Look at me..I'm "Progressive"!
Ok.
Before my fellow Blogging Tories seek to have me tarred and feathered, hear me out.
Firstly, I have to acknowledge that I have been blessed.
While I have worked very hard and taken significant risk to acquire an education and develop my own business, I have been able to enjoy a lifestyle which the vast majority of Canadians don't have.
I have the ability to drive the new vehicle of my choosing, I go on European holidays, I literally want for nothing. And I am truly thankful for that.
But here is the thing I'm discovering. Am I really that much happier because I can holiday in Italy instead of going camping with my family in a local Provincial Park? Is my life enjoyment really increased with the purchase of a new vehicle instead of just maintaining the vehicle that I already owned?
Not at all.
And life is relatively short. I have "stuff", what I need, is "time".
So then. Suppose that those of us in the top 10 or 15% of the income earners in Canada think about this for a moment.
Work half as much, have much more time to, well, write blogs, read books, and spend time with family and friends. To enjoy the limited time on this earth that we have.
So.. I'm proposing that we on the right side of the political spectrum take this to heart.
Become more "progressive". Reduce greenhouse gas by not flying to holidays, by staying closer to home. Spend less time working and volunteer to help your community. Instead of buying more stuff, make do with what you have, reducing the waste of discarded old stuff and the packing of new stuff.
The kicker.
We will pay less tax.
And if a whole lot of us start paying less tax, well, a light just might go off in the minds of the progressive world who have gotten very used to the top 5% of income earners paying 40% of the total tax burden.
We can then join the throngs of progressives who call for the faceless "them" to pay more to help the less advantaged. Of course, if there are no more "them", and the people having to pay for government programs are really "us", well, it might be interesting to see just how "us" progressives might react to calls for things like National Daycare.
And it's not just about reducing our share of the tax pie.
This week we hear that 400 jobs are being lost with the closure of the Ford Windsor Engine Plant. A few days earlier, we hear about 500 jobs being lost with the closure of the GM Transmission Plant in Windsor as well.
So, as we modify our lifestyles to enjoy more free time, and buying fewer new vehicles, we just might send a message to our union friends, that, well,gee whiz, those people who drive the new vehicles ARE actually helping people other than themselves.. and they might also have a light go off in their minds who have gotten used to people with higher incomes buying lots of stuff.
And maybe, just maybe, we will have a win/win situation.
We, on the right,will enjoy our lives just a little bit more.
And, at the same time, when the taps of commerce start to slow and the dollars collected by Ottawa start to shrivel, well, maybe people will start to understand that an economy isn't built on Liberal ideas of collecting more taxes to spend on things that Canadians, fundamentally, don't need.
Which I write as I sit at the kitchen table deciding not to go to work until 10:00am today.. making plans to come home and read a good book after lunch.
I figure, well, three hours of work this afternoon will probably result in another $200 or $300 in tax.
I'd rather sit in the sun and read a book.
I'm working on re-reading "Brave New World".
12 comments:
Is this sarcasm? From anyone else I would say yes, but from you I have to think it over.
Progressive thoughts are like a disease. Those who are happy with their lot are content to let the government push them around with taxes and lies and pretend it was their idea in the first place.
If you want to have a lazy summer. Go right ahead. I'm doing the same. Warmth and sunlight are precious here. Can you please please let the little people decide that for themselves? Not everyone is happy with what you think is happiness. People are happy with choice and control over their own lives. The last thing we need is progressive law makers. We need to un-make more laws and more progressives.
I'd call it common sense.
My thought, Alex, is more like giving the Federal government and current progressive thinkers a brief hiatus from the tax dollars they are currently collecting.
Then we can get back to work..
The only problem is that the tax burdon will never go down until the fundemental structure of the federal government changes. All it does is redistribute wealth right now. Our country is use to this system and you can't shrink it by encouranging private sector support. We need to end it all and even provide transional support via private charity etc. until people are weened off the system.
You may be just as happy vacationing at the local provincial park as taking a trip to another part of the world, but not everyone is the same way.
I also consider myself fortunate to be able to do these things. I've been to Europe. Been to Africa. I spent an entire month in New Zealand earlier this year. I spend my summer weekends on a boat that guzzles diesel at the rate of 1 mile per gallon. Would I be just as happy sitting in a local provincial park? Not a chance! I still like to go to local parks, but I don't want to give up the other things. That's just me.
Also, it's not that easy to simply work less and do with less. Employment for most people is not a variable situation. I can't just say to my boss that I want to work 75% of the time for 75% of the pay. My choice is to continue doing my current job 100%, admittedly being very well paid for it, or simply find something entirely different to pay the bills.
However, I think I understand the point you're trying to make. It's just not as simple to do as you describe it.
Dave Hodson
..what.. oh sorry, I was sipping a long island iced tea..
Yeah - I know it's not that easy - but for some of us, the idea of striking back at the tax man by just, well, earning less.. it has a certain attraction.
Here's a thought.
We create a website that tallies up decisions to work less, by calculating the actual cost to the tax department (and to social funding) by the self-employed or the variably employed making conscious decisions to just earn less money.
I'll start.
Today, I shorted RevCan by probably $250.00.
And got some sun.
Win/Win.
Let's face the facts. The top 5% may pay 40% of total income taxes, but they most likely make more than 40% of the total income. The fact is the average person's wages and benefits have not been keeping up with inflation over the last 30 years in North America, which means a negative real growth. But wealthy people have their portfolios grow on par with GDP ― or better ― which averages about 3% real growth or more.
The Americans are all about big tax breaks for the rich and rank #73 when it comes to the gap between the rich and the poor. Most developed nations have higher taxes for wealthier people to ensure that they reinvest the money they have made off of the people. How is America doing? All their Reaganomic tax-cut schemes are bankrupting states and their economy is falling apart.
Common sense is following nations that are leading by example, not one that is failing.
Naked Ape: Gonzo political commentary
Very funny, thank you.
Have you considered offshore accounts to lower your taxes?
I heard Paul Martin's CSL did it for tax advantages.
I don't know how many countries have secret offshore accounts still.
I am confident those progressive herbivores will negotiate a robust treaty with those Russians over the resources in the North.
The Progressive Welfare states are nearly bankrupt in Europe.
Germans are getting upset for bailing out the southern Europeans who are too progressive.
Germans have raised their retirement age to 67 to deal with their aging costs.
Dude, you've been reading too much Ayn Rand.
良言一句三冬暖，惡語傷人六月寒。......................................................................
所有的資產，在不被諒解時，都成了負債..................................................................
每日都有新日光，每日都有新希望。..................................................
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