Raise the Hammer

Great discussion.

The corporate tax cuts also go to the casino debate. The Liberals, first under McGuinty and now under Wynne, have a revenue problem and yet they lack the political courage and political maturity to have an adult discussion with Ontarians. Taxes are necessary in a modern, functioning society.

Liberals and Conservatives should be demanded to show the benefit of corporate tax cuts. As it stands, the cuts are no-strings-attached for corporations currently sitting on a pile of a half-trillion dollars (http://s.shr.lc/11pJwSe) and earning record profits while cutting jobs and hiring foreign temps to replace Canadian workers.

However, the NDP has it all wrong on this file. It has become the party of the Hummer driver and McMansion owner. The NDP ought to be championing retrofitting homes for energy efficiency and encouraging public transportation. I live in an NDP riding and many of the NDPs biggest supporters are on the bus. Of those who don't ride the bus, many already drive fuel efficient vehicles. The NDP need to understand that helping people cope with higher energy prices, which is a given, through permanently reducing energy consumption is a far more useful policy than promises that likely can't be kept beyond a single election cycle, anyway. Like it or not, energy prices will continue to rise over the longer term.

And finally, both the Liberals and the NDP (the Conservatives are just fruit loops) are ignoring the elephant in the room: climate change. It is not going away and it can't be wished away and ignoring it is both stupid and counter-productive. A price on carbon can fund the Big Move and produce revenues for additional innovations such as, for one example, adding solar panels to new residential homes and buildings and developing a more cost effective super insulation.

We really are past the time when our thinking can remain firmly within the confines of the box.

Comment edited by ViennaCafe on 2013-04-20 21:31:14