Gas in the U.S.

[Latinoman]

I really have to disagree here Latinoman. For starters as I've said before, our health care system has many problems, covers less and less care every year, and we pay insane taxes on it. What's the income tax rate you paid last year? When you start making decent money it's literally about 50% here. 15% sales tax (on top of the price of every good that is already higher than in the US), gas taxes, and on top of that, everyone had to pay a $1000 'health surcharge'. I'm pretty sure we could have been insured for half the price.

Trust me...we pay a lot of taxes. We pay property taxes, state taxes, county/city taxes, real estate taxes. If we work overseas...we get taxed twice (after certain amount). $1,000 health surcharge is NOTHING in comparison, although, I agree our medical system is better. Our sales tax can fluctuate depending on the state...5%, 10%, whatever.

Also, you have a SMALLER population...you are not involved in some crazy War (we are in two), and you don't have to deal with a CRAZY cost in Universities and other general stuff.

After second thought, I will agree with you about the cost of general produces/food. The U.S. is blessed with food.

Our domestic flying network is considerably more robust than yours and probably the entire World. Millions of people flight to each: both D.C. and both N.Y. airports, both Chicago airports, L.A., Miami, and Atlanta airports every DAY!

 

[SmoothTalker]

You think we don't pay all that? Provincial and Federal income taxes (both at higher rates than yours), corporate taxes, property, capital gains, 14% sales tax, gas tax, alcohol and tobacco are taxed to hell (people stock up on cartons of cigarettes and alcohol when they go south), etc etc. Oh I forgot to mention unemployment insurance deductions. It's not uncommon for people to come home with half the money they 'earned', before even paying all the non-income taxes.

Yes you pay more for higher education, but it's also better. The smallest class I've had so far was 100 students for 1 professor, so interaction is very limited.

I'm sure you pay more in some instances, we pay more in many others. All I know is that I don't know any Americans that have moved to Canada, l do know quite a few Canadians that have moved to the US, and they are definitely taking home a lot more money at the end of the day. Canada is great to live in if you're poor, our social services and welfare programs are much more extensive and better funded.

As a result, those that aren't poor, are heavily burdened paying for this system. Whether this is good or not is a complex issue involving ethics and ideology and politics, but I'm pretty sure the fact that it's true is obvious to anybody living in Canada.

As for flying, that probably has more to do with the cost of flying than anything. In Canada it is very expensive, mostly because of taxes again. For example a return ticket from Toronto to Florida can be as cheap as $50. Taxes on that ticket are $300+ dollars. It just went from a great deal to a ripoff. So I guess in that sense jet fuel costs are a drop in the bucket.

 

[Rhoto]

Engineers have specialties. Even engineering fields such as "mechanical engineers" have specialties. You cannot transfer from the automovite industry into the oil exploration industry and expected to bring the same knowledge.

And where did I say that would occur?

 

[theunflushables]

I don't know but something needs to be done soon $3.89 a gallon here in Michigan.