[sonick]

Budget 2012: Tories kill the penny, cut federal spending for CBC | News | National Post (http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/29/budget-2012-federal-canada/)

Yay infographics: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/budget/infographic-your-2012-federal-budget-explained/article2384109/

Summary:

Old Age Security gradually increase from 65 to 67 years old starting in 2023

No more new pennies made after this Fall

Increase in US purchase exemptions for 24hr+ and 48hr+ ($200 and $800, respectively)

Decrease in annual budget for CBC

There's more but I just skimmed it and those seemed like the biggest points for day-to-day life.

[TheNewGirl]

So they are encouraging us to shop in the states? That's kinda... off message don't you think?

[Tapioca]

- $5.2 billion in spending cuts.
- Public service pension contributions will eventually be split 50/50
- 19,200 public service jobs to be eliminated (most of which will be in Ottawa), 600 of them to be executive level positions
- Balanced budget by 2015/16

[GGnoRE]

If there are no more pennies, 5 cents will be the lowest increment?

Will all prices be rounded up or down to 5 cents?

[sonick]

..

[InvisibleSoul]

Interesting... so eventually the lowest coin denomination we will be using in everyday transactions will be the nickel. So if it's $1.12, you round down to $1.10. If it's $1.13, you round up to $1.15. At least that's what I imagine it should be.

[surreyjack604]

I thought it was always $200 for 24 hours

[Sky_High]

No more pennies.

Penny to disappear from coinage system, minting to end by fall: budget - Winnipeg Free Press (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/penny-to-disappear-from-coinage-system-minting-to-end-by-fall-budget-144956945.html)

[falcon]

I like the penny idea. They are useless and annoying.

We also need to implement our sales tax into the listed price. Pretty much the one thing I am NOT looking forward to when I arrive back in Vancouver after 6 months in Europe is adding tax to whatever the listed price is. Here the tax exists, but it's implemented into all the listed shelf prices of everything. It's great.

[sonick]

I love pennies.

Cashier: "That'll be $1.78"

Me: *Gives a toonie and three pennies*

Cashier: *Looks confused*

Me: *Waits*

Cashier: *Shrugs, punches in register, gives me back a quarter*

Me: :fuckyea:

[MG1]

Time to collect one cent coins and melt them down for copper content, LOL.

Older coins, 'cause copper content is probably very low on newly minted coins.

BTW, Americans use pennies, we don't.

[wstce92]

Finally, good decisions being made up top

[StylinRed]

cutting CBC's budget? Ugh..... I was hoping it would be increased.... Instead of more canadians aching CBC we'll have more and more watching CNN/FOX

hmm... Pushing Canadians to have more of a US mindset and encouraging us to go and shop there.... Making laws that reflect US laws..... Allowing US policing to have more feedom up here in Canada....... Geez people wake up to what Harpers doing

[Gumby]

If there are no more pennies, 5 cents will be the lowest increment?

Will all prices be rounded up or down to 5 cents?
The final price, after tax, will be rounded up OR down - but ONLY for cash transactions. $1.89 after tax will be $1.90 cash, whereas $4.86 will be 4.85 cash.

Here's an article talking about the penny's elimination:
The penny's days are numbered - Business - CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/03/29/federalbudget-flaherty-penny-cent.html)

Edit: One cent is still going to be the base unit of Canadian currency, so credit, debit & cheque transactions will still be to the $0.01.

If you're a real cheapskate, pay cash in all cases where they would round down to save a few cents! :D

[Eros250]

Finally less coins, now implement tax into the prices.

[gars]

hmm... Pushing Canadians to have more of a US mindset and encouraging us to go and shop there.... Making laws that reflect US laws..... Allowing US policing to have more feedom up here in Canada....... Geez people wake up to what Harpers doing

From what I remember my friend who works for the federal gov't said, I don't think the amount of revenue we get from taxing people at the border is very high. With a more appropriate limit, people are also less likely to hide what they're bringing back.

