Ontario Tax Staple

Content

Current Problem

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

Taxes are a necessary part of maintaining a functioning legal structure. However, the past liberal and conservative governments have created a system where too many things are taxed at too high of rates. Politicians are deciding how and where they can buy your vote by deciding how they tax you, then deciding where to spend it on you. Today's Canada Revenue Agency is a monster of forms, loopholes and inefficiency.

The Current Problem statement should be 3 or 4 sentences. The first sentence should be a positive statment which is impossible to argue on it's own. Followed by "However, the liberal and conservative government have...", and then only use "the current system" once - max. Try to use the global "You" at least once.

author: JNMcLarty

Too many government exclusionary services (Eg. LCBO, culture, tourism) Costs to deliver services increased Mandated collection (not scalable)

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Complicated to compreheand, measure & collect manipulative

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Involuntary confiscation of wealth and income Coercive; no choice is given to particpate in taxation. No way to control tax increased; the government holds all control over taxation Taxes are much too high The individual has little (no) say on how the tax dollars are spent. By giving them our tax dollars, we give them the means to buy our votes with promises of public spending.

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What is wrong with taxes? The same as "What is wrong with theft? Both are dishonest behaviour creating victims of crime. Taxpayers are terrorized into victims by their own governments. Paying taxes to terrorist to provide protection from terrorist. Terrorist tax victims.--Neal 21:31, 11 June 2012 (EDT)

Alternate Suggestion: What is wrong with taxes? Taxes assume that the government is better equipped to spend money than the individual it takes the money from. Every person knows of examples where government money was not well spent. Logically, we are in a situation where we can curb spending by the government without having a negative impact on anything that it provides right now. Also, logically, if there were competition in the services that it provides, government would have to become more efficient (nobody has ever argued that government is the most efficient at providing anything). In an ideal society, all money that the government needs would be contributed voluntarily and joyfully by its citizens. If citizens are not happy with paying taxes, they probably don't see the value that the government is providing for their tax money. Since this is a position that most people can agree with, let's start out work here. As long as we see improvement, we know that we're on the right path. --Gjhagenaars 01:36, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

• More great notes from GJ, possibly too verbose, and some points need to go below.--Jeffrey McLarty 10:06, 22 July 2012 (EDT)

Short-Term Goals

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

TODO

The Short Term Goals should be 2 to 4, incremental, implementaiton, achievable goals. With 1 to 2 sentences describing each.

author: TODO

Balance Budget ASAP Pay down deficit - cut services No new programs

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Remove all income tax exemptions except basic personal, balanced by decreased tax rates maintain sliding scale

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Incremental, implementation, achievable goals.

Eliminate Income taxes Rebuild local community centres replace impersonal government welfare services to help the needy.

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1. Cut income tax to one simple flat rate (i.e. 50%) for all voluntarily reporting income earners in Ontario. [This is an unrealistic short term goal because of the word "voluntarily". Rome wasn't built in a day, and its slaves weren't freed in a day either. --Gjhagenaars 01:36, 12 June 2012 (EDT) ] Our present income tax process is voluntarily reporting (filing). If one chooses not to file an annual income tax report to the Revenue Agency, that is their choice. Reporting private activities to a third party is always an option. --Neal 09:22, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

2. Cut income tax rate by 50% each year over the next 4 years.

3. Cut consumption (sales) tax rate by 50% each year over the next 4 years.

4. Start removing all the "special" taxes, like the death tax (= government stealing directly from your children). --Gjhagenaars 01:36, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

5. Cut back business tax rates AND remove business subsidies at the same time (government should not pick winners / losers). --Gjhagenaars 01:36, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

4. Cancel all taxes within 4 years. --Neal 21:31, 11 June 2012 (EDT) [I'm very very very very opposed to this as a long term goal, let alone a short term goal; it WILL not be believed --Gjhagenaars 01:36, 12 June 2012 (EDT) ]

Long-Term Goals

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

TODO

The Long Term Goals should be 2 to 4, principle based goals. With 1 to 2 sentences describing each.

author: TODO

Voluntary Balanced Budget

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Very low flat income taxes (VAT Probably) No corporate taxes

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Replace all taxation with voluntary user fees for programs that defend property rights and personal sasfety only...this inherently means that all citizens have the right to opt out of anyu program that they do not want.

