tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post2606186094914750330..comments2024-03-28T19:18:40.387-04:00Comments on Northern Reflections: Tax FairnessOwen Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-17866613300187766152014-12-04T04:40:20.799-05:002014-12-04T04:40:20.799-05:00And in those cases, Anon, no one is going to be br...And in those cases, Anon, no one is going to be broke.Owen Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-16766391986685410342014-12-04T02:04:55.877-05:002014-12-04T02:04:55.877-05:00I have always said that we should be proud to pay ...I have always said that we should be proud to pay a higher rate of income tax on our second million than we do on our first million.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-44666152620795691642014-12-03T21:04:01.092-05:002014-12-03T21:04:01.092-05:00We tend to forget that it was Teddy Roosevelt who ...We tend to forget that it was Teddy Roosevelt who favoured progressive income taxes, Toby.<br /><br />Roosevelt was the "trust buster" who knew that progressive taxes were a simple expression of fairness.Owen Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-8459830557030376482014-12-03T20:40:50.682-05:002014-12-03T20:40:50.682-05:00The so called flat tax looks like a good idea. It...The so called <i>flat tax</i> looks like a good idea. It is often promoted by those we call <i>the 1%</i>. Unfortunately they are scamming us. They want you and I to pay our flat tax but they always leave loopholes for themselves. Tobynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-14403675030209933652014-12-03T16:53:47.156-05:002014-12-03T16:53:47.156-05:00Raising corporate taxes even a percentage point or...Raising corporate taxes even a percentage point or two would make a huge difference, Anon.Owen Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-81695661985647875252014-12-03T16:31:42.320-05:002014-12-03T16:31:42.320-05:00um, people on smaller incomes already pay proporti...um, people on smaller incomes already pay proportionally more of their incomes - and with some of the small incomes I've had the gov't was still taking 20% or more off in deductions, others I know working as techs in hospital labs for example, are paying 40% of their hard earned wages - so 10% across the board would give us back considerably more of our bit of money. 10% of the billions the banks make, for example, would pump a nice sum back into providing healthcare etc for this country, it seems to meAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-82498373723536016582014-12-03T16:17:26.071-05:002014-12-03T16:17:26.071-05:00I don't think so, Lulymay. The boutique tax cr...I don't think so, Lulymay. The boutique tax credits are clearly meant to buy votes. They have little to do with the overall economy.Owen Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-76611788695274242312014-12-03T15:18:43.060-05:002014-12-03T15:18:43.060-05:00Harper might claim to be an Economist, Owen, but i...Harper might claim to be an Economist, Owen, but in reality he is a master and divide and conquer. There are a number of small, incremental steps that any party holding power in Ottawa can take to assist families to survive in this wonderful so-called global economy.<br /><br />They have benchmarks for what constitutes "poverty" in terms of income that are calculated around number of adults and children in each domicile. Any household earning at or less that the appropriate benchmark should not have to have any income tax deducted at source from earned income and be able to download the tax form right off the internet. (If they can do that in the US, then surely we can do the same in Canada). All one does is enter the total income and e-file to Ottawa. No need for hundreds of clerks employed to audit a growing number of households that fit this category. In fact, why shouldn't the government routinely supply the various income tax packages that we now have to pay $40 or so to purchase? You'd think a wise, cost-cutting, economically sound government would want to do that just to save the cost of space required to store hard copies of all these documents. More savings can be realized. <br /><br />Then start cutting out all the fluff and get back to basics, which would automatically level the playing field and yield more revenue to implement their programs (or, heaven forbid, reduce the debt accumulating to all taxpayers). Tax credits are an incredibly expensive way to implement tax policy. The more complex, the more staff required to review/audit, unless of course you only look at your 'hit' list.<br /><br />Am I being too simplistic here? Dreaming in technicolour, maybe? Lulymaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-87347676096340890222014-12-03T11:58:05.344-05:002014-12-03T11:58:05.344-05:00That's the so called "flat tax," Mog...That's the so called "flat tax," Mogs. But there is a problem with it. People on small incomes pay proportionally more of their incomes than the wealthy.<br /><br />The wealthy use the same infrastructure and government benefits. Why not have a proportional income tax, instead of paying proportionally more of your income?Owen Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35117130.post-25938959445298259662014-12-03T11:16:17.586-05:002014-12-03T11:16:17.586-05:00I'll say tax 10% across the board that everyo...I'll say tax 10% across the board that everyone should pay corporations rich 1%er's etcetera. Plus no more corporate welfare. Every entity pays 10% we would have a smaller bureaucracy and realize tons more in tax revenues that could provide needed social services. Plus it would free up money to drive the economy. Also no tax free off shore havens...<br /><br />You earn a dollar whether selling real estate newspapers or oil you pay $0.10 cents and it works. We would realize far more revenue than this corporate welfare game and would give working families a huge break and incentive to participate in the economy.<br /><br />Now Harper is an "Economist"? I don't think so he has been in totalitarian power since 2011 and has made foreign corporations healthy and happy at the expense of real Canadian families..<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17868396408359306954noreply@blogger.com