Who decides whether taxes go up or down?
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 @ 3:44 AM
By Peter Ewart
Much of the debate in the parliament, legislatures or city councils of the country is dominated by the question as to whether taxes should go up or down. Endless discussions go on and there is much shouting, posturing and hurling of accusations from both the so-called “right” and “left” sides of the debate.
However, what often gets obscured in all the dust and smoke is a much more fundamental issue. And that is: Who decides whether taxes go up or down? Or, for that matter, what form does this taxation take? As things stand now, it is whichever “right” or “left” or party faction happens to be in power.
The same politicians who shout about cutting taxes to reduce financial pressure on citizens are the same ones who then bring in user fees under the radar or squander huge funds on mega-projects. On the other hand, the same politicians who shout about increasing taxes for some noble purpose, then divert these revenues to other areas.
But what about the citizenry, the people of the municipality or the riding? Almost always, under the current political and electoral mechanisms, they are left out in the cold. As a result, there is a profound dissatisfaction with the political process which is evidenced by the widespread popular anger against the imposition of the HST, and, on the local level in Prince George, the opposition to the River Road dike spending. In both instances, it was very clear – people wanted a say in these decisions.
It is interesting that what unites many of the politicians of the “right” and “left” is opposition to any measures or reforms that do give people more decision-making power. Underlying this, of course, is a kind of elitism that politicians know best and that the population is ignorant and deserving only of manipulation (and even deception, whereby solemn promises about taxation and other matters are promptly reversed after elections take place).
How else to explain why MLAs in the BC Legislature deliberately made the Initiative & Recall legislation almost (but not quite) impossible for citizens to use effectively. Or, at the municipal level, why the deeply flawed Alternative Approval Process has not been reformed despite numerous citizen complaints across the province? Or why serious efforts are not made to investigate and develop new ways of empowering the citizenry, and thus further developing our democracy which, at the present time, is in a state of arrested development?
We live in a time of globalization. One of the characteristics of the period is increasing power and rule by global monopolies who lobby intensively at all levels of government for favoured treatment including lucrative privatizations. Another characteristic are mechanisms such as free trade agreements that trump even the power of national governments. In this situation, it is extremely important that democratic processes to further empower the citizenry at the local, provincial and national level are developed and enhanced to provide more balance to this lop-sided power equation.
In that respect, the issue is not simply whether taxes go up or down or whether or not this mega-project or proposal goes ahead. It is who gets to decide. If we live in a modern democracy, it should be the people.
Peter Ewart is a columnist and writer based in Prince George, British Columbia. He can be reached at: peter.ewart@shaw.ca
Comments
‘Who decides whether taxes go up or down?’
That’s easy. Adrian Dix told the Vancouver Board of Trade yesterday that taxes (both corporate and personal income) will go up if the NDP form the next government.
The current Liberal government is committed to reducing both.
Duh.
“If we live in a modern democracy, it should be the people.”
Yes, it should be the people … but do not expect that to create a major change …. just because there are more of them than there are politicians, they are divided in the same fashion.
There is one thing most people forget, we are a representative democacy. We cast our vote to have someone represent us.
I find that the real problem is that representatives are often not doing as god a job as they should be to inform themselves. Of course, the people generally speaking also are not.
I think before someone votes on a money issue they should pass some skill testing questins to see whether they have the faintest clue on the issue they are voting on.
There is absolutely nothing that says the opinion of the majority makes something right, or even sensible. 300 years ago the majority of the planet thought the world was flat, and 200 years ago the majority of the world thought that slavery was a pretty good thing.
A true democracy isn’t having ‘the public’ involved in making every decision. It’s about ‘the public’ electing appropriately qualified representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
A functional democracy is one where the elected officials are given the freedom to make decisions that not everyone agrees with.
A dysfunctional democracy is one where every idea considered, and every bean counted is subject to the review and consent of ‘the public’.
You can complain about the difficulty of the recall legislation all you want but in reality its 5 years tops and their is 50% voter turnout and recall isnt free. Seriously this isnt a quickie marriage. When the electorate speaks 5 years should be reasonable I dont care what the politicians are doing. And believe me I dont think much of politicians.
“we are a representative democacy”….I think Peter is more familiar with collective democracy….you know when every member on the collective gets a vote:)
‘Collective democracy’
That works about as well as ‘From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.’ That’s the bumper sticker on Comrade Ewart’s Volga.
Tried it, doesn’t work. Tried it again, still doesn’t work. Tried it, STILL doesn’t work.
“A true democracy isn’t having ‘the public’ involved in making every decision” .. funny how the two examples you referred to were changed in the most part by “public” opinion. The day you remove public opinion from any debate, any issue, any policy, is the day democracy is dead. The JOB of the politician YOU elected to represent YOU is to listen to what the people in thier riding have to say and carry that sentiment to parliment. Our system is badly broken because that hasnt been done for many years now. The ideals of democracy are there, but the confidence it will be carried out is gone.
Comrade Harper sure has you sheeple hoodwinked!!! A whopping huge majority with only 39% of the vote and he gets to run all over you!!! hahahahahaha!
It took a while, but But has it right.
Peter’s point was that people have the right to have input into Government.
As But states. We elect representatives to represent us. We usually vote for them based on what they or their party states they will do.
The problem is, they no longer live up to thier promises, and in fact in some cases such as the HST, do the opposite.
We have democracy in name only. All our MLA’s do exactly as they are told, and certainly do not represent us. Once the election is over, they seem to lose contact.
Whats happening in Canada, very slowly, is that people are startig to go after the Government and force them to do the job that they were elected to do. The HST, Recall, and some wins with the Alternative Approval Process, are cases in point.
If Governments dont change (and quickly) we will see more and more independents running and getting elected. Independents dont have to kiss butt, and if they can get into a position of holding the balance of power, things will start to change.
It took a while, but But has it right.
Peter’s point was that people have the right to have input into Government.
As But states. We elect representatives to represent us. We usually vote for them based on what they or their party states they will do.
The problem is, they no longer live up to thier promises, and in fact in some cases such as the HST, do the opposite.
We have democracy in name only. All our MLA’s do exactly as they are told, and certainly do not represent us. Once the election is over, they seem to lose contact.
Whats happening in Canada, very slowly, is that people are startig to go after the Government and force them to do the job that they were elected to do. The HST, Recall, and some wins with the Alternative Approval Process, are cases in point.
If Governments dont change (and quickly) we will see more and more independents running and getting elected. Independents dont have to kiss butt, and if they can get into a position of holding the balance of power, things will start to change.
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