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Path: utzoo!watmath!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: The new equal rights rule and taxation
Message-ID: <262@looking.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Apr-85 00:00:00 EST
Article-I.D.: looking.262
Posted: Wed Apr 17 00:00:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Apr-85 01:49:04 EST
Organization: Looking Glass Software, Waterloo, Ont
Lines: 29

As you know, the new clause in the charter of rights that assures
equal protection and benefit from the law without discrimination of any
kind comes into effect shortly.

I know they will screw this up, but what if they took it at face value.

For example, the tax system discriminates on the basis of wealth and income.
Why are computer scientists, who almost without exception make more than
street cleaners, discriminated against by Revenue Canada?

If you took this literally, I would say it mandates one of three things:

1) A fixed tax (everybody pays the same, ie. $2000)
2) A flat rate tax (everybody pays the same percentage)
  or
3) A fixed income (everybody gets the same after-tax income)

These are all equal, and fortunately #3 is so ridiculous that nobody will
consider it.

If you want you can interpret the charter as saying, "The LAW can no longer
treat people differently."  And that includes treating them differently
because of what they do for a living.  No more special tax breaks for some
and not for others.  No more tarrifs on some goods and not on others.
No more special subsidies for some people and not for others.
Leave the decisions of the economy to the people!

-- 
Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473