Street protests ignored
The one-percenters and their agents in government remain deaf. As rage at Wall Street rises, its moneymen shower cash on candidates, David Goldstein, McClatchy, October 17, 2011: "WASHINGTON — Even…
taxation
If only everyone paid their taxes
Doug Saunders points out that the amount of money required to fix Europe's debt ills is about as much as you'd get if you taxed all the money held in…
Europe, G20 and financial transactions taxes
Thanks mostly to the superb campaigning by international development, poverty and environmental activists, there’s been remarkable progress in getting Europe to introduce financial transactions taxes, aka the Robin Hood Tax.…
Solution for continued wealthcare
Report: A quarter of U.S. millionaires pay taxes at a lower rate than some in middle class, by Lori Montgomery, Washington Post, October 12/11 "A quarter of millionaires in the…
999 = 666?
Like a stopped clock, it turns out that Michele Bachmann may well have been correct when she awkwardly quipped in the most recent Republican debate that “the devil is in…
First We Take Manhattan….. What Occupy Wall Street Could Mean
This is not the stuff of usual protests. Over the past month, a little idea from a Vancouver outfit has mushroomed into a cross-continent movement. Occupy Wall Street, kicked off…
Libertarians for an Inheritance Tax
I rarely give thanks for Neil Reynolds, but today’s column is a must-read. The point is that taxing large inheritances should appeal not only to those of us concerned about…
Inequalistan
Chris Hayes dismantles the Republicans’ favourite new talking point that “the top 10 percent of ‘wage earners’ pay 70 percent of the income taxes.” You have to hand it to…
"You can talk at your own town hall meeting"
Terrance Heath produces an excellent piece on the American 'Tea Party' movement brought to life by the Koch brothers and other plutocrats and apparatchiks. Is The Tea Party Over? Maybe.…
Finding tax sources that fit today’s economy
Financial Transaction Tax: Making the financial sector pay its fair share Brussels, 28 September 2011 – Today the Commission has presented a proposal for a financial transaction tax in the…
Multinationals avoid income taxes
Some believe that businesses should pay no taxes and HST serves part of that purpose. A remaining aim of business is to pay no income tax but, because ruling parties…
Insatiable appetites
An apothegm repeated often in programs treating alcohol abuse: "One drink is too many and one thousand is not enough." The statement also applies to business leaders and their lobbyists.…
Taxing the Rich
Over at the Globe and Mail Economy Lab our friend Stephen Gordon argues that there are only limited revenues to be gained by taxing the rich. He plays around with…
The Ontario NDP Platform
Pollsters tell us that Ontario’s New Democrats may double their seat total in next month’s provincial election. It’s also entirely conceivable that they could be part of a coalition government…
Corporate tax dodging out of control?
Interesting report from the Institute for Policy Studies in the USA: "Guns don't kill people, the old saw goes. People do. "By the same token, corporations don't dodge taxes. People…
Put It On the Kids’ Tab – A Cautionary Tale
We got used to it after WWII, governments borrowing money to be repaid by taxpayers in the future. In an era of foreseeable, sustained growth that wasn't so bad. The…
Obama’s Debt Ceiling Rope-a-Dope
Perhaps it’s just because he appeals to my deeply cynical inclination regarding politics in general, but MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell seems to be providing the sharpest, most insightful commentary these days…
Deconstructing BC’s carbon neutral government
Besides the carbon tax, one of the most important BC government climate action initiatives has been the adoption of Carbon Neutral Government. That is, count emissions from public buildings and…
Navigating challenging economic waters
Down south, the Obama administration is in a dangerous game of chicken with Republican congressional leaders, who are cynically holding the US economy hostage in order to impose a radical…
The Underground Economy and Business Tax Evasion
Statscan have produced interesting and important new estimates of the upper bound size of the “underground” or “non observed” economy, putting it at a seemingly modest 2.2% of GDP in…