Provinces complaining about equalization

[AlbertaFarmer5]

About 44 million people in the USA have no health insurance, and another 38 million have inadequate health insurance. This means that nearly one-third of Americans face each day without the security of knowing that, if and when they need it, medical care is available to them and their families.

And 100% of Canadians have no access to timely health care, where healthcare services are rationed through waiting lists.

You socialists always bring up the universal health care issue in your anti-American tirades, but it never occurs to you that paying for universal health care requires a strong economy to create the tax base to pay for it all. As you promote taxing and regulating businesses out of existence, and they leave the country en masse along with the jobs and taxes they create, who do you think will be funding universal health care? Instead of punishing the productive members of society at every opportunity, why not encourage them, and use the additional revenue to fund all of your socialist wet dreams? Otherwise we end up like all the other socialist utopia's. Do you know how well Venezuala's and Cuba's healthcare systems are functioning with no revenue to fund them?

[jazz]

The US medical system is far superior to ours even if it doesn't have universal access. All the research, new drug development and advanced medical procedures are down there along with our best and brightest medical minds.

We take their breakthroughs and drugs and socialize them, give access to all and dilute the service so everyone gets a middling system that is both over run and less effective. Go stand at the emergency room door and see for yourself. Watch the druggies, drunks and people with sniffles sitting in there. There shouldn't even be a single chair to sit down on in an emergency room.

[furrowtickler]

Alberta’s fury is aimed at Quebec (again)
Gary Mason
Gary Mason National affairs columnist

Updated December 11, 2018

The howls of outrage were as certain, and predictable, as winter snow on the prairies.

It happens each time the federal government reveals how much funding have-not provinces such as Quebec will receive under the national equalization program – Alberta goes ballistic. And with oil-price angst running at new highs and a provincial election around the corner, the fury emanating from Wild Rose country has been a sight to behold.

Perhaps no one has embodied the righteous indignation that is almost defining Alberta at the moment more than Jason Kenney, Leader of the United Conservative Party and the best bet to become premier after next spring’s election.

Yes, the fun may only be beginning.

The federal Finance Ministry recently revealed details of next year’s transfer levels, and they showed, among other things, that Quebec will receive $13.1-billion – which represents a $1.4-billion increase from the previous year and two-thirds of the total amount in the equalization pot.

This has become an increasingly bitter pill for people in Alberta to swallow for two reasons: the oil industry is in the tank right now and Quebec is against the Energy East pipeline going ahead. Quebec Premier François Legault inflamed the situation by saying last week he’s not “ashamed at all of refusing dirty energy.”

A needless and thoughtless provocation under the present circumstances, to be sure.

This, of course, set Mr. Kenney off. He rarely needs an excuse to go after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and this was fodder too rich and tasty to pass up. So to Twitter he took: “PM Trudeau gave Quebec a veto over any future Energy East Pipeline. Premier Legault exercised that veto, saying oil is ‘not socially acceptable in Quebec.’ Now QC gets $1.4 billion more in equalization for a total of $13 billion, thanks in part to Alberta’s oil industry.”

“Albertans are generous,” he said in another tweet. “But we shouldn’t be taken for suckers.”

Mr. Kenney would have known, likely as he tweeted those words, that is not true. Perhaps in a post-truth world, that doesn’t matter. The federal government didn’t give Quebec a veto over Energy East. The reason the project died was because Ottawa brought in new, tougher environmental regulations the proponent didn’t like so it walked away.

You can blame it on Quebec if you want, or you can acknowledge the federal government has a moral obligation to start reducing carbon emissions in this country. If that comes at the expense of a pipeline project so be it, I guess, unless Mr. Kenney can think of a way to get around the small problem of climate change. But to suggest Mr. Legault “exercised that veto” is a blatant falsehood. Mr. Legault wasn’t even premier when the project was deep-sixed.

As for equalization, I’m sure it’s tough for a lot of people in Alberta to see money going to a province that is projecting a $3-billion surplus. It’s also a province with outrageously high taxes, a burden Albertans don’t have. The equalization payouts are based on a formula that was conceived by the former federal Conservative cabinet, of which Mr. Kenney was a member. So he’s angry about a disbursement blueprint that he approved.

