Postscript: Taxes, taxes, taxes... and a parade

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Don't you feel you've had enough?

Churchill said a nation that tries to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket trying to lift himself up by the handle.

Transit fares are going through the roof. 4% more for a monthly pass and up to 14 % for other ticket categories

The City of Montreal is bringing in huge property tax increases; some parts of the city will see taxes going up by more 7%.

Suburbs won't be spared either.

Memo to the Mayor: If you cut down on all the bureaucracy, if you reduce the size of biggest city council in the free world, if you just concentrate on what cities should do, then you could reduce taxes and not raise them obscenely.

Everyone has their hand out

Then there is a car tax that we will pay beginning January 1, 2011.

Drivers already pay extra gas tax and a special public transit tax.

Now this; 45 bucks a year.

That's just the beginning, you know. It will increase every year.

Mr. Tremblay, how about a bicycle tax? They use the roads too.

Or perhaps just start ticketing cyclists for blowing through stop signs or red lights.

QST increasing too

Here's the kicker. Just about everything you buy will cost more next month as the Quebec Sales Tax will increase from 7.5% to 8.5% on January 1, 2011.

Since we pay tax on tax (QST on top of GST), the new total rate will be about 14%. Oh by the way, there will be another increase in 2012.

Our government in Quebec City just isn't serious about reducing the size of the state, but the cupboards are bare and our pockets are empty.

Something's gotta give.

Tax dollars at work

The Liberals used your tax money to throw everything they had into the byelection this week.

Despite trying to buy the election, they came up 196 votes short.

That's the good news. Given everything that's being going on, the Liberals did deserve their comeuppance.

But the real loser here, besides the taxpayers, was Madame Marois.

The PQ should have won this race in a cakewalk, but Marois can't move the needle.

The knives will likely be out when the PQ holds its leadership review in the spring.

As for the Liberals, the voters at least showed they couldn't be bought, even with the payment up front.

Everyone loves a parade

Finally, wasn't it great to see another championship parade in Montreal?

The Alouettes are such an important part of the city, and what makes them so great is that these guys check their egos at the door.

They don't make millions.

The CFL is probably the closest you will ever get to the way sports used to be they play because they love the game, and we love them for that.

Let's make it a three-peat.