Tuesday 28 June 2011

HST vote

It seems to be that the whole idea of this crucial HST vote, is one of confusion and disinformation. Why couldn't the question have been simple?
'Do you want the HST'  - - - Yes. No.
We have instead, 'Do you want to extinguish the HST?'  Like it was on fire or something. Both sides are vitriolic about their concerns.

The Liberal government which has implemented the new tax, without consultation to the taxpayers, and some say even lying about it before they brought it in, is FOR the HST. It will be great for BC they tell us. So far, in my unprofessional polls, I have found no human who thinks it would be great for them. Instead, we have a grass roots movement who is still seething at the Liberals (and Gordon Campbell) for their sneakiness. [indeed, people are incensed about his appointment as High Commissioner]
So the people seem overwhelmingly against the HST.

The government's position is that business in BC will have huge benefits and those benefits will be passed down to consumers in lower prices. Some housewives, struggling with prices, think that even if there was a 10% reduction in prices it would only get them even to the point they were before the HST! Not likely though, is it?
What many say happens with the change to the HST tax is that those businesses save money on accounting by having to account and submit only one tax to the Federal government instead of two, one to the Feds and one to the Provincial government.
Most consumers seem to scoff at the idea that business savings will result in lower prices. Show me, they are asking. I suppose the ultimate benefit might be to  shareholders of large companies in increased stock values and dividends. But how many hard working people does that actually help?

The government is trying to sell the HST as a tax cut. The tax WAS 12% and they are lowering it to 10%, hence their rationale. Yet they are omitting the fact that the former PST had hundreds of items that were completely exempt from tax. So instead of a tax cut, it seems to many that something that WAS tax free, now is taxable at 10% (12%) How is that a tax cut even by the current Liberal figuring? It is a huge tax increase!

This is my simple figuring = Hundreds of items previous to HST were ONLY taxed as GST@ 5%. NO PST. Now these items are HST @12%. = 140% INCREASE in the tax!

And this so called tax cut? The 10% they are yelling about does not take place for three YEARS! The tax is 12% now. (They conveniently forget that in their advertising) And will be gradually scaled down to the 10%. Which brings up a further point of contention among many taxpayers: The fact that the Provincial government, Premier Christy Clark, ASKED the Feds to reduce the tax, and are boasting about them allowing it. 
If the former tax in BC, the PST, (Provincial Sales Tax)  was controlled and administered by we the people of BC, and the NEW tax, the HST, is administered by the Federal government, why would we choose to lose control of that tax base to the Feds? And do we believe that anything as political as this would be done fairly and for the people? Are we losing sovereignty to the Federal Government of the day?

The Federal Conservatives lost seats in Quebec in the last Canada election. Do we think that they won't be siphoning huge funds into that province for future votes? Do we want those funds to come from our taxes re the federally controlled HST?
Many say that a tax of about 2 billion dollars was transferred from corporations to taxpayers in BC. (8 billion in Ontario) We are to receive 1.6 billion from the feds to implement it. So how do we pay back that money if we choose to repeal it? The feds have hardly paid anything yet, only a few million dollars. And the NEW tax on items untaxed before has filled the coffers already. So the hit will not be huge.

This IS a crucial vote. It is a choice of whether you choose to help British Columbia businesses by allowing the HST, (and you always have to consider these days, how many big corporations in BC are foreign owned) to hopefully get some kind of benefit up the road, or whether you reprimand the Liberal government for sneaky doings against the people. It is the Liberals mess, let them show us how smart they are by figuring out something else. There are also many respected organizations disputing the true benefits to British Columbians emerging lately.

It IS confusing and full of misinformation and disinformation. Do you want to extinguish the HST? Or do you want to believe the Liberals, keep the HST as a tax cut that doesn't go from zero to 12%, but in three years will go from zero to 10%.
Some tax cut.

I want to extinguish the politicians and start over again.
I can't trust these ones.

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Here's a bit extra for all you untrusters - - -
You open your HST vote package - 3 portions inside.
So first you do your address and signature envelope. Putting in your name, signature and birth date etc.
Then you make your vote on the paper, and insert that paper into the SECRECY envelope. Sealing the envelope.
Now, you take the vote envelope AND your personal envelope, and ALSO place it into the secrecy envelope. So your 'anonymous' vote and the information of who made that anonymous vote are nestled cosily together in the SAME envelope! How's that for secrecy? Then you put that envelope into the Elections BC envelope and send it off. Confidant that no one would ever open BOTH envelopes and compare them to see exactly WHO voted for WHAT. Sure.
And of course you licked the envelopes shut, all three of them, didn't you? Carefully leaving your DNA on all three.
Big Brother knows which way you voted.
Sorry.

Friday 3 June 2011

Blair Lekstrom - MLA again

We love stuff like this:
June 11, 2010 - Blair Lekstrom - you'd almost believe he had integrity

"I was elected to represent the people of Peace River South and I have always committed to working with and for my constituents. I believe that my first priority as an elected official is to the people that elect me and then to the political party I represent. It is clear to me that the residents of Peace River South are opposed to the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) and are unhappy with the way in which our government moved forward with this policy ...
My decision to resign from Cabinet and the BC Liberal Caucus was very difficult, but I fundamentally disagree with the direction our government is headed ... When I was elected, I promised myself, my family and my constituents that I would not change who I am to do this job, and I have reached a point where my beliefs and values no longer align with my government.

Wow, personal standards. Only one in that mess of Liberals over there.
But wait, that was then, this is now - here we are in 2011 and what is this?


The all new, June 2011 subservient version of Blair Lekstrom - 

"I made a commitment when I took my oath of office. I think I can better serve the people of B.C. and my constituents if I'm going to stay in cabinet, if I'm going to stay in government," he said, acknowledging a tradition that would have likely seen him have to resign from cabinet in order to vote against his government.

Hmm. I guess integrity is buttered on the other side of the bread.
Who wins? Lekstrom gets his pay and personal power over beliefs and values.
Who loses? The people of Peace River who elected him. Nice that Blair Lekstrom's stars all align with his government this year. Threats of losing your job will do that to a man. 

Of course, no one is explaining WHY an MLA would lose his job over representing his people's wishes. Isn't that exactly against why we elect someone in the first place? Is this democracy or dictatorship?


In contemporary usage, dictatorship refers to an autocratic form of absolute rule by leadership unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors within the state. 
Well yes, that is Christy Clark's Liberalism defined perfectly.