Canadians pay more in taxes than basic necessities: Report

Though I am loathe to republish anything by the Fraiser Institute . . .

So an education system, medical system, military, transportation infrastructure, policing, firefighting, water, sewers............... aren't basic necessities?

Except for water, they won't keep you alive like food and shelter will.

Which is why I'm loathe to quote the Fraiser Institute. Most everything they publish seems like reactionary sensationalism to me.

Sun Media ain't much better...

I guess those don't do much good if you're homeless and starving.

Except for water, they won't keep you alive like food and shelter will.

Which is why I'm loathe to quote the Fraiser Institute. Most everything they publish seems like reactionary sensationalism to me.


medical system won't keep you alive? Transportation system that brings your food won't keep you alive? Firefighting won't keep you alive?

I'm sure poor people pay more for necessities than in taxes, and that is as it should be. But those necessities don't exist in a vacuum - we're not hunter gatherers anymore. This is just something to get the Joe the Plumbers all foaming, but has no rhyme or reason. People should be grateful to live in a society where have enough money to spend on "non-necessities" - living in Somalia is probably not too much fun for most people.

I guess those don't do much good if you're homeless and starving.

Seriously? Are you homeless and starving? Are you saying that the homeless and starving are there because they were overtaxed? They're there because our taxes aren't being used to provide adequate mental health care and drug treatment.

You're going to be homeless and starving if that transportation system breaks down, if a medical issue means you can't work and there's no supports for you, if policing breaks down and somebody tougher than you takes your home and food, etc.

Andy, don't run off topic.

You know what basic necessities are. Shelter, food and clothing.

All those things you noted are necessary, but not what we all consider the "basic" necessities.

I'm not running anywhere. I pointing out the ridiculousness of this claim - as if necessities exist in a vacuum. As I said above, we should be glad we can afford "non-necessities" and food and shelter as well. Otherwise we'd be living in Somalia. This report should be released with a big HURRAH as the first word in the title.

I find it amusing that on one hand you advocate for the working poor and poor people in general and you dismiss an article that's on your side of the argument.

It's not. As I pointed out, poor people pay less in taxes than necessities. You need to bring more discriminating awareness to your reading. This article is about he average family. A family that grosses 75k isn't poor.

Edited for accuracy.

I forgot, you don't care about about any other groups other than poor people. In your eyes, if you have a cent more than you absolutely need, you don't "need" it.

I'd be interested to see what the taxation numbers are like on the groups you support, because I'm betting it's all relative and would have similar results.

Edited for accuracy.

vs a medical system that costs 1.9 times as much per capita, but leaves 15% of the people without coverage and bankrupts employers and families. Canada's education system is ranked 6th in the world for reading, science and math, by the OECD - the US isn't even in the top 10. Transportation - huge country, small population, we're doing OK, but could do better if we raised more taxes. Providing services for immigrants - what are we going to do, make them live in tepees? As we see every time there's a huge cut back the govt movement - we start having problems and the same party that cut back soon starts spending again. Joe the Plumber wants his govt services, he just doesn't want to pay for them and thinks his services are necessities, but the next guys' are waste.