JETSGO Downfall Highlights Canada's Tax Grab

A nightmare weekend for all the hard working Canadians who have looked forward to a "holiday". 17000 people left to their own devices to get airborne and try and enjoy a much needed break form this brutal Canadian winter and our brutal Canadian Government.

Bad enough to have your dreams almost dashed let alone the misery that awaits you when you look for some "fair play" here on refunds of the actual booked fare.

Immediately on hearing of this closure, MasterCard and Visa told their customers that they would be getting a full refund on the charges related to the bookings. Also TICO, our Ontario travel insurance agency announced a full refund on the flight booked through travel agencies.

What is not clear or maybe is too clear is that our Federal Government will not refund, I repeat: WILL NOT, refund any taxes that were paid to them. This makes up at least half of the price of an airline ticket. Airport rental fees, Fuel Tax, Goods and Service Tax and on and on.........

Our Minister of Transportation was on TV spouting his "no involvemnet" in Jetsgo's demise because they are a private comapny.............. Yada Yada........"no taxpayers money will be used to bail this company out....." and on and on.............

What he meant was that the poor Canadian suckers who bought tickets for a Jetsgo flight can forget about getting any taxes back from the Government.

Don't even think this is wrong even though the tax or Goods and Services was charged even though there were no Goods and Services rendered. Fuel Taxes were charged even though no fuel was burnt. Airport Taxes were charged just for the priviledge to be able to stand in lines for the opportunity to hear you were being screwed and you had better like it!

It's quite alright for the Government Reps to fly anywhere in the world at the drop of a hat in private jets at our expense with no haslles, red carpet treatment and empty seats around them while all the while the poor hard working folks who support these troughers get screwed over when they just worked for at least 52 weeks and scrimped and saved their pennies for a few days in a climate that may make everything facing them for the next 52 weeks all "worthwhile".

Hopefully when all these folks get back from their "vaction" they will have enough fortitude to launch a public outcry and demand that the Government "come good" for what amounts to yet another "Tax Grab" by our venerable "leaders".

Blame Jetsgo for whatever you want but dig deeper and you might find there is more to it's downfall than poor management. Jetsgo's idea to provide an affordable alternative to Airline Travel for the working poor was admirable even though probably doomed from the outset. After all, why would a small upstart company be allowed to challenge the status quo of the major airlines operating as a monopoly in our gracious country. How dare working class people demand a fair shake and cheap seats to travel when only the rich and priviledged few of this country "should" be able to enjoy air travel?

Shame on you workers!.........the next time you want to go south.............hitch hike!