By Joseph A. Gaetan
July 29th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Taxation is a term for when a taxing authority, i.e. government, levies or imposes a financial obligation on its citizens or residents. Following is a “birds eye view” of taxation in Canada today.
Federal, Provincial and Municipal Taxation:
It is important to recognize that the real and true purpose of taxation is to pay for things the citizens cannot practically do on their own. For example none of us are going to pave a road or build a rail line between Burlington and another city or Province. We are also not going to build an airport of the type and scale that you see at Toronto Pearson or John C. Monroe in Hamilton. Nor are we going to build arenas or swimming pools or the like. There is a place for taxation.
We should all remember that governments at all levels have the ability to pad the tab to pay for things that are “likes” (i.e. $200,000 for Civic Square art). These expenditures come in the form of vanity projects or cynically can be used to bribe us with our own money so they can win the next election. In the run up to most elections, governments often fall all over themselves spending as much as they can of our money to ensure that we will feel good about them and cast our votes in their favour.
FOMO:
Council will often justify a project like Civic Square, well, because other governments are giving us a bag of money for the project and if we don’t take this free cash we will be “FOMO’d”.
“FOMO, or the fear of missing out, has become all-too prevalent over the last couple of decades. It’s an experience that many of us are familiar with. And while it’s directly related to our self-esteem and self-worth, it also has a direct effect on our physical, mental and emotional health. And how could it not? When everyone else around you is having fun without you, what can you do to feel good about where you’re at and what you’re doing on your own? Source: The Psychology Behind FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) (clevelandclinic.org) The document is referred to as Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs.
How we paid for: Civic Square, Freeman Station and Joe Brant Museum:
City Hall isn’t facing a wave of popular support on this one.
Civic Square:
Here is how your tripartite taxation dollars, actually your money, will be paying or investing in the Civic Square Renewal.
“The Government of Canada is investing over $1.9 million in this project through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada plan.
The Government of Ontario is providing more than $1.6 million,
while the City of Burlington is investing over $1.3 million”.
Source: Civic Square Renewal Update – Burlington Downtown
Joseph Brant Museum Renewal Project:
The Brant Museum – not all that much about Joseph Brant in the building.
Here is how tripartite taxation, you actually, paid for the renewal.
“Federal Cultural Spaces Grant: $ 4.479 million, Provincial Trillium Grant: $ 500,000, Joseph Brant Museum Foundation: $ 2.479 million, City of Burlington: $ 3.978 million (up from $2.1 million)
TOTAL: $11.437 million”
Note: The COB, Federal and Provincial portions is actually our tax money. Many thanks to the contribution of $2.479 million from The Museum Foundation.
Freeman Station:
Fully paid for – but not open.
“A city engineer actually told a Standing Committee that it couldn’t be saved. That didn’t deter a group of die-hards who were not prepared to let the station get reduced to kindling.” Source: Burlington Gazette It almost didn’t happen but Burlington citizens saved the Freeman station from destruction, The restoration can now begin. « Burlington Gazette – Local News, Politics, Community
And what the volunteer, Friends of Freeman Station (FOFS) did without much financial help from the Tripartite Taxation folks, is nothing short of amazing.
So there you have it folks, a quick primer on Tripartite Taxation and a lesson on what can be done without it.
Joe Gaetan is a Burlington resident who delegates on occasion and is a strong believer in holding the elected accountable and expects them to be transparent while serving the public.
Thanks Joe. Appreciate the visual on the number of tax collectors accessing our incomes. With growing food insecurity and housing challenges, hopefully some balance will become a priority. Today, there just isn’t enough left after tax for people to live comfortably without stress.
Very well-explained, Joe. And the contrast between the first two examples and the Freeman Station story is glaring and upsetting, as you surely intended.
The business as usual continues at City Hall with little change to come it seems, even after another “learning experience” of a flood. Speeches and promises, but residents want to see work crews at every flood grate site and creek bank in the City clearing all debris away from the flooded areas and making sure those “no-flood zones” are maintained free and clear from now on in a regularly scheduled check-up and clear routine.
As noted in the Freeman Station picture, it is closed. Now that the City Museums have taken it on it needs many thousands of dollars of upgrades to make it safe for human beings to enter. Sad isn’t it that when run on a shoestring by fabulous, caring individuals for many years it was safe to visit, but when made a City owned museum, it just doesn’t cut the mustard. I suggest taking money out of the Civic Square redo budget to fund all of the new Freeman Station requirements to make it Ship, or should I say Train Shape. We won’t miss the frills at Civic Square as much as we’d miss Freeman Station. You can’t miss things you never had.
Very interesting.Thank Joe.
You are welcome Graham.