If we look at an Uber receipt, we notice another feature of Canadian life: the ubiquity of taxes:
The actual cost of the trip was $8.89 or about $6.82 US. I'm not sure what the "booking fee" is, but the remainder, $2.79 or about $2.16 US, or almost 32%, was taxes. This does not include, of course, the hidden taxes: a hefty tax on gasoline, taxes on the purchase of the automobile and so on. I once saw an analysis of the hidden taxes in the cost of a bottle of wine in British Columbia. I kid you not, the actual cost of the wine was about two dollars with eight dollars in tax! Canadians, through lifelong propagandizing, sincerely believe that these taxes are all to the good and ensure a safe and healthy environment. Certainly true for the hoards of workers employed by the government. An article I read this week in Canada's National Post stated that in seven Canadian provinces the highest income tax rate was over 50%. And these rates kick in at a fairly low level, around $140,000 CAN or a bit over $108,000 US. I think this is called being a "junior partner" in your own life. No wonder that for many Canadians, when they make any significant life decision the first thing they ask is what the tax consequences will be.
Let's end on a happier note! I made it back to Schwartz's yesterday for lunch. I guess there is always going to be a line-up. After a fifteen minute wait I sat at the counter and had my usual, a smoked meat sandwich and a diet coke. You can ask for more or less fat on the meat so I asked for more. The waiter teased me saying "I guess the diet coke balances out the fat?" My personal view is that it is the sugar that kills you, the fat is ok.
The other Jewish palace of food in Montreal is probably Moishes Steakhouse which is right next to Schwartz's on St. Laurent. According to Wikipedia both Moishes and Schwartz's are influenced by Romanian cuisine--Moishes was founded in 1938 by Moishe Lighter, a Romanian Jewish immigrant. I have never eaten there, but I have a reservation for tomorrow night!
Now I'm really stumped for an envoi. I know, how about some Romanian Jewish music?
Thanks for your posts from up North on your travel adventure, Bryan. Of course I don’t agree with you on taxes, but I’m cool w/ that.
ReplyDeleteHi Patrick, thanks! I will have another post or two on Montreal and food. No more on concerts because I only got to the one. Taxes are a choice, of course, and most Canadians seem quite happy with them. I'm uncomfortable with the level of control that they imply. But I'm out of the mainstream for sure.
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