Manitoba - Sucking families dry: A breakdown of where your t

[styky]

Styky, I've been fighting the public education system for years. The dropout rate is very concerning for me, but not for obvious reasons.

The NDP gov't sees a high dropout rate it makes it a priority to have more graduates. How do they do that? They dumb down the curriculum. They tell kids they don't have to hand in assignments on time, as marks will not be deducted for lateness. More and more Mickey Mouse courses are available. Of the 89% of graduates, I would say only 25% of them are graduating with top level courses. a high school diploma for many is useless...almost like a prize you get in a Cracker Jack box.

The master plan that I see from where I sit with the NDP is to keep the young dumb stupid and according to the tax rolls, poor. They make out like their savour who will look after all their needs and yahoo the NDP has a voting base. We know this system works otherwise they NDP wouldn't still be in power. Take one look at the map from the last election and tell me who brought us the NDP

http://canadianelectionatlas.blogspot.c ... sults.html

[styky]

NDP back to its old tricks
Tax hike biggest since the late '80s
By Tom Brodbeck ,Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Saturday, April 21, 2012 06:11 PM CDT | Updated: Saturday, April 21, 2012 10:32 PM CDT
Manitobans are facing the biggest tax hike in 25 years — an increase not seen since the late 1980s — with $182 million in net new taxes in the 2012 provincial budget tabled last week.

The Selinger government expanded the PST to items such as group life insurance, home insurance, and services such as hairstyling and manicures. The tax increase is expected to generate an extra $99 million for the government.

The NDP also jacked up fuel taxes on gasoline and diesel by 2.5-cents a litre, an increase that will provide tax collectors with an extra $47 million in new revenues.

Combined with other new tax measures, Manitobans are projected to pay $182 million more in net new taxes, by far the highest increase in 25 years.

You have to go back to the days of former NDP premier Howard Pawley to find a bigger tax hike than the one Finance Minister Stan Struthers tabled this week.

In 1987, then-NDP finance minister Eugene Kostyra tabled a budget that contained $233 million in net new taxes, an amount that would be worth far more in today’s dollars.

That year, the NDP increased the PST to 7% from 6% and brought in a new 2% tax on net income. The province also jacked up the payroll tax that year.

A year later, the NDP government fell on Kostyra’s 1988 budget.

It appears Today’s NDP is starting to gravitate back to the Old NDP.

The question now is, what will Manitobans get in return for the biggest take hike in 25 years?

Not much.

Premier Greg Selinger says the new gas tax will help pay for expensive upgrades to roads and bridges.

Trouble is, even Transportation Minister Steve Ashton admitted to reporters last week that funding for roads and bridges this year will not be much different than in the past four years.

He made the admission during a joint news conference with Premier Greg Selinger the morning after the budget as they tried to explain why funding for roads and bridges was not going up, even though taxpayers are paying a higher gas tax.

“It’s in the same range,” said Ashton. “If you were to describe the level of capital this year and maintenance this year it’s really the historic level we’ve been at the last number of years.”

Right, so taxpayers are shelling out $47 million more in gas taxes, and the province isn’t spending more this year on bridges and roads.

The province is also spending less on capital investment in infrastructure, which fell $99 million to $650 million this year.

That includes spending on capital other than roads and bridges, like jails, government buildings and airport upgrades.

Ashton said the figure to look at for road and bridge repair this year is $589 million, which is about the same as in previous years.

“The real number is $589 million, that is roads and bridges, and that’s certainly comparable to what we’ve budgeted over the last number of years,” he said.

So we’re paying more but we’re getting next to nothing in return.

Taxes aren’t the only thing going up in this budget. User fees are soaring an estimated $100 million. That includes a $35-a-year increase in vehicle registration and an increase to things like fees for the child abuse registry, which is going up 50% to $15.

It’s a massive across-the-board user fee increase that will hit taxpayers hard in the pocketbook.

All told, taxes and user fees are risi
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2012/04/21/n ... old-tricks

[Julian]

The socialists are running out of other peoples money. They are desperate not be shown for idiotic incompetent fools they all are. The system is beginning to implode.

