tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073991368963140015.post6461943836364976729..comments2023-11-05T12:18:27.222+00:00Comments on Labour And Capital: It's enough to turn you into a class warriorTom Powdrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05511483398745094803noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073991368963140015.post-12335351137733804172008-02-11T22:32:00.000+00:002008-02-11T22:32:00.000+00:00Hi CharlieI agree with the point about benefit cla...Hi Charlie<BR/><BR/>I agree with the point about benefit claimants. Much as I don't like the idea of people ripping off the benefits system (both because it's unfair and because it damages public support for the system). I think it probably takes a great deal of effort to 'police' it for little payback.<BR/><BR/>On the same line I am quite attracted to that Basic Income idea.<BR/><BR/>On the tax stuff it's not so much the enforcement I see as the problem, rather I think that there simply aren't that many rich people to make taxing them more a good way to either raise extra revenue or juggle the existing system. How many people actually earn over £100k for example?Tom Powdrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05511483398745094803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073991368963140015.post-46279622899707433992008-02-11T01:25:00.000+00:002008-02-11T01:25:00.000+00:00You'd be surprised. The efforts of HMRC to get ric...You'd be surprised. The efforts of HMRC to get rich folks to cough up the cash is more rewarding than the hassling of benefit claimants on grounds of searching for fraud...<BR/><BR/>So, progressive taxation would not be that symbolic - and what's more it would fund tax cuts for low and middle income families...<BR/><BR/>http://charliemarks.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/tax-dodging-is-the-problem/<BR/><BR/>Note the Lib Dems were applauded in the corporate press when they dropped their progressive tax policies in favour of regressive "green" taxes - which won't lessen pollution, but will shift the burden of taxes further down the food chain.Charlie Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12770820928636046622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073991368963140015.post-60781316429962511292008-02-10T13:07:00.000+00:002008-02-10T13:07:00.000+00:00I agree that there is very little debate over prog...I agree that there is very little debate over progressive taxation these days. Again a tricky one. I'm instinctively attracted to the idea of introducing a new higher top rate (like the Lib dems old policy of 50% over £100K). But it would be largely symbolic politics. I don't think that there are enough people earning that much to make much tax revenue to justify it on those grounds, especially since many would simply set their accountants on it find ways around.Tom Powdrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05511483398745094803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073991368963140015.post-60973971173165095382008-02-10T03:50:00.000+00:002008-02-10T03:50:00.000+00:00I note the gutter press find it hard, on the one h...I note the gutter press find it hard, on the one hand to argue against the free movement of labour and on the other for the free movent of capital.<BR/><BR/>The point is that we are living in a tax haven. Not a for ordinary people, natch. What is striking is that there's an kind of passive acceptance by most people that we'll be the ones paying the most tax and that there's no hope of having a progressive taxation system.<BR/><BR/>For NuLiebore, Bigby Jones' warning about capital flight is more important than the really-existing capital flight caused by the ability of TNCs to switch to lower-wage economies...Charlie Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12770820928636046622noreply@blogger.com