Garbage Garbage Everywhere Toronto the Good

Toronto will soon be refusing to pick up the overflow bottles, cans and newspapers that don’t fit in the city’s new recycling bins – the latest in a series of changes to the curb-side collection program that require the cooperation of befuddled residents.

Read Complete article; National Post

David Pylyp I do try to recycle. I try to make things fit into the blue bin. But some weeks....

What struck me from this article is the comments section that was followed and then an interesting nugget.

"Curbside recycling - another "green dream" pushed down our throats by the environmentalists. See "Is Recycling A Waste Of Time" on YouTube with Thomas Deichmann (FORA.tv). There are much better ways to deal with our trash, but of course we're stuck with the ones that cost the most, do the least, and shut the greenies up."


"Yet another good reason not to live in Toronto the Taxed. Why have Torontonians become sheep and let this council play social engineering all of the time. Isn't their job to be good stewards of the taxes they collect? Instead they are constantly looking for new, expensive, and crazy ways to regulate your lives.

This council still refuses to fulfill one of their primary jobs: garbage collection. If there is garbage still on the street after the garbage truck runbles on, they have failed to do the job they have collected your taxes for! Get upset."

Where is the nugget of interest in all this? In the video ...



Your comments and point of view are always welcomed.

Perfect Timing for Harmonized Tax Implementation

Well, it seems to be official. The Ontario Government has decided to harmonize the Provincial and Federal Sales Taxes.  July 01st, 2010 the tax Kicks in.

Stephen  Dupuis, president of the Building Industry and Land Development Association, pointed out that buyers of new homes would be hit particularly hard if Ontario harmonized the PST with the federal GST. See previous Posting 

On a $350,000 new home, he wrote that the consumer would have to pay an additional $17,920. But it's not just buyers of new homes who would be affected by a merging of the two taxes. Buyers and sellers of resale homes would also be hurt because a harmonized tax would apply to many services that are currently exempt from PST – including legal fees, real estate agent commission, renovation services, land survey reports, home inspections, landscaping and house cleaning services. Also affected would be the cost of labour for installations or repairs, including additions, kitchen renovations, driveways, roads, fences, swimming pools and patios. 

Assuming no change in the provincial sales tax rates, the seller of a $350,000 resale home would get hit with an additional $1,400 in tax on a real estate agent's 5 per cent commission, plus a new 8 per cent provincial tax on moving expenses, legal fees, accounting and bookkeeping fees, renovations, painting and other services which are currently exempt.

Ken Gaudet from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is quoted as saying that according to their understanding, the Provincial Sales Tax will now permit the (additional) taxing of Gasoline.

So what will happen to buyers looking at a $ 350,000 property, condo or house, with their downpayment of 5%. Their current downpayment is $17,500.00.  As the tax would be applied to all construction, and CMHC fees, lawyers, title Insurance and including movers, Buyers could see a tax bill payable on their Mortgage Insurance fee Increase from  $865 to $1405. This brings the total closing costs on a resale home in the City of Toronto (combined with the Miller Bite) to a total of $8,870.00. (Ontario LTT $3725  Toronto Land Tax $2,200.) *Assumes that LTT rebates may not be available.

Now your total downpayment requirement is really $26,300.00

Let's get you purchased or sold prior to the implementation of the tax to make your dollars go further.Take advantage of the low interest rates!

Your comments are always invited.