[styky]

The socialists are running out of other peoples money. They are desperate not be shown for idiotic incompetent fools they all are. The system is beginning to implode.

Speaking of idiotic incompetant fools, you're going to love this.......

No moats allowed in Manitoba


QMI Agency
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/05/01/no ... n-manitoba
First posted: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 05:16 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 05:23 PM EDT

WINNIPEG — The provincial government doesn't want its citizens building moats.

Updates to the Fortified Buildings Act focus on removing traps, barricades and other obstacles that could risk the safety of emergency crews or cops.

Under the proposed changes, it would be a provincial offence to set any trap that is likely to harm someone -- or even leave a trap in place, if you know it's there.

"Police officers put themselves at risk of bodily harm or death each and every day, especially those who deal with people involved in drug production, who may set traps to protect their illegal enterprise," Winnipeg police chief Keith McCaskill said. "This legislation will be another valuable tool to assist the police in our province deal with these deadly threats."

The legislation would let either the province's Public Safety Investigations Unit or police apply for a warrant to inspect a property and dismantle any traps they find.

Legitimate uses of traps and trap-like devices would still be allowed.

Is it any wonder this province is in the financial hole it's in? If this is what top the agenda God help us.

[styky]

The NDP continues their tantrum. Unable and unwilling to stop their spending of money they don't have they insist that Ottawa foot the bill. That is what this is really all about isn't it?



Rift widens as province, feds feud
Doer's departure, Harper majority change picture

By: Dan Lett
t's probably one of the worst-kept secrets in political circles that relations between Manitoba's NDP government and Ottawa's federal Conservative government have soured considerably.

Premier Greg Selinger has crossed swords with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on a number of important files, including funding for the completion of the floodway expansion and Ottawa's decision to shut down the Canadian Wheat Board. According to federal Tory sources, Selinger's public campaign to save the wheat board, and its Winnipeg-based head office, along with a myriad of other smaller conflicts, have made Selinger and his government objects of scorn in Ottawa.

The relationship worsened recently when Federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced rather suddenly that Ottawa was reasserting its control over immigrant settlement services. Prior to that decision, Manitoba single-handedly administered services to immigrants as part of an agreement going back to the late 1990s.

Selinger had previously refused to describe the immigrant settlement decision as retribution for other disputes between the two levels of government. On Tuesday, in a live interview broadcast from the Free Press News Café, he was not as guarded.

Selinger labelled Ottawa's decision as "punitive." Selinger agreed that his relationship with Prime Minister Stephen Harper is not the best, but added that Ottawa is "not supposed to be using programs like this as tools to punish other levels of government."

However, is that what is really happening here?.......................http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/ ... 30025.html

[styky]

NDP changes, but stays same

Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Sunday, August 26, 2012 05:08 AM CDT
Premier Greg Selinger has a new right-hand man, but there’s little doubt the NDP will continue to govern Manitoba like left-wing loons.

Last week, it was revealed that Selinger has chosen Liam Martin as his new chief of staff. Martin — the son of longtime NDP MP Pat Martin and a veteran of NDP election campaigns, who most recently worked as a spokesman for a government union — replaces Michael Balagus, who announced his resignation last winter.

Martin and Selinger have their work cut out for them if they hope to guide our province towards a more prosperous future.

Manitoba has the second-highest income taxes for middle- and upper-income families in Canada, behind only Quebec. That’s not good.

As Winnipeg Sun columnist Tom Brodbeck has pointed out, a family of five earning $75,000 pays $4,142 in provincial income taxes. In neighbouring Saskatchewan, the same family only pays $1,297.

Our province is still running a half-billion dollar deficit despite recently sticking its citizens with the biggest overall tax hike in a quarter-century. That’s despite the fact ours is a have-not province that continually receives equalization payments from the federal government.

Selinger and his NDP government expanded the PST in its last budget to include a wide range of services, including home insurance, group life insurance and salon services. Fuel and cigarette taxes were also hiked earlier this year.

Manitobans are paying plenty, and what are we getting in return? Not much, besides a deficit that continues to grow to staggering proportions.

