Arden calls for taxes to pay for education
(CNS Elections): The incumbent member for East End became the first candidate in the televised election forums so far to raise the sticky issue of taxes, after several weeks of candidates rolling out wish lists, in many cases without indicating how they propose to pay for them. But Arden McLean bucked the trend when he declared Tuesday that the next government should “tax the people” and “triple the education budget” to meet the demands of the business community who claim Caymanians are not good enough.
Read more and comment on the CNS Election Section
Category: Local News
The comment that appeared in regards to this article purporting to be written by Lance Jefferson was not written by him and has been removed. Cayman News Service apologises for any inconvenience or embarrassment this may have caused Mr Jefferson.
I don’t want to hear any more candidates lamenting educational quality as the nexus of our social problems. Public school quality is less than half of the equation in relation to our employability and crime issues. Positive student home life, and birth control availability are much more important social regulators.
We can no longer afford to ignore the thousands of broken homes, absentee parents or grandparent-only households that are struggling to raise “normal” children (let alone high school graduates). The contagious resentment of these environments creates learning paralysis.
It almost doesn’t matter how much money or blame we throw at public schools if we are unprepared to open this door and look inside at our reality. There are dozens of necessary and comparatively affordable social programs that aren’t working or don’t exist. Our decades of neglect continue to breed prisoners our society cannot abide or house.
Sure, our public schools could be better, but if we’re populating those classrooms with feral kids, it doesn’t matter what’s on the blackboard. We need to throw serious resources at fixing these homes for these kids, and preventing these realities in the future.
Educational success of children begins with parents who model respect and appreciation for education, educational institutions, and educators.
Don’t tax me just because a significant percentage of parents don’t make positive parenting a priority.
By all means fine/tax those deadbeat parents who refuse to provide positive parenting, but don’t punish the rest of us who take on the responsibilities of parenting and in fact raise successful children.
Why in Cayman is tax seen as a punishment?
I have a better suggestion, Arden. Why not set up a special education fund to educate MLA’s existing and prospective in the economics of these Islands? May not need to raise any tax.
waabout them unfinished schools? how much money politicians wasted…yet they want more??
When the public and private schools were separated a 2 tier education system was created and the private schools are much better in educating children than the public schools. This is no secret and everyone knows this. Expat teachers are blamed but it is the public school administration that pass students who cannot read or write who are at fault. The PPM built huge expensive schools and the education system still fails in many if not most cases. If I student doesn’t know the material then they fail that grade and repeat the grade. Administration need to support teachers who are assaulted in school and stand up to crazy parents.
No doubt this will never happen because of the pandering for votes represented by public school parents.
Bobo, the private schools are NOT much better at educating. It’s just they have only to deal with normally motivated youngsters whose parents have read to them from a very early age and who have instilled discipline in them and the kids and parents know if they don’t behave in the private school they will be expelled and have to go to the public schools where far too many parents don’t give a damn about their kids and where the criminals of the future are. Our public schools are filled with too much trash. Everyone of the murderers plus all the other major criminals in Northward today went through our primary, middle and high school system that some of us had to teach in. They were lost as humans from the age of five or less thanks to their worthless parents. Some names for those who think the problem is foreigners committing the crimes? OK, I’ll give you some that CNS might censor: Sheldon Brown, Sven Connor, Shane Connor, Jerry Christian, Brian Powell, Steve Manderson, Mcandy Thomas, Philip Ebanks, Donald Calvin Hooker, Julio Simon Newball, Eladio Brown and his brothers from west bay, Tony Bush, Devon Wright. These are the older generation. Their children are now filling Northward; I believe on Steve Mandersons last escape, his son went with him? Disney World!!!
It is not that the private schools are great, it is that they don’t have to deal with this riff raff.
All evidence to points to the opposite: private school students are much better prepared for college and go on to achieve quite a lot more in life.
Private Schools have teachers that know how to (and want to) teach and inspire, and kids that are receptive to the idea of self improvement and understand how to conform to mandatory fundamental performance criteria. The homes of these children are calibrated differently than those of the public school attendees – they are geared towards supporting the child through to scholastic success. Both mother and father are typically actively involved in support of the lives of these children (and that matters – almost as much as the school system choice). The educational advantage widens further when you compare the gap in percentage of high school graduates, college admissions (percentage admittance to first choice, or Tier One schools), and how many of those were prepared sufficiently to fully complete their degree program or qualify for post-graduate degree. The public system is not designed for college prep – it is designed to propel Caymanian kids through to a low minimum standard that less than 80% actually achieve with fewer than 23% going on to earn a college degree (a Territorial average skewed upwards by those Caymanian kids that were prepared at Private Schools). The performance gap in terms of lifetime achievement, service, and philanthropy is wider still.
