The Editor:
How much did you earn last year?
An article by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation suggested a campaign promise by a NDP leader hopeful to raise top income tax, capital gains, and stock options rates was wrong headed and the candidate should "leave it in the hands of people who earned it."
The article says that 173,570 taxpayers, those who earn over $250,000, already pay $29 billion in taxes. We will ignore that this means the average in taxes paid by each individual is $167,080 and focus on the idea of "earning" more than $250,000.
How do you "earn" $250,000 in a year? Stats Canada tells us that in 2009 an unattached individual male made on average $31,500. This is someone who worked full time, yet someone else who may or may not have worked full time has accumulated an amount almost eight times greater? Given full time is eight hours each weekday, it is a physical impossibility for someone to work eight times more hours than someone else.
We need to practice accuracy in our use of the word "earn" and replace it with the word "income" where appropriate. While many people earn a living with their hands, many others have income placed into their hands by our irrational market and monetary systems.
Nancy Carswell
Shellbrook, Saskatchewan
