Health tax is regressive and brutally unfair

Health tax is regressive and brutally unfair

Except that it really isn't.

I get it. People think that people with more money should pay more tax. I understand your point. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I do understand where that point is coming from.

My point is that at some point, you have to stop trying to punish "the rich" for having a good income. At some point, "the rich" will decide that they aren't getting enough benefit from their altruistic paying of more and more tax and find somewhere else to be, somewhere else to earn their money, and somewhere else to pay their tax.

My point is also, that at some point, as regressive as it may seem, the people who aren't paying tax need to pay something into the system for the benefits they receive. At some point, those who benefit must pay some price in order to receive their benefits. If those who benefit don't pay anything, then they acquire a sense of entitlement. They feel that they are entitled to those benefits, and if they are forced to pay something to receive those benefits in the future, then protests and riots happen.

The fact is that Quebec is one of the highest taxed regimes in North America, and yet it still has billion dollar deficits. At some point, their "progressive" social programs, their list of entitlements has to be funded, have to be fully paid for, or they will eventually be taken away.

I'm glad that Mr. Charest et al have started making some tough decisions, and I have no doubt that at some point when a portion of the cost of those entitlements is pushed onto those receiving the benefits, then a weeding process will be undergone to find those programs which are truly benefiting the greatest number of people for the least cost.