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A new book, featuring a chapter by Unifor economist Jim Stanford debunks the conservative anti-tax ideology that is used to justify austerity measures that gut our social service.
The book, Tax is Not a Four-Letter Word, is published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative, is edited by Alex Himelfarb, director of Glendon College at York University (and former Privy Council member), and Toronto Star opinions editor (and Unifor member) Jordan Himelfarb.
Stanford wrote the opening chapter in the book, The Economic Consequences of Taxing (and Spending), in which he challenges the conservative argument that lower taxes are always good, saying good social programs that all Canadians rely on require stable funding.
“The goal of progressives is not high taxes, or bigger government for its own sake,” Stanford writes. “Rather we campaign for good policies and programs, recognizing that those programs need to be financed by taxes in order to survive.”
A book launch is Nov. 5 at 6pm at Ryerson’s George Vari Engineering Building, Sears Atrium, 245 Church Street, Toronto.
The book editors will be at the launch, along with Stanford and fellow contributors Hugh Mackenzie, and Trish Hennessy.
“Sooner or later, tax cuts lead to cuts in government services, often when we can afford them least, when we most need the help government provides, and the jobs it creates,” the editors write in the book’s preface.
