Post #2313083

@liztai@hachyderm.io @EllenInEdmonton@yeg.bike No, no. I get it. That's why it's right on the bill the way it is. It's made to make you feel like you are the one benefiting. A big shock at the till makes life hard even if you get a bigger cheque in the mail. People don't connect the two. We literally had poor folks here who supported a 2% sales tax reduction over $500 a year in less taxes at the lowest bracket. I talked to one of them and I tried to do math with her. I explained that the $800/year savings on "average" only benefits people who spend $40k a year on taxable goods (things like rent, groceries, diapers aren't included here). She said yes. She was saving money. I was gobsmacked so I asked her how much she made. $35k a year. After income taxes, rent, and food there's no way she even "saves" a quarter of that average. She literally made less money than the average spend for the government promise of the average family saving $800 a year. She told me she didn't care because every time she goes to the Tim Horton's (huge local coffee chain) she sees she's saving money. Honestly, poor people are fooled into supporting these shit policies against their interests. It's only partially their fault. Propaganda is strong and in our case, math literacy is weak.