For those that still think that school choice doesn’t matter, a 2016 Inter-Ministerial Committee on Employment report asked 250 employers for reasons why Caymanians were terminated: three quarters of the 250 employers that responded said frequent tardiness or absences were the main reasons for terminations. Almost as many employers, 73 percent, said performance issues led to firings. More than half of the employers cited “attitude towards coworkers” as a reason for termination, followed by “attitude towards customers,” with about 44 percent. These are all social and performance standards that ought to have been learned by primary and high school levels, yet continue to haunt and limit public schoolers throughout their adult careers.
Throwing more money at public schools will not necessarily fix the teaching quality, performance criteria, or repair the broken home lives the attending children. We need to deploy capital to social programs, to support the thousands of single mom or grandparent-only households that are struggling to raise normal children (let alone graduates) in the absence of participating fathers. These are the homes that breed our social problems that you list above. It is a well-studied topic and not unique to the Cayman Islands. What is unique, is that the Cayman Islands have acknowledged social problems, yet waste so much money on political vanity and white elephant projects, ignoring the obvious. Probably because many of our MLAs “leaders” didn’t finish public high school.
The private schools do not have to educate the children of dysfunctional families, or children wih low ability. The children they educate generally are motivated to succeed.
Just more routine fu*krees suggestions. Tell me how are we going to live here unless we are dart. Cayman is expensive as hell and most people live from one paycheck to the next. We the people pay for bs through expensive vehicle registration fees, customs duties, planning department, and other government fees. Everything that comes here has a customs duty so if we go to the store we are paying for customs duties plus the original price and profit.
Calling for more indirect taxes to fund a system in shambles due to lack of vision, plan, continuity, decisiveness, financial transparency, moral fortitude. Shall I say more…
Good luck with that…
Not again BoBo. Poor Arden, we have put up with him and Blizzard Ezzard Ezra Miller with their mixing and wining and getting no where for long enough.
I am a born, bred and hard working east Ender. But we need a change. Imagine give him another term to become premier for him to tax our educational system. His kids are all raised. The saying is true empty vessel makes the most noise. I hope north side and east end is in partnership this time. But we rather take Pom Pom than to have to take johnny. Vote right this time.
Friend, did you actually read the VERY SHORT article. The man said to do a tax and provide more funding to education. He didn’t say to tax the education system.
As another EE voter I endorse this. You can throw all the money in the world at education but you can’t fix the problem when the person turning up work doesn’t really want or expect to have to work. some of the best training on the island is done by employers on the job. But it needs an state of mind from the employee that says “I want to do this and I want it to work”. This sounds like desperation Arden
Lets not forget under his tenure as a Minister money was diverted from Education to build a bypass, so what do you expect?
Sounds like time for Arden to LEAVE!!!
Leaders “For the people!” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/business/venezuela-general-motors-business-protests.html?_r=0
Taxation 101. Let’s tax that guy over there, he got plenny money and he’s not from here. We’ll just take a lil 2% because we are the only island on planet with a beach..Next political cycle.. the lowlife political hacks gather and say, let’s make that 5%, and the voter leeches cheers! Yes tax that guy more! looks he’s driving the SUV WE should be driving! And taking your job! Next political cycle, the economy is 30% down, unemployment is 50% up, look, we can take another 15% from that guy! Hum.. where is that guy???
If anyone wants to look in the future to see what pinhead political hacks like Adren accomplish, look no further than the Bahamas.
Without expats teaching, schools would have to close. Without expats working in our hospitals, hospitals and health clinics, would close, without expats working in our cafes, restaurants and bars, they would close too. Without expats working in our hotels, hotels would close. So roll on and over if you like. Unfortunately many Caymanians do not have the choice to leave Cayman. Without expats,whether you like it or not,expats are an essential part of our economy. Without them we have nothing.
