EXPANDING THE POLITICAL IMAGINATION
The other day, CNN ran a focus group on what some American voters were now thinking about their president. The comments were almost universally critical including among Trump voters. But even some of the most critical, it seems, may still be Trump supporters. It was, for me, a valuable reminder that pointing out Trump’s flaws, … Continue reading
The Decline of the Collective
Keynote Speech at the Parkland Institute November 20 2015.
Why We Hate Taxes – And Why We Shouldn’t
A somewhat shorter version first appeared in Alberta Views January/February 2015 as Taxes: a Small Price to Pay for Civilization. About a year ago, my son Jordan, some friends and colleagues and I put together a book on taxes in Canada, Tax Is Not a Four-Letter Word. We had quite different views about how high … Continue reading
The Year Taxes Made a Comeback
A slightly shorter version of this piece written with Jordan Himelfarb appeared here in The Toronto Star. It’s just possible that 2014 will be seen as the year that taxes made a comeback in Canada. Not so long ago Stéphane Dion tried to put a green “tax shift” on the table but apparently we weren’t … Continue reading
Austerity and Trickle Down Meanness
Alex Himelfarb, former clerk of the Privy Council, was interviewed by Adam Kahane. POSSIBLE CANADAS ON BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES In this excerpt of Adam Kahane’s interview published here in The Globe and Mail I focus on austerity and trickle down meanness. Kahane: What keeps you up at night? Himelfarb: The number one issue for me … Continue reading
On the Weakening of the Collective
Summary of interviewed, June 23, by Adam Kahane as part of his Possible Canadas project and first appeared here on Possible Canadas website Kahane: What keeps you up at night? Himelfarb: The number one issue for me is inequality. Let’s think of the bottom, middle, and top of society. On the bottom, the situation with … Continue reading
Tax Is More Than A Four Letter Word
Ontario Budget 2014: watch my interview with Steve Paikin at The Agenda HERE
Without a Debate on Taxes, We Risk Sleepwalking into the Future (by Alex and Jordan Himelfarb)
Some months ago, we published a collection of essays designed to promote a discussion of taxes in Canada. The book’s premise is that the current tax conversation is distorted. While we rightly ask of any new policy or program proposal, “what will it cost and how will we pay,” we do not ask of proposed … Continue reading
Saying no to the conjuror’s trick of tax cuts
Tax is Not a Four Letter Word is a collection of essays, published by WLU Press, I co-edited with my son, Jordan, Opinion Editor of The Toronto Star. The CCPA Ontario’s Jennifer Story recently interviewed me about the book, and our desire to get Canadians thinking differently about taxes. (The interview first appeared on the … Continue reading
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