city? I could have sworn it increased the amount of new developments in the city.

>> Looking at corporate taxes strictly during a time of growth (1999 to last year) is also a joke.

Wasn't there a recession in 2001? I guess looking at a decade of information is too short a time frame to make any conclusions?

>> Canada has the largest percentage of exports as a portion of GDP of any country

In the most recent quarter, exports made up 34.7% of GDP. Furthermore, according to the World Bank, Canada is about hundredth (www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_exp_of_goo_and_ser_of_gdp-economy-exports-goods-services-gdp) on the list of exporting countries, not first.

>> Comparing corporate, income and property taxes is the most ridiculous logical leap you've made yet.

Why? The point I am making is that lowering tax rates acts as an incentive to invest. Hamilton needs more investment, so why not give investors a better deal on their investment? If the city did this, we would get more investment. Bob Bratina and the city has already admitted this works (through the use of five year tax grants) I am just taking it a step further.

How else do you expect to get people to invest in the city, by building stadiums? How does that help an auto parts company make any more money? How does it help an electronics supplier hire more people? How does it increase the amount of profit at the steel companies? It doesn't. So are you still surprised that most of the businesses have left?

>> That is until you later argued that the lack of downtowns in such thriving cities as Burlington and Oakville is an indicator people don't want their own downtown but then immediately argue that they love the concept of living near Toronto's downtown.

Show me the quotes where I said that people in Oakville/Burlington don't want their own downtown and where I said they love the concept of living near Toronto's downtown. You won't be able to, because you're making it up, just like all your other so called facts that I have had to correct for you.

>> And finally, if you bought property for investment on the assumption that property taxes would be lowered, you are in no position to be giving financial advice to anyone.

Why not? Do people who buy shares in Microsoft have no say in how the company is managed? Do people who come from other countries give up the right to speak about Canada's tax policy, simply because they came here to make more money? Are only those people who accept big government allowed to speak out about economic issues and how to increase jobs and investment?

The truth is, if Hamilton was a roaring success, then you may have a point, but it isn't, it's a dirty, tired city, that needs fresh thinking and that's where I come in. I am here to pass on my freedom loving insight to people like yourself, who are hypnotized by the cult of government and all the false promises it has given you. The first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem, so when you're ready, I will be here for you.