Arden and Buzzard miller couldn’t reconcile their checkbooks. We’re going to give those fools direct access to our bank accounts??
education has become a two tier economy with the private school running away with huge profits. Allow expat children to go to public schools at a small cost and this will create a level playing field. its a proven education that kids learn from kids!
You are 100 percent right about kids learning from kids . The exact reason why I and others would not send my kids to a government school even if it was free .
A lack of DISCIPLINE is the problem, not the teachers, not the children (local or expat) not the ‘school’ … it starts with the parents and the home environment that these kids are being raised in, and continues in an education system where there is ZERO control over the children in it.
It is time we stop pointing fingers and take responsibility for what WE have done and continue to do to our kids.
Private Schools excel not because of ‘money’ but because indicipline is simply not tolerated.
Taxes? I think not! We already pay enough “taxes” now, masked and Government fees for this and that. How about a politician being bold enough to call for a legalized national lottery to garner funds for education and other programs, such as done in many US stares & counties and other countries worldwide.
Okay let’s sum it up the last education budget was approx KYD150MM or 17% of government’s core budget. Do the math now times 3? Mr. McLean must have mispoke and if so should clarify why he feels it’s prudent to raise KYD300MM on the backs of an already overtaxed population.
How do you triple the education budget?LMAO Someone is drinking Kool-aid and is drunk on power.
So the government already spends more per kid than the private schools. And the results are crap. So how exactly will increasing a 2x spend to a 6x spend make difference to the outcome? Perhaps Mr A should start thinking about WHY the results are poor, rather than assuming the taxpayer should throw more money at the problem.
I can’t believe Taxes, “Really ” What gov need to do ,is tax all the money that go out of this country every day and you going to see how many millions you get every year.
Arden! If you want to tax anyone tax the millions that is sent out of this island every day by money transfer .
We do not need any new taxes to fund education, short and simple. What we need is better management. Or, frankly, just privatize it. The best schools on island spend less per student than CIG. Which, from personal experience in nothing more than a high priced baby sitting service for poor people. And I am one.
If the private schools are so wonderful, then how come the private tuition services are overflowing with kids from these private schools?
Because private schools have standards and won’t graduate students who can’t read. Because the parents understand that not all of the responsibility for educating their children lies with the school. Because the parents care enough to get them extra help if they need it. In some cases, it is because the parents understand that bright students need extra challenges or help with exam prep – you shouldn’t assume that all students who use these services use them because they are falling behind, many are there for enrichment.
The refrain of “the private schools have problems too” as a means of deflecting from the problems with the public schools is getting a bit tiresome – they are not perfect, but the public system would do well to take a page out of their book on how to run schools where students generally maintain discipline, learn and achieve and do so in a cost effective manner.
If there is anything that divides the Cayman population into “haves” and “have nots” it is the bumbling public school system. Anyone that can sends their kids to private school for a reason, and that is a travesty – many families do not have that option and their children are entitled to a good education just like the rest. Instead of pointing fingers at private schools, why not channel your energy towards demanding improvement in a public system that is demonstrably failing?
Hopefully the East End voters will listen to Arden and vote him out. Arden is a tax and spend politician who needs to retire.
Your father needs to stay in retirement!
Disagree he’s one of the only honest politicians out there
Watch out!
That’s why Caymanians won’t vote for him.
A patriotic dinosaur, the real reason pensions was invented for politicians, but as usual they will not go we have to vote them out.
Thirded
Fourthdid
Implementing standardized testing is the only way to fix education.
We have it already,
You clearly know nothing about the education system in Cayman. Standardized testing is already something we do. Where have you been living to know nothing about such a fundamental arm of our testing system.
They already have standardized tests….at all year levels in primary except Reception. They also have the KS2 SATS in Y6, and GCSE’s. The testing isn’t the issue. However, the testing at least gives us the data, which shows how drastically the system is failing.
Testing does not lead to better education. Indeed all the research suggests, and is born out by high performance countries, that testing leads to lower standards. Real education is abandoned in favour of education to pass tests.
Or in our case, not pass tests.
