Socialism pays off financially and personally

Re: “Budget puts NDP in a jam,” editorial, Feb. 22. Your conclusion rests on unproven assumptions.

For example, you write: “The trick for the NDP would be to pay for new promises without raising taxes.” There is no reason taxes should not be raised.

For example, the sensible way to eliminate the Medical Services Plan premiums in one fell swoop is to roll them into the income-tax system. The revenue replacement would come from leaving the lowest tax bracket as is, moderately increasing the middle bracket (but most would probably pay less than their current premiums) and more steeply increasing the rate of the highest bracket (or even adding one) so that those who have been getting an undeserved bargain on their MSP premiums for so many years would finally pay a fair share of the costs of health care. That would be one NDP promise kept. Research suggests that $10-a-day daycare would pay for itself through enhanced economic activity and the ensuing tax revenues. There’s another promise.

Stopping the Site C dam, and ending all subsidies to the oil and gas industry, would free plenty of money to be invested in the untapped resources that are the disabled and those living in poverty. Raising their rates to a livable level would, alone, by increasing purchasing power, benefit local economies, leading to increased tax revenues.

Altogether, socialism will pay for itself with a little help from each and every one of us — not only in financial terms but in personal well-being and creativity. Elizabeth Woods Victoria