B.C.'s Housing Minister, Ravi Kahlon, told Global News Monday that this couple's landlord should "give himself a head shake" but he is in a legal position to do this.
Overpopulation is a genuine concern of mine, and I would probably focus on that point if I were explaining it to someone face to face so as to hopefully not come across as an asshole.
But there’s a selfish reason as well. I get taxed pretty hard, and it occurred to me that people with dependants consume more while contributing less per person (assuming similar income levels). Which frustrated me. But like I said, I’m rethinking this. I want a more socialist society, and that line of thinking does not fit.
Hmm… As to the second point, I’d argue that people with dependants are contributing, by having dependants. Giving them a tax break is sort of like paying them to take care of things that the state would have to take care of otherwise, in the form of orphanages, daycares, food banks, public nursing homes, etc. At that point, it’s just an efficiency question: is it better to tax parents less (so they have to work fewer hours and can take care of their kids), or is it better to run more after-school programs (so the parents can work while someone else takes care of their kids)? Should we tax them less so they can buy food and shelter, or just give them food and shelter? The answer isn’t cleanly one or the other, but falls somewhere between “give them money (by taxing less)” and “give them stuff” for each thing that people provide for their dependants.
As for overpopulation, once people are already born, it’s too late. Incentives should prevent people from being born in the first place, but not punish the parents of the already-born (and the already-born themselves). To do that you could do normal birth-rate-reducing things like comprehensive sex ed and ensuring easy access to birth control, or go at it from the other side: streamline the adoption process and incentivize people to adopt rather than procreate.
Those are great points and well stated. I hadn’t looked at those things from those perspectives. In particular these hit home:
is it better to tax parents less (so they have to work fewer hours and can take care of their kids)
Taxing families and single parents more effectively robs them of time with their kids. I don’t want that.
And the general idea behind your overpopulation statement. Punishing those that have or want children financially isn’t the way. Making societal changes is.
Developed countries have fewer children than necessary to maintain their population. If overpopulation is your concern, you have to look elsewhere, and the measures you need to prevent it will be different.
My income is higher than average for my area (not by a lot), and so of course my tax contribution is higher. That makes sense and is how it should work. That in general never bothered me.
I’m trying to think of what triggered my irritation specifically for tax breaks for those with dependants in the first place and I’m coming up empty. Regardless, I was wrong to think that way.
I don’t really know, but having a kid is already a big financial stress and you pay taxes on everything you spend on your kid, it’s not like it’s tax free. So you shouldn’t think it’s not fair, it really is pretty hard having kids
Overpopulation is a genuine concern of mine, and I would probably focus on that point if I were explaining it to someone face to face so as to hopefully not come across as an asshole.
But there’s a selfish reason as well. I get taxed pretty hard, and it occurred to me that people with dependants consume more while contributing less per person (assuming similar income levels). Which frustrated me. But like I said, I’m rethinking this. I want a more socialist society, and that line of thinking does not fit.
Hmm… As to the second point, I’d argue that people with dependants are contributing, by having dependants. Giving them a tax break is sort of like paying them to take care of things that the state would have to take care of otherwise, in the form of orphanages, daycares, food banks, public nursing homes, etc. At that point, it’s just an efficiency question: is it better to tax parents less (so they have to work fewer hours and can take care of their kids), or is it better to run more after-school programs (so the parents can work while someone else takes care of their kids)? Should we tax them less so they can buy food and shelter, or just give them food and shelter? The answer isn’t cleanly one or the other, but falls somewhere between “give them money (by taxing less)” and “give them stuff” for each thing that people provide for their dependants.
As for overpopulation, once people are already born, it’s too late. Incentives should prevent people from being born in the first place, but not punish the parents of the already-born (and the already-born themselves). To do that you could do normal birth-rate-reducing things like comprehensive sex ed and ensuring easy access to birth control, or go at it from the other side: streamline the adoption process and incentivize people to adopt rather than procreate.
Those are great points and well stated. I hadn’t looked at those things from those perspectives. In particular these hit home:
Taxing families and single parents more effectively robs them of time with their kids. I don’t want that.
And the general idea behind your overpopulation statement. Punishing those that have or want children financially isn’t the way. Making societal changes is.
Developed countries have fewer children than necessary to maintain their population. If overpopulation is your concern, you have to look elsewhere, and the measures you need to prevent it will be different.
But the whole idea of tax is… Why even pay tax if you only get to use it based on your income? You legend
You’re right.
My income is higher than average for my area (not by a lot), and so of course my tax contribution is higher. That makes sense and is how it should work. That in general never bothered me.
I’m trying to think of what triggered my irritation specifically for tax breaks for those with dependants in the first place and I’m coming up empty. Regardless, I was wrong to think that way.
I don’t really know, but having a kid is already a big financial stress and you pay taxes on everything you spend on your kid, it’s not like it’s tax free. So you shouldn’t think it’s not fair, it really is pretty hard having kids