You're right - EI also. Both EI and CPP are funded by both employer and employee (and it gets a little complicated for the self-employted), so at least in theory, they're not "benefits", but are funded by the users of the systems.
Whether that's actually practically true, and that they're not funded out of general revenue, is an argument for the accountants and actuaries.
I don't think it would be politically feasible. As soon as you touch EI or similar payments, there would be an uproar (even if you were trying to replace it with something better), and politicians in general are spineless and will do everything they can to avoid ever attracting that kind of attention.
The CRA / CERB situation is unfortunate. When CERB was announced, its problems were immediately pointed out. Now they're trying to fix them, rather than preventing them first...
I meant a negative income tax that replaced other income-support programs - (un)employment insurance, welfare, etc. Although I don't really see how CPP could fit into this - many people are dependent on it, but don't work specifically because they retired.
I was not intending to mean scrapping medicare or other non-income-support universal benefits.
A negative income tax would indeed eliminate the moral hazard - if it replaced all other benefits. I can see that being a win individually, economically, and socially.
That's terrible. When I added a Lexmark printer to my network a year ago, I firewalled it off from the outside world on general principle - it never even occurred to me that a printer manufacturer would make communicating with the mothership a requirement for normal operation. I guess I'm lucky #Lexmark hasn't gone that route.
I'm glad you found something else that works for you. Did you get an #Epson#Ecotank printer? Very cost-effective.
@Heterokromia@yogthos Do you have a picture of the error message it gave you? I'd love to see it.
Bricking when presented "unauthorized" ink or toner is well-known for HP of the last X years, but I hadn't heard of them doing it when you block their network access.
For many years I've been telling people who ask "Buy an HP laser printer. Just don't buy a new one." There's a huge market for used office printers, and you can get one old enough that it will use 3rd-party toner.