Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ubc-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsri!ubc-vision!ubc-cs!robinson 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 .......