Taxing times

I'm back. Its been several weeks, I visited the Inlaws for the "holidays" - not really much of a holiday. During that time though, my computer was in the shop - caught a virus, even with Norton 360. The computer is still not right, but it works.

I'll be pretty busy for the next 11 days or so. I've procrastinated long enough and its time to send off my income tax return, five actually, since I do my family's returns as well. I can't tell you how much I resent spending so much time collecting, collating, organizing, entering, researching and sending off these damned income tax returns. I even use "QuickTax" to NetFile, easy as pie, you'd think. Sure I also resent the myriad government programs that continue to waste our tax money defending Afghans, bailing out zombie car companies, and funding all the boondoggles of every special interest group in this country. I might feel better if I thought our government had spending under control. But Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party are continuing with their program of bigger government. In the October election campaign they promised spending increases of $92 billion: literally double even the massive increases promised by the Liberals and the NDP (National Post estimates during the campaign). They delivered on these spending promises, one of the few promises kept, and the extra spending has wasted away the large surplus' inherited from the previous Liberal government. This left Canada facing a deficit even before the current recession. Now Mr. Harper will follow the Americans and "stimulate" with money he no longer has to drive us into a larger and longer term deficit. Fortunately the Harper Conservatives have only been in power a short time, or our economic situation would have been much worse.

So yes I resent the size of government and the waste that I know is ongoing, but I also resent the complexity of the tax form. Why are taxes so complicated?

Income Tax began in Canada in 1917 as a temporary measure to repay the debts incurred during the First World War. Those debts were large and the tax was kept in place after the war, growing and becoming more complex each year. Special interest groups came to Ottawa and lobbied for exemptions and deferrals. Politicians made promises, governments grew larger taking on more responsibility and leaving people with fewer choices and less money to spend. Instead of protecting us from force or fraud the government loots each and every income producing Canadian reducing their discretionary income and freedom. Instead of being a protector government forces you to do its bidding, forces you to do things in your name that you would not ordinarily want to do. Ah, but you have a chance to avoid some of the looting if you jump through all the hoops and look for ways to save your hard earned wealth by completing the income tax form. But for some, it has become so complex that bean-counters must be hired at taxpayers expense to wrestle away some of the loot that has been stolen and get the blessed refund.

Last year The Fraser Institute came up with a postcard sized tax form (10 lines)that most tax filers can use and fill out in 5 minutes. It counts on a 15% flat tax that reduces the unnecessary hoops and makes an already distasteful experience less so. The time is long past for this innovation, the sooner the better and this way there will be fewer things to resent.

The Afghan War, the UN and Islam.

Recently I received this email from CFI (Center for Inquiry in Amherst NY):

Last week (March 26/09) the United Nations Human Rights Council has handed another victory to Islamic states in their decade-long push to limit freedom of expression out of “respect” for religious beliefs. A new Council resolution decries a “campaign of defamation of religions” in which “the media” and “extremist organizations” are “perpetuating stereotypes about certain religions and sacred persons,” and urges UN member states to provide redress “within their respective legal and constitutional systems.” Capitalizing on concerns about racial profiling and discrimination in the era of the war on terror, the language conflates criticism of Islam with anti-Muslim bigotry and seeks to stifle peaceful speech in the name of “dialogue” and “diversity.”.....

“The concept of ‘defamation of religions’ is both absurd and dangerous.” said Ronald A. Lindsay, CFI’s president and chief executive officer. “Legally speaking, it’s gibberish, and any ban on so-called ‘defamation’ would effectively prevent any critique of religious beliefs or practices.” In the opinion of a broad range of civil society organizations, these pronouncements do nothing but lend legitimacy to the repression of political and religious dissent around the world, particularly in Islamic countries. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, for example, which carry mandatory sentences of death or life imprisonment, are frequently used against members of the Ahmaddiya community, a peaceful minority Muslim sect.

