Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!watmath!maytag!vlsi!watale!mims-iris!tom
From: tom@mims-iris.uucp (Tom Haapanen)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: Tax Revolt Now!!
Message-ID: <3254@watale.waterloo.edu>
Date: 16 Aug 89 12:48:27 GMT
References: <2713.24E6443D@isishq.FIDONET.ORG>
Sender: daemon@watale.waterloo.edu
Reply-To: tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu (Tom Haapanen)
Organization: WATMIMS Research Group, University of Waterloo
Lines: 39

Steve.Kannon@f71.n221.z1.FIDONET.ORG writes:

> [Much stuff I don't agree with deleted]

> For example, during their first term in office, the Tories' tax "reform" 
> saw the following increases (figures are approx from memory): 
>  
> Income tax: up 180% (on low income earners) 
> Fed sales tax: up 140% 
> Corporate tax: up 4.5% 

I don't know where Steve pulled these numbers from... I checked out some
old tax returns etc. and came up with the following:
				  1983	  1989	  Change
Federal sales tax		11.0 %  13.5 %     +23 %
Corporate tax (general rate)	46.0 %  38.0 %     -17 %
Corporate tax (small business)	33.3 %  22.0 %	   -34 %

> From a purely economic standpoint, the GST is stupid, as even the most 
> passing knowledge of economics will reveal.  Wilson's plans, however, 
> have little to do with economics and much to do with power politics; 
> fairness, equity and public interest have nothing to do with his 
> measures, he only wishes us to believe such is the case. 

I _thought_ I had a more-than-passing knowledge of economics, and I still
don't see why GST is stupid.  Am I missing something?

From what I see, not everything will cost more under the GST.  I would 
expect cars, appliances and such to drop maybe 4% (assuming savings are
passed on).  According to this morning's Globe & Mail, groceries might
fall 1-2%, again assuming savings are passed on.  And of course, the
low-income earners don't pay tax on rent or prescription drugs, and get
substantial tax credits from the government.  No, it's the middle class
that pays the bill, not the poor.

					\tom haapanen
"now, you didn't really expect          tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu
 my views to have anything to do        watmims research group
 with my employer's, did you?"          university of waterloo