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Ideally, in the long-run, the pure libertarian position. Tax free living! --Neal 21:31, 11 June 2012 (EDT)

In the long run, a government that lives within its means (i.e. one that lives within our means). --Gjhagenaars 01:36, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

Hard Questions

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

TODO

We know the common Hard Questions. Write them in question form, and then answer with 2 to 6 succinct sentences.

author: TODO

Accountability Enables Innovation / entrepreneurship Resulution forces businesses out of province

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Equitable, everyone (not just wealthy) gets benefit. fairness, "regressive" of lower tax rates No corporate taxes

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1. You say in your principles that there is a role for government (border control, justice, protection of rights of individuals).  How do you get enough money to protect the rights of an individual who cannot afford this "voluntary" justice? --Gjhagenaars 01:36, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

If individuals are not able to afford a gift (voluntary justice), let them do without. --Neal 10:02, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

1. You seem to suggest that government bureaucrats are not the best way to provide services, but a justice system that is paid for by voluntary donations will be able to provide objective justice without catering to those who pay the most money. Can you tell me why that is NOT naive? --Gjhagenaars 01:37, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

Are you stating that when two parties participate in a third party arbitration process, the winning party will be the one contributing the most resources to the arbitrating party? And how is that different from our present system? If you have a dispute with the government; Doe's the government have superior resources to increase its chances of obtaining a decision in its favour by contributing more resources to "itself" as the third party arbitrator?--Neal 10:02, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

1. There are murders that go unsolved for many years.  How will this be funded with voluntary taxes (since there is no economic incentive to give money for something that doesn't produce results)? --Gjhagenaars 01:36, 12 June 2012 (EDT)
2. Every government that exists at this point in time collects taxes.  Saying "No taxes" is unrealistic.  Saying "no taxes in four years" is unbelievable.  Is there any example of a government that works with voluntary contributions alone? --Gjhagenaars 01:36, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

Are you endorsing theft? Is stealing a little bit of people's private resources acceptable to you? As the leader on your property, do you impose mandatory tributes from your children to be given to you in order to grant them (your subjects)the privileged of residing on your claimed land? If your subjects fail to remit their taxes to you, as per your imposed terms; What do you do? Will you reduce some of their liberties? Will you impose more extractions orders upon them? Will you evict them from your land or will you dispose of them as you see fit? By what right do you grant yourself your authority to steal private resources or do engage the services of a third party to steal on your behalf? --Neal 10:02, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

1. You don't want to get rid of all taxes?! How can you say you're a libertarian? --Gjhagenaars 01:36, 12 June 2012 (EDT) [Answer: Incremental change is how we have ended up in this situation. Incremental change is how we will get out of it.]

I have been promoting the idea of cancelling all taxes and then you state that I am not a libertarian cause I "don't want to get rid of all taxes". Would you kindly point out where I endorse theft (taxes) as you do, please?--Neal 10:02, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

Gj, please forgive me. My words are harsh. I get confrontational when someone endorses taxes. It's a defense instinct on my part. I do respect your efforts and contributions. Please, continue to present your strategic goals and operational tactics. I need you to assist me. We all need each other to work out our personalities. We are independent libertarians that need to collaborate. What a challenge! --Neal 19:28, 13 June 2012 (EDT)

Policy Impacts

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

TODO

List the top 3 Policy Impacts. Describe with 2 to 3 sentences each.

author: TODO

Deregulation increases quality of services decreases cost Job opportunity locally geared

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Lowering taxes is only possible if it's matched with a mandatory lowering of government spending. Balanced budgets is a first goal, but it's not enough. Because of the high provincial debt, government budgets need to show a surplus, so that these debts can be paid off. The people of Ontario have "benefitted" from all this debt in the past, now it's time to own up and pay them off without passing this to the next generation (who will find little benefit of this past spending).

Who will impose "mandatory" orders on the government to reduce spending? Please, please, don't spend any more money on me. Who will present a law to force the state not to spend money on its citizens, its associations, its corporations and especially on itself?--Neal 10:38, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

Yes, the debt load is unbearable. Nation states default. This time is no different. http://www.economics.harvard.edu/files/faculty/51_This_Time_Is_Different.pdf--Neal 10:38, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

Lowering taxes for businesses will spur activity there, something that is desperately needed in this province. However, since government should not be picking losers (by heavy taxation), it should also not pick winners (by heavy subsidies). Therefore all corporate subsidies should be phased out as soon as possible (not immediate; it's immoral to provide a set of rules for companies to work in and then changing it overnight). --Gjhagenaars 01:36, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

