L E T    'E R     R I P !!!

What's with the sudden rise on gas prices!

Why do people litter? Wouldn't they feel better if they knew they were doing their part in keeping the great outdoors clean? Why did the city take away all the garbage bins, and why don't they replace the ones they removed? Shouldn't enabling a clean city be a city priority with city tax dollars before a 'lot' of other things we see money spent on in this city from a utility perspective?

IMO I would rather the city bought a few dozen garbage bins (one for every bus stop and at least one for each park would be a good start), and regularly emptied them... rather than a PAC, RCMP building, underpass, or many many other things this city wastes my money on.

Priorities I guess.

Well them thieving gas stations in Prince George are at it again a six cent jump per litre. When prices used to go up it was three now they have doubled that. Just got back from Red Deer where they are paying 86.9 per litre and most of Alberta is a round the 90 cent mark. And they have a shortage. Welcome to B.C. (Bring Cash a standing joke in Alberta everywhere you go)Oh yeah then we have HST on the way. Taxed to death in BC!

re: Eagleone

I ask the same question over and over. WHY DO PEOPLE LITTER? I live on a major artery here in PG and I have see people throw almost everything out of their cars into the street.

At times I have even gone out to pick it up because it's... well... litter and also because it looks trashy when I stare out my window.

From the people I have personally seen littering it is generally young people although I know they are of all ages.

Also, I went downtown yesterday at about 4pm to a local used book store on George Street and WOW... the sidewalks were crowded with "street people". I mean CROWDED. There were about 15 of them just standing around drinking from brown paper bags and yelling and almost falling down. I actually paused for a second, wondering if my car would be safe (they tend to sit on some cars when they can't walk very far -I've seen it LOTS-) and because I was wondering if they would accost me asking for money or WHATEVER. A few weeks ago a good friend of mine (a female in her late 20's) was walking downtown with some friends around 6:30pm and some street person (another female) walked up to her and smiled and said "Hey, how's it going" then she proceeded to sucker-punch her right in the face cutting her and causing injury. The victim is also pregnant.

This was an unprovoked assault. Yes the police were called and no they did not find the suspect.

I hate going downtown here in PG.

I notice the truckers still haven't pooled their money to purchase their "I Love My Jake Brake" bumper stickers. They continue to ignore the City's signs to NOT use engine brakes in urban areas, including the City's own gravel trucks. I was almost hit by a loaded, red logging truck yesterday at Austin Road and #97 when he drove through a red light at a very high rate of speed. I also notice that a lot of young males driving relatively new pickups do not have proper mufflers on their vehicles and continually abuse the fact by trumping the accelerator in urban areas at every chance they get including when they pass pedestrians. More signs of our deteriorating society!

If the Police patrolled the downtown, and arrested people for being drunk and disorderlly in a public place, and enforce any other laws that are being broken, maybe things would start to improve.

Having a police presence is one thing, actually enforcing the law and arresting people is another.

^^^ Police are too busy collecting taxes with radar traps to deal with such petty concerns.

Awe eatsbushes got a speeding ticket????

That's is one of their jobs, ours is to watch our speed and follow the other laws...

Its called choices...
we all make them every day...
you chose to speed, park in the wrong spot, not wear your seatbelt, or any of a million other things...
and you get caught...
too bad
you made the choice...

Time to wake up and smell the roses.

While the Harmonized Sales Tax is good for business. (It will save them about 2 Billion dollars a year) it is bad for taxpayers as it will cost them $4 Billion in additional taxes.

If the Liberals were serious in implementing this tax because it was requested by, and is good for business's then they could have very easily reduced the sales tax to 5% and along with the 5% GST we would have had an HST of 10%.

At 10% the Federal and Provincial Governments would have continued to collect approx the same amount of money,(because of the increased tax base) in addition business's would be able to get the benefits of the HST.

Because the tax will be implemented at 12% and applicable to a whole array of products that were previously exempt, the tax will collect an additional $4 Billion per year.

What this means is that it is nothing more than a tax grab from people who are already taxed to the hilt. Anyone who sits on their ass, and does nothing about this latest scheme by Campbell and his cronies should be ashamed of themselves.

Now more than ever is the time for people to write to the Government, MLA's etc; and complain about this tax. You can also go on to the NDP website and sign a petition on line.

I do not support the NDP in anything as a general rule, however in this instance I think they are on the right track to kill this tax grab.

Whatever.... Fact remains people are being assualted & these dicks are standing around cherry pickin' speeders.

I guess we know where the priorities are…

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Government-Of-British-Columbia-1026945.html

WTF??

http://www.windaction.org/news/22381

[url]http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/07/29/bc-utilities-commission-hydro-projects-decision.html?ref=rss#socialcomments{/url]

re: Palopu - If the Police patrolled the downtown

Patrolling the downtown does not solve the problem. These street people have most or all of their vital and critical services located right in the heart of our downtown.

