By LINDA LEATHERDALE
Business brass, let me ask: What would you rather have?
A tax cut or a corporate welfare cheque?
It boggles the mind when the fair thing to do is give all businesses a break by cutting taxes, our government continues to dole out our hard-earned tax dollars to a handful of players -- with some of Canada's corporate elite among them.
I'm talking about an addiction to corporate welfare in this country, totalling $144 billion between 1995 and 2004, with a few companies never being able to break the habit of feasting at the tax trough.
Take Bombardier: Since 1982, this Montreal giant, which incorporated Canadair and De Havilland Inc. into its empire, got $723 million in subsidies, but has repaid only $188 million, according to the latest Corporate Welfare report by think tank, the Fraser Institute.
Bombardier, whose family ranks among the 100 wealthiest in Canada with a net worth of $1.27 billion, isn't alone. Another Quebec company, Pratt & Whitney has received $1.25 billion in assistance since 1982. Together, these firms are the two top recipients of government subsidies and loans.
But there are many more, like Ford Motor Company, Rolls-Royce, Noranda, IBM, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, who are listed among the 50 top business subsidy recipients. ...........(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://www.torontosun.com/Money/Columnists/Leatherdale_Linda/2007/11/23/4678227.html