If businesses are referring to Caymanians not being good enough, they are likely referring to the economics deprived half-baked MLA’s
May I make a suggestion Cayman, and state that heavily taxing the workers to maybe improve the education system in order to educate your children may be a good idea in theory. However, you cannot educate people that don’t want to learn. We have a system in the UK that anyone that is actively looking for work is entitled to Jobseekers Allowance from the age of 18yrs, around £40 per week depending on age. There is also a system in place that if individuals are suitable, they are allocated a placement within companies for 6 months at no salary, and no cost to the company, for “work experience.” They still get their Jobseeker’s Allowance plus travelling expenses. We think this is an excellent idea and a good foundation for school leavers. It keeps them motivated, have focus, and a good reason to get out of bed in the morning. More importantly, a work ethic! You need to catch these young adults at the right age before they start mixing with the wrong crowd and only know earning money is through burglaries, robbery and drugs! Perhaps this idea shoukd be put forward whoever is elected to run your beautiful island.
We already have a scheme in Cayman whereby if you are Caymanian and are connected you will get a job in government for life. Its our very own welfare system.
I hear what you are saying 9.19am and fully understand but that scenario is worldwide not just in Cayman. It’s who you know and not what you know but every youngster deserves a chance to prove himself and should be allowed from an early age. It is imperative this is encouraged from the day they leave school whether they have qualifications or not. Every child has potential if guided in the right way.
This is exactly what the Ministry of education has done with the ready to work program.
CIG does not need any more money! It just needs to stop misusing the money it already has. Get receipts for every dollar spent, make sure the overseas trips are really necessary, hire people who can actually do their job without using consultants, stop giving everyone free cars and free everything.
Hear hear
What would they do with all the Caymanians?
Arden…really!!! As high as the cost of living is here in Cayman, you would really have the nerve to make such a ridiculous suggestion. Please remember that not every resident, Caymanian or expat, make a politician’s salary. It is better to bring back the annual caped school fees than to tax the people. I agree parents could contribute but not by way of taxes!!!
They should start by reducing the ridiculously high number of overpaid buffoons. Combining East End and North Side first.
Why don’t they lower the salary for the MLAS, let’s see how they like that!!!!
Taxes we pay them everyday without realizing that we are paying!!!
And the pension that is paid to them which they are allowed to receive the day after they have completed one term. That should not be the case. They should only receive pension once they have reached retirement age and not prior.
To be entitled to pension, politicians should have to complete at minimum two terms. PPM changed it to one term. That’s a significant increase in expenditure and more so now that there will be 19 people to pay.
Give the former politicians that only served one term one year notice and immediately stop their pension. Millions saved immediately.
Not only that, implement if you take a pension “YOU MUST BE RETIRED”
Indirect tax ( something we have in
Cayman, is the wirst tyoe of tax you can have for the poor who pay a proportionally more than the rich, but who wants to hear that message. The gap between rich and poor in Cayman is an ever growing problem and one that leads to dissent.
he looking a revolution….they think they cesar of Rome? they speak and we just bow down in submission…no way bo bo!?
No taxes needed Arden…just change the rules a bit….for example, financing should to some extent be tied to a number and a system of national insurance. Also, debt forgiveness after 7 years American model would cause a further resurgence. Pensions converted into US and Canadian style IRA with tax of 10% on early withdrawl. And the schools, give a voucher of 1.5 x the going rate at private school for Caymanian students and turn the rest of the school over tp private sector operators. This quasi-british model minus the socialist element in some sort of post colonial captialist model with random adaptation and a fear of major change where it reduces political influence but increases the bruden is why we have a disfunctional environment. A decision needs to be made either an North American model or a UK model.but this blend up thing is a goant experiment which often times combines the worst of both in the name of status quo for.political.influence.
We need a modern Moses to come and free the people and take the webs out of the eyes. A good representative will just accept the limits if their power and help and regulate where abuses are occurring. THE focus should be this after a major decision as to which style of system we want..csnt be UK and Canada/American.at same time
You are seriously deluded.
Poor Billy Goat, every time he opens his mouth he puts his own foot in it. MLA s should be the last one to increase taxes on the people who put them in and give them a big fat check every month while some people, the same people who put them in can hardly make ends meet. What about east end, we are struggling socially and economically like all other third world places and really who cares? Not all like Arden. He is just a noise maker. I believe the whole island needs a change. And As for the other drag foot Mclain who is aspiring the legislature seat just because his father had it, that is a poor aspiration. He needs to get his personal life in order, he needs to find a job that can help him maintain his children. Now really , really tell me what will us eastenders do with some one who really don’t have any ambition enough to pay his children maintenance. We got enough social issues up here now. Please let us think smark and make a change for our next generation, our grandchildren.
