The Rural Voice, 1983-03, Page 4OWNERS IN NAME ONLY
I am very alarmed to hear the
proposal that all of our farm taxes are
to be paid by the government under a
new system of taxation. Mr. Armstrong
raised some interesting questions. How
do we stop roads. hydro or pipeline
access if we allow government control
of our lands. We would be tenant
farmers for the government, being own-
ers in name only.
Who is to say that farms in resort
areas are not penalized by being levied
more taxes at the governments whim?
What will happen to the large farm
homes and new houses that now enjoy
a tax break -as opposed to town taxation
rates?
Has the government figured out a
way to give us 100 percent rebate with
one hand only to take back 120 percent
with the other? Nothing in life is free!
What penalties do we pay for this
alleged generosity.
L. Graham
Lucknow
DON'T JEOPARDIZE GAINS
Being involved over the years at the
policy making level of farming has
been, for the most part, a rewarding
experience. However, once in a while, a
policy will become so misconstrued by
a minority of people that one wonders if
we're even on the same planet. Two
such cases recently come to mind,
"Canagrex" and the reaction to Tim-
brell's announced changes for levying
property taxes.
Canagrex was an idea originated by
the OFA several years ago and is finally
nearing fruition. It is simply an agency
designed to increase agricultural ex-
ports. As a producer of those products
that are all too often in a surplus
position at bankrupting prices. I'm
delighted there might be one more
aggressive agent out there selling my
product. I find it disappointing and
frustrating that this simple idea has
become caught up in a mishmash of
private versus public enterprises, parti-
san politics, and regionalism debates in
this country.
Last month's issue of The Rural
Voice carried a letter from a reader
entitled 'Property Taxes A Privilege',
Since when? An obligation maybe, but
a privilege? However, the question is
redundant because the proposal does
not eliminate taxes as the writer would
have us believe. The new policy is
designed to return about the same
number of tax dollars as the present
rebate. The present rebate is there, by
an Order in Council. This not only has
PG. 4 THE RURAL VOICE, MARCH 1983
FEEDBACK
to be renewed each year but can be
eliminated at the whim of any cabinet. I
expect the new policy to be legislated
in place.
It should be noted some farmers are
upset because they might be paying
more taxes with the new policy than
before. This is because the qualifying
criteria is too high for some farms. OFA
has protested this in the past and I
expect it will continue to do so until it
is rectified.
Writer Armstrong seems to be his
own worst enemy in worrying about his
"unfair" advantage over his non-farm
business acquaintances. He should re-
alize that farming has a number of
built-in disadvantages compared to
other businesses. The return on capital
investment is much lower, and inven-
tory turnover is much slower than in
most other businesses. to say nothing
of the climatic and biological uncertain-
ties.
Mr. Armstrong's suggestion that
sales tax be adapted to pay education
costs is worth thinking about, but let's
not delude ourselves into thinking it
would be easy to persuade the gov-
ernment to do this quickly, as well, it
would do exactly what many people like
Jim claim (unjustly) the current govern-
ment proposal will do, that is, remove
control of revenue collecting from local
municipalities.
I urge everyone to take a careful,
objective look at the new taxation
proposal before jeopardizing the signifi-
cant gains we have made for our
industry.
W. Merle Gunby
OFA DIRECTOR. N.W. Huron
HAPPY PAYING TAXES
In continuation of Mr. Jim Arm-
strong's letter about property taxes, we
as farmers agree whole-heartedly with
him. It is just a completely unnecessary
item that needs to come into effect. It
tells us, and states clearly in the bible,
where we will, and shall be taxed, but
probably folks will say, that's obsolete,
just like they do many other good old
fashioned ideas.
The privilege of using the roads and
facilities that our council is trying to do
for us, has got to come from the
farmers' pocket; no one is saying that
the urban & city dweller cannot use the
road, but the farmer, with his good
machinery has to have excellent main-
tenance to travel from one farm to
another, because no one but a well-
managed farmer knows the cost of
machinery repairs and rubber tires, plus
good travel for cars & trucks. So
therefore, the monies have to come
from somewhere. It is me honest -to -
goodness, whole -hearted farmer that
can say "I can pay my taxes, I have my
taxes paid and now I am happy". Be a
proud Canadian we don't want 100%
rebate for everything we do.
We as concerned citizens of long
established families, do not need other
peoples' help in paying our taxes, as we
still feel we own our farms which we
bought and paid for with a lot of hard
work and sweat.
Stan & Marj Riehl
R.R. ft1 Gadshill
TRYING TO MAKE A PROFIT
One of the speakers at the Huron
Federation meeting (The Rural Voice,
Huron Federation: Survival Strategies,
Feb. 1983) said if you can't make
money, get at something else that there
is a profit in. Welt, I've been trying that
and by the time I get going, the market
goes bad and I should have stayed at
the same as I was doing.
I don't understand why the govern-
ment gave a subsidy on cows in
cow -calf last year and the price of
calves were less this year so this year I
cut back to a straight hay diet for the
cows. It is either cut back on their feed
or my feed.
You can't even get 200 hens as you
use to, to help out because there is no
grading stations anymore.
I think I will have to drop my
insurance on fire and car as they came
due in the spring and I have no money
to pay it. I can't ask them to carry me
till fall and there is no money to get at
the bank.
A. Legge
R.R. 1 Dobbinton
NO LAUGHING MATTER
A few nights ago, we made our way
into the boonies of Ashfield Township.
There, in a very magnificent mansion, a
few writers of some repute gathered to
share wisdom, and sample some of
Ontario's best juice of the grape.
A very prominent agriculturalist from
Bruce County and myself, were seated
near the log tire, quaffing some of said
agriculturalists home made, cellar -aged
snake oil.
As is the usual drill, we toasted each
other with goblets high. I toasted to
peace and to Canada, and we were
hopeful. My friend toasted to prosperity
on the farm in 1983, and we laughed!
John Hazlitt
R.R. 4 Goderich
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