iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

It's so bad in Canada that we only live 3 or 4 years longer than Americans.

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

In Canada, the wealthy can use lawsuits to silence critics and avoid public scrutiny. Most of us can't afford to fight back. That needs to change. I just added my name to demand better protections for everyday Canadians. Will you join me? app.sosha.ai/s/krarK3n8

app.sosha.ai

Demand Canadian Anti-SLAPP Laws

021

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Wikipedia says that a Milton Friedman book greatly influenced Poilievre's political thinking. He might want to look at Friedman's economic position regarding pollution. I am pretty sure Friedman's position is, you put a price on it (i.e. like a carbon tax) and let the market decide.

020

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

It seems that most of the windfall profits will be distributed to shareholders (I've read frome several sources they are 70% foreign). What about a distribution tax on dividends / share buy backs. Limited accounting required and hard tdo game.

000

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Most oil profits go to foreigners. Several sources say Canadian oil companies are 70% foreign owned. A $50/barrel windfall results in after tax profits of $55 bil/year. $38 bil to foreigners at a likely 5% tax rate (vs appox 30% on Cdn indivs). Maybe Albertans don't win as much as they think.

000

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

But who can afford to pay for the electrical charging. In BC it might cost up to 30 cents per litre equivalent to charge at home.

000

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

According to USAFacts, in 2023 the US Fed government collected 119 billion in tax revenue from Minnesota and paid 75 billion in benefits to Minnesotans. Denying Medicaid payments is kind of a fraud, too.

072

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

I have always wondered why governments that provide business incentives for investment, never require a share of the return when the investment works out. After private investment has made a reasonble return, a portion of the extra could go to the government for providing the incentive?

030

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Or people could buy a Chinese EV and pay 22 cents a litre to drive (home charging in BC).

020

Reposted by @mbalaski.bsky.social

Doug Saunders @dougsaunders.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

First it was the pet-eating Haitian-Americans. Now it’s the Chardonnistas

4468

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

It would pay for about 1 year of public medical care they would probably lose, nice

000

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

It is almost certainly bad for business, unless you are part of the Trump Syndicate.

000

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Reporting never mentions that there may not be an economic case for new pipelines. Oil Sands bitumen likely sells at a $10-15/barrel discount because of refining issues. A new pipline will charge $10-15/barrel to transport to the BC Coast to recover capital costs. It's very risky w/o subsidies.

010

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

I saw him in Vancouver and felt the same way you did. Much better than I expected (and I'm older than you).

000

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Did any one tell him about the federal government's Child Benefit (up to $7 or 8,000 per child)

000

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Maybe she doesn't know that the federal government would give a family with 2 childen under 6 nearly $16,000 in Child Benefits in 2025.

010

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

And the article doesn't mention US social security taxes on earned income, which are higher than Canadian social security taxes (wage earners pay a 1.45% medicare tax). Property tax and health insurance are much higher in the US and government benefits lower. The median Canadian is better off.

010

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

If you count how much a person pays in taxes, the $32 figure is too high. It assumes no taxes from corporations, non-residents, etc. It assumes everyone pays the same income tax, but the top 10% of earners pay 54% of income tax. Most seniors pay $5 or less per year to fund the CBC.

040

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Canadian tax law is too complicated (but nowhere near as complicated as the US). However, the tax haven stuff is usually way off base. Canadian corps use havens to save foreign tax, which increases returns in Canada. It is hard to legally abuse the rules.

030

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Data / Numbers and Poilievre are not on the same wavelength.

010

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

My wife used the new online passport application. Delivered in 6 days.

100

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

My wife used the new online application process to renew her passport. She submitted the application on the afternoon of Mar 25. Received on Apr 1.

000

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

The EU has rules to limit state aid. The tax rule that the companies used (Irish company exempt from Irish tax) was considered state aid. Apple had to pay $13 billion euros in taxes to Ireland in 2024. That’s over 1/4 of BC’s annual expenditures. BC and Ireland have about the same population.

010

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

And students and low wage foreign workers who reduce per capita GDP growth.

010

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

Ireland was a tax haven. Irish companies owned by US tech companies earned billions from royalties from other EU countries. The earnings didn’t benefit Ireland until the EU made Ireland tax it.

100

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Exactly, VATs are generally more business neutral (allow business to recoup the tax paid on inputs). US state sales taxes apply to goods consumed in a state with fewer input credits. VAT is a major part of government tax revenues in the EU (21% in 2023).

000

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

It is surprisingly difficult to legally hide money from the CRA . Corportations can earn active business income offshore without paying tax in Canada. Non-active income or Canadian related income is taxed in Canada when earned. Most income in tax havens saves foreign tax leaving more for Canada.

020

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Whenever I see a great power think they can overtake a smaller nation, I think of a small museum in Oslo, the Norway Resistance Museum. The Norwegians are very proud about how they managed to sabotage the Nazi army from within. I think Canadians would be as creative.

050

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

And isn't the best estimate of the damage caused by burning natural gas (much of the resulting co2 will be heating the planet for thousands of years) significantly higher than the current carbon tax?

020

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

You can't steal that, I stole it first

050

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

People in the US will probably quit drinking coffee to back President Trump

010

mbalaski.bsky.social @mbalaski.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

But they might repeal the laws of physics and then what.

000