What This Board Needs is a Really good Layton Thread

[train]

Haper is a Control Freak, Harper is Arrogant, Harper Won't Seek Clemency

Dramatic headlines all but when you dig under the surface they are all essentially fluff issues being talked about. There is no point in picking on Dion - can't strike a man while he's down - we will leave that for Iggy to do.

So what is that little bantam rooster Layton up to now? What's his game plan? He has seen the Liberals implode while still maintaining an impressive share of the populace. They have done it by moving even further to the left. Part of this is because the Conservative are trying to claim the centre.

The Libs have federally cut deals with the Greenies and provincially sold out to the unions. The environment and unions are tradionally the platforms of the NDP .

The NDP usually finds solace in the fact that they will never have to govern themselves ( federally) so they can say anything they want as long as they maintain enough seats to retain status and get their expenses paid.

Are the NDP becoming more irrelevent now that the Libs are claiming a larger portion of the far left or will Layton and his band of merry freeloaders split that vote thereby eating into the Libs seat count ?

 

[TQM]

Layton story.

Everyone knows he's a politics whore - having run for every possible position for every form of govt. there is - (provincial, federal several times, mayor, city councilor, metro councilor).

On one of his own campaigns he made the maximum donation of $750 - for which he gets a tax receipt for. I've no complaint against that.

But what he did was interesting - he also paid himself for working on the campaign - you guessed it - $750.

The end result was that the campaign was revenue neutral, but we the tax payers gave him a tax break.

 

[train]

Everyone knows he's a politics whore - having run for every possible position for every form of govt. there is - (provincial, federal several times, mayor, city councilor, metro councilor).

On one of his own campaigns he made the maximum donation of $750 - for which he gets a tax receipt for. I've no complaint against that.

But what he did was interesting - he also paid himself for working on the campaign - you guessed it - $750.

The end result was that the campaign was revenue neutral, but we the tax payers gave him a tax break.

Jack obviously isn't the brightest financial light around


Taxable Employment Income $750
Less: Political donation deduction ($750)

Net Taxable income $0


Cash out donation ($750)
Cash in Employment income $750

Net JL Bank $0


No benefit to Jack ( unless he cheated on his income tax return and didn't declare it) and no cost to CRA.

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

Jack obviously isn't the brightest financial light around


Taxable Employment Income $750
Less: Political donation deduction ($750)

Net Taxable income $0


Cash out donation ($750)
Cash in Employment income $750

Net JL Bank $0


No benefit to Jack ( unless he cheated on his income tax return and didn't declare it) and no cost to CRA.

After seeing his campaign in action, he was substantially overpaid.

 

[verbalks]

This idea has merit.

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/To...20071105/harper_senate_071105&showbyline=True

 

[dcbogey]

When he comes out with anything of any substance maybe he'll get his own thread. Until then...

 

[LancsLad]

I hear that he prefers doing doggy with Chow Chows.

 

[TQM]

train, please keep

the idiot quotient down today.

The guy had other taxable income. He got a tax receipt for his donation. His campaign zeroed out, but he didn't.

 

[TQM]

bb king,

You're right.

This is the guy that lived with his wife Olivia in susidized housing when their earnings were quite high. He claimed he supported the well-off living amongst the less well off. What a hero.

Wife Olivia fought against the building of the new Princess Margaret Hospital while serving as a school trustee. Used trustee money to fight that too.

 

[markvee]

Harper backs Layton's proposal for referendum on abolishing Senate

Worth repeating. Thanks verbalks.

This idea has merit.

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/To...20071105/harper_senate_071105&showbyline=True

PM to back NDP call for Senate referendum: CTV

OTTAWA — NDP Leader Jack Layton has won the backing of the prime minister to hold a nation-wide referendum on the abolition of the unelected Senate, CTV News has learned.

Insiders say Stephen Harper is prepared to support an NDP motion that would call for a national referendum on Senate abolition at the time of the next general election that is set for October 2009.

Sources also say Layton and Harper have held private discussions about Layton's proposal in recent days.

Tory insiders say the prime minister will have the Conservatives vote for the NDP motion that could be tabled in the Commons as early as next Tuesday.

The NDP referendum plan is similar to an idea floated by Conservative Senator Hugh Segal.

Harper has put his own reform proposals that call for electing senators but that has been blocked by the Liberal-dominated Senate.