Through its UN representative, Dr. Austin Dacey, CFI participated in the negotiations over the resolution during the March session of the Council in Geneva, and delivered an oral statement before the plenary meeting on March 24. Most worrisome, according to CFI, is that the present language equates religiously insulting speech with “advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence,” a category of speech that is prohibited by existing treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which have the force of law. “Now the argument becomes very awkward for Europe,” said Dacey, “since many European states have laws against hate speech, Holocaust denial, and even blasphemy (for example, in Austria) that have been upheld by their regional human rights courts. The Islamic states will say they simply want to extend the same protection to all beliefs.”

Yes its true that the above resolution has no "teeth", but ask Salman Rushdie about the "fatwa" that was issued against him 20 years ago. Did he fear for his life? In light of the above, the recent news of the "Talibanization" of Afghan President Hamid Karzai is troubling. Karzai approved a new Afghan law that effectively removes the rights of girls and women (as per orthodox Islamic law) including the legalization of rape within marriage. So this is what Canadian and NATO troops are fighting to uphold in Afghanistan. This is the democracy that has cost Canada over 100 lives and billions of dollars.

So lets see, to criticize the Muslim faith is blasphemy, and to fight for the Afghans so that they may practice their own form of democracy which is repugnant to us is.......is what we are doing. Dumb eh?

Do we need another excuse to say goodbye and good riddance to Afghanistan? I think its past time to cut our losses and bring the troops home, and by the way, it may be time to rethink our membership in the UN, as blasphemous as that sounds.

One last though. Its interesting that in recent weeks both Harper and Obama have been talking less about winning in Afghanistan and more about keeping the lid on it. Do you think that Karzai sees the writing on the wall and it may be time for him to warm up to the Taliban in order to survive after the good guys have left? This is realpolitik in action.

Earth Hour and Darkness

I've always thought that many so-called environmentalists bring to their cause an almost religious conviction. We can save the planet if only........certain things happen. The front page of the Toronto Star today shows a candlelight church service to make my point - its a religion. I've also thought that many environmental types would like humanity to regress to a simpler "dark age." You know, reduce fossil fuel usage, thereby the carbon footprint and save the planet. There was a lot of media hype about Earth Hour around here yesterday, I guess it was a slow news day. Of course there is nothing wrong with energy conservation, in fact the opposite is kind of dumb. Why wouldn't everyone be against waste?
But despite the good support for Earth Hour itself, I don't see much evidence that people really get it. My neighbours certainly don't. Many of them feel its their civic duty to pollute the night sky with all sorts of garish lighting - all night. Maybe they are just afraid of the dark. The consequences of garish and excessive use of outdoor lighting was discussed in a recent National Geographic magazine: The End of Night. The night sky has virtually disappeared for urbanites all over the planet. The Milky Way is a myth for too many children. I really doubt that conservation will save the planet for the future, but what I do know is that judicious use of outdoor lighting can save the night sky here and now.

Ontario Budget, the War on drugs.

The Ontario Budget was released this week, and by and large it favours businesses in Ontario. Generally that is not a bad thing - business after all creates all the REAL jobs and ALL the wealth of this province. Corporate taxes will be cut, the sales taxes will be "harmonized" and the investment climate here in Ontario has improved. How do the Liberals make up for revenue losses? Do they cut superfluous programs, reduce the size of government? Forget that. The new 13% harmonized sales tax now covers a much broader range of goods and services and consumers will have a greater portion of income go to taxes. But the Liberals feel bad about this so they will "give back" up to $1000 per family in three cheques, June 2010, Dec. 2010 and June 2011. Isn't that nice? Oh, by the way there is an election in Oct. 2011 and this money has nothing to do with buying your vote. Right.

I'm psychic. The Economist, a major British magazine came out with this:

How to stop the drug wars

Mar 5th 2009
From The Economist print edition

Prohibition has failed; legalisation is the least bad solution

I didn't know about this article - but it hearkens back to my previous entry (see March 25). Do I feel vindicated? No, not until governments start to wise up and think smarter.........and pigs will fly.