And this doesn't change anything about commercial importing, where they make a lot more revenue.

This will also allow border services agents to focus more on people who are bringing back illegal items and/or immigration issues, as opposed to the joe shmoe who was $20 over his limit.

[Gee.Tee.Ar]

The final price, after tax, will be rounded up OR down - but ONLY for cash transactions. $1.89 after tax will be $1.90 cash, whereas $4.86 will be 4.85 cash.

Here's an article talking about the penny's elimination:
The penny's days are numbered - Business - CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/03/29/federalbudget-flaherty-penny-cent.html)

I'll pay in pennies every time I need to round up and leave my pennies if its rounded down ahahahah.... gonna be ballinggggg LOL I have enough pennies to last me a life time anyways :fuckyea:

[mos_skeeto]

so if you're buying something that ends with .03 .04 .08 .09 use credit card (just kidding)

[TheNewGirl]

so if you're buying something that ends with .03 .04 .08 .09 use credit card (just kidding)

Seriously though, the move to digital currency (debit, credit cards, EFT and even checks for business to business) is beneficial to the government and all and all I suspect in the next 10 years we, a country that already has far greater plastic usage than most will see further pushes to do so and find cash and coins made increasingly inconvenient to facilitate that.

[lgman]

Sucks. Meh.
So should we start buying a few rolls of pennies now? keep them with the $1 and $2 bills our parents have? penny stock anyone? penny for your thoughts??
ok im done.
just my...
http://mediamorgs.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/two-cents.jpg

[RevYouUp]

theres way too many pennies out there for them to be worth anything in the future

[skyxx]

^ You'd be surprised how much copper is worth.

[Gridlock]

cutting CBC's budget? Ugh..... I was hoping it would be increased.... Instead of more canadians aching CBC we'll have more and more watching CNN/FOX

hmm... Pushing Canadians to have more of a US mindset and encouraging us to go and shop there.... Making laws that reflect US laws..... Allowing US policing to have more feedom up here in Canada....... Geez people wake up to what Harpers doing

Phase out the CBC. Well, taxpayer funding of it anyway.

We need to get lean. Every cut in spending affects someone. Somewhere, if the gov't is handing out the money, there is a fat slob suckling at the teat.

I don't let that affect me. We need to make the call of what is important to us, and kill the rest.

[hirevtuner]

from the mint, it costs about 2 cents to mint a penny, good riddence

[JHatta]

they won't be making anymore pennies, doesnt mean we can't use them still guys....:rukidding:

[AAnthony]

-----

[SkinnyPupp]

cutting CBC's budget? Ugh..... I was hoping it would be increased.... Instead of more canadians aching CBC we'll have more and more watching CNN/FOX

hmm... Pushing Canadians to have more of a US mindset and encouraging us to go and shop there.... Making laws that reflect US laws..... Allowing US policing to have more feedom up here in Canada....... Geez people wake up to what Harpers doing
People are going to watch what they want to watch, no matter how much money you dump into a socialist TV station. The less, the better, IMO

[Amuse]

So if you go pick up stuff from point roberts, the Canadian Customs can't tax you for stuff under $200? What was the limit before?

[SkinnyPupp]

$50 but you have to stay 24 hours

[skyxx]

So if you go pick up stuff from point roberts, the Canadian Customs can't tax you for stuff under $200? What was the limit before?

If it's less than 24 hours, there is technically NO exemptions. I never understood why people assume coming back on the same day equates to a tax exemption. :rukidding:

[4444]

So if you go pick up stuff from point roberts, the Canadian Customs can't tax you for stuff under $200? What was the limit before?

its a rule - but its not followed, it appears to be up to the discretion of the border guards. I NEVER pay for tax on my 10 trips to point bob on items under $500 - and i declare EVERYTHING (why wouldn't I, i know i'm not paying tax on it)

and thank god less money on CBC

These things don't EVER belong together:

Government + TV
Government + religion

OK, there are probably a bazillion things i could add, but that'll do for now - small government is best government!

