# Did McGuinty keep his promise not to increase taxes?



## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

Background: 2003 campaign promise: "I won't raise your taxes, but I won't lower them either".

Did he keep that promise?


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Isn't this a matter of fact and not opinion? It's common knowledge that he raised taxes. He also broke his promise not to lower taxes, either. 

A better question was whether he did the right thing by breaking that promise. And you can't analyse the question in a vacuum. If you choose no tax rises, you have to also to choose substantially worse health, education, infrastructure services, etc. These things aren't free.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

To me, McGuinty's failure is not just breaking promises and increasing taxes.
It goes beyond...to complete mismanagement of the provincial economy and public welfare.
The eHealth scam, the OLG scams, hydro rates, eco fee debacle, the big business bailouts, various unions (CAW, etc.) running out of control, and of course the increased taxes (health tax, HST, etc.)


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## slacker (Mar 8, 2010)

Did Dalton McGuinty break campaign promise? of course. Is he a jack *** for calling the health premium "not a tax"? absolutely. Did I vote for him or will ever vote for him? No. 

In the end, I don't vote politicians into office to keep populist promises. I know the game just as well as they do. I elect them to make good policy decisions. I expect them to adapt to circumstances, and not bend to ignorant populism.


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## warp (Sep 4, 2010)

McGinty has been a disaster...plain and simple.

As HAROLD CRUMP said.....it goes beyond his obvious lie in raising taxes,( and "premiums", "levies" ,"fees", hydro rates , insurance rates,etc etc etc )

Dont overlook the fact that he has complelely mismanaged the province, to the point where seniors have to wait till after 9 pm to cook their dinners!

Unfortunately I am losing faith in all parties....so when the PC's get back in, next oct.....it will have to be "wait and see', as to how they screw things up too.

Of course if the NDP ever gets back into power again....ala Bob Rae.....
GOD help us all!! ( you think the unions are running wild now?? just wait!)


It always amazes me that no matter how many new taxes they implement...how many new revenue streams they dream up, how many ways they can get their hands into my pockets.....ite NEVER ENOUGH...and the debts just continue to balloon out of control.

See....Ireland....Greece....Italy...Portugal...UK....Spain,,,,and the big banana, Obama's USA.

Canada and Ontario are not far behind.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

warp said:


> It always amazes me that no matter how many new taxes they implement...how many new revenue streams they dream up, how many ways they can get their hands into my pockets.....ite NEVER ENOUGH...and the debts just continue to balloon out of control.


Similar to the laws of physics, in the laws of public finance, _"Government spending will always expand to use up all available finance."_


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

I think we should at least agree that hydro rates are not taxes. If they were taxes, and your stated goal is for taxes to go to zero, then you're advocating free hydro for everyone.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

All politicians make promises they can't keep.

It's our fault. We make them do it.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

andrewf said:


> I think we should at least agree that hydro rates are not taxes. If they were taxes, and your stated goal is for taxes to go to zero, then you're advocating free hydro for everyone.


No, of course hydro rates are not taxes, I don't think anyone is saying that.
But the manner in which the whole hydro rates issues has been handled by the energy minister and the premier (including raising them so much in the first place) further exposes their incompetency.


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## warp (Sep 4, 2010)

andrewf said:


> I think we should at least agree that hydro rates are not taxes. If they were taxes, and your stated goal is for taxes to go to zero, then you're advocating free hydro for everyone.


No-one, least of all me, ever said taxes should go to zero.

We need "certain" govt services for the public good, and I am more than willing to pay my fair share.

if I thought my tax dollars would give every school child a decent breakfast or lunch,,I'd be happy to pay.

However , every govt blows money on wasteful and ridiculous social programs...and that makes me sick!!

Whatever they touch,,,they screw up.

Do you really think this $87 BILLION plan the McGinty boys dreamed up this week for Ontario Hydro will really cost $87 Billion?

Hold your hats...by the time they get done with this plan, it'll prob cost $800 Billion!!
Of course they will be long gone, ( and collecting fat indexed pensions) and a new govt will force us all to pay more taxes, or go further into debt to pay for the mess . Either way, my son will suffer.

What kills me, is that these politicians couldnt run a lemonade stand in the real world,,,yet they control Billion and Billions of dollars in public spending.


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## Sustainable PF (Nov 5, 2010)

sags said:


> All politicians make promises they can't keep.


+1


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