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OT: American Politics

Re: OT: Canadian Politics

Yeah, I am sure that living in Ontario makes it seem worse than it is...but it goes to my point of weak politicians...Ontario does not need signs in two languages, we're wasting money. I understand why right now the federal level is bilingual, but if we ever started going by population instead of the loudest whiners, I'm not sure french would be the second language.
As you mentioned, certainly not in B.C.
 
Re: OT: Canadian Politics

TheCountofMonteCristo said:
My view is, if we can accommodate all other cultural groups, why not one of founding groups.
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Because separatists, (not ALL Quebecois, but the separatists alone), don't want to simply be accomodated. They want exceptions and exclusions over and above anybody else in Canada.

TheCountofMonteCristo said:
French in Canada have never asked for other provinces to be bilingual. The federal govt is bilingual across the country and rightfully so, but the provinces are not except for New Brunswick which is official bilingual.
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Actually, all government offices, Federal and Provincial, offer services in both official languages right across the country. Sure, the provinces are not bilingual, but all the government offices are.
 
Re: OT: Canadian Politics

blacksheep said:
Because separatists, (not ALL Quebecois, but the separatists alone), don't want to simply be accomodated. They want exceptions and exclusions over and above anybody else in Canada.



Actually, all government offices, Federal and Provincial, offer services in both official languages right across the country. Sure, the provinces are not bilingual, but all the government offices are.
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BC government offices are definitely NOT bilingual.
 
msun30 said:
really? as if HA's declarations about his wealth, extensive property holdings and snide 'i know because i've been there and you don't because you haven't' isn't?

as if your snide comment to me wasn't in the same vein?

please. spare me your insults.
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My original comment was about Greece finding a way of taxing what is basically a foreign citizen. Then you went off on a purely garbage tangent about tax evasion.

Face it, you are commenting on something that you are as clueless as a two year old and whine you get slapped about it, you whine like one.
 
"... I do have a lot of property but I set i up where my father pays ALL the taxes because he has "no income", yet somehow, they found some kind of loophole to get that enormous fortune from me. "

I mean, what the hell do you think that sounds like? How can you act all offended when someone responds to the above quote?
 
Bleedsblue&white said:
How is it not tax evasion?
And foreign citizens that own property are generally taxed on it are they not?
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If the properties are not in one's name nor any source of income, then no.

Greece has gone of the deep end to find any money from ANYBODY and by ANY means. In order to do any transactions in Greece, you have to have a tax number. So they have reached a point, where even if there is absolutely ls nothing registered in ones name nor any source of income, they are conjuring up reason and means of taxing people simply because one has a tax number. Basically taxing people because they exist.

The conversation is about taxes and the "personal aspect" was an example of where it can go, not the bs msun hijacked it with. .
 
I can appreciate disliking a regime and not wanting to give them anything, I just think you should able to understand how what you said could be taken the way it was.
I have some Greek friends that have filled me in on the situation there... my ex-boss actually, and the last time he visited, he said it will be the last...but blasting msun for reacting the way he did is a little off, IMO.
 
Bleedsblue&white said:
"... I do have a lot of property but I set i up where my father pays ALL the taxes because he has "no income", yet somehow, they found some kind of loophole to get that enormous fortune from me. "

I mean, what the hell do you think that sounds like? How can you act all offended when someone responds to the above quote?
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Wait a minute......are you missing the sarcasm of calling 224 Euro's an "enormous fortune"?

There is a wide gap in understang here. Having a "lot of property" in Greece is an insult, not a boast. The comment was made as a matter of fact in relation to taxation, not a 'boast" about value or worth. In reality, any property makes one a tax target there. If anything, I'm an idiot for having it.

Follow Lou's comment about his field getting confiscated by the government.....and if he cares. Perhaps you will understand better where his and my conversation came from.
 
Bleedsblue&white said:
I can appreciate disliking a regime and not wanting to give them anything, I just think you should able to understand how what you said could be taken the way it was.
I have some Greek friends that have filled me in on the situation there... my ex-boss actually, and the last time he visited, he said it will be the last...but blasting msun for reacting the way he did is a little off, IMO.
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Did I 'blast" you? I responded in the tone and manner you asked. Nothing less.

About Greece....

Greece is an absolute mess that is difficult to fathom from a Canadian perspective. It's economic malaise has spread to a general malaise, right down to the street level. It's gotten to the point where their social fabric is starting to unravel. While it's interesting to see from a pure observers point of view, it's hard to take when you see it up close and personal. I'm angry at them for causing this mess.........and heartbroken watching people dumpster diving for food.

