I am not able to post it tonight as I am highly agitated and, frustrated- feeling as if I need to mobilize.
It is true you know, when you need information, all you need to do is ask the Universe, your guides, angels- whatever you believe in. Ask clearly and directly- then let it manifest itself.
I am deeply troubled by the Canadian Health Coalition Pledge. Not by anything they have done, but because of our Government. Having worked with National organizations and committees on issues of poverty, child care and human rights, I know the solution is so very simple. It angers me that we live in such a wealthy, beautiful country and we see our safety net in health, welfare, pension, employment insurance- desecrated before our eyes.
And Prime Minister Harper is standing there oh so woefully- yes, it is going to cost billions and oh my, just how are we going to fund it! Well, Prime Minister Harper, you may think we are all unsophisticated, easily hoodwinked country bumpkins, but there are many many people in this country that know the truth. The answer is - tax the wealthy and our corporations. Now, before you stop reading in disgust, let me tell you here and now that if you think for one second that the wealthy people and corporations are fairly taxed - you truly are hoodwinked.
So, I stopped fuming and put it out to the Universe- answers please! Then I took my kids off to a used book store as they needed some magazines for projects they were working on. As I lost myself in the miles of books (truly in heaven) I came across Linda McQuaig's book- "Behind Closed Doors- How the Rich Won Control of Canada's Tax System...And Ended Up Richer". Well, I also grabbed her other extremely controversial book of the year (1995) "Shooting the Hippo". Interestingly enough, on the back of the latter book, Conrad Black is quoted as saying " She should be horsewhipped." Hmmmm- definitely need to read! I am familiar with Linda McQuaig's newer books such as in "It's in the Crude, Dude". (Go to your local bookstore-used or new; the library- you will be in for a real education.)
We got home and I could not wait to start reading. Utter and total disbelief! This book was published in 1987. Nothing has changed, in fact it has gotten worse.
What are we hood winked about? How deeply entrenched our government, our money, our lives, our future is with the wealthy and the BIG Corporations. Laws governing our taxes, the investment industry, tax shelters, getting rid of the inheritance tax, increasing the principal residence deduction, no taxes on capital gains, tax subsidies, tax credits and best of all- corporations deferring taxes and simply not paying them at all. Billions of dollars lost. Billions.
What it all boils down to is huge grants being given to corporations and using our tax system/governance as a gigantic ATM machine!!!
It probably really started in 1911 (see Linda's new book " The Trouble with Billionaires"), well, most likely the reality is, business has always controlled our gov't. But let me focus on more recent history.
What started all this angst for me with corporations, taxes and our health care was the fact that as a citizen of this country I am wickedly tired of all the Royal Commissions, National research etc that the government funds so they can get answers. They get the answers, don't like what is being said, and the papers get filed.
Lets look at the Royal Commission of 1962. This Royal Commission was ramped up because the wealthy were complaining about our tax system. The Carter Commission took almost 5 years to look in depth at our tax system. He determined in fact, that the wealthy and the corporations were not being taxed at all or very little. The Gov't at the time would not even publish his report. Kenneth Carter was a ruined man. Then there was the White Paper. Knocked down.
In 1979 Joe Clark's Conservative Gov't produced a report "The Tax Expenditure Account". His report showed how much money the Gov't lost through tax breaks. In 1977 over $7 BILLION dollars went to Corporations and $25 BILLION to individuals. (Taken from "Behind Closed Doors")
Then came 1981. The Finance Minister was Allan MacEchren. The following is from "Behind Closed Doors" (Linda McQuaig). "..the wide assortment of tax breaks resulted in a serious erosion of the federal tax base. In the case of personal income tax alone, an astonishing $47 Billion of income managed to escape taxation in 1979. The paper went on to show how unevenly distributed the benefits of these taxs breaks were. For the millions of tax payers who earned between $10,000 and $15,000, tax breaks resulted in an average savings of only $771. But for the small group with incomes over $100,000, the average saving from tax breaks amounted to a staggering $46,000...Indeed, 3,400 tax filers with incomes over $50,000 had managed to reduce their tax burden to zero." "Then came the clincher: if all these tax breaks were to be eliminated tomorrow, there would be enough revenue for everybodys tax rate to be dropped 45%! Clearly this would benefit the ordinary person."
