Very cute, Andrew, except that there isn’t a raft of people agitating for keepingt axes as they are. Have you forgotten the income tax cuts introduced by the Liberals and supported by the NDP — the ones the Tories are scrapping — that would be more beneficial to low and lower-middle income Canadians?

If you want an example of a plan that would benefit those too poor to pay income tax, here’s a simple one: raise the GST bredit by $50 a year. It doesn’t get clawed back by welfare or other social assitance programs, it’ll provide more benefit to the ultra-poor than a one-point GST cut (anyone too poor to pay income tax isn’t spending $5000/year on GSTable goods), and because it’s measn-tested, the price tag would not be too onerous.

Candace, I was been referring to the tax cuts introduced this year, which are real, as opposed to promised ones. Here is the blunt truth: the GST cut is _even smaller_ than the “tiny” (about six bucks a week) income tax cut unless you’re in a position to spend $32,000 a year on taxable goods. But congratulations on being suckered in by the Beloved Leader’s smoke and mirrors show, where he puts a dollar in your hand and takes two from your paycheque.

Ian,

That’s an interesting counter-proposal, and may even be a good one - but it does not help the middle class one whit. Perhaps that’s okay with you, but speaking as someone who is no where near rich and does not receive the yearly credit, I would prefer some sort of tax break that benifits all Canadians, not just a select segment of the population.

Regarding the income tax cut - is there not rumblings that we may now get both that cut and the GST cut?

Andrew, you are right, I did have some fun with it - did I say anything that wasn’t on target though? Given your comments I guess you appreciate my not including the $1.59 you could save on a bicycle from Canadian Tire if you couldn’t afford the $4,000 used pick-up (still an absolutely 100% equal 1% saving) and the deletion of the two paragraphs on assets, income, and the ability to aquire debt on major purchases that increase personal net worth that could save even more ‘eh? :-)

If I was going to offer tax relief I would offer it in a manner where it would actually be a relief for the working poor and the lower middle class, as opposed to the facade of relief the 1% GST cut represents.

Increasing personal exemptions on lower and middle income families, or instituting a sliding personal exemption scale based on income would be a benefit. Actually reducing income tax on the working poor and the lower middle class would also provide direct and real relief.

I believe that both of these methods would increase disposable income and thereby put more money back into the economy - I know I will not get into any sort of argument with you over the concept that the more people have the more they feel comfortable spending… and the national benefits that behaviour results in.

Both of these methods are also affordable if government has the balls to cut the chaff and reduce the size of itself - and those are, after all, primary principles of Conservativism are they not? How much federal money goes into the corporate welfare coffers? How much real money do you suppose the Canadian government could save and pass on to Canadians by scrapping the gun registry and decriminalizing marijuana? How many other tax dollars are spent on other unnecessarily “regulate and control the masses” schemes like them?

The purpose of tax cuts isn’t to provide relief to the poor. They don’t pay much tax to start with, and in many cases qualify for transfers which overwhelm the taxes they do pay. “Relief” is the purpose of cuts aimed at the middle class. And, if you want to put “money back into the economy”, you again don’t aim at the poor, who don’t have much more to put back. You aim at the upper middle incomes and higher.

No, I wrote that the relief is for the middle class. Do you use your head for something other than ballast?

It’s “Lurk”, as opposed to “Irk”.

You have pictures?

>My point is that you advocate tax relief for anyone except the poor.

There goes your ballast making unwarranted assumptions. All I’ve done is explain the purpose of tax cuts, which in general and specifically in this case are not to provide relief for the poor. Tax cuts don’t provide much relief for those who don’t pay very much tax in any event, and are often offset by transfer payments in various forms. I did not state that I don’t advocate further relief - in any form - for low income earners.