>>Report States:
>>>
>>>In Toronto yesterday, Allan Rock, the Health Minister, unveiled a
$147-million
>>>program to discourage top Canadian medic researchers from moving to the U.S.,
>>>where American researchers receive an average of $260,000 for their projects
>>>compared to $70,000 in Canada.
>>
>>Thomas:
>>
>>I recently read in the Ottawa Citizen of a scientist (Cdn) of international
>>renown being given a grant to study something in health. In recruiting his
>>team, it turned out that all were ex-Cdn's in other countries who couldn't
>>wait to get back to Canada. Now, rather than the brain drain being a
>>reflection of taxes, it may be a reflection of our branch plant mentality.
>>Most of the big corporations in Canada, are branch plants of European or
>>American Companies who are doing the essential research in their own
>>countries. Our best brains want to be on the cutting edge, so they go where
>>there is opportunity.
>>
>>Rather than reducing taxes, our government should be massively funding more
>>R&D and utilizing the advanced skills of those Cnd's who have left the
>>country and want to return.
>>
>>Secondly, we should be putting much more money into Universities to develop
>>R&D so that our students have the chance to work with world class scientists
>>on world class projects.
>>
>>Lowering taxes is not the problem in my opinion, lack of opportunity is the
>>problem and that is a reflection of the decisions of government.
>>
>>Report States:
>>>
>>>The income gap between the U.S. and Canada is now an average of $7,000 and
>>> growing.
>>
>>Thomas:
>>
>>This points to an income gap, ie wages, rather than a tax problem. With a
>>$.66 dollar, our wages are so low that it only makes common sense to sell
>>your brains for $1.00 - dollar. Again it is the policies of the Federal
>>Government and The Bank of Canada that has ruined our currency value. This
>>has nothing to do with taxes and a lot to do with the $666 Billion dollar
>>debt we are paying 50 Billion in interest on and which was primarily caused
>>by ol Mr. John Crow and his anti inflationary fight supported by that
>>paragon of Conservative values and American ass kissing the Rt. Honorable
>>Brian Mulronney.
>>
>>The neo-con solution of lowering taxes will further reduce our ability to
>>pay our debt which will make our dollar even weaker in the currency markets
>>causing more talented people to leave.
>>
>>Report states:
>>>
>>>However, the IMD report gives Canada a poor score
>>> for high personal income taxe that it suggests discourages individual work
>>> initiative. Out of 47 countries, Canada is 35th for low tax rates, while the
>>U.S. is ranked seven. Hong Kong is the star performer in keeping taxes low.
>>
>>Thomas:
>>
>>I would like to see how wide that variance is?
>>
>>Comments of the Conservative Party
>>>
>>>Scott Brison, the Conservative Party finance critic, said the Swiss report
>>should serve as a wake-up call for the prime minister to take seriously
>>demands from groups, such as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, to slash
>>personal and corporate income taxes. Last week, the chamber urged the
>>government to cut taxes by $9-billion over two years or $1,700 per family
>>annually.
>>
>>Thomas:
>>
>>If we are talking about $1,700 less taxes that poor people would have to
>>pay, there might be some small merit in the Conservative critics thinking.
>>However, I suspect that $1,700 is a statistical average which means the rich
>>will get big tax cuts and the poor will see a very tiny tax cut.
>>
>>As to Corporate taxes, they are only paying 20% of the bill currently, why
>>don't we just cut to the chase and let them be exempt from taxes all
>>together. Then the can complain that it is the high cost of labour and they
>>can lay off everyone and we can watch the system collapse completely.
>>
>>Report states:
>>
>>Despite Canada's poor score card on keeping well-educated people, the IMD
>>yearbook gives Canada a high ranking for competitiveness. When overall
>>competitiveness is factored, Canada ranks 10th behind Germany, Denmark, Hong
>>Kong, Switzerland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Finland, Singapore and the U.S.
>>
>>Thomas:
>>
>>I guess if we are to take this statement seriously, it says that all those
>>second rate Canadian Brains that stay at home are quite capable of giving us
>>10th spot in the world of competitiveness. Maybe allowing our best to leave
>>the country is a humanitarian gesture, for if we kept our best at home, we
>>might be the most competive nation on Earth - whatever that means.
>>
>>Report states:
>>>
>> However, the IMD report gives Canada a poor score for high personal income
>>taxes it suggests discourages individual work initiative. Canada ranked 35th
>>for low tax rates, while the U.S. ranked 7th. Hong Kong was the star
>>performer in keeping taxes low.
>>
>>Thomas:
>>
>>Now, let me see if I've got this right. Mr. Brain goes to work, but
>>sometime during the day, he reflects on his personal tax load, so instead of
>>finishing the equation he was working on or reading the report he was
>>gathering information from, he suddenly is discouraged and his personal
>>initiative drops and he takes his Playboy magazine out of his desk for a
>>quick side trip into an unproductive pursuit. Doesn't anyone in this world
>>of airy fairy reports have any sense?
>>
>>Oops, I just felt a drop in my individual initiative. I will have to
>>terminate these comments, I feel the pressure of the tax load bearing down
>>on me and I feel I must protest by becoming unproductive.
>>
>>Respectfully,
>>
>>Thomas Lunde
>>
>>>
>>
>
> Michael Gurstein, Ph.D.
> ** NOTE ** New E-Mail as of Sept. 1, 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> ECBC/NSERC/SSHRC Associate Chair in the Management of Technological Change
> Director: Centre for Community and Enterprise Networking (C\CEN)
> University College of Cape Breton, POBox 5300, Sydney, NS, CANADA B1P 6L2
> Tel. 902-563-1369 (o) 902-562-1055 (h) 902-562-0119 (fax)
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://ccen.uccb.ns.ca ICQ: 7388855
>