Of course, the government could slash its bureaucracy to free up funds instead of hiking taxes, but the pro-union NDP has no appetite for that.

You would think, given the amount of taxes they pay, that Manitobans could feel reasonably safe in their own province. Instead, Winnipeg remains the violent crime capital of Canada, and this province has among the highest violent crime rates.

Manitoba should be setting an example for the rest of the country with a firm law-and-order stance. Instead, we have a firmly-entrenched culture of coddling repeat offenders, particularly underage punks.

Staff members and politicians come and go, but “Today’s NDP” remains as free-spending and afraid to tackle thugs as ever.
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2012/08/25/n ... stays-same

[styky]

Not bad for a province that has legislation for balanced budgets



Manitoba deficit nears $1B
Flood expenses blamed for more than doubling original deficit forecast
The Canadian Press
Posted: Sep 28, 2012 12:37 PM CT
Last Updated: Sep 28, 2012 1:30 PM CT
The Manitoba government's deficit for last year has come in at just under $1 billion.

The final figures for the fiscal year that ended in March show the government ran up $999 million in red ink. That's more than double the original estimate, but slightly less than the government's most-recent prediction...................http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ ... itoba.html

[styky]

Manitoba in financial trouble


By Tom Brodbeck ,Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Monday, October 01, 2012 05:25 PM CDT
You know government is in trouble financially when they’re already hinting halfway through the fiscal year that their bottom line may be worse than originally projected.

Finance Minister Stan Struthers released his department’s first-quarter financial report Monday. While there are no official updates to the projected deficit for 2012-13, there were strong hints that the Selinger government may be deeper in the glue than they originally expected.

In order to meet its original projection of a $504-million deficit in core government operations this year, the province was counting on finding $128 million in savings by cutting spending in areas like advertising, printing costs and consolidation of administrative functions. The province was also supposed to sell off $80-million worth of Crown assets. However, halfway through the year no Crown assets have been sold, Struthers confirmed. And there’s still $62 million worth of savings to find, he said.

Struthers says that’s due in part to the kind of “uncertain economic times” that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has recently talked about.

“It really underscores the kind of uncertainty that the prime minister has put his finger on,” said Struthers. “We do live in uncertain economic times.”

Yes, we do. But the truth is, the Selinger government just doesn’t know how to turn off the spending taps. Struthers is already blaming forest fires and dry weather for this year’s less-than-stellar financial performance. But in reality, the government has simply failed to implement the level of cost controls required to bring the books out of the red.

And that’s the problem when governments spend so wildly out of control, as the NDP has. They create what economists call a “structural deficit.”

The Selinger government is now spending about a half-billion dollars more a year than it’s taking in from taxes, fees, federal government transfers, gambling and liquor profits and other revenues.

We’ve been out of recession for several years now. And there was no severe spring flooding in 2012 like there was the previous year.

So there’s no excuse for government to be in deficit right now. Especially since the NDP brought in the single largest tax increase — a $182-million tax haul — in 25 years in its spring budget.

But because spending went unchecked for so many years, the government now finds itself in a financial pickle, unable to crawl out from the massive, ongoing structural deficit it has created.

Struthers released a list of savings the province has achieved so far this year — about $66 million worth.

It includes items like a $10,000 cut to website development in the healthy living department, a $65,000 savings in culture by reducing printed material and a $300,000 savings in administrative costs for University College of the North.

But most of the savings are chump change when measured against a $504-million deficit.

Struthers claims regional health authorities are finding $22.8 million worth of administrative savings this year — with no layoffs — although there are very few details on how they’re planning to achieve that.

The reality is, it’s going to take a lot more than tinkering around the edges to bring the budget back into the black.

And the current administration appears unwilling to do that.

At this point, it looks like the NDP government will be posting deficits for many years to come.

And our grandchildren — and their grandchildren — will be forced to pick up the tab.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2012/10/01/m ... al-trouble

[styky]

Manitoba Tories push tax cut they say would mean an extra $200 for each worker

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 9:40AM CST
Last Updated Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 2:23PM CST

WINNIPEG -- Manitoba Opposition Leader Brian Pallister called for a widespread income tax cut Wednesday, and was promptly accused by the government of leaving the door open to a sales tax increase.