Harper has also put legislation before Parliament that would set eight year terms for senators.

The combined Tory-NDP vote would allow for the passage of Layton's proposal but it would still likely have to pass the Senate, where Liberal senators have objected to any significant reform.

The NDP motion would put pressure on Liberal Leader Stephane Dion to either support the plan or side with his unelected colleagues.

Layton recently described the Senate as an outdated institution that has no place in a modern democracy.

"It's undemocratic because (senators) are appointed by prime ministers, who then are turfed out of office," he told New Democratic Party organizers on Sunday in Winnipeg. "But these senators end up leaving a long shadow of their continued presence in the legislative context."

"Why don't we start by finding out how Canadians feel about it? That seems to be a democratic approach."

It's a plan, however, that could be difficult to put into action should a referendum result favour abolition. The federal government would need the support of at least seven of the 10 provinces to enact change.

Quebec's Liberal government has indicated it's against any plan for abolition, and the Atlantic provinces enjoy favourable representation in the senate. But premiers of four provinces -- Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia -- have all called for abolition of the upper chamber.

The Senate consists of 105 members, appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the prime minister. Seats are assigned on a regional basis, with each region receiving 24 seats. Senators must be at least 30 years old, and they can serve until they reach the age of 75. They earn more than $100,000 a year, not including pensions and benefits.

It's Christmas in November.

I know I've heard both Dion and Duceppe speak favourably about Senate abolition, so I'm hoping that this plan goes through the house faster than an MP pay raise.

 

[frasier]

crap...i read thru all the posts because I thought it was "a good get laid thread"

 

[train]

the idiot quotient down today.

The guy had other taxable income. He got a tax receipt for his donation. His campaign zeroed out, but he didn't.

You aren't exactly a brain surgeon are you . Or a financial wizard.

If he declared the income he didn't get any benefit. The political donation deduction was $750 and the extra taxable income was $750. Net tax decuction/benefit is zero for those that can add. If he didn't have additional income he could have actually penalized himself ( political donation deductability is limited to a % of taxable income) but he sure as hell didn't get any benefit.

See your accountant and give your wife power of attorney over your assets knucklehead before you blow them.

 

[train]

....

Now since clearly the knucklehead is you Train, maybe an apology is in order. BTW you knucklehead - Captain Jack has other income and the poster never claimed this was his sole source of funds.


bbk

Depending on his tax bracket you could be right as political donations are a limited deduction against taxes payable and not taxable income. My grovelling apologies for those of you earning $50,000 who have witheld donations to Jack and Stephane based on any previous comments that I have made

 

[markvee]

I suspect this will go through and the people of Canada will be stuck with a very expensive and meaningless referendum.

Since I first learned about the Senate, I've been waiting for this referendum. The price will be worth it for me.

The voice of the people, through a referendum, is the best possible way to achieve a mandate for changing the Senate.

A government, which asks for and then ignores the voice of the people, does so at its own peril.

 

[clubber]

Layton? Isn't he that guy with the marshmallow body and the silly mustach, who is head of the rhino party? If we are going to discuss him should we not do so in the joke section?

 

[red]

Since I first learned about the Senate, I've been waiting for this referendum. The price will be worth it for me.

The voice of the people, through a referendum, is the best possible way to achieve a mandate for changing the Senate.

A government, which asks for and then ignores the voice of the people, does so at its own peril.

I am in favour of getting rid of the senate, but instead of this non binding waste of taxpayers money- why not follow the rules for amending the constitution and get it done?

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

I am in favour of getting rid of the senate, but instead of this non binding waste of taxpayers money- why not follow the rules for amending the constitution and get it done?

The crazy thing is that real senate reform has to pass through the Senate. Herein lies the problem with attempting senate reform.

 

[markvee]

The crazy thing is that real senate reform has to pass through the Senate. Herein lies the problem with attempting senate reform.

If the Senate stalls abolition after a referendum clear majority vote for abolition then senators will likely be protested with increasing vigor until they change their minds.

 

[red]

The crazy thing is that real senate reform has to pass through the Senate. Herein lies the problem with attempting senate reform.

it requires votes being passed in a majority of the provincial legislatures too.

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

it requires votes being passed in a majority of the provincial legislatures too.

Senate reform will never happen in our lifetime.