Yes it is time to tax all those who are a serious strain on our economy and infrastructure that including all govt employees from overseas. Those who want to live here should have to pay for its up keep plain and simple. Got my vote time for Johnny come lately to pay his way
You want me an expat to pay for the education of your semi literate children. The education problem is not money, IT IS PARENTS who think that teachers an Gov. can do their job. Lazy people have lazy kids and always want someone else to foot the bill for their neglect.
Trust me, you and ALL expats will be happy to pay that tax rather than move back home. Say what you like, but you all will do anything to stay here. There is no place like the Cayman Islands, hence you moving here….right?
the expats and the companies will follow
I see you’ve avoided his/her main point though. Care to give your view on the parents point?
Really? Lol. F@@@ing really?
No Taxation without representation? Does this ring any bells Einstein?
I moved back when your government tried to bend me over and take my pension as payment!
That was before any taxes where even mentioned.
I was sick of jumping thru hoops and then treated like s&&it for a well paid job, that I was allowed to do properly occasionally.
The delay, politricks, permanent residency delay, “university classes” to learn Cayman “culture”, the inequality and clear and present hostility and racism led me to go and go fast.
I took my pension money, invested in property which is now rented and producing a small income each month.
I have rented my Cayman property out which produces enough income to keep me travelling for the next couple of years.
I am now setting off to travel for a year or two and may return, probably not.
I have a year or two and a lot of countries to think about it.
Deciding to not pursue pr was quite liberating and surprisingly, I saw it for what it was very quickly. A massive political con.
Let’s face it, retirement is an economic impossibility for non Caymanians, just sit down and add up the price of travel, health care, utilities, insurance and cost of living.
Even with a paid for property, it is does not make financial sense when there are far cheaper countries (with weather, beaches, etc) within driving distance of other countries or homelands.
Before any of the nationalistic simpleton circus start, let me state that the reason why I am commenting on here is because I still have financial interests in Cayman, such as my house, shares,etc.
I still have good, close friends who are stuck in the PR shitshow and cannot now travel for any length of time or use their savings due to PR points being lost.
Also, the plane door didn’t hit me on the way out. Just saying.
Trust me, you tax people on their income here and the majority of expats will pull out of Cayman. We are not here just for the sunshine! The attraction of these islands is the Tax Free status. Cayman is a highly expensive island to reside. The food, utilities, accommodation etc., etc., the list is endless! Far more expensive than the UK and US. The only cheaper thing is the Gas to run vehicles and what used to be is a safe, virtually crime free island. Sadly, that has gone. There is a lot of crime in Cayman now and so much of that involving firearms on a weekly basis. Such a shame!! So, yes, you Tax the hard workers here, and I can assure you Sir you will see a mass exit of highly qualified expat personnel. You don’t want that!
Never a truer word spoken 12.24pm you reap what you sew. Children must be brought up wth the right work ethic instilled. To educate themselves in order for a good and honest living and not expect the state or anyone else to keep them. Why tax the working man? The men and women that have worked hard in school and achieved what they have and who get up in the morning and work hard to put bread on the table for their families. Make the ones that do not want to work suffer. Plenty of unpaid voluntary work they can do………..that’s taxing in itself for the lazy louts with too much time on their hands!!
Barriers exist don’t act stop pretending…your clearly NOT blind if you reply!!!
I have sadly not seen much of a work ethic in Caymanians aged under 60. I am just telling it as it is, but you will call me racist. I have lived here for 40 years and I see the entitlement culture in my own Caymanian born children.
Not all of the parents are lazy. Stop stereotyping Caymanian parents. Talk what you know.
NOBODY said that ALL Caymanian parents are lazy. You are merely avoiding what was said. And you know it.
Don’t be stupid. NOBODY said that ALL Caymanian parents are lazy. You are merely avoiding the point of what was said (12:24pm) and you know it.
‘Money’ has NEVER been the issue with our failed Gov. Education system. We can hire the best teachers at fantastic salaries & benefits and they will still leave in droves … because DISCIPLINE in all but non-existent in Govt. schools.
Children need discipline and structure in order to learn at any appreciable level, and this is why the Private schools here excel.
Unfortunately it might be too much to expect Mr. McLean to understand such basic reasoning.
