Categories
Politics

Tax breaks don’t help the poor

A couple of years ago, the local paper ran a story with the following headline: “Low-income families not using program meant to help save for kids’ education”.

This is the thing that Conservatives and Liberals can’t seem to get through their heads. Poor people can’t afford to save. They can’t afford to spend in order to later receive a tax break. Tax breaks, top ups, matching funds—none of them help poor people because they all require poor people first spending money they don’t have: if you don’t have the money to spend, you can’t benefit from these programmes.

Categories
Politics

How balanced budgets destroy jobs

Here’s the problem with focusing on balanced budgets.

Balanced budgets rarely come with increased revenue, which means they must be accomplished with decreased expenses. And decreased expenses always means job losses. Because, as I’ve discussed before, everything the government spends money on creates jobs.

Categories
Politics

My response to Nathan Neudorf’s pro-capitalist rant

On 2 December 2019, Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf spoke to the Alberta legislature, saying the seemingly random rant seen below:

Categories
Politics

Tax cuts are job cuts: a running total

On 20 February 2019, Jason Kenney, then the Official Opposition leader, said in a press conference that if elected, a UCP government would conduct a performance review of Alberta Health Services within 30 days of taking office. 

“With the most expensive health system in Canada, I believe we can find some savings to do things more efficiently without affecting front-line services.”

Jason Kenney, as reported by Dustin Cook. “Jason Kenney calls for Alberta Health Services review, says UCP will not make cuts to health care”. Edmonton Journal. 20 February 2019.

He reiterated in the press conference, “If we can find the money, there will be increases in the health budget. There will be no cuts.”