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I have a simple message for carbon tax protesters: Keep your hands off our rebate.
I have a simple message for carbon tax protesters: Keep your hands off our rebate.
Like eight out of 10 Canadian families, ours is better off with the carbon tax than without. As a retired couple with a family income below $100,000, we received $289.50 on Jan. 15, as our latest quarterly climate incentive payment. During that time we paid $93.20 in carbon tax on 28.5 gigajoules of natural gas at the pre-April 1 rate of $3.27 a GJ.
That left us $196.30 — enough to cover the carbon tax on 1,360 litres of gasoline at the pre-April 1 rate of 14.4 cents a litre. That works out to two 50-litre fills each week with effectively no carbon tax. There’s no way we drove that much.
My guess is most other Canadian families don’t fill up twice a week either, which leaves cash in all of our pockets from the climate incentive payment. Even with the April 1 tax increase, especially with an expected rise in the rebate, we’ll continue to be money ahead.
So before anyone axes the tax, I ask them to do the math. They may be surprised by what they find. Then we may be able to enjoy the summer without choking on smoke from another record wildfire season.
Larry Johnsrude, Edmonton
Beat isolation by engaging in real life
Loneliness on campus or elsewhere cannot be overcome with QR codes requiring further engagement with our phones.
The cure for loneliness is to put away our texting and email, and engage with real people in real time. Talk to the people next to you in line, sitting next to you in class or at work, or — heaven forbid — call the person you want to communicate with. An occasional text or email is fine when necessary, but loneliness cannot be cured without actual human interaction.
You will meet new people, make new friends. Human interaction is the only cure for loneliness.
Richard Garside, Edmonton
Parking app refund system unfair
The City of Edmonton’s handling of the MyEPark app transition raises concerns about fairness and transparency. While those with a minimum balance of $25 will have their funds automatically transferred to the new app, users with smaller account balances are forced to navigate a refund application process to reclaim their money — a cumbersome process many may not navigate. This system is unfair and risks leaving many Edmontonians out of pocket due to lack of awareness.
A smooth transition should prioritize all users. The city should automatically transfer all remaining account balances, regardless of amount, to the new app. Furthermore, a clear and comprehensive public awareness campaign is crucial to ensure everyone has the opportunity to recoup their funds.
Edmontonians deserve better than a system that creates unnecessary burdens for residents. Let’s hope the city rectifies this situation before it becomes another example of mismanaged public projects.
Samson Lau, Edmonton