The free market establishes spontaneous order "rules" for companies to work in. Being the most flexible and adaptable to continually changing working environments is the strategy for human survival and for our enterprising endeavors. I see no problem in cancelling all subsidies to all private businesses including sole proprietors, partnerships and especially corporations immediately. I also would cancel all subsidies to private individuals, community associations and government agencies and departments, including school boards and hospitals. --Neal 10:38, 12 June 2012 (EDT)

Explained Improvement

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TODO

The Explained Improvement is where we shine. We need the top 3 improvements, and 2 to 3 sentences describing each.

author: TODO

simplification of tax burden - collection, auditing, avoidance Costs of operating CRA can be put to healthcare

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The money that you (an individual) have and that you spend on something that you find important is typically well considered. Your own money that you spend on someone else normally involves a bit of guesswork (it may be well received, it may not be as well received). Someone else's money that you get to spend on yourself is more likely to get used for something that is not the best deal (if it had been money that you had to earn for yourself, you would probably have looked harder for a better deal). Someone else's money that you get to spend on someone else is utterly unimportant, so you don't pay real attention to what you're buying, or how much you are spending or how useful it's going to be.

This last situation is typically how government spends money. If more money is kept by individuals, these individuals will make decisions on how to spend this money, and they will get better deals, they will stimulate innovation by providing incentives in the right places. This results in sustainable jobs that don't need government bail out money.

As an example: Enough people care about the environment that wish to spend money on it (early adopters). Businesses respond to this by competing for these scarce dollars by providing products and services that emphasize what people are looking for. If the government picks a business "winner" (based on some arbitrary set of rules, evaluated by an arbitrary set of people), then that business will just get a lot of money without having to compete for it honestly (honest in an economic sense).

The buying power of informed people in Ontario is a far better way to pick environmentally responsible winners. There are specific examples (in the US) on how picking winners has not worked (and resulted in bankrupt companies and job losses when government funding disappears).

Summarizing Language

TWO adjectives, ONE noun

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

Lower, Simpler, Taxes.

We simply need Two Adjectives and One Noun. Eg. Faster, Cheaper, Healthcare.

author: TODO

Lower, voluntary, contributions.

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Lower, Simpler, Equitable, Taxes.

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Tax Free Life! --Neal 21:31, 11 June 2012 (EDT)

TAXES - Lower, easier, taxes.--Jeffrey McLarty 17:55, 27 August 2012 (EDT)

ONE Catchy Slogan

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

TODO

One Catchy Slogan. This is critical. It should be witty, short, potent and include double entendres is possible.

author: TODO

Less is more.

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Tax free living!

ONE One-sentence quote

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

TODO

Any One Sentence Quote from a candidate. We need name and riding either in 2011 or the 2012-2014 election.

author: TODO

I got my first job and was shocked to see how much taxes I'm paying

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Angie Liau to ask...

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ONE Three-sentence quote

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

TODO

Any Three Sentence Quote from a candidate. We need name and riding either in 2011 or the 2012-2014 election.

author: TODO

from a “candidate”. (Eg. "I want freedom. I want choice. People don’t realize they are slaves.")

TWO Charts/Graphs/InfoGraphics

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

TODO

A picture says 1000 words. The economic trends are on our side. Find the best info graphics or Charts. Just upload the excel files with data for now. Don't spend time formatting. That will be done later (During Branding).

author: TODO

government debt vs consumer debt. Good vs evil.

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taxes collection by year, provincially.

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High level bullet Summary

More discretionary income More choice in services Accountability + Responsibility Pay as go

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Short-term

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

TODO

The Summarize Short Term Goals should be easy after the section above is done. But language is key. Should be succinct.

author: TODO

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Long-term

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

TODO

The Summarize Long Term Goals should be easy after the section above is done. But language is key. Should be succinct.

author: TODO

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ONE economic concept

The language below is currently proposed as official. It is an attempt at using most of the notes below, and matching the writing style of the rest of the document and ofther staples.

TODO

The masses may or may not have been taught economics. So we need to show 1 or 2 Economic Concepts which will prove we have academia on our side and seperate us from the other also rans. It should get attention amongst academics (think: thought leaders) - good or bad attention is good attention.

author: TODO

Supply & Demand Competition

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Deadweight loss due to taxation.

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THREE photos

CRA buildings largess.

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Guidance For Candidates

Writing to be used in training, and support of candidates. Not for publishing.

References

...citations are necessary