Pallister called on the governing NDP to raise the basic personal exemption -- the threshold at which people start paying income tax -- to $10,617 from the current $8,634.

He said the move would save each income earner $200 a year and bring Manitoba more in line with other provinces. Saskatchewan, for example, starts taxing incomes at $14,942.

"It may not sound like a lot to an ivory-tower inhabitant, but it is a lot to a person who is struggling to make ends meet, and it's a lot to Manitobans who are working to pay the bills at the end of the month," the Progressive Conservative leader said.

The cut would also counter some of the tax increases the NDP implemented in its spring budget, Pallister said, such as hikes on gasoline and insurance.

Read more: http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/manitoba-tor ... z2AG3eJaXI

[LAR]

Manitoba Tories push tax cut they say would mean an extra $200 for each worker

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 9:40AM CST
Last Updated Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 2:23PM CST

WINNIPEG -- Manitoba Opposition Leader Brian Pallister called for a widespread income tax cut Wednesday, and was promptly accused by the government of leaving the door open to a sales tax increase.

Pallister called on the governing NDP to raise the basic personal exemption -- the threshold at which people start paying income tax -- to $10,617 from the current $8,634.

He said the move would save each income earner $200 a year and bring Manitoba more in line with other provinces. Saskatchewan, for example, starts taxing incomes at $14,942.

"It may not sound like a lot to an ivory-tower inhabitant, but it is a lot to a person who is struggling to make ends meet, and it's a lot to Manitobans who are working to pay the bills at the end of the month," the Progressive Conservative leader said.

The cut would also counter some of the tax increases the NDP implemented in its spring budget, Pallister said, such as hikes on gasoline and insurance.

Read more: http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/manitoba-tor ... z2AG3eJaXI

Manitoba taxes people earning as little as $9000 per year?
And then they use that money to provide wages, pensions and health benefits to people earning $50, 000 plus per year.

[styky]

Manitoba taxes people earning as little as $9000 per year?
And then they use that money to provide wages, pensions and health benefits to people earning $50, 000 plus per year.

Don't forget to add to that the fact that unless you're on welfare you pay a pharma deductible for heath care. Even if you had a pension income of $300 a month you'd still have to make the yearly deductible. And if you were a handicapped person on welfare and turned 60 you would be required to file for your pension and no longer would you be eligible for the government to cover "any" of your health care expenses. And yes all so that we can pay for the salaries and pensions of people that make more than $50,000 a year.

[styky]

This is what happens when you tax your citizens to death




Manitoba the food bank capital of Canada

By Kevin Engstrom ,Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 12:48 PM CDT
The number of Manitobans using food banks has increased by more than 50% in only four years, according to a new survey.

HungerCount, an annual report released by Food Banks Canada Tuesday on the number of people using food banks across the country, states 63,482 people used a Manitoba food bank this past March — a 56.9% increase from 2008.

In total, 5.05% of Manitoba’s population now uses a food bank, the highest percentage of any province, and up from 3.3% in 2008.

Officials say the increase in food bank use is partially related to the increase in Winnipeg Harvest’s meal and snack programs, as well as improvements in the accuracy of the survey.

Women comprise 52.8% of food bank adult clients, while 47.6% of all users are under the age of 18........................http://www.winnipegsun.com/2012/10/30/m ... -of-canada

[styky]

Taxes up, but NDP still needs MPI to fund roads

By Tom Brodbeck ,Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 03:54 PM CDT | Updated: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 04:06 PM CDT
Manitoba taxes and other government revenues are pouring into provincial coffers at more than four times the rate of inflation — up nearly a half-billion dollars this year compared to 2011 — yet the NDP is still considering using motorists’ insurance premiums to pay for road repair.

Doesn’t make much sense to me.

The province’s own-source revenues are broken down into 17 categories, including income and sales taxes, user fees, corporate taxes and other government revenues.

