[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[crazy canuck]

Yeah, so long as the marginal rate is less than 99%, I don't think that progressive taxation is much of a disincentive to increasing your income.  I know I had no qualms about going up a tax bracket.  More is still more, even if I have to give some of it up.

Any income tax at all is a disincentive to labor because it increases the relative value of leisure.

Then the people who would rather play computer games can turn down the money and leave it for people who want it. 

[Neil]

Yeah, so long as the marginal rate is less than 99%, I don't think that progressive taxation is much of a disincentive to increasing your income.  I know I had no qualms about going up a tax bracket.  More is still more, even if I have to give some of it up.

Any income tax at all is a disincentive to labor because it increases the relative value of leisure.

Cool story, bro.

So long as there is stuff, and stuff costs money, there will always be a great deal on incentive to get more money.  Taxation doesn't factor into that in any way that is meaningful to people's lives.

[Admiral Yi]

 

[viper37]

That's impossible to measure in this case.

No it is not, it is just like any other social policies, and it's even easier in this case since you aim at correcting two nocive behaviour: low birth rate and under employement of women.

And on both this case, the determining factor was the disposable income.  Other provinces with higher wages and lower income tax have seen increased birth rate and more women going back to work.

[viper37]

Yes, like giving much less hydro-electricity away for free.

we have surplus.  Lowering the price helps to sell the surplus.  What we should stop doing is buying it at more than we sell, that would help a lot.  But of course, you'll pretend we can't evaluate the success of this measure, so we should just keep doing what we do now

[viper37]

Yeah, so long as the marginal rate is less than 99%, I don't think that progressive taxation is much of a disincentive to increasing your income.  I know I had no qualms about going up a tax bracket.  More is still more, even if I have to give some of it up.

Any income tax at all is a disincentive to labor because it increases the relative value of leisure.

while true, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.  The goal is to achieve balance between the cost and the benefit.  All governments need money to operate and provide services to the population.  The trick is freezing the tax rate right where you gain more money than you lose.  That one is in Grey Fox area, impossible to determinate before hand

[Grey Fox]

No, it's not. You just can't add to my area. I get to decide that.

[crazy canuck]

A conservative MP has left the party because he believes he cannot properly express his views on creationism while being in caucus. 

Veteran Conservative MP James Lunney, who has repeatedly expressed skepticism about the theory of evolution, is quitting the Tory caucus, citing a deliberate attempt to "suppress a Christian worldview" at the "senior levels" of politics.

In a statement explaining his decision to sit as an independent, Mr. Lunney said he wants to place some distance between himself and the Harper government so he can "defend my beliefs" without it reflecting back on the Conservative caucus, which he made a point of framing as diverse.

"I am withdrawing from the [Conservative Party of Canada] caucus voluntarily; the decision is entirely my own ... I do not intend to entangle the most multi-racial, multicultural and multi-faith caucus in parliamentary history in my decision to defend my beliefs."

Mr. Lunney, who first won a seat in the Commons in 2000, announced more than a year ago that he would not run in the 2015 election.

He suggested in his statement that he will now feel more free as an independent member of Parliament to air more of his opinions in in the Commons.

"I have asked the Speaker to assign me a seat as an independent MP. I will seek an opportunity to address the House in defence of my beliefs and the concerns of my faith community."

The Prime Minister's Office had little to say. "The member voluntarily removed himself from caucus. The member was not seeking re-election," a spokesman said.

Mr. Lunney expressed common cause in this statement with a group of faith leaders who spoke out in Ottawa last week against what they say is increasing discrimination and intolerance against Christians in Canada today, including from the government and private companies.

He said like these religious leaders he sees an effort to "suppress a Christian world view from professional and economic opportunity in law, medicine and academia."

The B.C. MP, a chiropractor by training, recently came to the defence of Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP Rick Nicholls who said he doesn't believe in evolution.

"[Just] stop calling #evolution fact!" Mr. Lunney said on Twitter in late February.

In April 2009, Mr. Lunney made a statement in the Commons that suggested he had doubts about Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

"Given the modern evidence unavailable to Darwin, advanced models of plate tectonics, polonium radiohalos, polystratic fossils, I am prepared to believe that Darwin would be willing to re-examine his assumptions," Mr. Lunney told the House in 2009.

He appeared to suggest that creationist theories should be taken seriously.

"The evolutionists may genuinely see his ancestor in a monkey, but many modern scientists interpret the same evidence in favour of creation and a creator," Mr. Lunney said back in 2009.