You need to read this book- it is an inside view of why we are where we are today. Then read the Trouble with Billionaires. Linda McQuaig and Neil Brooks. Excellent investigative reporting.
All our tax system has done is put the burden of paying taxes on the lowest to middle income people.
Then in 1976 the Business Council on National Issues, a lobby group, was formed. I mentioned this one earlier. Now it is called the Canadian Council for Chief Executives. Now we are not talking every day businesses here- take a look at the membership and then read what they have to say. Yes, we have many lobby groups- but imagine a lobby group such as the Canada Without Poverty Advocacy Network- which survives on donations alone- going up against a huge not-for profit such as the Canadian Council for Chief Executives. If you watch Poor No More you will get even more insight.
I was going to say that over the past 45 years or more, millions upon billions of dollars have leaked out of our Federal Reserve, but truly, the money never even made it there. You, as an individual who owes taxes and does not pay. What happens? You get nasty notices from Revenue Canada- guilty until proven innocent- pay now and prove we are wrong. Oh and by the way, if you refuse, we will dump penalties and interest on you.
A Corporation is a legal entity. It is an individual. An individual who avoids paying millions in taxes! In fact, in the past they have out right refused! "If you ask when we expect to pay these, I tell you never" Consolidated Bathurst Limited controller Jean- Jacques Carrier commenting on the $128 million in taxes his company 'owed' Ottawa" page 59 "Behind Closed Doors" Linda McQuaig. Do you think all these corporations are getting such letters or interest or penalties? Want to check how much is sitting in unpaid taxes (deferred taxes). Just go to the website of your fav business and go to their financial statements. You should see the amount on the income or revenue statement.
Tax reform may take too long, so in the meantime, just slap the big guys with two percent Health and Wellness tax. They boast about how important and big they are in our country. Ok. They are also the largest creator of this dis-ease of the people who work for them. The part time workers, the full time workers who are not fortunate to make over $100,000. Because the tax burden has shifted to the lower- middle income people, both adults have to work to have a decent lifestyle; we have the largest consumer debt in history. Then slap them with another 2% to cover our infrastructure, environment costs. Tax them based on their sales. In the Northwest Territories the Government implemented a Payroll tax of 1%. A smart move. They did this, partly because companies were coming in and due to tax rules, did not have to pay any tax in the Territories.
The point is, without our government, these corporations would not have the billions they now have. Our governing system, our laws, our policies have allowed these corporations to come in and make an insane amount of money to our detriment.
Some people argue if we push them they will leave. Jobs will be lost, the economy will fail. Well, I say, if they are going to bully us, let them leave. Humanity has always created what they want or feel is missing. In a crisis, we always raise to the occasion and are better off as a result. Maybe we have simply become a dependent child that needs to wean ourselves from the parent controlling our lives!
We all need to pay taxes- I think I will move to Sweden if things to do not change here.
Hey, you know, all of this was meant to be to get us where we currently are in this evolution of humanity. All of this mess that we have is simply due to past action, past decisions. These old dogs, if they can't learn new tricks, will quickly be left behind. We have the power to create our lives, to create our future, to save our Mother Earth- now.
You have a choice- exercise it.
It is time for change. Send an email to Prime Minister Harper- short and sweet- Solution to the Health Care Costs- tax the wealthy and the corporations - now. Then incorporate the findings from the Romanow Report and overhaul our tax system. You don't need a Royal Commission- you already know what the problem is.
I would like to ask Prime Minister Harper why he wanted to be Prime Minister. Does he really love this country? Is he really trying to make a difference? Or is about him, his future, securing his wealth? Lets face it. Obama is the ONE. If he backs down on taxing the rich, we will regress.(Write to him too! )
(See Linda McQuaig's Article- http://www.lindamcquaig.com/Columns/ViewColumn.cfm?REF=139)
You can also watch The Corporation on You Tube- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pin8fbdGV9Y
Love and All Good Things,
The Peaceful Matriarch
Behind Closed Doors
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