1 BIG fuck up - no tightening of lending rules for mortgages - we are becoming a HUGE property bubble country - now the effect will be worse due to no government intervention (the irony, the 1 thing they sHOULD intervene on, they don't)

Our government, like the ones before it, and ones after it, are USELESS

[gars]

I don't know, but considering how much car enthusiasts loooove Top Gear, I would say that Government + TV can actually work. Mind you, the BBC has a MUCH higher budget, but the UK does charge a tv tax, which any household with a tv must pay. That said, the BBC has some amazing shows.

[iwantaskyline]

cutting CBC's budget? Ugh..... I was hoping it would be increased.... Instead of more canadians aching CBC we'll have more and more watching CNN/FOX

hmm... Pushing Canadians to have more of a US mindset and encouraging us to go and shop there.... Making laws that reflect US laws..... Allowing US policing to have more feedom up here in Canada....... Geez people wake up to what Harpers doing

CBC is garbage IMO. I am quite sure the majority of people on RS only watch CBC for HNIC. Using our tax dollars on NHL rights is stupid. Let it go to CTV so I don't have to listen to Mark Lee.

[4444]

I don't know, but considering how much car enthusiasts loooove Top Gear, I would say that Government + TV can actually work. Mind you, the BBC has a MUCH higher budget, but the UK does charge a tv tax, which any household with a tv must pay. That said, the BBC has some amazing shows.

BBC = public service broadcaster paid for by television licensing (mostly) and is independent of the government
CBC = Crown Corp., quite the opposite to the above

[gars]

BBC = public service broadcaster paid for by television licensing (mostly) and is independent of the government
CBC = Crown Corp., quite the opposite to the above

fair enough

[willystyle]

CBC is garbage, what the Canadian government should do is abolish the CRTC, so we can watch what we want and how we want it. At the end of the day, if you don't let us watch what we want, we will watch it illegally anyway (Netflix US and US Satellite providers). Might as well open it up, offer the service and make money from it.

I, for one, will welcome DirecTV, Dish Network, and all American broadcast networks with open arms, as long as Canadian content is available too.

[Manic!]

Seriously though, the move to digital currency (debit, credit cards, EFT and even checks for business to business) is beneficial to the government and all and all I suspect in the next 10 years we, a country that already has far greater plastic usage than most will see further pushes to do so and find cash and coins made increasingly inconvenient to facilitate that.

Bad idea. What happens when the network goes down? and it does go down. I always carry some cash with me for that reason.

[MG1]

IMHO, CBC has done a lot for Canada over the years. However, the corporation has made some pretty dumb moves and bad decisions.

[FerrariEnzo]

so what do we do if the prices after tax comes to $10.04 or something??

[skyxx]

^ If you pay by CASH it will be rounded to the nearest denominator. So you pay $10.05. If the Item is 10.02 then it is rounded to $10 even. Though if you pay by credit card, it will be charged as is. So 1 to 4 cents will be charged on your credit card and are not rounded. Seriously, you guys don't read the articles in the thread? :rukidding:

[StylinRed]

People are going to watch what they want to watch, no matter how much money you dump into a socialist TV station. The less, the better, IMO

CBC is garbage IMO. I am quite sure the majority of people on RS only watch CBC for HNIC. Using our tax dollars on NHL rights is stupid. Let it go to CTV so I don't have to listen to Mark Lee.


