Only Canadian subscribers will be aware that Barbara Amiel is the right-wing columnist wife of Conrad Black, owner of the majority of Canadian newspapers. Today, I had the unexpected honour of pinch hitting for Barbara's opinion column in the Vancouver Sun. Don't be alarmed, "Barbara Amiel will return next week." a note assures at the bottom of my opinion piece. The headline for my piece came out with an appropriately neo-liberal sounding slant: "The jobless rate will stay high until government eases payroll taxes." The headline is not the best summary of my argument, which is not that payroll tax rates are *too high*, but that the taxes are *regressive* in their structure and that it is the regressivity of the structure that kills jobs. Elsewhere in today's Sun is the news that the Pope endorses Darwin's theory of evolution and that Conrad Black's Hollinger Inc. has offered to purchase 51% of the shares of Southam (owners of the Vancouver Sun). Another story highlights a report released by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business called for reducing payroll taxes to stimulate hiring and complaining about the current "coddled generation" of job seekers. Me and Barbara Amiel Freedom's just another word for nothing left to loose nothing ain't worth nothing but it's free Feeling good was easy, Lord, when Barbara sang the blues Feeling good was good enough for me Good enough for me and Barbara Amiel... Regards, Tom Walker, [EMAIL PROTECTED], (604) 669-3286 The TimeWork Web: http://mindlink.net/knowware/worksite.htm