This is where they go for councelling, food, addiction, temporary shelter, even activities (for the street youth. I don't think you'll ever see street people gone from our downtown. They may not be as drunk, but they'll always be there. You have to move and relocate all of their services out of the downtown and then they will "hang out" at the new location. But here's the problem. Where do you relocate all of their services too, assuming you could actually move them all? I know I wouldn't want them in MY neighbourhood.

These are the reasons that I believe the downtown will never fully be revitalised.

Spend all the money you want making it look better but people are not going to frequent an area of town that is a security risk to them. I only shop their of I need to go to one specific store and then I LEAVE.

EatsBushesShoots&Leaves:
They (assuming police) do not prevent crime. They catch perpetrators (most times). The role is reactive rather than proactive.

Have you seen the Tom Cruise movie "minority report"?

loosely based on the short story "The Minority Report" by Philip K. Dick. It is set primarily in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia in the year 2054, where "Precrime", a specialized police department, apprehends criminals based on foreknowledge provided by three psychics called "precogs".

Is that what you want?

from Loki's first listed link I see that one of the "Regulatory initiatives" included in the package is "Commingling in the plains area"....

I did not realize that the government was into commingling to that extent.....

First commingling the PST and GST into the HST.

Now commingling of the plains people with ??? whom ??? mountain people?? coastal people???

What next?

GORDON CAMPBELL: He gave himself a 54% raise while all his MLAs got a 29% raise. He also gave his senior bureaucrats huge raises but he laid off Provincial Park Rangers in the prime of tourist season to save the Province money! He had a 500 million dollar cost overrun on the Vancouver Convention Centre (did he learn this from the NDP?) and security for two weeks of the 2010 Winter Games is going to cost close to one billion dollars. What is the true cost of these olympic games? Who is going to pay the bill? He lied to us about BC Rail. Now that so many forestry workers and related jobs are gone and families are struggling to make ends meet he announces the HST to drain more money from the BC taxpayer. It will come into effect on July 01, 2010, the same time he increasess the carbon tax again while he is giving favourable tax treatment to oil and gas exploration companies. Whatever happened to democracy in this Province. Campbell is ruling as a dictator, not an elected official. People of BC have to start speaking out or we will continue to be lied to and bled dry by Gordon Campbell. It has been said in the past that people get the government they deserve. Does this apply to B.C?

Have a great day!!!

Loki:
I am suggesting that rather than standing around collecting revenue for the government that they increase patrols in problem areas & direct more manpower to crime investigation.

It's too bad that about 50% of the electorate decided to not vote in the last provincial election. I'd suspect the majority of the Gordo complainers on this board didn't bother to vote. Oh the irony.

I suspect we would be getting this HST crap no matter who formed the govt.

"I do not support the NDP in anything as a general rule, however in this instance I think they are on the right track to kill this tax grab."

LOL. Oh so funny. Anytime the NDP tries to reduce taxes it is for political reasons and because they are not in power.

Someone has to pay for schools and hospitals.

I know, I know. We all want to pay less taxes and have more services. Here in the real world thats just not the way it works.

"I suspect we would be getting this HST crap no matter who formed the govt. "

Precisely! The Federal government has a $1.6 billion dollar reward carrot dangling in front of the B.C. government if it agrees to implement the new HST!

No way would the BCNDP pass up on that kind of money if it were in power now! It's only because the NDP is in opposition that it decides to object and whine and rant and rail against it!

In fact the NDP would call it downright irresponsible to turn the money down, especially in this year of global recession and rising unemployment, rising healthcare costs and rising costs of education and everything else.

The NDP is great when it comes to displaying fake indignation and condemnation while not being required to walk the walk instead of just talking the talk.

It's old style politics, bereft of viable alternative ideas and quite frankly somewhat dishonest.

I'm with EBS&L on the cop issue. They need to decrease their focus on the easy targets i.e. the middle class taxpayer who is not stealing cars, selling or using drugs, committing b & e's, or assaulting people. Those criminals, when they are caught and actually prosecuted, are punished relatively lightly, they may lose their freedom for a short time, but are rewarded with guaranteed meals and shelter and recreation, not to mention crafts and hobbies. Their victims, like as not, are still free, free to pay taxes or be punished for avoiding same, free to pay higher insurance premiums for having the gall to claim for stolen or vandalized property. Yeah, I think it is time for the "justice" system to recognize that it just is not doing what it is supposed to be doing; punishing real criminals.
metalman.

Strange how all the people on here who would never vote NDP in a million years are all such great experts on what the NDP would do. Not!

The NDP criticises the Liberals and Gordon Campbell because he lied to voters once again during an election. He said he would not introduce the HST, then immediately after the election was over, that is exactly what he did.

