Surplus continues to swell

[Spazito]

Ottawa — Ottawa took in $10.7-billion more than it spent in the first eight months of this fiscal year — and more than double its surplus reported in the same period last year.

From April through November, the federal surplus swelled far beyond the $4.1 billion reported during the same time last year, the federal Finance department said Thursday.

snip

The latest figure of $10.7-billion is subject to a great deal of revision as monthly figures are adjusted to take account of new taxes flowing in and transfer payments to provinces and individuals flowing out.

The latest surplus number doesn't yet take into account two multibillion-dollar promises on health care and equalization made last fall by Prime Minister Paul Martin, finance officials said.

more

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050120.wsurplus0120/BNStory/National/

(I guess O'Lielly's boycott didn't work, lol)

[Old and In the Way]

1. Gee, imagine that. Another socialist country that runs a surplus.

While Republican capitalism is driving everyone broke here.......

[Johnyawl]

2. bush is gonna have to invade Canada...

...he needs their money, and they're making him look bad.

[patdem]

3. That's cause all the corps are moving to Canada for cheap health care

by cheap I do not mean less than good, but one of a corporation's larger expense in America is funding health care for its workers. Canada has the same quality of worker and corporations do not have to foot the bill for health care which is a total unknown when trying to budget into the future. GO CANADA!

[MrPrax]

6. That is part of it...

Securing health care costs for both worker and management is a big chunk of 'risk management' projections, especially when dealing with an aging workforce.

But another reason is emerging and it can be squarely placed on the shoulders of Bush and the political environment he has created in the US--simply put it is too unstable.

What company is going to make an investment, when they are not sure who might be the target next year, let alone next month.

Say you bring in a foreign management team to oversee your investment, and they get hung up by Homeland Security?
Say you have trade relations with a 'country' designated an 'enemy of freedom', like say France?
Say you run afoul of self-righteous fundamentalists that pass local laws or state laws that make business difficult in attracting the 'talent'?
Say the Administration caves to some lobby PAC and has a 'trade' war with your suppliers?
The financial policies of the federal govt are erratic and has made a dangerous investment climate vis a vis debt, tax, currency, accountability, extra-territoriality, etc

It is difficult enough for American citizens to operate, let alone foreign-owned enterprises and the GOP is whipping up a lot of xenophobia.

[teryang]

7. Everything they do obstructs commerce

The pass themselves off as businessmen but they really represent heriditary plutocrats who actually have no idea how capital is amassed in the marketplace. Their ideas inherently involve, favoritism, fraud, cheating, false advertising, and USING GOVERNMENT REVENUES TO FILL THE COFFERS OF FUNDAMENTALLY UNSOUND BUSINESS ENTERPRISES THAT CAN'T COMPETE IN THE WORLD MARKETPLACE.

Free trade failing you? Just dive into the government contracting business. Need more money? Get your cronies to get you contracts. Need resources, seize them by force. Want new business opportunities at business and taxpayer expense, create phony crises and construct "solutions" that obstruct and discourage the free flow of commerce.

No wonder airlines are going broke. Been to an airport since 911? Who wants to?

[BlueManDude]

4. We used to have a government that functioned like that.

[indepat]

5. But our nation is so much safer and stronger by running massive budget

deficits.