Thinking of doing business or want to live in Halifax, is it a sustainable city from a business owners perspective or to live. We have the highest taxes to boot 15% HST and also very high property taxes. Confidence or Economic growth – what is that – well we have a stimulus package coming in the form of 24 billion dollars to spur the local economy with the ship building contract. I want to know how the few thousand jobs created are going to do that. The clueless feds are giving the money to the company and trust me they don’t need anymore stimuli, but the economy does.
How does this short sighted government figure economic growth by raising taxes and no end in sight? Wake up & smell the coffee. Lower the HST to 6-7% thereby lowering the price of goods or services thereby encouraging people to spend more in this time when the economy is so fragile despite low interest rates. We have a small population with very little immigration or outside investment coming in unlike other cities in the west. Other cities attract more outside investment and with lower taxes.
As a business owner I am sick to the bone with the small mind set of the government, the property assessment people who raise taxes every year although the services hasn’t improved or got any better. We have a high cost of living from food to groceries and rents aren’t that cheap either. Talk about sustainability. Housing might look attractive to buy if you haven’t bought one as the prices are lower but don’t celebrate as yet, wait for your taxes when they arrive beginning of the year. Our property taxes are higher when compared to properties even in Vancouver where the homes sell for a lot more. Figure that out.
But if you love this city to death these facts are true this is not a conspiracy. It will be hard to swallow but I am ready to jump this sinking ship. —Sick to the Bone
This article appears in Mar 1-7, 2012.
Okay, a few things…
There’s only about a million of us in the province, so stop comparing us to big booming cities and expect to see the same thing. You’re much more likely to find the doers and shakers of society in denser populations. Bigger populations also attract more people (and everything that they bring) and there’s nothing we can do about that unless everyone decides to get real busy.
You do know what those taxes are paying for right? How about the most roads per square foot of any province, which allows for incredibly fast Emergency response times. Also, immigration services so we can replace all the locals leaving with people from other countries. We have some decent foreign immigration, just not immigration from other provinces or the US.
Nova Scotia isn’t all that bad. We have an excellent recycling program (one of the best in the country) and we’re also moving towards more green energy sources, like wind farms and tidal power (NS has the most tidal power potential in the world BTW).
The economic spin-off of the shipbuilding contract will last longer than the 30 years. With the contract comes an influx of skilled tradespeople and their families. They’ll be building homes, which will provide work for contractors. The administration jobs created from the actual contract and its estimated spin-off is over 1000, that’s without including carpenters, electricians, tradespeople and such what.
I don’t know how you can brush off ‘a few thousand jobs’ like they’re nothing. The next 5 – 10 years are going to be the best years this province has seen since the WW2.
Confederation started this boat a sinkin… it’s been all down hill from there.
Did you realize the CIBC, and the Royal Bank were founded here? We would be the Boston or NYC of Canada if it weren’t for Canada lol.
This place IS a shithole OP, you are exactly right, and get out while you still can – and before Dexter figures out a way to legislate us to have to stay here! lol
OOOh recycling and wasting money on “Green Energy”, well there’s your selling point. I’ll take less taxes and red tape thank you.
GST + PST is more than HST.
I like HST. 2 taxes was confusing to work out in my head. haha
I agree 110% with TheCaptain. I think we live in a great province.
OP, your grasp of grammar is on a sinking ship…..
so it’s settled… we’ll build the ships and then start a war with them…
it’s win win!
FUCK YEAH! I am so IN!.
And y’know who with? Spain. That’s right, Spain. Oh sure, they’ve given us some cool stuff.
Tapas, paella, Arturo Perez-Reverte, that sort of hot chick who played Sharpe’s guerilla leader gilrfriend until Obadiah Hakeswill killed her (we miss ya Pete Postlethwaite). But until they knock off the goddam bullfights and the appalling way they treat galgos, they are taget #1.
So, I’m joining up with ZombieTeddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders to kick some garlicky ass. Who’s with me?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAYbLdpghRA
“But they’re wearing blue Grampa. They ARE Yankees”
“No, they’re Americans”
<3
You had me at Zombie Teddy Roosevelt.
i’m in, i’ll steer
I assume you’re going to be at the shop this weekend, Colonel?
Roger that, my friend.
Helmsman it is, Painey.
And since we’re talking about Zombie Roosevelts, I should point out that “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter” is scheduled to hit the big screen sometime soon.
(No, I’m not making this up)
Barcelona ROCKS!! There is NOTHING like eating authentic paella and sangria at one of the outdoor cafes along Las Ramblas, watching the world go by and the Mediterranean sun in your face. *sigh* I could very happily live there.
I’m in. Where do ya want me?
no prisoners, right?
Man the Gatling and join in on the chorus of “The Minstrel Boy”
Open season on swingeing nonces in satin knickerbockers and stupid hats, Painey.
“Let go all jetty connections! Single up all lines, land the brow! We are at immediate notice for power. Stand by to let go lines 1 and 6! Prepare to slip!”
Yaa-harrrr! Me timber be shiverin’!
Don’t forget them Spaniards were stealing our turbot.
How about you sail North and take on those encroaching Danish!
I’m leaving. I can’t afford to live here anymore and certainly won’t be able to once everybody raises their rents. Fun fact, Nova Scotia has no rent control so won’t we be in for a surprise when the contract actually comes in.
OB, it’s “sick to death” or “frozen to the bone, or , chilled to the bone”.
Is this Jim Kramer??? Conspiracy??? I behhhhhhhhht it is.