Friday, July 24, 2009

HST for BC - joining the losers

The BC Liberal government announced today that it would implement the harmonized sales tax (HST). That’s more or less out of the blue. No discussion, no debate - BC will join taxed-to-death economic losers in Atlantic Canada and declining, newly have-not Ontario in having the HST shoved down their throats.

The Liberals claim that it will "boost the economy". Bull shit! The real money quote is here:

[Finance Minister] Hansen said ... "In B.C., we have some big budget challenges because of declining revenues. This will help us to ensure we can continue to provide health care, education and vital social services."
"... big budget challenges" - no doubt exacerbated by massive Olympic Games cost overruns. Any way you slice it this is just one more giant freaking TAX GRAB.

The new tax will hit a wide variety of goods and services now exempt from PST - the restaurant industry being one big example. But the single biggest and most important asset most people have is their home. New homes will now cost tens of thousands of dollars more. Real estate commissions and lawyers’ fees will be taxed a further 7%.

Gordo, you f***ing martini-soaked weasel! [Mustn't cuss, mustn't cuss.]

It’s time for the BC Conservative party to get rolling.

Victoria sentiment:

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why some folks keep calling Gordon Campbell a liberal is beyond me. I know they use the label and I admit I supported their local candidate because he was the only one with the brain.
He is even more contemptible than the Federal Liberals. That is very hard to do.
Campbell is doing some big stupid things because he thinks he can make friends with his enemies by placating them. Pretty silly and very damaging.
I just don't believe the B.C. Conservative party has the talent
and organization to get of the ground. Their campaign in the last election was shameful to say the least.
Gordo just doesn't understand that he got re-elected because most folks are scared of the NDP as they should be.
Politics is getting so bad out here I'm almost ready to try a benevolent dictator.

Anonymous said...

The BC Conservative Party's past leader Wilf Hanni, who recently resigned, has now given the party the opportunity to have a leadership contest and to choose new directors which will hopefully produce positive growth in membership and possibly election of MLA's in the next election in just under four years time.

The people of BC deserve to have another choice besides the bad or the worse.

JR said...

Indeed, the political choices run from bad to god-awful. They all want to tax the snot out of us and all are on the AGW bandwagon.

Another nasty thought just crossed my mind. Why are the federal conservatives encouraging this with a $1.6 billion inducement (kick-back?). How much are they getting in return for potential blow-back from the voters?

Anonymous said...

i think its safe to say that we are vastly approaching the point of diminishing returns. from here on in there will be less and less tax revenue being generated even as the tax rates go up. beware the ever increasing value of the canadian dollar relative to the greenback. cross-border shopping will go from once in a while getaway to fact of life and necessity.


brad

Anonymous said...

Remember: when 'serfdom' started, people were only required to do a few days/month work for their overlord, the rest of the time they worked for themselves.

But, over time, the overlords demanded more and more time, more and more work...until people were working 6 days a week, sunrise to sunset (which, in the summer, is a long time), all year around - just for their overlords!

Then the peasant revolts came....

Will WE have to get to 6/7 level of taxation before we stand up?