By Pepper Parr
January 26th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The decision to mail the tax rebate cheques to 12.5 million people is unconscionable.
It will cost millions more to mail the $200 cheques.
Don’t for a second think Premier Ford is embarrassed over sending you money you paid in taxes. He wants your vote – he needs your vote and before the RCMP report on the Greenbelt scandals are made public.
Premier Ford wants people to have the cheque in their hands and have to take it to the bank. He wants that connection that he has convinced himself will result in a positive vibe.
There just might be a less-than-positive vibe when the citizens of the province get to vote on February 27th.
The tax rebate plan is going to cost the treasury $3 billion. The province currently has a $ 6.6 billion budget deficit.
All Ontario taxpayers 18 and over who filed their 2023 income tax are eligible for a $200 cheque and families who qualify for the federal Canada Child Benefit payment could receive an additional $200 for every child under 18.
Those who were bankrupt or incarcerated last year do not qualify for a payment.
The Ford government’s $200 ‘tax rebate’ cheques are coming soon, many people have already received their cheque. What should you do if you haven’t received your cheque?
The finance minister began issuing the cheques on January 17th and they are set to reach families over the coming weeks, said a spokesperson for the minister.
Ontarians can verify the cheque amounts for adults and children, the mailing address of the cheque and whether or not it has been mailed out on the Service Ontario website.
That system will require an account login, the last four digits of an individual’s Social Insurance Number, their date of birth and the postal code of the mailing address used in the Canada Revenue Agency tax return.
A person can only check their status a maximum of three times a day.
Because I’m always tinkering with something or other, my daily attire is that of a dishevelled hobo; I was at an atm downtown clutching my government carbon tax cheque when a lady approached me and asked if the cheque I was holding was my $200 Doug Ford cheque; we had a nice chat where she told me that she and her husband needed that money for food expenses; you can’t pick up every stray kitten, but it’s the reason I don’t live in the suburbs.
I totally disagree with the Ford government sending out $200.00 cheques.
I felt the same way for the proposed $250.00 cheques that the Federal Government under Justin Trudeau was planning on doing as well.
Guess I have to thank Chrystia Freeland whose actions caused the proroguing of Parliament to stop this foolish spending of taxpayer dollars.
Let us not forget she was prepared to do this before Justin Trudeau, in his wisdom, decided to replace her as Finance Minister prior to her having to deliver her speech defending this.
Have to wonder who advised Justin that this was the thing to do?
Well, that $200 cheque will go directly to my favorite charity…Carpenter Hospice. What a ridiculous gesture on Ford’s part. That 3 billion would be better spent on upgrading our health care. Trying to buy votes Dougie?