We have an economy that is doing fine inasmuch as large corporations have large cash reserves.
We have an economy that is in disaster-recovery, inasmuch as large numbers of people are unemployed, and those employed are often under-employed.
So, it might be tempting to pull more money from corporations, and put it into various ‘helps’. I suggest increasing CPP would help later generations. I suggest increasing the minimum wage would be useful now. I suggest limiting part-time work, so burger flippers get full-time jobs with benefits, would be a good thing.
I am aware that corporations will fight like crazy against additional tax, and will see increasing EI costs as a tax (which it is) or funding CPP as a tax (ditto).
If you’ve been to my References page, you’ll be aware of Steven Aftergood, and the Federation of American Scientists. If you’ve visited www.fas.org, you’ll be aware of Secrecy News (to which I subscribe).
Here is a pointer to a CRS report on said website posted by said Mr. Aftergood. Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports are requested by Congress and generally not made available (without FAS, that is).
This report is about lowering taxes to stimulate the economy. In effect, it says that lowering taxes has trivial effect.
Conversely, rasing taxes (which is the reverse of lowering taxes) should also have trivial effect.
So, why don’t we raise corporate taxes (which are, effectively, less here than in the USA)? Could it be that we mere voters are out-lobbied by corporations?
This is posted under ‘dumb questions’, eh?