newbie on Participatory Economics

[Jim heartfield]

In message <3.0.1.32.19980720095330.01318d98 at popserver.panix.com>, Louis
Proyect <lnp3 at panix.com> writes
>>I have to think that there is plenty for us to do without waiting for
>>a new Paris Commune to come along.
>
>Of course. They include the following:

....
>
>--reestablish truly progressive taxation, 100% tax on all incomes over one
>million dollars.

Today the Labour government has proposed a new tax on car users, to pay
for public transport. There are 20 million car owners in a population of
60 million in the UK. They already pay 30 bn per year in taxes on petrol
and roads. Expenditure on all transport costs is around one billion. I
read this as a regressive tax, not a progressive one. It is not a tax on
income, but on expenditure such as tends to punish those at the top
less.

Most important, though, the government has said that the tax will be
levied before any new money is directed towards other means of public
transport, such as trains, buses and so on. Whilst most motorists would
agree that with greater choice of public transport they would and should
use the car less.

I read this as a step backwards, a regressive tax, dressed up as concern
for the environment, but in fact jsut a way of levying more taxes on
working people. I wonder if Louis would agree, given his stipulations of
proggressive taxation?
-- 
Jim heartfield