Hidden Price of Tax Cuts

Interesting article at Toronto Star about how each tax cut is a cut to the benefits of the middle and lower income classes. Each tax cut is a bribe to people for voting for conservatives.

Click on the title to read the article.

Sometimes at least, ask what I can do for my country and community!

Human societies are a lot like human body, or any other multi-cell living organism. It is true that cells benefit from living together, but it is not possible for cells to live together if they don't contribute as much as they benefit from this community. Each cell has learnt this simple fact, through billions of years of evolution, that in order to survive in a community of cells, you have to help them as much as you benefit from their help. You have to limit your selfishness and work for the common good of the community.

If every cell tries to get, and not to contribute, the body will not last for one moment. Cancerous cells are like selfish humans who don't contribute to their society and think that the society is there just for them to milk it and get rich quick. Cancer cells kill the body, and in the process, themselves.

Unfortunately many of us in our yet primitive societies have not learnt that we have to contribute to our community if we want to survive. Perhaps we can compare anti-tax neo-cons to cancerous cells. What they preach is that it is good to fleece the society and fill up your pockets in the market, but you don't have any duty towards it when it comes to paying taxes, which is paying back to the body you have been benefiting from.

CAPITALISM, OR GOVERNMENTAL CORPORATE WELFARE SYSTEM

Bear Stearns downfall and purchase by JP Morgan proves again the hollow claims of capitalists about Laissez-faire economy and the rule of government in it. At times of prosperity when the greed rules supreme, their economists claim that the government should be as small as possible. It should not interfere in the affairs of the market and must let capitalists shave the public as much as they want to fill up their pockets and own 10 estates instead of only 1. Any attempt at wealth redistribution is faced by hollers of interference. NO, it is not good for economy. NO, the government should not interfere at all and should let the economy run its course.

But look at Bear Stearns comedy now. The moment the excess greed turns into the economic storm and the ships start sinking left and right and centre, then the same capitalists turn to the government, with caps in hands, for survival. The same government which was "BAD" and was not supposed to touch their pockets, now has to save them out with "tax payer's" money. The same people, who were not worthy enough as human beings to share in the prosperous times, are now expected to pay out of their pockets and through their taxes to save out the capitalist's companies and corporations.

Warning by Warren Buffet about low taxes for the rich

Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world, has warned against repealing estate-tax in US. Tax cutting by Bush and cronies has reached to a point that even the rich are complaining:

Read the article here

Harper the tax cutter bribes me and you with another GST tax cut

Harper the tax cutter did it again and cut more taxes. By just cutting 1% of GST, the government will lose around 6 billion dollars a year, and who will benefit, only the rich who are conspicuous consumers, not the poor that only buy food and some very low price items.

Instead of cutting the GST, why doesn't he invest the money into health care, education, housing and other social programs? Are all Canadians so well off that they don't need any of these social programs? How about the crumbling infrastructure of this country, and cities like Toronto that are on the brink of bankruptcy and can't even run their libraries and community centres and public transport? Who is paying for this tax cut? Certainly not the rich, but the poor who have to pay more for the transport tickets, day care, health care, their children's university education, etc. How about freezing the madly rising university tuition fees Mr. Harper??? Or a National Medicare or dental care program???

On the other hands the corporations are rewarded generously with huge tax cuts, really this is a government of corporate welfare, not people's welfare.

And of course, the idiots that can be bribed with a 1% GST tax cut are going to vote for him again, happily pocketing a few dollars more, and losing hundreds and thousands of dollars in healthcare and education for themselves and their families.

Canada deserves long term thinking

A very interesting article in Toronto Star which is not good only for current vote seeking situation in Canada today, but for all times in a democracy.