I dont watch CBC except for the news and its been that way for a lot of people but CBC has been turning around in recent years and their viewership has gone up

to most it just seems silly to care about since its just tv.... but tv is how the govts nudge peoples mindset... just looking at US media should tell you that; its why the rest of the world thinks news in the usa is a joke

its just 1 facet of many (a major one imo) that are being adjusted for us by Harper to get Canadians in tune with the USA some may not care or consider it an issue that's fine but imo it should be very concerning at the very least you should take notice



oh and 10% cut to RCMP/CSIS/etc public safety

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/03/29/federal-budget-includes-10-cut-to-public-safety-department/

Civil servants in Ottawa faced the biggest cuts in the federal budget Thursday.

But the federal Public Safety Department is also taking a big hit with cuts of $688 million, or 9.9 per cent, over the next three years.

Of course the Public Safety portfolio includes the RCMP, Correctional Service of Canada, CSIS and the Canada Border Services Agency.

It seems odd that Public Safety would face such large cuts in the wake of new legislation that some say will lead to more people behind bars in the federal system.

[AzNightmare]

I imagine those stores that do inventory check to match their sales would be quite complicated?
Since how much money they make varies depending on whether their sale was paid in cash (rounded up/down)
or to the exact cent (with credit card) ??


At first when I read the article, I thought it meant all prices were just going to be rounded up or down now. lol.
That would make things really easy.

[InvisibleSoul]

they won't be making anymore pennies, doesnt mean we can't use them still guys....:rukidding:
Yeah, but the prevalence will continuously decrease until it gets to the point where most people won't have them in their wallets and most retailers won't have them in their tills.

[Nightwalker]

I don't watch any CBC or listen to any, but the CRTC is the only reason a lot of Canadian artists get heard. I co-host a radio show and meeting CRTC regulations really opened my eyes to Canadian talent.

[Gridlock]

I imagine those stores that do inventory check to match their sales would be quite complicated?
Since how much money they make varies depending on whether their sale was paid in cash (rounded up/down)
or to the exact cent (with credit card) ??


At first when I read the article, I thought it meant all prices were just going to be rounded up or down now. lol.
That would make things really easy.

I thought about that too. You'll never be able to balance your till. I guess what they are saying is we don't care about pennies, so you shouldn't either.

At least if you could just round everything, you could make POS systems automatically round everything, but if its dependent on payment type then its just always going to be "out".

[Gridlock]

I don't watch any CBC or listen to any, but the CRTC is the only reason a lot of Canadian artists get heard. I co-host a radio show and meeting CRTC regulations really opened my eyes to Canadian talent.

If the CRTC were to cease to exist, US media would steamroll Canada in minutes. It's there, its available and people want it.

[Gridlock]

CBC is garbage IMO. I am quite sure the majority of people on RS only watch CBC for HNIC. Using our tax dollars on NHL rights is stupid. Let it go to CTV so I don't have to listen to Mark Lee.

Used to watch the news, but came to prefer Randiene(reasons kind of obvi). The only thing I watch on CBC is Dragon's Den. Hardly worth the network for me.

[Tapioca]

Fail me if you want, but all of you who are advocating for the abolishment of the CBC are ignorant.

CBC is more than just its television channel. It's clear who's learned and who's not because if you were the former, you would know that CBC radio is excellent with thought provoking programming and music you wouldn't ordinarily hear on the radio (some of it sucks, but some is very good.) Also, CBC stations serve a lot of remote communities which wouldn't be served if it were a private entity.

And for all those who actually watch the CBC, who on there is actually left-wing? Peter Mansbridge? (After all, it's a crime to ask the PM tough questions) Andrew Coyne? (Who writes for Maclean's and the Post) Rex Murphy? Kevin O'Leary? Rick Mercer is probably the only socialist left on the network and even he has done skits with Harper.

Give me a break. /rant

[TheNewGirl]

Well a lot of people don't understand that the CBC is also the conduit through which many Canadian artists and media projects emerge and find their foundation. Many of the Canadians in media that you can think of and more that you don't know about, comedians, actors, writers, news persons, and such are present in the world and representing you in a very Americanized media land scape because of the CBC.

