> The "fuel" I put in my body has not changed in price.
Wow! Are you lucky! We're bracing ourselves for a rise in grocery prices.
As it is, I have already seen some price raises at the grocery store.
> Gasoline, however, is $0.715 / l in C$. In Yankee, that is (directly)
> $2.72 C$ per US gallon.
>
> Factored for our Dismal Dollar (you've heard it already), that translates
> into an even $4.00/US gallon in currency adjusted form. And since income
> levels seem to be similar in absolute dollar terms, that would be a
> reasonable number to use to compare.
So, we're suppoesed to all right with what goes on here because you have it
so dismal
there? With that kind of logic, we should have never joined in the European
theatre of WWII!
And we shouldn't care about civil rights in our country because it's so
dismal in so many other
countries...am I getting this?
> Our LOWEST personal income tax rate (fed. and provincial) is 25.33%, and
> that only covers taxable income to $29,590 (YMDV in the USA). That
increases
> the before tax costs to $5.33 /gallon.
But, do you have to pay out for Health insurance? (Mine is $250 a month?
Wanna trade?) I made under 25k last year-but paid 40% tax! (Because I had a
lump sum payment.) As a single person, who doesn't own a home etc, etc,-I
shan't get anything back, either. (And I've been to 3 different tax
preparers-the verdict-bite the bullet once again!) You think it's easy? All
I want is universal bloody health care!-and I'll glady pay my tax -without
refund! (Which I've never had anyway!) The average Californian pays
something like $900 a year in car insurance-and this includes people like me
who pays $700 a year. I know people whose monthly car insurance is almost
equal to their monthly car payment! In Winnepeg, how much percentage do you
pay for rent? Here, it's almost 2/3 of your monthly income-the average 1
bedroom in so. California is $1200. That's average. Rental apartment.
Is your Social Security retirement taxed? It is here. Yes, my 90 year old
Grandmother pays taxes on her $800 a month from SS. This is sinful. And not
isolated. (Actually, I'm surprised that AARP hasn't done something about
this!) -plus-they deduct for her Medical/Medicare-so it's not like it's
free.
I could go on, I'm sure...finally it comes down to-and this is very basic
premise-why should we (U.S. citizens) be happy, just because you're
(Canadians and GB) not?
I once left my country for a long time because I hated the way it was
going-but, now I'm locked in a battle to the death. And even if I never
benefit from sacrifice, I hope that the future generations will benefit-and
by complaining and protesting and voting and petitioning, it'll keep the
principles and freedoms of our constitution alive.
> 'nuff whining?
> I have started to use my mountain bike for those "short trips" I seem to
> make. I have not yet burned 30 litres of fuel (7.9 US gallons) in the
past
> 10 days, whereas normally I'd be at about 38 litres. And I feel great!
Which is great if you're a healthy, able bodied person who is lucky enough
to have a
mountain or any bike. What about the old lady who lives downstairs from me
and needs
a ride 2 blocks to the grocery store? (She cannot walk of stairs even.) Or
if you live in
an area where you're liable to have your bike stolen, running errands? Or,
you actually
need to buy several bags of groceries? Life isn't always as easy as the
"easy" answers.
And it's for those people that I am concerned. And that's where sacrifice
for the good
of the whole, and righting things for everyone- comes in.
Maybe I was just too influenced by More's "Utopia" as a kid. Or the stories
my mum
told me about everybody pulling together during WWII. But, I do know that
usery and
gouging are wrong. And that what might seem to one person as a level playing
field isn't
always so level. We all like to whine and say-we have it bad-and you don't
appreciate
what you have-but, sometimes, you've got to look and see what you *Really*
do have
and that maybe your neighbours have a legitimate beef. And be supportive to
them-as a good
neighbour. As for US-we 've got to see past our own pocket books and
comforts and
maybe make the sacrifices and our voices heard for those who are weaker than
us-and for
ourselves. So, I'm cutting back and boycotting. If it does anything GREAT! I
was part of a
whole. And if it doesn't-I'll just try harder-but, at least I DID something.
Laura G.
Vita brevis est: rapide agite, vigore strigate!
> BTW, the gross cost difference, if it stabilises now, is about $10/month
> for me. Winnipeg is not exactly L.A. I pity you that it in rush hour(s)
> freeway jams watching the fuel needle move faster than the speedo
Yeah, L.A. is rough-(actually I get better gas mileage the slower I go!)-my
aunt just spent the last 5 years moving around the country for a place with
a lower cost of living-tried Arizona, Colorado and Florida-and yes, rent was
less in these places-but so were salaries. I guess it's all relative, eh?
Oh, and Orlando, Seattle and Phoenix, from what I hear, have rush hours to
rival L.A.s.
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