So true. My daughter went to St. Ignatius from KG through year 9, and then transferred to John Gray due to economic reasons. When she preformed well and the teachers commented on her good work she was bullied. She no longer even raises her hand in class. There is a culture of failure and underperformance that is insidious at John Gray. The so called administrators are more concerned with parents complaining about favoritism than about education. It is so skewed and disfunctional as to be farcical. No amount of money will fix what is wrong with John Gray. It is broken beyond repair, and should be scrapped.
The problems with John Grey will not go away until the issue of its management is sorted period.
But you do not hire teachers at fantastic salaries here in .cayman. The conditions, when compared to international postings, are extremely poor and the basic fact is that you resent us being here. I loved Cayman, my family loved .cayman and we contributed much with our chikdren being educated at local schools. We had no option to keave and though we miss .cayman, it was a freat move. So thank you for ensuring we never felt welcome.
If I am reading your post correctly, 9:53pm, I have felt the same for the past 26 years. NEVER have I felt welcome. I have only found resentment from fellow co-workers. Rarely has one befriended me or accepted my outreach for friendship. And some even teach it in their homes to their children so that even they grow up to resent foreignors. So why would they allow them to teach?? The kids even resent that so it’s no wonder that their education fails them.
Such a shame because I too love this country but for the life of me I have no idea why…
New subject;
I wish they would stop frittering away their resources for the $$
Case and point. Florida instituted the lottery in 1989. The state government grossed a very minimum of 3 million a *week* for “education” as it was pitched. Florida when the romantic top 10 in the country to 27th. Giving more money to economics morons like Arden does not equal better education.
the more politician taxes. the more they spend!? ? vicious cycle and the normal population normally wind up on lising end….? maybe we need to pay mla’s and miniters nothing….i can guarantee there wont be as many of them? Lets tax them first?
Very easy to triple the education budget, simply pay the MLAs’ what they are worth and give the money saved to education. Only problem this will cause is that there will then be too much money in the education budget.
great idea, tax ex-pats to pay for schools they cant get their kids into!
I think you will find that a significant part of the problem is expat children in government schools for free. Just because they are not from the UK or Canada does not mean they are not expats.
If the expats were to all leave and Caymanians had to pay their own way Cayman would again become the Island that time forgot. Please stop the us against them, make them pay. Expats are here because they want to be or to fill jobs Caymanians refuse to do. With out expat labor and taxes provided the Island would be unable to sustain itsef. WE NEED EACH OTHER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.The mixing of Cayman youth with those of the world will help lift Cayman from its third world mentality and open up opportunities for the next generation of children. Both Cayman and expat..
Said the ‘expat influenced’ caymanian kid who is cursing at teachers and bringing knives to school….even private school, yes even those where the rich foreign minded parents dont give a darn or crap (U.K. Or USA).
why can’t we face the fact that kids are influenced by their peers, parents are responsible for for who those peers are, where and who their kids are with after school. The family is a child’s first line of defense. Too many children are left defenseless, No family, they just have other lost children to look to. for guidance.
Yeah right. All those expats kids. Complete and utter BS. Maybe you mean status holders kids, but you sure don’t mean expats, because they don’t get in.
Not true. There are hundreds of kids who do not have status in government schools.
Expat children do not go to government schools for free. There is a payment to be made that is never collected through your incompetend administrators in the education department.
Even if your education gets zillions of dollars nothing would change, because nobody knows what he/she is doing. The children’s home issues have clearly demonstrated the mind set of people who “take care” of the troubled children, pardon me,”young criminals” as the staff sees them.
Why not have “the people” pay for their own children’s education like the rest of the driftwood have to do? Arden can give up his entire salary and put it toward the education of a child of his choosing. We pay enough in hidden “Taxes” on this rock.
Just want we need, give cretins like this our income to squander so these self important fools can use to elect themselves
And this is how tax nightmares begin for the average person, with all the feel-good intentions perpetrated by opportunistic imbeciles dont-give-a-crap about the future of these islands like this petulant moron, always too ready to confiscate other people income to get him elected. Why don’t you fork up YOUR Arden?? lead by example XXXXX
Why is there never a coherent debate on the tax issue. Whether you like it or not indirect tax always penalizes the poor since they spent proportionally more of their income on goods. Whereas direct tax, tax on income, is fairer. We all know that Arden’s remark comes from ignorance but our responses should not.
heard for many years now that Everything is BIG in Taxes !