As a Canuck:
Yes, they lowered taxes a tiny bit recently. We're still in debt to our eyes though, so no big breaks for a while yet. The US is in a simalar situation though isn't it? Not having a deficit is one thing... but you don't really reap the rewards until you pay down the debt and stop paying a huge % of your tax dollars to service debt every year.
Heathcare is typically socialized. IE: The base heathcare is pretty good. It's not great. If you have no money, Canada is a great place to be sick. If you have money and need something expensive done quickly, you fly to the US and have it done.
Hmmm... Income taxes are in the 30-50% range depending on income. The problem is all the other taxes that get tacked on. Provincial and Federal sales taxes combine for 15% here in Nova Scotia. Gas is taxed hugely... like 100% when you add them all up. Over 1/2 of the gas prices we pay is various taxes. We're at like 80 cents a Litre or so now. What percentage of my income goes to the government right now? Likely close to 50% when all is said and done.
Getting my monies worth? Hmmm, depends who you ask and what province they live in. Basically it works like this in my opinion: If you have minimal skills and are on the low end of the pay scale, Canada is a great place to live. If you have lots of marketeable skills and are on the high side of the pay scale, Canada sucks, you move to the US. Once your income breaks about $60K a year, your better off down south I think.
I don't know about the gun thing. Don't care. Some of you folks in the US have taken a law designed to keep the British from invading and turned it into something else entirely IMHO. Hint: They cancelled the invasion. They are not coming.
Lephturn