On a political level, to me, there is no doubt this is a lesson where unchecked entitlement and big government can lead. Too much of it brings it to a point where it collapse on itself and not be there when it's needed the most. Sure, Greece is not Canada, but it's not as unique or a special case. It should serve as a lesson.......but it wont.

As for Canada....

I believe that we have "okay" level between big government and taxation. As a economic conservative, perhaps a little too big and a little bit too generous. However, I feel that if we don't get rid of McStupid in Ontario, our debt and deficit levels are going to hurt us big time. We are not feeling it now because the interest levels are so low, but when they start to creep up, it will hurt. Then what? Cutting will creating more unemployment and more debt will create more taxes....and less spending.

There is a lesson Greece can teach us......but will we learn it?
 
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HabsAddict said:
My original comment was about Greece finding a way of taxing what is basically a foreign citizen. Then you went off on a purely garbage tangent about tax evasion.

Face it, you are commenting on something that you are as clueless as a two year old and whine you get slapped about it, you whine like one.
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what do you mean by 'basically a foreign citizen'? that doesn't even make sense. do you have greek citizenship?

and how is putting your assets in somebody else's name so as to lessen your tax burden not evading taxes?

yet i'm the one who is clueless?

how a canadian resident is taxed on their property held in a foreign country is usually governed by tax treaties.

i can actually analogize here. a friend of mine who holds dual citizenship was whining about obama's tax policies because earnings from his TFSA are taxed as income in the US. the problem there isn't obama's tax policies. it's the tax treaty between the united states and canada.
 
Re: OT: Canadian Politics

It's against the law for the Ontario government to say anything, I believe even a tweet, in english without also saying in french as far as public information or advertisement. Often the last thing holding back a bulletin about something happening in a town with literally no french-only residents is getting the translation back. And you better believe those translators are expensive as hell.
 
HabsAddict said:
Wait a minute......are you missing the sarcasm of calling 224 Euro's an "enormous fortune"?
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Of course I didn't miss that, I'm just saying that reading somebody tell me they have lots of property but have it in someone else's name lends itself to what happened...whether we're talking about the vitriol, or a misunderstanding.
 
msun30 said:
what do you mean by 'basically a foreign citizen'? that doesn't even make sense. do you have greek citizenship?

and how is putting your assets in somebody else's name so as to lessen your tax burden not evading taxes?

yet i'm the one who is clueless?

how a canadian resident is taxed on their property held in a foreign country is usually governed by tax treaties.

i can actually analogize here. a friend of mine who holds dual citizenship was whining about obama's tax policies because earnings from his TFSA are taxed as income in the US. the problem there isn't obama's tax policies. it's the tax treaty between the united states and canada.
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In sequence....

No, I am not a Greek Citizen nor held Greek citizenship since 2 years old. I am a Canadian citizen. The only "legal" status is that I have is a tax identification number (AFM), that is required to do any asset transaction. A tax number does not make one a citizen or accord any citizen/immigrant status. Anyone who has a tax identification number is then required to file a yearly tax return and to pay taxes on any Greek income or assets. If none, then none. Period.

As I said much earlier in the conversation, there is no evasion of taxes. Nor any "lessening" of tax burden. It was done so and it met every single letter of the tax law. The reason behind it was to not create double taxation and tax issues between Canada and Greece fillings. Unlike the vast majority of Greeks, whatever taxes were/are due are paid in full and on time.

There is a tax treaty. http://www.fin.gc.ca/treaties-conventions/greece_1-eng.asp

So basically, without any assets nor income of any type, not even a car, and meeting every letter of the tax laws, they found a way to create some new Banana Republic law that reached out and taxed what is basically a foreign citizen. This goes back to Greek politicians musing of taxing "Greeks" who have "fled" the country. It goes even deeper where desperate politicians discuss the "right of the state" to tax ex-citizens/ex-patriots even if they are residents of a foreign country. Basically, a "blood line tax".

I made a relevant comment on a failed state and taxes (post 11026) and then Lou and I had a sub-discussion on taxation of a Banana Republic reaching out for blood line tax and confiscating property. You turned that into a personal attack on tax evasion and went further about "boasting", ignoring the context of the obvious conversation Lou an I had.

It would have been far, far more interesting to use it as an example in discussing failed states and taxation, particularly states reaching out to tax on "blood lines" then a page of what is in essence, accusations and junk.

Let's just call it a misunderstanding......
 
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