"Any scientist who declares that the theory of evolution is a fact has already abandoned the foundations of science. For science establishes fact through the study of things observable and reproducible. Since origins can neither be reproduced nor observed, they remain the realm of hypothesis."

In his Tuesday statement, Mr. Lunney appeared angry at how his defence of Mr. Nicholls was covered by the media.

"My remarks were inflated by media, blended with other unrelated but alleged heretical statements and became a top story on national media creating a firestorm of criticism and condemnation ... it is clear that any politician or candidate of faith is going to be subjected to the same public scrutiny in coming elections."

"In a society normally proud of embracing difference, the role of the media and partisan politics in inciting social bigotry and intolerance should be questioned. Such ignorance and bigotry cloaked in defence of science is as repugnant as bigotry of any other origin. It is based in a false construct from another century and is a flagrant violation of a society that is multicultural, multi-racial and multi-faith and strives to be accepting of differences."

[viper37]

good riddance.

[viper37]

Teen son of Canadian Consul General arrested after brother killed in drug deal

Authorities have arrested the 15-year-old son of the Canadian Consul General in Miami after they say he was involved in a marijuana deal that ended in gunfire and claimed the life of his older brother and another man.

Police believe Marc Wabafiyebazu and his 17-year-old brother Jean Wabafiyebazu — both armed with guns — planned to rob the drug dealers on Monday afternoon at a home in the Coral Way area.

In the gunfire, Jean was shot and killed inside the home. One of the suspected drug dealers, Joshua Wright, was also killed. A third man, Anthony Rodriguez, was wounded and drove off. He was later found at a nearby gas station.

"That's what we believe, it was a a dispute over a drug transaction," Miami Police Chief Rodolfo Llanes told the Miami Herald.
Miami police on Monday afternoon arrested Marc Wabafiyebazu for felony murder. Under Florida law, anyone who participates in a violent felony in which someone dies — in this case, armed robbery — can face a murder charge.

Marc Wabafiyebazu is being held in juvenile detention. Rodriguez, 19, is also charged with felony murder and marijuana possession with intent to sell.

At least one other young man was wounded at the home at Southwest 36th Street and 17th Terrace, just east of Coral Gables. Police say Marc Wabafiyebazu was outside the home in the car when the gunfire broke out.

The teens are the sons of Roxanne Dubé, who only recently assumed the role of consul general in Miami. A former Fulbright scholar, she has extensive diplomatic experience, having worked as an aide in Parliament and as the ambassador to Zimbabwe.

The Canadian government and the U.S. State Department are working with Miami police to untangle the events.

The teens, according to sources, drove to the drug deal in their mother's black BMW — with diplomatic license plates. Detectives are trying to figure out where the teens got the weapons.

The alleged deal was for 2 pounds of marijuana at a price of nearly $5,000, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Montreal Gazette reported that Dubé was named Consul General in Miami in November. According to the newspaper, she has had a long career in the diplomatic corps, including being named ambassador to Zimbabwe in 2005 with concurrent accreditations to the Republic of Angola and the Republic of Botswana. From 2005 to 2008, she served as Canada's special representative to the Southern African Development Community.

[Malthus]

Heh this may be amusing - look up your postal code, and find out how some marketing wonks classify you. 

http://www.environicsanalytics.ca/prizm5

Edit: I got "Suburban Success", though where I live is hardly "suburban". 

[Monoriu]

Heh this may be amusing - look up your postal code, and find out how some marketing wonks classify you. 

http://www.environicsanalytics.ca/prizm5

Edit: I got "Suburban Success", though where I live is hardly "suburban". 

I got 13, Asian Avenues.  Successful, middle-aged or older Asian families. 

[viper37]

Heh this may be amusing - look up your postal code, and find out how some marketing wonks classify you. 

http://www.environicsanalytics.ca/prizm5

Edit: I got "Suburban Success", though where I live is hardly "suburban". 

La vie bucolique.  Rural, middle-aged and older couples and families.

About right.  95% of people speaking French at home, true too.  Prefer to stay at home and drink a bottle of wine, yep, that's me.
Marketers are better than my gov't at identifying my lifestyle and my needs.  Who would have tought?

[Grey Fox]

Metro culturals households.

Very accurate.

[Malthus]

Heh this may be amusing - look up your postal code, and find out how some marketing wonks classify you. 

http://www.environicsanalytics.ca/prizm5

Edit: I got "Suburban Success", though where I live is hardly "suburban". 

I got 13, Asian Avenues.  Successful, middle-aged or older Asian families.

This works for Hong Kong? Or dod you use your old Vancouver Address?