Know What Else Sucks? (Bill Related)

alixzafiris

When your stupid assface prime minister imposes a Harmonized Sales Tax on Ontario.

... then doesn't properly notify people that this tax is going to add 8% more onto petrol. And hydro. And gas for your home. And home/property purchasing.

Not impressed, party of me.

nda_roxybabe

Dang, thats a lot.

pinkpinot

That is insane. 

FutureMrsTR

But it sounds nice while it does it right?  Harmonized?  Get it?!

I'm tired.

kikibaby

I can't help but think of True Blood when I read the title of this thread.

alixzafiris

Yep; we already paid about 30c per liter in taxes on gas, now it's even more.

British Colombia apparently has HST but they negotiated so that it doesn't count on things like housing purchases and gasoline; Ontario? Notsomuch.

I'm irritated. We (taxpayers) forked out over a billion bucks for the G20, that nobody was happy about. Now the tax burden has been shifted from commercial to consumer with this stupid move.

damaless

I live in Ontario, and while I agree the HST sucks, I got a booklet in the mail outlining all the changes (and some things that stay the same) under the new HST rules.  Did you not get the same booklet?  Or are you talking about him not informing people about what would change BEFORE it was decided to implement the HST?

alixzafiris

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_else-sucks-bill-related?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a35730c9-c483-45de-a52e-e3ad7d087f6cPost:a18cc51d-ec2a-43de-9c10-a7cb90365e03">Re: Know What Else Sucks? (Bill Related)</a>:
[QUOTE]I can't help but think of True Blood when I read the title of this thread.
Posted by kikibaby[/QUOTE]

Bahaha, I TOTALLY thought that when I wrote "Bill Related", but then I figured Mandy would murder me if I brought up vampires again!

Labrnr

I've known for months and months that it is going to affect the hydro, gas, etc...etc...basically it is going to affect everything.

How you were not notified?

I do agree with the sucks part though.

vallyhoo

hm, around here the word hydro has an entirely different connotation.

alixzafiris

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_else-sucks-bill-related?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a35730c9-c483-45de-a52e-e3ad7d087f6cPost:2a366b6b-b1dc-4880-9d1b-052561d76482">Re: Know What Else Sucks? (Bill Related)</a>:
[QUOTE]I live in Ontario, and while I agree the HST sucks, I got a booklet in the mail outlining all the changes (and some things that stay the same) under the new HST rules.  Did you not get the same booklet?  Or are you talking about him not informing people about what would change <strong>BEFORE it was decided to implement the HST</strong>?
Posted by damaless[/QUOTE]

This. Which is the government's responsibility to do before making changes that effectively make life more difficult for the people they govern, and easier for the companies that grow the economy.

kikibaby

Hehe.  I just immediately said in my head "Bill Compton, obviously!"

Wow, I need to get out more.

alixzafiris

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_else-sucks-bill-related?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a35730c9-c483-45de-a52e-e3ad7d087f6cPost:1a145044-6292-49e9-8d68-c321bddab8f4">Re: Know What Else Sucks? (Bill Related)</a>:
[QUOTE]I've known for months and months that it is going to affect the hydro, gas, etc...etc...basically it is going to affect everything. How you were not notified? I do agree with the sucks part though.
Posted by Labrnr[/QUOTE]

According to various news organizations - I read it on globe and mail - most people were unaware it was going to affect gas and utilities; and most people didn't receive the booklets. Nobody I know did. We knew it would affect things like home purchases and such but gas and utilities came as a surprise around here, it was all over the news a couple of weeks ago.

alixzafiris

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_else-sucks-bill-related?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a35730c9-c483-45de-a52e-e3ad7d087f6cPost:03d9c7fc-3b95-45ff-8435-949643e1bfb4">Re: Know What Else Sucks? (Bill Related)</a>:
[QUOTE]I'll admit that I haven't been following this as closely as I follow other news stories, but I'm not really sure why you are placing the blame for this on Stephen Harper.... was this not a decision made by the provincial Ontario government?
Posted by mrs.jesse[/QUOTE]

The HST is a federal thing, not provincial <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-laughing.gif" border="0" alt="Laughing" title="Laughing" />

mandysmear

Well there is a solution.  Move to Alberta!  DUH.

Um, you know what else sucks?  When you try to notify the city to get your property tax payments all set up since you are moving in a couple months and want to be proactive.  THen have them tell you that you cannot do that and they will contact you.  Then on June 24th receive a notice in the mail that you have until the 30th to pay $700.  When the rest of the fucking city homeowners got their notice 3rd week of may. 

And they also penalize you for any payments not received by June 30th.  Yup.  I've yelled at them via email and phone so far today and I'm not fucking done. 

alixzafiris

Geez Mands, that blows.

Oh, did you get ahold of the mortgage idiots in Toronto today?

Labrnr

Um, pretty sure HST is a provincial tax.  I'll have to go back and read up on it some more, you're making me question it.

damaless

In other news, the HST in BC really sucks for me since my wedding is there and it bumps up the cost of a bunch of things wedding-related.

alixzafiris

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_else-sucks-bill-related?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a35730c9-c483-45de-a52e-e3ad7d087f6cPost:49590b52-38c5-4b58-baf0-9a02cec8885b">Re: Know What Else Sucks? (Bill Related)</a>:
[QUOTE]Um, pretty sure HST is a provincial tax.  I'll have to go back and read up on it some more, you're making me question it.
Posted by Labrnr[/QUOTE]

I'm 99% sure it's federal, and what MrsJesse said is correct I believe. Which is why BC had to negotiate hardcore with the Feds when theirs was implemented to keep the HST from affecting large consumer purchases.