Further the CBC is the ONLY studio we have that produces content by us and for us. Nearly everything else you consume on TV (besides local news programs) comes out of the states.

Because we don't have the studio system that the American media has we have no other channel for this to happen and unfortunately with increasing American media consumption as it is we're seeing a great erosion of unique cultural character. It's very important we preserve what little independent voice we have for our country.

[TRDood]

Fail me if you want, but all of you who are advocating for the abolishment of the CBC are ignorant.

...



I only watch CBC HNIC. Those hockey commentators need to be replaced ASAP.

They said Luongo have sexy moves and legs like a supermodel last Saturday... :rukidding:

[Gridlock]

Yes...wanna hold hands and sing too?

I don't think anyone has a problem with the CBC being in existence.

Here's the problem. With ALL this nice, wonderful little shit that the gov't provides. If you don't need to hustle for your money, you don't hustle for your money.

Companies and corporations that don't feel responsible to shareholders, end up reporting the bottom line, but not living the bottom line. No one is truly pressured to cut costs and be cost effective. Your sales department sells advertising, but its not like the company hinges on their success.

That's why I have a hate on for Crown Corps. They are ALL bloated and wasteful.

Just a few big ones: BC Hydro, didn't we just do an audit that came back and said they couldn't even track down all the overspending, because it was so prevalent?

ICBC-fuck..there's a story and a half.

Translink: Wasn't there just a story where they were seeking 30m in vehicle levies to cover a funding shortfall, and then the NEXT FUCKING DAY it comes out that they actually have no ability to collect on unpaid tickets? That's millions of dollars sitting there because no one cared enough to go after it.

That's just off the top of my head.

So I know that when you go to CBC and say we're cutting your budget, its the ONLY way that someone looks to find cost savings. And I know as a crown corp-its there to find.

Every couple of years, someone raids the CBC budget, and every few years people scream that it will be the end of Canadian culture and every few years, CBC emerges leaner and stronger for it.

Cut that bitch. You lay off some old guys with attrition and early retirement. You sell some unused property and old vehicles. You sell some office chairs and close a branch or two.

A budget cut at a crown corporation is like spring cleaning. You have to make the game for keeps. You can't just go and say" find us money". The gov't spending adage is, "if you don't use it, you lose it"

[TheNewGirl]

BC Hydro, ICBC and Translink are provincial, not federal crown corps. So bitch at Christie Clark about those three money sucking leeches. Please. I do often.

[Gridlock]

BC Hydro, ICBC and Translink are provincial, not federal crown corps. So bitch at Christie Clark about those three money sucking leeches. Please. I do often.

Oh, I know, I just use them as examples that are readily available and have been in the news a lot.

[mikemhg]

I find it facinating that the Conservatives in Canada are doing to CBC what the Republicans are doing to PBS/NPR in the States. Sad really. Come on now use your heads this has nothing to do with cutting the budget, it's just the Conservative government's attempt to shrink a more left-leaning media regime. I'm glad we still have some media laws, and Harper hasn't been able to get a Fox News Canada running over here.

[MindBomber]

I would LOVE to see the amount a province where insurance is privatized spends on the services like drivers licensing, costs that ICBC passes onto the consumer through insurance rates in British Columbia, that's a factor in the higher insurance rates we pay. At least to my knowledge.

[Glove]

cuts to rcmp?

not sure if good thing or bad,

will they set up more speed traps and rape people on tickets to make up some of the money?

or will there be less cops to give the tickets out?

[Gridlock]

I would LOVE to see the amount a province where insurance is privatized spends on the services like drivers licensing, costs that ICBC passes onto the consumer through insurance rates in British Columbia, that's a factor in the higher insurance rates we pay. At least to my knowledge.

It's not like its free, all covered through ICBC. I pay $75 every 5 years for a new piece of plastic with an ugly picture on it. They say it looks like me, but I don't buy it.

What do we get out of ICBC? They do re-invest in collision avoidance at intersections and driver education and such.

