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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch
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To: elpolvo who wrote (34936)1/13/2004 9:51:07 PM
From: lurqer  Read Replies (1) of 89467
 
In an earlier conversation you said

maybe the key is to tax free enterprise enough
that it pays for society's basic necessities but
not so much that it destroys the incentive to profit.
that's an extremely hard balance to strike and doing
it on a global scale is not yet possible.

I was thinking about that, and considered some kind of VAT (Value Added Tax) on every transaction the corporation makes - buying or selling. For companies like Greyston Bakery, the tax would be nominal say less than 1.5%. For a company with no pension or health insurance benefits, the tax could be a far more serious 150%. So, a normal $10 purchase is now $25, and a $250 sale gives the company an income of $100 before considering any expenses, other taxes etc. Serious environmental pollution could push this VAT even higher. A company with some intermediate record (most companies), would have a VAT between these more extreme examples. This type of VAT, where the Value is a measure of how peoples lives are being affected, could also be applied to international transactions. Any foreign corporation that wants to export to the US will also be subjected to a VAT import premium based on the way it treats its workers and the environment.

All this is just embryonic, but I noticed today that others are consider something somewhat similar.

nytimes.com

lurqer
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