Next to my last letter in the St. Albert Gazette are two more people trying to wrongly explain how the equalization system works (Gazette, Your Views, Nov. 21).
As I wrote earlier and now with more clarity, this is how it works: we all pay in, yes, I agree. A person making $100,000 in Alberta will pay the same federally, to the CRA, as a person in Ontario. Yes, Ontario pays much more in, because of their higher population, as does Quebec.
But we, the province of Alberta, get far, far less back from the Canadian government than we put in collectively. So in essence, if you are a “have-not province” (most of the provinces), you get more money back to your province than you put in. No, not the person, but the province.
Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan and Newfoundland are “have” provinces, that get less back than put in. That is the “Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund” that Alberta might have if we haven’t sent billions to the ROC (rest of Canada), or the “crumbling infrastructure” that might not be here had we not been sending billions to other provinces for not just “several years” as D. Wladyka noted but since the ’50s.
And Mr. Wladyka, roads are not a form of socialism, auto drivers pay for every cent of them. Transit is a form of socialism as it is highly subsidized.
And Roger Lecuyer, please look up transfer payment information as you, too, are confused. Ontario is a net receiver now so they get back more than they put in – so yes, they get “transfer payments.”
And back to Mr. Wladyka, I sure hope “history repeats:" bring back the flat tax and take us away from the current “regressive” one the NDP wrongly brought in. Another tax that is misunderstood is the flat tax – I would like to see how that can be demonized. I have done my own taxes since I've been making money, so please don't make more stuff up, I’ll see right through you.
Let’s get this straight, too: I don't begrudge the taxes I pay, but do not like it when people think they understand something but don’t. Alberta carries an unfair burden and still gets kicked around – we don’t need it from the inside as well.
I liked the commentary by Chris Nelson on page 31 of the Nov. 21 Gazette predicting the demise of the NDP next year, seems ironic but does help my case.
Tony Gull, St. Albert
