#corkthetax

#CorkTheTax

https://corkthetax.ca/

Argh, just argh. This is the exact same approach the Provincial Liberals are taking in Ontario - to put all "vices" out of the reach of the poor, with the assumption that people who can afford the government's punitive markup will, I guess, also be inherently able to indulge responsibly somehow? This will, of course, turn the down-on-their-luck into clean and sober hard workers (because if someone of less-than-optimal income drinks, it is invariably a problem, and probably the reason).
Also, as everyone knows, the money anything intoxicating would have brought into the economy organically, say, by being a desirable product people are allowed to sell at a fair price and buy without moral judgement expressed financially, poofs away because healthcare. It's not only sound economics but a moral obligation to tax the everloving crap out of anything that can be labelled "evil, but just permissible if you pay up, drunky". Invariably, ensuring the price of anything marginally naughty increases at a greater rate than overall inflation will make everyone realize the only vices they really need are hard work, fresh air, and watching the occasional hockey player or martial artist pound another human's face to mush in extreme close-up.

This is to say nothing of marijuana legalization, which is going to be an underplanned, underimplemented disaster that does nothing to disrupt the black market and ends up with a net increase of Canadians in jail over minor amounts of cannabis changing hands. Of course, that's the end goal of modern prohibition - not to have alcohol, cannabis, and yes, tobacco be managed but to have them be evil. The benevolent government might not punish you directly for partaking, and will gladly take a cut of the profits, but they will still brook no other authority in terms of getting you messed up. I don't even want to hazard a guess what a joint will cost at the LCBM (yes, Liquor Control Board of Marijuana, and I stand by it) under a sale structure designed by the Federal Liberals and implemented by the Provincial ones.

Anticipating this and future price increases, I'm pledging to step up my callousness and greed in order to free up enough budget to stay moderately goofed. No more fair trade products, charitable donations, 20% tips or treating friends to coffee, for starters. Sunny ways my hairy middle-aged butt. See - now I'm going to say stuff like that all the time. A fairly-priced Canadian-made craft beer would go a long way to cheer me up, but of course any joy that comes from sin is false and short-lived and comes with a free bunch of politicians demanding a cut.

I'm going to do some serious research and see if we've had a passable leader since John A. then make a tired joke about how said historical grave can now be used as a rudimentary turbine.