Canada Ping!
Posted on 03/04/2015 6:57:45 PM PST by rickmichaels
A new report is calling on municipal governments to scrap seniors' discounts.
The study, called No Seniors' Specials: Financing Municipal Services in Aging Communities, was commissioned by the national think-tank Institute for Research on Public Policy.
Economist Harry Kitchen Economist Harry Kitchen is the author of a recent study advising cities to get rid of seniors' discounts. (www.transportfutures.ca)
Many municipalities in Canada give discounts to seniors based solely on their age.
Those discounts for citizens aged 55 or older include lower bus fares, cheaper fitness classes and sometimes reduced property taxes.
Harry Kitchen, the report's author, says a lot of the seniors' discounts offered by municipalities are unfair because most seniors don't need them.
"A lot of these discounts and special programs were introduced back in the 1960s, 1970s when a vast percentage of the seniors were poor," said the professor emeritus in the department of economics at Ontario's Trent University.
"Forward that through to 2008 [to] 2010, the percentage of poor in the seniors groups is smaller than any other age group in the country."
Kitchen has no problem with private businesses offering seniors' discounts, such as cheaper restaurant meals or movies.
But he says municipalities giving a break to seniors are creating a situation where poorer younger people are subsidizing wealthier seniors.
"As soon as you start offering a discount, or a perk, based on age, you're inevitably going to be subsidizing some rich people, aren't you?" he said.
Kitchen says a common objection to his study's findings is that seniors are owed some help after spending their lifetimes working and paying taxes.
He refutes that argument, pointing out that the money paid to cities in user fees and property taxes is used to pay for services available to those people that year.
"Why should you ask someone else to pay for a service that you're currently using?" he asked.
Kitchen says income transfer programs are a better way for cities to help poor people, regardless of their age.
So the elderly haven’t paid enough taxes yet? We have to suck every possible penny if they MIGHT have an extra dollar or two?
Good grief.
The Government shouldn’t be treating one Citizen differently from another.
Now, if they go after the Club 55 Menu at Coco’s, I’ll really be upset.
I’m seeing more and more ‘senior discount’ entries on my receipts these days, LOL. This is mostly at cafeterias and restaurants.
I was totally unaware of this. Thank you. This makes me more hopeful that poverty does not necessarily walk arm in arm with being old in America.
My mother actually had a fake driver license so she could get the senior discount at ski resorts.
In SC Veteran plates are cheaper than Retired Military plates.
Don’t understand that one.
Ummm ... I like my discounts for staying alive long enough to officially become “an old fogey”! I’ve been waiting my entire life for that ... LOL ...
Was shopping at Kroger’s last week. They give a 10% discount to seniors when you buy their store brand. Lady right behind me who had her EBT card in her hand and lots of crap in her basket wanted to know why I got a discount and she didn’t. Told her she might if she was old enough, got a job and paid for her own groceries. Also told her I was glad to get the discount since I had to use part of my money from my salary to pay for her free groceries. Checker just smiled.
Grammar note: Cars and cows are serviced. Seniors are served.
They were of the WWII/Depression era and had very little savings.
They would have stayed at home and NOT gone out to a restaurant without them.
However, 30 years on, the "senior citizens" of today in general are pretty well off.
I'm NOT discounting the senior citizens of 2015 who are poor.
But a generation ago, this was the "norm".
Makes sense, as a senior has had literally a lifetime to acquire wealth.
BTW, seniors LOVE cafeterias, why not give them a little incentive?
Good on you, Grams A!
What’s funny is, I don’t think anyone has ever asked me if I qualify. They either assign the discount or they don’t. It does seem like the younger the cashier, the more likely I am to get it, LOL.
I want this clown to go into the heart of Black and Hispanic communities and ask this question, or the Congress and Senate, how about the friggin White House.
should be on a needs basis. Prove need and get the discounts. The alternative is to shut out a good number of seniors from having the ability to enjoy life. nothing should be automatic. Every government program should be on a needs basis.
So....by this “prove need” criteria, you are okay with EBT and all that, huh?
That's true. Obama also went after the COLA increases to retired military and disabled veterans. He has repeatedly cut benefits for military families as well.
Food Stamps? Cash welfare for fornicating whores? EITC tax refunds in the Hundreds of Billions for people who are not even US citizens?
Pile it on.
“At my age of 58, I will soon be joining that most exclusive club, but alas, with very little in personal savings.”
You and that exclusive club will have more in common that you think. I turn 65 in November and have already seen many of my long time friends retire at 62. All went well for about a year then they realize they can not afford the retirement dream they had envisioned. They are now stuck at home with too many financial liabilities and limited income.
The biggest liability I see most of them stuck with is a house, yea it’s a nice one but they’ve become prisoners within. My house isn’t as new as theirs or as big but it’s very comfortable and paid for, I never fell into the bigger newer house trap that so many did. Don’t get me wrong, about 15 years ago I had the same urge and the means but I couldn’t make myself do it. Still have a few years before my wife hit’s 62 and I plan to keep working. Three of those years I’ll draw full SS and a full paycheck which will more than offset her early retirement. Then again I may not retire few in my line of work do, most of us go to consulting. We’re the old geezer’s who show up on a location when all hell has broke loose.
I wonder how he feels about the imbalance of costs with ObamaCare....
I seldom ask for a senior discount - my Military retiree ID card is just as useful: 10% at Loews can add up, especially after Katrina with all the rebuild supplies and major appliances...
Canada Ping!
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