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From: robinson@ubc-cs.UUCP (Jim Robinson)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Buy Local.
Message-ID: <1224@ubc-cs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 18-Aug-85 19:28:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: ubc-cs.1224
Posted: Sun Aug 18 19:28:56 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 21:44:10 EDT
References: <5770@utzoo.UUCP> <16066@watmath.UUCP>
Reply-To: robinson@ubc-cs.UUCP (Jim Robinson)
Organization: UBC Department of Computer Science, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Lines: 44
Summary: 


*
Since taxes reduce ones purchasing power, thus increasing the effective 
price of goods, consider that:

-The US does not have a "regressive" federal sales tax ( currently 11%
 and rising in Canada ).
-Some states do not have a state sales tax, e.g. Oregon.
-Some states do not have a state income tax, e.g. Florida.
-*Any* interest payments (including those for a mortgage) are federal
 and state income tax deductible.

On the other hand:

-Social Security payroll deductions are approx. 6.5% compared to 1.?%
 for CPP ( Note that CPP deductions are going to have to be drastically
 increased if current trends continue ).  
-The federal income tax in the US is more "progressive" and has a higher  
 top rate than Canada's ( 50% compared to ~35% )

Personally, I think Canada's tax system is the more fair of the two since
the impression I get is that less people are able to weasel out of paying
their "fair" share of taxes ( this applies to both affluent and not so
affluent persons ). Somehow, I don't think it reasonable that I should 
have to subsidize somebody else's purchase of a 300ZX.

I'll never forget my first office mate in California who upon seeing
the shocked look on my face when I got my first tax ravaged paycheck 
(California has a high state income tax.) cheerfully informed me that
he had paid all of 4% of his income in state and federal income 
taxes.   It appears that thru the judicious  use of the tax
system Victor was able to get away with paying virtually nothing
in taxes. (The next year he told me that he would probably be
paying less!) No wonder they want to overhaul the system down there.

J.B. Robinson

P.S. Credit where credit is due: Canada's health system is indeed 
a darn good one (my opinion only) and a heck of a lot more humane than
that in the US where one can expect the proverbial wallet biopsy
before being admitted to a private hospital (you do *not* want to 
be admitted to a community clinic). Now, if we'd just stop spending 
money on frills like the CBC and put those dollars into *real* 
necessities like health, education and defence .......