THE CONSERVATIVE HIPSTERS

(Only ONE of these guys is cutting your taxes)

And I'm actually not so jazzed about the personal tax cuts as I won't be seeing much of them. I'm more excited about lowering the corporate income taxes to nearly the lowest rate in the G8 and a number of tax cuts for small businesses. That's fantastic.

It's nice to see a government thinking about ways to put money back in your family's pocket.

Sweet.

Now, let's dispense with a few gripes we will certainly hear. Firstly, that cutting taxes means lower revenue. Yes it does - at first. But in only 4 short years, the revenue from these cuts will be back up to current levels. That's because more people are spending their own money. And secondly, I'm not sure if anyone noticed - but a surplus means the government is taking in MORE MONEY THAN THEY NEED. So give it back post haste. Thank you.

Now, not everyone is happy with Flaherty's budget. Predictably, Toronto David Miller feels your money would be better spent by him:

While that may be true, that's not what the issue is. The issue is that you and your Council are going to spend it on things that YOU think are important. Things like:

• Safe injection sites
• Pesticide by-laws
• Money-losing community theatres
• Non-specific grants for fringe community groups
• Every increasing tank-like streetcars
• Unsuccessful ad campaigns to get money from the federal government
• Customer surveys to determine whether citizens want "less service" or "higher taxes"
• Unionized garbage pickup

Whereas residents and families getting this money will invest it in things like:

• Clothes for their families
• Rising subway fare costs so they can do the right thing and take public transit
• A home
• Their children's (or their own) education
• Getting out of debt
• Consumer goods to boost the local economy

Yeah, you're right Dave - you would make much better choices than the average family on where the money should go. I for one am tired of my hard-earned money going towards pet projects for Councillors. If the feds invest in Canada's cities (which I actually think it should) it should be directly into core service programs, not a blank cheque for Councillors to spend as they see fit. I see fit to not give it to you.

# posted by B-Dub : 9:08 a.m.