All told, Manitoba Finance is projecting to haul in $6.954 billion in own-source revenues this year — not including Crown corporations. That’s up 7% from $6.502 billion last year.

That’s an increase of $452 million in a single year, a growth rate that exceeds inflation by more than four times.

Manitoba’s consumer price index is currently 1.6%, according to Statistics Canada.

Meanwhile, taxes, fees and other government revenues are projected to soar nearly three times the rate of economic growth this year. The Survey of Major Economic Forecasters projects Manitoba’s gross domestic product will grow by 2.4% in 2012.

So the question is, with that kind of money flowing into Broadway, why does Manitoba Public Insurance need drivers’ insurance premiums to help pay for road infrastructure?

The Crown corporation, which is run by an NDP-appointed board of directors, has been musing about funding infrastructure for about two years. Last week, MPI CEO Marilyn McLaren reiterated her interest in using MPI funds for road repair.

But no one from government has been able to explain why they would need that money if own-source revenues are growing by 7% this year.

One of the chief reasons government revenues are growing as fast as they are is because the Selinger government brought in the largest overall tax increase in 25 years when it tabled its 2012-13 budget in the spring.

Changes to tax rates are expected to generate $182 million in extra revenue this year, according to the budget. That’s the single largest tax increase since 1987.

Economic growth, bracket creep and higher users fees are responsible for the remaining increase in own-source revenues.

The largest component of this year’s tax increase was the expansion of the PST which now includes items like property and group life insurance premiums and services like hairstyling, manicures and pedicures.

The PST expansion is projected to raise an extra $106.5 million a year.

Provincial fuel taxes went up 2.5 cents a litre this year — money which is supposed to be earmarked for road repair.

Vehicle licensing fees also went up this year, as did a whole host of user fees.

So we’re all paying government more money from various sources, yet they still want to use our car insurance premiums to pay for road infrastructure.

If MPI has excess retained earnings, they should give us a refund, not spend it on roads. We pay taxes to upgrade roads. I know MPI doesn’t like to give us our money back and they’ve been forced in the past by the Public Utilities Board to stop overcharging us. But giving us our money back — if they do have extra cash stuffed away somewhere — would be the right thing to do.

We need that money to pay the inflated tax bills the Selinger government is handing us this year.
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2012/10/30/t ... fund-roads

[styky]

These numbers should frighten you no matter where you live in this country. Any question as to why there is nothing left but cobwebs in your wallet?

Fiscal Reference Tables – 2012: Part 5 of 10
Provincial and Territorial Governments Public Accounts
http://www.fin.gc.ca/frt-trf/2012/frt-trf-1204-eng.asp

[styky]

This chart was included in today's print addition of the Sun but not online so here's hoping I didn't make any booboo's with the figures. This does not include transfer payments nor the fact that the NDP last time I checked had us about a billion in the red.

If you're coming to Manitoba the Land of the NDP we feel your pain government please leave your wallet at the door.

Just think in 2015 Mulcair could take this nation wide



Manitoba Government
Own-Source Revenues
2011-12 to 2012-13
.........................................2011-12..........2012-13
Income taxes..........................$2,631B..........$2,796B
Retail Sales Tax.......................$1,631B..........$1,834B
Corp Income Tax........................$439M.............$406M
Corp taxes (other)......................$188M.............$215M
Fuel Tax..................................$247M.............$297M
Land Transfer Tax.......................$62.5M............$66.2M
Payroll Tax...............................$395M.............$410M
Mining Tax................................$35M.............$35M
Tobacco Tax..............................$253M............$256M
Other taxes...............................$11.5M...........$14.7M
Fines/other legal.........................$50.5M...........$51.5M
Minerals/petroleum......................$22.3M...........$28.8M
Drivers License/fees.....................$130M............$147M
Parks/Conservation.......................$29.4M...........$33.1M
Water Power (Hydro).....................$115.M...........$118M
Service fees/Other........................$136M............$219M
Revenue from SOAs........................$26.2M...........$26.2M
Total........................................$6,502B...........$6,654B
. (+7%)
. -Manitoba Budget 2012