In a world without ICBC? You have insurance companies pay into a fund to pay for things like collision avoidance and drivers education and such. Not hard...doesn't have to be ICBC to accomplish.

Nova Scotia had private insurance. We got to do things like: find a different insurance company that specialized in our needs. At one point, we had 2 collector cars, my mom's winter car and summer car, and my dad's truck.

We needed a company that would allow us to switch insurance on the fly depending on what vehicle was in use. Found it and done. Didn't even need to go to the office. Called them up. The collector cars were never in use on the same day. The winter/summer car obviously switched out. The truck was continual.

I think when she left, my mom's insurance was $500. Oh. A year. Why? She had one accident when I was 5. She moved when I was 19.

I never insured a car in NS myself. Why? Would have been $3000...a year. Why? Because I was under 25 and male. Sound unfair? Yes. But more likely, I was going to do something stupid in a car. And I did. I was 24.

It doesn't have to be a government organization doling out services to us; a large uninformed mass that apparently can't think for ourselves.

[MindBomber]

If a government agency can doll out an essential service, do so fairly and efficiently, rolling the profit directly back to the government to help maintain services, I see that as a significant benefit to tax payers. Lets not forget, private insurance agencies, while offering some minor perks, are not without significant downsides. ICBC is generally quite fair in vehicle appraisals, injury settlements, assigning fault, and that's the real measure of an insurance company.

Like I said, I really want to see how significant the difference in the cost of insurance in insurance in BC is after otherwise taxpayer funded services is accounted for.

Regarding the unpaid tickets Translink doesn't pursue, it may simply not be cost effective to pursue the tickets. If it were it seems unlikely that they would not pursue them. I still support turnstiles at all stations to recoup the revenue lost to fare evasion, I don't understand why the cost to install them came back so high.

[gars]

Regarding the unpaid tickets Translink doesn't pursue, it may simply not be cost effective to pursue the tickets. If it were it seems unlikely that they would not pursue them. I still support turnstiles at all stations to recoup the revenue lost to fare evasion, I don't understand why the cost to install them came back so high.

The turnstiles are coming, don't you worry. People need to remember as well, there will always be fare evasion. Just because someone has a ticket to get them through turnstiles, doesn't mean they aren't evading fares. Remember, when PWC did their audit back in 2007, they only found the fare evasion to be about 5.6 percent on skytrains. But that includes people using other people's passes (think UPass, or senior's passes). The Turnstiles will cut into that, but people can and will still find ways to not pay. When I was in the UK - I often saw people jumping turnstiles, or squeezing 2 people through at a time. And this was at stations where attendants are watching (but there are just too many people).

[StylinRed]

cuts to rcmp?

not sure if good thing or bad,

will they set up more speed traps and rape people on tickets to make up some of the money?

or will there be less cops to give the tickets out?


what's retarded about that is Harper enacted bill c10 to get more people into jails and they want to make new prisons to handle that yet here he is cutting funds for corrections and the rcmp :fulloffuck:

[urban.boi]

wonder if they would increase the limit for over 7 days out of the country. or just set it as 48hr + = $800 and got rid of the 7 days limit.

[Gridlock]

Regarding the unpaid tickets Translink doesn't pursue, it may simply not be cost effective to pursue the tickets. If it were it seems unlikely that they would not pursue them. I still support turnstiles at all stations to recoup the revenue lost to fare evasion, I don't understand why the cost to install them came back so high.

Is it possible in your world, that we are getting screwed? Is it possible, that one group of bureaucrats didn't care enough to look? Two different divisions each thought the other was doing it. Neither were.

That's the mindset we have to work with. You give these people more money, and they will spend more money.

[Hehe]

wonder if they would increase the limit for over 7 days out of the country. or just set it as 48hr + = $800 and got rid of the 7 days limit.

