I found this article over at Harper Divides Canada - Google Groups

Where as I usually try to stick to financial / not political topics, post is heavily weighted financially.

The poster argues that Western Canada would save money by separating from Canada.

I love that kind of logic. Let's say that again just for fun... Western Canada would save money by separating from the rest of Canada"

WAIT PLEASE!.. WHAT A LUDICROUS IDEA.
I bet the same person who made this post on google groups has different sentiments for his family members. Canada is a family. Canada is a nation of families.

Would you say the same thing about your family. IE... I would have saved so much money if I didn't feed my children?!!

Would you say,

• "My spouses hobbies cost too much and thus we can't do them."
  
• The childrens schooling costs too much
  
• Our family vacations cost too much.

No... you would never say those things about your spouse or your children. They are your family and the costs associated with such activities are just understood to be.

To say that Alberta would save money by separating from Canada is maybe true on a very narrow sense. Ultimately, in my opinion the family of Canadians would suffer as a whole by such divisions.

Where is the community that we once enjoyed in this nation. Where is the family spirit that our former generations enjoyed.

It must be nice to be a political armchair quarter back, while you sit back and watch TV or play on your computer.

Let's not short change Canada as a whole family. Let's fight to keep the marriage together.!

ML

Actually, it is reality. Unlike Quebec, Alberta would immediately realize a
$16 billion dollar additional surplus from not having to make transfer
payments alone. Add in that GST and income tax would stay in the west and not get pork barrelled out by Ottawa to special interests. Alberta kicks far too much into Ottawa for absolutely nothing.

BC, take a look at the same thing. All that income tax/GST money going back east and we still don't have a decent highway through BC from east to west.

And the federal government brags about spending 5 million... for your
billions on a sign so you should be happy? Hardwood lumber problems no more, the US has interstate trade laws to prevent what happened and that business would take off. Employment would boom!

Both provinces would then have lower costs on automobiles, lower taxes for both individuals and companies, lower gas prices, lower cost fruits, fresher and lower cost vegetables, and can travel the US freely without worrying about border harassment for GST.

The Americans, you bet they would take Alberta and BC together. It bridges energy and natural resources from Alaska to Washington DC and the first thing they would do is put a real interstate highway north-south and east-west right throughout both provinces. Americans would be utterly disgusted at the quality of our national highways and fix it ASAP.

Politically, you can recall politicians that don't act in your interests.
You get to vote for three branches of government that all proactively
participate in the process. The US senate is active, unlike Ottawa it is
elected and isn't a pork barrel for your dollars.

It is a no brainer financially and politically. It is our brainwashed
culture and inability to change that prevents this. It is the freeloaders
getting Ottawa government cheques for doing nothing. This is the price we pay to remain in a colonial, archaic aristocratic parliamentary system.

Even if BC/Alberta didn't become states, much the same benefits could come
if these two provinces formed their own country called Western Canada.