The equalization fund is made up primarily of money the federal government collects in taxes. Yes, Albertans contribute a disproportionate share, not because they’re getting ripped off, but because there are, per capita, more wealthy people in the province. The more you make the more you pay in income taxes, the more GST you pay because of your purchasing power.

I’ve never understood why politicians in Alberta think those in the rest of the country should be down on their hands and knees in gratitude because people in that province make so much.

I understand there are many living there now who are genuinely suffering as a result of the downturn in oil prices. There are people under economic stress in every province. (Visit Newfoundland and Labrador.) But trying to exploit that grief for political gain is wrong.

As we’ve seen in Donald Trump’s America, there is a huge social cost to dividing a country with words, by pitting one group of people against another. Are there problems with Canada’s equalization program? There may well be, ones the previous federal government contributed to in devising the formula.

But for heaven’s sake, let’s have a civilized and rational discussion about it rather than stoke anger and resentment. Or, in this day and age, is that too much to ask?

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-albertas-fury-is-aimed-at-quebec-again/

Quebec pays low tax’s because of massive underground economy

[chuckChuck]

The US medical system is far superior to ours even if it doesn't have universal access. All the research, new drug development and advanced medical procedures are down there along with our best and brightest medical minds.

We take their breakthroughs and drugs and socialize them, give access to all and dilute the service so everyone gets a middling system that is both over run and less effective. Go stand at the emergency room door and see for yourself. Watch the druggies, drunks and people with sniffles sitting in there. There shouldn't even be a single chair to sit down on in an emergency room.

If you are rich you will get better access and care in the US, but overall Canada has a better system than the US and pays less as a percentage of GDP.

"Canada ranks third-last in study of health care in 11 rich countries"
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-ranks-third-last-in-study-of-health-care-in-11-rich-countries/article35692286/

The USA comes last!

"The United States remained in the basement of the rankings."
"As the report notes, Canada spent the equivalent of 10 per cent of its gross domestic product on health care in 2014 – the most recent year for which figures were available – more than higher-ranked United Kingdom, New Zealand, Norway and Australia.

The United States, meantime, doled out the equivalent of 16.6 per cent of GDP for the shoddiest results among the 11 countries."

[SASKFARMER3]

Ah the cut and paste socialist acreage owner or renter!


Cut and paste chuck but go try the USA system. It’s easy no waiting and away you go. Most in canada think our system is good hahahaha.

It’s out of control the costs in canada.

We have private medical in canada already. GMS

Also like someone pointed out Americans are happy from the janitor up to the CEO.

It just amazes me how some one cleaning toilets and they are so happy to be working and have a job.

Same guy in canada wont do that kink of work it’s beneith them. Welfare is better.

Chuck keep posting it’s hilarious how you socialists hate the USA but deep down you wish you were american😂

[chuckChuck]

Ah the cut and paste socialist acreage owner or renter!


Cut and paste chuck but go try the USA system. It’s easy no waiting and away you go. Most in canada think our system is good hahahaha.

It’s out of control the costs in canada.

We have private medical in canada already. GMS

Also like someone pointed out Americans are happy from the janitor up to the CEO.

It just amazes me how some one cleaning toilets and they are so happy to be working and have a job.

Same guy in canada wont do that kink of work it’s beneith them. Welfare is better.

Chuck keep posting it’s hilarious how you socialists hate the USA but deep down you wish you were american😂

If it is so great in the USA why don't you live and farm there?

Okay ignore the fact that the US spends far more as a percentage of their GDP than Canada and their health out comes including infant mortality are worse. Unless you happen to be rich.

But don't let logic or facts interfere in your political rants! LOL

"Americans are happy from the janitor up to the CEO" LMAO What a crock! Children say the darndest things!
I thought Trump was elected because the middle and lower classes were losing their jobs! Get your story straight. Which is it?

You and Trump make up a lot of shit. You two have a lot in common!