From what it seems, the 7day limit is now history... now it is 200 for 24hr and 800 for 48hr+... nothing else

[MG1]

I was more interested in the old age pension thing........ good thing I'm old enough that it won't affect me........... by the time it kicks in, that is.

[urrh]

In last week's budget, the Harper government delayed the age of eligibility for Old Age Security recipients to 67.

It appears, however, our prime minister is not willing to do the same for his retirement benefits - at least not yet.

All Canadian prime ministers who served at least four years in office are given a $100,000/year allowance beginning at the age of 65. That's $100,000 in addition to their already gold-plated pensions.

On Tuesday, the Liberals tried to introduce a sub-amendment to the federal budget which would have raised the eligibility age of the prime minister's allowance to 67.

It was defeated by the Conservative majority.

"If you're going to increase the Old Age Security to 67, then I would have thought it would have been pretty easy for the Prime Minister to say, well, we'll do the same thing for that," interim Liberal leader Bob Rae told Global News.

"It's like a welfare program."

The Prime Minister's new director of communications, Andrew MacDougall, told PostMedia News changes to MP pensions, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper's retirement bonus allowance, are pending in the coming months.

"There's additional changes the government is looking at that will be part of a legislative package in the fall," he said.

"We're going to consider what they're calling the prime minister's allowance in that package with all MPs and we look forward to the opposition supporting changes to the pension regime for Parliamentarians."OAS eligibility changes to 67 but Harper still gets his (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/oas-eligibility-changes-67-harper-still-gets-retirement-193036446.html)
scumbag prime minister

[MindBomber]

Is it possible in your world, that we are getting screwed? Is it possible, that one group of bureaucrats didn't care enough to look? Two different divisions each thought the other was doing it. Neither were.

That's the mindset we have to work with. You give these people more money, and they will spend more money.

Here's the thing, we're both just speculating, unless you've read an article I haven't. Logically speaking, a relatively low value ticket may cost more to collect than it's actual value. It's not like ICBC, where they can just refuse to insure a person who doesn't pay a ticket. A collection agency would be necessary to collect on these tickets, the cost involved with pursuing collections I can see outweighing the actual ticket.

[Gridlock]

Here's the thing, we're both just speculating, unless you've read an article I haven't. Logically speaking, a relatively low value ticket may cost more to collect than it's actual value. It's not like ICBC, where they can just refuse to insure a person who doesn't pay a ticket. A collection agency would be necessary to collect on these tickets, the cost involved with pursuing collections I can see outweighing the actual ticket.

Yeah, I saw video where one department said they thought the other was doing it.

Translink vs Department of Transportation I believe.

They fucked up. It happens.

You know why? Crown corporations are bloated affairs where no one actually gives a shit about money, because it isn't real. When they run out, they get more.

My goal, sir, is to make you change your username, from mindbomber, to mindblown.

You will be shown the light.

[MindBomber]

I'm supportive of operating crown corps with the capability of operating at a profit to do so, they should be run no differently than any other business. ICBC and BCLD operate on essentially that model, the result is good returns to tax payers. Translink and BC Ferries, don't operate at profit, but doing so would be very nearly impossible purely from the perspective of the service they offer. Have bad business decisions been made, sure, fast ferries will never be forgotten; bad decisions happen in private business to though, just look at RIM.

[falcon]

I like the penny idea. They are useless and annoying.

We also need to implement our sales tax into the listed price. Pretty much the one thing I am NOT looking forward to when I arrive back in Vancouver after 6 months in Europe is adding tax to whatever the listed price is. Here the tax exists, but it's implemented into all the listed shelf prices of everything. It's great.

So just to rehash this. I'm back now and went out to dinner last night. I bought my meal, beer etc. and my brain totally blanked out about tax. I got my bill at the end of the night and was like "WTF why is it so expensive?" Even taking into account the Euro to CAD conversion, eating out here is ridiculously expensive once you add everything up... and for much shittier food.