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The concept of a tax "freedom" day has always been a corporate sham to undermine the value of the public sector and public services.
Ottawa (6 June 2011) - Around this time every year, the corporate-financed Fraser Institute announces 'Tax Freedom Day'. It's supposedly the point in the year when we stop working for the government (if we paid all our taxes up front each year) and start working for ourselves.
The concept has always been a corporate sham to undermine the value of the public sector and public services. It’s a gimmick that suggests Canadians derive no benefit from the taxes they pay. Nothing could be further from the truth.
It's as if groups like the Fraser Institute think our taxes float up into the air and just disappear past the ozone layer. The fact is our taxes go towards keeping our families and communities safe and secure. They pay for our children's education, our health care services when we get sick, emergency services that protect our communities, garbage and recycling collection that keep our neighbourhoods clean, health inspectors that keep our food and water safe, and good highways, parks and libraries.
The truth is that taxes are the price we pay for the great country we live in. While some Canadians would no doubt like a few more bucks in their pockets, most would not be willing to sacrifice their family's quality of life to get it.
Rather than silly gimmicks, what this country needs is an adult conversation about tax fairness (who pays and how much?) and what do families and communities get in return.
Join the conversation on the All Together Now! campaign website (http://alltogethernow.nupge.ca), on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ATNcampaign and follow @ATNcampaign on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ATNcampaign.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE