My initial thoughts on the Ontario budget:

- On the concept of health premiums: once I got over the initial sticker shock (my premiums would be more than the health care services I require are worth, although I can easily afford it) I think it's a reasonable action. It isn't a burden to me, funding health care is extremely important, and I don't hold McGuinty to not raising taxes. (I think it was irresponsible for him to sign that pledge in the first place, but I totally see why he did it in an electoral context).

- On the branding of "health premiums": This branding could go either way. The fact that it's labelled as for healthcare could make people more supportive of health premiums, or it could increase opposition to public health care. The word "premiums" could remind people that this is insurance, which might ease the sticker shock, or it could make it look like the government is trying to avoid using the word "taxes". Myself, I would rather have it be part of the income tax, so as to avoid bringing about any new opposition to public health care, but perhaps the "health" label will ensure that it gets spent on healthcare rather than going into a collective pot.

- On the amounts of the health premiums: Some people have said they are a burden. Any new tax will be a burden for people living without enough leeway in their budget, which I know happens at all income levels and at all money management skill levels, for a myriad of reasons. My only problem with the amounts of the premiums is that they constitute a larger percentage of low incomes than of high incomes. It was better to stagger the amounts than to say "Okay, $400 per earner across the board", but it should either be X% of income, no matter what, or have tax brackets with percentages increasing as incomes increase.

- On delisting services: This is SO not cool! They had my support right up to this point. You want to improve the health care system, improve the health care system, but health care is not about a balance sheet, and cannot be improved by delisting services. I would rather pay higher premiums than have services delisted.

- Vitriol du jour: The people who are saying that a nominal fee should be charged for all health services "to remind people that health care costs taxpayers' money". This is health care! I seriously doubt that, with the possible exception of a few cases of Munchausen syndrome, people are haphazardly receiving health care for the fun of it! People should not be avoiding receiving needed health care for the purpose of saving money - their own or the taxpayer's. That's why public health care was introduced in the first place!

A note to news media: Please stop referring to the provincial and federal governments as "the Liberals". That makes it unclear which level of government you are referring to.