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Your comments: Corporate tax cuts, pedestrian texting, celebrity endorsements

by Community Team Posted: January 28, 2011 3:52 PM Last Updated: January 28, 2011 4:59 PM
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Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says corporate tax cuts create a 'beneficial circle in Canadian life' by freeing up more cash for companies to grow their businesses. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Corporate tax cuts: Do you think they will help improve the Canadian economy?

The Conservative government and Opposition Liberals have renewed their pre-budget sparring over corporate tax cuts, with each side insisting it has the right plan to create more jobs for Canadians.

The message blitz comes amid speculation in Ottawa that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority government could be defeated over the upcoming budget in late March, which would force Canadians to the polls for a federal vote.


We asked you if you thought cutting corporate taxes would help improve the Canadian economy. As of 3 p.m. ET Friday, 5,989 votes have been cast. A large number of respondents (75.14 per cent) said no, while 22.32 per cent said yes. The remaining 2.54 per cent of voters were unsure.

CBC Community member KeynesCentrist suggested that Canada needs to "restructure the entire $25 billion a year or so we are wasting on corporate welfare and tax cuts since Harper came to power, by only cutting corporate taxes that specifically encourage innovation. That way we get a much bigger bang for our taxpayer buck." 

Many people like FordFreeToronto said that federal budget plans should focus on other issues. "How about spending more on education, infrastructure and the elimination of poverty? Those three things alone would raise the living standard of most of us in real terms," the user wrote.

Harvey1 had a different opinion. "... The reason that cutting the corporate taxes is good for the economy is that investors will be attracted to move capital into investing in companies that create jobs in the economy."

Texting while walking: Should it be banned?

A New York State senator has introduced legislation that looks to ban pedestrians from using mobile devices, phones and music players while crossing the city streets.

Democratic State Senator Carl Kruger first proposed the statewide bill, and cited recent traffic deaths involving distracted pedestrians as cause for concern. Last month, a 21-year-old Manhattan pedestrian wearing headphones while crossing the street was hit and killed by a truck, The Telegraph reports. 

If the new legislation is passed, people caught breaking the rule could face a court summons and be asked to pay a fine of $100.

As of 3:30 p.m. ET Friday, 682 votes had been cast in our Point of View survey. The majority of respondents (61.14 per cent) said texting while walking should not be banned. On the other hand, 33.43 per cent said that it should, while the rest were undecided.

Many said that there shouldn't be a law on these kinds of pedestrian issues, because "anyone that [is] focused on something and not paying attention to their surroundings has earned the consequences," wrote audience member Me_inNB.
FirstCircle said, "The government should be able to limit avoidable problems, but something like this is going a bit too far."

Celebrity endorsements: Do they make products more appealing to you?

Multi-platinum artist and producer will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas has signed on as "director of creative innovation" for computer chip maker Intel Corp.

Although, specifics were not announced, Deborah Conrad, Intel's vice-president and chief marketing officer, said the partnership marries entertainment and technology to create "the ultimate experience."


We asked you whether a product had more appeal if a celebrity endorsed it, and as of 3 p.m. ET Friday, more than 630 votes have been cast. The majority, (84.12 per cent) said no, and only 11.64 per cent said yes. The rest were unsure.

CBC Community members discussed marketing and celebrity culture. Bunsen wrote, "No, using celebrities does not work with me, mainly because that these celebrities are paid insane amounts of money to do this, and it is the buyer that's paying for this in the product price."

UThkUrBttrThnMe said, "A lame entertainer promoting lame chip embedded consumer dreck. Double lame."

Some members like Western Canadian even speculated on how will.i.am would be able to fulfill this role.

"With all his producing and performing music, acting, designing clothes, [and] lobbying politicians, when did he have time to learn about chip design and how is he going to fit this white collar job into his schedule?"