I could be wrong, but I believe that's how it works.

mandysmear

Yeah actually Mike spoke with them yesterday.  I guess they won't be taking the first mortgage payment out til July 9th.  I wish I could say "oooh score!  a free month."  but sadly that is not that case... haha. 

and the jerks are taking a full payment, even though we have it set up to weekly.  but then after that it will go weekly.  so whatevs.  at least now we know.  because we've been watching our spending due to the payments and then when it didn't come out when we thought it would, we though for sure they'd double it the next week.  then it didn't come out again.  so yeah.. all good now!

city of calgary just fucking sucks and i am going to kick them in the beavermuffin.

superheroprincess

There was a lot of information on the HST before the change was implemented that you could easily find by looking it up online.

If you were that concerned about it you could have done your research, not that it would have changed anything you knowing about it beforehand.  Personally I knew that gasoline and utilities were going to be charged HST, didn't you get a million forwards from your friends and family asking you to sign the petition against it?

Labrnr

k researched.  It appears that the federal government is heading up the administration end of the HST,which is made up of a federal and provincial component.

All provinces have an option to either get on board or not, it appears most are.

The reason why it is affecting gas, hydro, etc are becuase they things typically did not have pst,  Once hst comes into affect, the items only taxed by one tax will now have a higher tax %(hst)

alixzafiris

Why would you sign a petition if erm... "not that it would've changed anything"?

And it's all well and good that I could look it up on an obscure page of the GovCan website... but why should the general populous have to do that when they are essentially being screwed by the morons they elected into power?

I'm not just complaining about this now; I've been complaining about it from the start, it's just now that it's being implemented this week, I thought I'd make a thread. Overreaction, party of you. *eyeroll

damaless

Not all items previously taxed by only GST will have a higher tax %.  For example, in Ontario:

- Children's clothing was at 5% and will remain at 5%.

- Home insurance was at 8% and will remain at 8%.

- Books were at 5% and are still at 5%.

- There's other stuff too but I am so not listing everything.

And the one GOOD result of HST:

- Alcohol was at 5% plus a 10-12% liquor tax, now it's just at 13% HST, so now we actually pay LESS for alcohol than we did before, yayyyy.

alixzafiris

Sweet about the booze!

I knew about the rest of it, it's just the gas and stuff that pisses me off. Gah.

mandysmear

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_else-sucks-bill-related?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:a35730c9-c483-45de-a52e-e3ad7d087f6cPost:4e4d226c-c598-41e6-8076-fe8aad39031e">Re: Know What Else Sucks? (Bill Related)</a>:
[QUOTE]There was a lot of information on the HST before the change was implemented that you could easily find by looking it up online. If you were that concerned about it you could have done your research, not that it would have changed anything you knowing about it beforehand.  Personally I knew that gasoline and utilities were going to be charged HST, <strong>didn't you get a million forwards from your friends and family asking you to sign the petition against it?
</strong>Posted by superheroprincess[/QUOTE]

I don't know about you, but I don't believe anything that comes through e-mail.  I have never once gotten a forward, petition, amber alert that was true/real.  I check everything on snopes.  So, I would have just deleted it and carried on.  I'm not one of those annoying "ZOMG!!! SIGN THIS!!"  People, and I doubt Alix is too.

Labrnr

I heard that there are some benefits,as well as the downside.

I really haven't put too much energy into researching it, cause like alixzafiris said "not that it would've changed anything"

so might as well just suck it up like all the other lame things the governemnt has implemented.

On a brighter note: we get free health care, go Canada!

MissLeahM

Yup.. thats why we bought a house before the hst took effect.

I know my community is supposed to be the guinea pig for the swipe cards for pst portion of the hst.... Its weird, I'm just curious as to how its going to pan out, the local stores haven't heard anything.. Oooh well.

alixzafiris

There is that. So I can drink all the soon-to-be-cheaper booze I want... then wander down to the hospital when I'm in an alcohol-coma. Sah-fucking-weet!

Labrnr

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_else-sucks-bill-related?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:a35730c9-c483-45de-a52e-e3ad7d087f6cPost:2f54e176-50e6-4ed2-a16a-8f4595520d89">Re: Know What Else Sucks? (Bill Related)</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Know What Else Sucks? (Bill Related) : I don't know about you, but I don't believe anything that comes through e-mail.  I have never once gotten a forward, petition, amber alert that was true/real.  I check everything on snopes.  So, I would have just deleted it and carried on.  I'm not one of those annoying "ZOMG!!! SIGN THIS!!"  People, and I doubt Alix is too.
Posted by mandysmear[/QUOTE]

Your reply has a bit of an arrogant, bitch tone.

alixzafiris

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_else-sucks-bill-related?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a35730c9-c483-45de-a52e-e3ad7d087f6cPost:09067334-4a88-48b3-90df-742a834c8797">Re: Know What Else Sucks? (Bill Related)</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Know What Else Sucks? (Bill Related) : Your reply has a bit of an arrogant, bitch tone.
Posted by Labrnr[/QUOTE]

That would have been the entire point there...