Canada deserves better

Conservatives wasting the surplus on tax cuts again

Stephen Harper is at it again. "Bribing" simple minds among the masses with tax cuts to vote for him again. I can't find a better word to explain his tactic. Wasting the hard earned surplus that belongs to all of people, on a wealthy few. This surplus must be used to build new infrastructure for the country, renovating the faltering existing infrastructure, helping the near bankrupt cities, etc. Why not help Toronto out of the hole they put it in in the first place. Toronto is a virtually bankrupt city that can't even keep it's libraries and community centres open, and then Harper wastes the surplus in that "bribe". This surplus should be used for health care, for a free medication plan for all, free dental care, free higher education, all of them, if well looked at, are "human rights". But no, Mr. Harper wants to rule another four years, and so what does he do, he wastes "Our" money by giving tax cuts to the wealthy or upper middle class.

The modern election bribe

In the simpler times of yore, they used to bribe people directly to vote for a candidate. They took them to lunch, paid a small amount, etc, and got the vote they wanted. Nowadays, it has become a little more sophisticated, now they promise you a "TAX CUT". If you look at it closely, it is no different then the other bribes they used before.

Shame on Toronto Councillors who voted down the tax increases and now tax the poor

TTC had to increase it's fares yesterday amid fierce campaign by right wing cabal in Toronto Council to stall the tax increases.

WHAT IS A FARE INCREASE? Is it anything else than a TAX on the poor who don't have a car and no other choice than taking the TTC? Also a tax on people with an environmental conscience who don't use cars and don't want to pollute this planet more!

Who was the sole beneficiary of the tax increase blockage? Rich people without a conscience about our planet who drive their SUVs on our highways and choke the planet.

Shame on you capitalist cronies. Shame on you Minan-Wong. Where is the "budget efficiencies" you were promising so as the fares are not increased and the services are not cut? Isn't it an oxymoron? How could you have a functioning world class city without paying for it?? Can you deceive people forever by promising tax cuts and at the same time offering better services?? Is it possible? Who will vote for you except morons who still believe in fairy tales?

Taxes are necessary for living in a civilized society- Toronto and Torontonias

I am appalled by the indifference of our citizens to tax debates. Anytime there is a tax debate in the city hall, it is taken over by the right wing organizations that send their cronies and supporters en masse to the meeting. There are no supporters of tax for the benefit of public in these meetings. What you hear is moaning by a bunch of millionaires and their supporters that there are already too much taxes and it should be cut especially for high earners(How about a flat rate tax? They love it, don’t they?). But come to think of it, you can’t blame them, after all they are defending their millions and billions. But… where…. Oh where are the average middle and lower class citizens to bring their point of view to the meeting?

Civilization needs taxes, and high taxes at that

As that wise old guy(Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.) said:

Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilized society.

There is no Free Lunch. You have to pay if you want to live in a civilized society, there is no other way. Yes, if you want to live in a backward third world country, listen to libertarian and their like, listen to corporations and their cronies and avoid paying taxes. But if you want to live in a country which provides a humane level of services for it's citizens, you can't escape paying taxes. Otherwise, how on earth is that government supposed to pay for health care, public education, good infrastructure, good public transport, child care, etc?

And anyways, being the citizen of a country does not mean it is only that country and that government that is in a contract with you to provide you with services. It means that as a citizen, you have duties towards others too. Part of that duty is paying for the services that are provided for everybody and especially less fortunate members of the society. Unfortunately since the second half of the 20th century, with the "ME" culture, that second part, that duy of me towards others have completely been forgotten and replaced with the "GREED" culture propagated by the corporations.

Taxes are the only equalizer available to a government, otherwise we will witness the huge gaps between poverty and wealth in places like US who has extensively slashed taxes for the wealthy during the past half century. In my trip to New York I was astounded to see homeless people in the ground floor of some of the largest and finest financial buildings in wall street escaping the cold weather outside at winter. It was disgusting to see that the wealthiest city in the world and the heart of the capitalism, where billions and trillions traded hands each day could not provide basic needs of its citizens while a great number of other citizens where living in posh palaces.

tax cuts are good only if you cut taxes of the poor and give them the buying power, cutting the tax of the rich won't contribute much to the market as they already can buy anything they want. to compensate for the tax cuts for the poor you can get a few bucks more from the rich and it won't damage the economy.

A look at the following articles is an eye opener:

http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/172618

http://www.thestar.com/article/185224

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/192438