Obama Overload & Drugs. The Ontario Budget.

Are you suffering from "B-O overload?" Are the Obama-crats cramping your nightly TV viewing? Barack Obama is proving to be a canny and articulate leader. His tour of the media (Leno, 60 minutes etc..) is obviously part of a sales campaign to convince Americans that things are under control, we know what we're doing, trust us, everything is going to be alright........eventually. That may or may not be true (I'm thinking not) but one thing is clear, Americans are going to be in hock for way more than the $10 trillion debt that already exists with no guarantee of success. Obama spent much of his press conference last night (March 24/09) reassuring us about the economy. Do you feel better yet?

Drugs at the Mexican Border

Another issue touched upon during the above press conference was the spreading drug violence across the US border from Mexico. Of course drug violence occurs just about everywhere. But where drug prohibition is tempered, drug violence is reduced. The evidence can be seen in how soft drug use is treated in the Netherlands compared to the US. The website linked in the previous sentence shows a lower rate of cannabis use in Holland than the US. How is that possible when America is at war against drugs. History shows us that prohibition results in violence. Check out the graph by clicking on this title: Homicides and Prisoners in Custody 1900-1990
Prohibition began in the US in 1920 and ended in 1933. Look at how the homicide rate (an indicator of violence) rises and falls on the graph during this period, look at prisoners in custody. Do you think there is a cause-effect link? I think there is. Even law enforcement authorities (click) think drug prohibition is wrong. That's what most Libertarians think as well.

The Ontario Budget March 26/09

Well the Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty is making noises about "harmonizing" our burdensome consumption taxes. Lets see, there's an 8% tax (PST) on a bunch of things except haircuts, kids books, feminine hygiene products and other essentials. There is also a 5% federal tax (GST) on most goods and services. Each tax is calculated separately, you know to be fair - but a pain if you are a business person. But if the tax is harmonized then we pay 13% on most everything including things that were not doubly taxed before.Ugh! Will he do it? Will he lower the PST to make it more palatable (11%)? Why not spend less money on useless government programs and let us keep our money to spend on ourselves? Why not?

The Pope, AIG and Cold Fusion

The Pope in Africa

Again the Pope has demonstrated the relevance of the Catholic Church in the 21^st Century. On his way to Africa he said: AIDS "is a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems." Condoms aggravate AIDS! Reality is irrelevant, which of course is a theme not only for Catholicism but ALL religions. Later the Pope urged Angolans to give up belief in sorcery and witchcraft and convert to Catholicism. Great idea, switch from believing in wizards and witches and choose the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost – again, obviously a better choice.

The AIG Debacle

The American government has given AIG a $180 billion US bailout. The reaction from the media and public to this: justified, necessary, hope it works, AIG is too big to fail.
AIG has given out about $200 million in questionable bonuses to employees. The reaction from the media and public: outrage, give it back, legislate it back! I heard a commentator recently state that this is concern about the hole while forgetting the donut. There was a solution to the AIG debacle, its called bankruptcy. The insurance company and employees that took too much risk would have to reorganize and reset their contractual obligations. People would lose jobs, bonuses would disappear, salaries would drop but the company would probably exist in a much different form. Who is at fault here? AIG certainly, but the US government has compounded the error 180 billion times! Watch for “problems” like this, for example today JPMorgan Chase had the money to buy two new corporate jets and hangers even though they received $25 billion US in TARP funds.

Happy 20th Birthday today to Cold Fusion

This is one of the best examples of how Science is self-correcting. There is a truth and the truth will out (and it ain't cold fusion).

Welcome.

I have been a teacher most of my adult life. While I no longer teach as a paid job, I feel that I still have a great deal to offer my fellow humans from the knowledge and experience that I have accumulated. This blog will contain my views of current events, in particular those things that relate to politics, religion, the economy and whatever else I find interesting. As time goes by I will add to the site, but for the time being I've posted the logos of two organizations that I belong to at the bottom of the page. You may find them interesting. Happy Spring!