City
Morning Brew: HST Exemptions, Pedestrians Killed, Poppy Donation Robbery Thwarted, Sexsomniac Jan Luedecke Discharged, Toronto Sun Apology to Toronto Port Authority
Photo: "Underneath" by M_Ruth, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):
A brave 84-year-old WWII Navy veteran and a 64-year-old volunteer foiled an armed robbery attempt at a Toronto-area Royal Canadian Legion. A man was looking to steal donations collected from Remembrance Day poppy sales, but the two got all Chuck Norris and lunged at him, scuffled with him, and saw him run off empty-handed. It's a great hero story, but I'm not convinced that it was the best way to deal with the problem - it could have easily gone the other way and the news headlines would have read quite different.
Back in 2003, Toronto's Jan Luedecke had non-consensual sex using a condom with a woman who woke up to him on top of her, in the act. After six years in the courts, he's finally been found to be not criminally responsible for sexual assault, deemed no threat to the public, and been granted an absolute discharge. He suffers from a rare condition called sexsomnia, over which he has no conscious control.
Of three separate vehicle-pedestrian incidents in the GTA, two accidents resulted in fatalities yesterday. A teen is dead after being struck by a Viva transit bus in Vaughan, a woman was killed in Scarborough, and a third woman is in serious condition after being struck in the Jane & Wilson area.
Fast food under $4.00, coffee, and newspapers are also going to be exempt from the controversial Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). These are in addition to basic groceries, feminine hygiene products, prescription drugs, diapers, kid's clothing, and other items previously announced as exempt. It's shaping up to be a general rule of thumb that stuff we absolutely need and stuff that's cheap and we don't really need are likely exempt.
And a correction and apology notice appears on the front page of the Toronto Sun today, over an article published on Monday. So far, we're not seeing The Star apologies for reporting on expense irregularity allegations or the TPA's alleged altering of meeting minutes.
Discussion
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HST
Lucky me, I get a break on a $4 coffee and a newspaper!
This tax is not good for anybody, if you are self-employed especially, because now the taxes you have to charge have doubled, on top of the taxes you already have to pay the government. I see this effecting those who are self-employed dramatically, as clients will give a second thought to hiring a freelancer as it becomes more expensive. Why is it I have to do the governments job of collecting taxes for them and I have to carry the cost of doing it.
The Sun has surpassed the Star in terms of credibility. This is indeed a sad day for Torstar.
Are there even any credible Toronto news outlets left? I have no idea where to get my news from anymore. Torstar and 680 news seem to update the most frequently, but 680 publishes little more than brief blurbs.
The under-$4 idea used to make sense, but it needs to be raise to under-$5 now. You can't even buy a value meal for less than $4 now.
"Why is it I have to do the governments job of collecting taxes for them and I have to carry the cost of doing it."
Because you have the advantage of writing-off most of your life when you file your annual income tax - and then get a huge refund. Suck. It. Up.
Pedestrians be careful out there! I was walking with a friend last night and she didn't look either way before stepping onto the street. She was of the opinion that no matter where she was on the road, she had the right of way as a "pedestrian" and if a car didn't stop for her, it was the cars fault. I was blown away from her carelessness. Right of way or not, a car is going to do a lot of damage if it hits you, and you will be lucky to be alive. Share the road responsibly and look out for each other out there.
My brother had the same attitude as you friend. "I have the right of way, cars have to get out of my way, if they hit me it's their fault!"
He was like this until he had many a close call and when he returned from New York (where everyeone doesn't care about anything on the roads)... and when I told him... sure it'll be the car's fault but you'll be paralyzed or dead while the driver keeps on truckin.
Stupid.
I've never understood pedestrians that take the view that "right of way" somehow trumps "looking after my personal safety". I don't imagine that knowing you had the "right of way" will give you much comfort if you have to spend the rest of your life as a quadreplegic because you didn't see fit to exercise a little bit of caution when dealing with 3000 pound motorized vehicle....
I note the Sun's article also got Brian Iler's name wrong - several times.
The Star did issue apologies for at least one of the articles
http://www.thestar.com/corrections/article/722553--news-corrections-for-november-7
I prefer the NY Times approach where corrections are explicitly stated at the end of the corrected article.
By the way the HST exemption blows - it is solely directed at Timmy Hos and McDonalds. I guess the Fed Tories fawning over the "Tim Hortons Vote" struck a chord in Ontario Liberal HQ.
Better to tax it fully and use the money to ensure the truly needy get wholesome food, not $3.99 empty carbs - and I say that as someone who does eat Timbits and McDs now and again.
Agreed - the very last thing on earth that needs a consumption tax exemption is fast food.
If they make Shwarmas tax exempt, they'll get my vote for life.
License the cyclists!
"It's shaping up to be a general rule of thumb that stuff we absolutely need and stuff that's cheap and we don't really need are likely exempt."
What? We don't need heating fuel? And you, know, the stuff that's cheap you really won't notice a tax on, but your condo fees which are huge to start with will jump 8 percent. Lots of people need gasoline - it's going to be hit with a huge increase.
The government is swimming in debt right now. Do you honestly believe that they aren't going to make up for a $4 BILLION dollar tax cut for corporations somewhere? Even the supposed "rebate" for this year is not really going to cover the added costs people are going to face.
The last thing people need is more paternalistic preaching. Especially since our perception of the most healthy food is constantly changing - transfats vs saturated fats, for one.
What the government should do is eliminate all taxes except for the income tax. A flat tax with a substantial basic exemption and very, very few deductions is the most fair, equitable, and informative tax. It is not in our interests as citizens to have our governments pursue the same tax strategies as French Absolutist Monarchs: maximum revenue with minimal complaints. We need to see the full costs of taxes and programs, so a maximal hissing strategy is in all of our interests except for the bureaucrats and dirigiste politicians.
"These are in addition to ... kid's clothing, and other items previously announced as exempt."
Just one kid's clothing? What about all the other kids out there?
I really wish I were still self-employed now that the PST has, at long last, finally been replaced with the HST.
Canada will, on July 01, 2010, finally be able to remove one of the most insidious taxes on exports know to mankind. And, as for the employees of the PST offices (such as their so called 'auditors'), I ahve a plan for them (and it doesn't include offering high-paid new jobs!