Haldimand "The S..t Rolls Downhill"

As gas prices increase and we all feel the pinch in our pocketbooks, you have to wonder what are our “Politicians” thinking.

I listened to Harper on the news the other day when he spoke of the high gas prices, making a comment that there is “nothing” they can do about it. The same day I received an e-mail from Iain regarding the federal governments planned “corporate” tax cuts. Thanks Iain G.

Now I don’t profess to be an expert on federal “politics”, but after reading this information on CCPA’s website, I do wonder who is helping out who here.

Once again it seems that Ontario will loose.

The way I see it is that we are being bamboozled by all levels of government, at least here in Ontario, or I should say for the residents in Haldimand. As the shit does roll downhill, and to most of us all we care about is how things personally effect us! Bottom Line!

This is an interesting site, I have added this site to my interesting Links;

About the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is an independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social and economic justice. Founded in 1980, the CCPA is one of Canada’s leading progressive voices in public policy debates.

By combining solid research with extensive outreach, we work to enrich democratic dialogue and ensure Canadians know there are workable solutions to the issues we face. The CCPA offers analysis and policy ideas to the media, general public, social justice and labour organizations, academia and government.

We produce research studies, policy briefs, books, editorials and commentary, and other publications, including The Monitor, a monthly magazine. Most of these resources are available at no cost on this site (see the Research and Publications section).

With a national office in Ottawa and provincial offices in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, we address local and national issues, as well as globalization and international trade.

The CCPA is a registered non-profit charity. We depend on the support of our more than 10,000 members across Canada. For more information on how you can support the CCPA, visit the membership and donations area.
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/welcome/index.cfm


This is their report;

Corporate tax cuts will increase gap between oil-producing provinces and rest of country—study

May 8, 2008 National Office Topic(s): Corporations & corporate power, Economy & economic indicators, Taxes & tax cuts Publication Type: Press Release

OTTAWA—The federal government's planned corporate tax cuts will only exacerbate the existing inequalities in Canada's economy—both between regions and across industries, says a study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

The study, by economist Jim Stanford, analyzes the distribution of corporate profits across Canada’s provinces and across 16 major industries. It finds that the big winners from Conservative corporate tax cuts will be Canada’s oil-producing provinces, and the oil and finance sectors.

In contrast, industries and regions which are struggling will receive very little benefit.

"Despite what Finance Minister Flaherty says, corporate tax cuts are an especially uneven policy tool,” Stanford says. “These corporate tax cuts constitute a significant net fiscal shift in favour of Alberta, and away from Ontario and every other non-oil-producing province.”

According to the study, Canada’s three oil-producing provinces, which account for 15% of the population, generate 36% of corporate profits—and can be expected to reap a similarly large share of the benefits of corporate tax reductions. On a per capita basis, companies operating in the oil-producing provinces can be expected to receive three times as much benefit from the tax cuts as companies in the rest of the country.

“Finance Minister Flaherty is 'picking winners’ as surely as any other Finance Minister—including Ontario’s,” says Stanford. “Surprisingly, the ‘winners’ he’s picking are the provinces and industries that are already doing very well indeed.”

The study also questions the economic impact of corporate tax cuts. Despite the dramatic decline in corporate tax rates this decade, business spending on capital equipment and R&D has been remarkably sluggish—even as Canadian companies are enjoying all-time record profits.

“Corporate tax cuts, as expensive as they have been and will continue to be, have had no visible impact on the broad pattern of business investment at all,” Stanford says.

“In addition to asking whether the regional and sectoral impacts of the Harper government’s $15 billion annual corporate tax cuts are fair and acceptable to the majority of Canadians, we should also ask whether they will have any beneficial impact on Canada’s economy at all,” concludes Stanford.

“Picking Winners”: The Distorting Effects of Federal Corporate Tax Cuts is available on the CCPA web site at http://www.policyalternatives.ca/

For more information contact Kerri-Anne Finn, CCPA Communications Officer, 613-563-1341 x306.