A New Call For a Return to Progressive Taxation

I suppose one has to be of a certain age to remember that progressive taxation has been a mainstay, until fairly recently, of our taxation system. Little by little over the past two decades, probably starting with the introduction of the GST, that principle has been on the wane, to the point where we have flattened the tax brackets and derive much of our revenue from consumption taxes and business growth, both of which have their obvious limitations.

Today, it is very rare for politicians of any stripe to even broach the subject of tax increases, as opposed to spending cuts, as a means of helping to address deficits. That is why I was so pleased to read Thomas Walkom's column in today's Star. Using a group called Doctors for Fair Taxation, Walkom examines the case for a return to true progressive taxation.

I highly recommend it for your consideration.

Are Police Too Sensitive Or Simply Arrogant?

For some time now I have been closely following abuses of power, with special interest in instances involving our politicians and our police. Because both groups wield so much power, I believe that they need to be held to a very high stand which, unfortunately, they often fail to achieve.

I suspect that because both arenas involve a level of public trust that most of us do not enjoy, the temptation for participants in those arenas to see themselves as separate and above the public they serve must be very great; there is certainly no shortage of distressing events that attest to that hubris.

Recently, a criminal lawyer, Reid Rusonik used the term 'the banality of evil' to describe the widespread 'carding' of black males in Toronto. Rather than address the issue at the heart of the article, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, in a letter to the Star, expressed how he found the use of that term offensive, castigating the newspaper for allowing it to find its way into print.

Personally, I have never forgiven Blair for the pivotal role he played in the police violence that marred the 2010 G20 summit in Toronto, a role that he has consistently refused to acknowledge or show any contrition for. It is for that reason I find his umbrage at the term 'banality of evil' a bit difficult to swallow.

In a column well-worth reading in today's Star, Heather Mallick takes Blair to task over his arrogance/sensitivity.

The Scourge of Rogue Elements

Following Canadian Tire's conviction for gasoline price-fixing in Kingston and Brockville, a spokesperson for the company, Liz Hamilton, had this to say:

"... the company’s participation in the price-fixing ring was the work of a single regional business manager, who is no longer with the company after an internal investigation."

Will the scourge of rogue elements never end?

Toronto Library Strike

As a lifelong user of public libraries (I can still remember the very first book I took out as a child) and one who aspires to practise critical thinking on a regular basis, I feel for the people of Toronto who are now without this invaluable resource.

Despite the inability of the brothers Ford to appreciate their importance, the central role played by libraries in people's social and intellectual lives is addressed in a column today by The Star's Joe Fiorto. I hope you will take a look at it.

Rob Ford's Absolutism

In a report carried on CBC, Toronto's monomaniacal mayor issued the following pronouncement regarding support for subways:

You are either with us or against us. There is no middle ground.

Hmm, now why does that absolutist assertion sound so eerily familiar?

Are You Afraid of Clowns?

The only ones who frighten me are the ones holding political office. But, just to show you that I have a sense of humour and don't spend my entire life anguishing over the erosion of our values and our democracy, allow me to provide you with this link which, if you ever enjoyed Seinfeld and Crazy Joe Davola, you might find amusing.

I like to think of it as an example of what happens when clowns go bad.

Michael Ignatieff on Syria

The former Liberal leader and professor has a thoughtful article analyzing the situation in Syria with an interesting solution to the problem of Bashar al-Assad's demonic destruction of his people.