Comment 26624

By Campbell (anonymous) | Posted September 17, 2008 at 16:52:07

I'm not a Green partisan by any stretch. I don't think "market signals" or the sum of individual choices will remotely be enough to save the planet. The state-capitalist system, no matter how efficient, will eventually outgrow the biosphere.

But as a stop-gap measure, I've always thought the Green Party policy of tax-shifting was beyond ideology - a genuine no-brainer. Who doesn't want their income tax lowered?

I feel my income tax is too high. Over the years I've strived to lower my "ecological footprint" by riding a bike primarily, taking responsibility for my waste, growing a bit of food, buying local/organic, etc. I want a break on my tax burden for this because, after all, I'm also reducing my contribution to the cost of essential public services (road construction and maintenance, waste mgmt., wastewater mgt., health care for respiratory illness and the effects of pesticides, etc. etc. etc.)

For people who hold to the standard Left critique that the effect of tax shifting is regressive, I suggest that they read "Energy and Equity" by Ivan Illich (available free online).

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