EDWARD DODD
The Carillon (University of Regina)

REGINA (CUP) — “In this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.”

This old adage is often credited to Benjamin Franklin, and points to a seemingly unshakeable view among many North Americans of taxes as a source of nothing but pain, suffering and problems.

Taxes have been labelled job-killing, money-grubbing and nothing more than a way to fatten already bloated government coffers. Suggesting raising taxes can be political suicide, and even proposing a revamp of the tax system, as the federal Liberal Party did in 2008 with their “Green Shift” platform, can lead to mass desertion come election day.

This rhetoric surrounding taxes ignores that they are an essential part of contemporary society. We no longer live in the Wild West where vigilantes take care of law, people expect to die of tuberculosis before age 40 and there’s one rail line for all transportation of both people and goods. Taxes could be low in such a world.

Now we live in an advanced society where roads, rails, planes, hospitals, police, schools, food safety guidelines and a wide variety of other modern comforts are provided by the government.

Take universities as an example. The Saskatchewan government has been very clear that it is preparing to axe university funding in order to force the institutions to “find efficiencies.” This has essentially meant, at least at the University of Regina, that sessional instructors in high-demand areas such as English and other humanities are going to be laid off or not re-hired. The funding shortfall is even more acute at the University of Saskatchewan.

Then consider that the NDP cut the provincial sales tax to five per cent back in 2006 in a blatant attempt to buy votes before the 2007 election. This tax cut was a short-sighted policy that cost the government approximately $325 million in revenue and still failed to influence the election. This loss has not been replaced by other stable revenue. Instead, that revenue has been replaced by the variable royalties that come in from potash and oil revenues.

Knowing the provincial economy is larger than in 2006 when the PST was cut, a temporary increase of the PST by a half per cent or one per cent would easily cover the combined deficit of the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina, which stands at around $50 million.

A government truly dedicated to the health and well being of these necessary institutions of higher learning would not hesitate to take such action to properly fund them. While it might be temporarily unpopular, for most people such an increase would be barely noticeable and would raise the funds necessary to provide stable post-secondary education funding.

This is not the only solution, obviously. An increase of royalty rates or corporate taxes, or a cutting of the huge subsidies paid out to the oil and gas industry, could produce similar revenue. But it is a potential solution that does not mutilate two very important institutions in our province, and breaks out of the notion that funding cuts are inevitable and should be managed instead of opposed.

Taxes are not inherently a problem. They can act as a solution, and as such should not be treated with the overwhelming and vitriolic disdain they have been in the past by most of North American society.

If we eliminate taxes from Franklin’s statement, the only certainty left in life will be death. Even if taxes are sometimes a pain, at least I know as long as I am paying them, I am still alive. And so might be my university.

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Graphic: Samantha Braun/Graphics Editor