Flip-flop, liar, hypocrite, call it what you want, but that is the situation and all the sour grape snidery in the world directed at the NDP doesn't change the fact that the Campbellite Liberals are the ones who did it.

Uhh... We've all seen first hand how the NDP does things & anyone with a chunk of brain lodged in their heads doesn't want another demonstration.

Ammonra: "Strange how all the people on here who would never vote NDP in a million years are all such great experts on what the NDP would do. Not!"

Alright! This is the FridayFreeForAll, you are the expert, you have the floor: Tell us what the NDP would DO, NOT what the NDP would NOT do!

(BTW, NDP politicians also lie before and during election campaigns).

Mike Jackson posters for sale everywhere. His song sales are up. Money rolling in more ways than ever before. Why do people idolize dead drug addicts? I don't. So he was talented, rich and famous. So what? He is still as dead as your local no name dead drug addicted person. Same goes for Elvis. Does one have to overlooked the drug dependency of famous people? If we do then we must overlook the drug dependency of any regular loser who dies of an overdose. The glass isn't half full nor is it half empty. It's dirty.

We all agree that people should not be driving and using cell phones. What I am sick over is seeing drivers diving around with little dogs hanging out the drivers side window!!!This means that the dogs are on the drivers laps!!!!! I know that the RCMP are ticketing for loose dogs in the back of pick-up trucks but this also needs attention.I love dogs but this is not cute and adorable but sickening!!!!

Maybe because most artists use drugs in one form or another? Peoples personal preferences don't have much revelance to their artist output.

Now for something completely different:
Canadian faces U.S. fraud charges in online gambling probe

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=1867588

The USA is also extraditing a British citizen from Great Briton. Last year they extradited a Canadian citizen for selling seeds online.

WTF! Does this mean that the USA is the boss of all of us? Why are G8 countries handing its citizens over to a foreign government? Is the USA the world's governing body?

Ban RVs.

If you go to other areas around P.G. like Vanderhoof you don't see people hanging out on every street corner , thats because they are all coming to P.G. or being sent here. With the services we are providing who wouldn't want to come here. Brand new rooms with food provided. I might add I think it's insane all these freebees we are providing for people who have wasted their lives. I would like to ask who is going to provide the freebees for all the hard working people with families to support that have lost their JOBS and no new JOBS in sight. What councelling are they going to have? The New Hope Society has recieved a grant of $188,184 over the next two years. As a tax payer I would like to know who is going to keep track of how the money is spent? or is it going to be like the CASEY group that received all those goverment grants? Where are they now? They just seem to surface at election time. Is anyone in Government tracking this money or is it handed out and forgoten?

As usual people are getting sidetracked, and start to quibble about the Liberals or the NDP, and how good or bad they are. We can argue about that any day of the week, however at this point in time we need to concentrate on the HST and how to stop the Government from implementing it.

Im sure if the NDP tried to bring it in we would raise hell about that also.

These Liberals think we are stupid. Dont you people understand???? They think that you are so stupid that they can put in a tax increase that was not in their election platform. Announce it on a Thursday afternoon,in the middle of summer, just before a long week-end, and get away with it.

We now have Hansen stating that this HST is the best way to create jobs in BC. What a bunch of **BS** If it goes through we will lose as many jobs as we create.

This tax will cost the average taxpayer not less than $1500.00 per year. As an example.

If you and your family eat in a restaurant once a week, and the bill is normally $25.00 plus 5% GST Total $26.25, you will now pay $25.00 plus 12% HST, Total $28.00 or $2.75 more per meal. Multiply this by 52 weeks in the year and your looking at $330.00 increase in your restaurant costs. Of course the higher your bill the more you pay.

You can do the same type of calculations for your golf games . Each game will cost you an additional $3.20 and if you golf 20 times a year you pay an additional $64.00.

So you can see that you are going to be hit in the pocket book for at least $1500.00 per year, so you better quit quibbling with each other, and start to do something to kill this bloody tax in its infancy.

"If you and your family eat in a restaurant once a week..."

Who can afford to eat out once a week? I make a good living and I can't do that. With the HST, I'll be eating out a little less, no question... but that wasn't much to begin with.

Somebody in another thread noted the opposition to the GST and how little effect that had, which was a good point.

Guess what, the HST is coming whether we like it or not. The NDP will capitalize on a bit of political opportunism, but even they can't believe they are going to stop this. If they want to win the next election, let's see if they campaign to roll back to the 'old' system. Anybody holding their breath for that?

Harbinger, Pete Townsand once said that it's amazing that every rock star isn't a coke addict. After every performance they land up at parties and drugs and booze flow freely. The best is provided to impress. The stars are young and quite impressionable. They consume these substances and some get hooked. Maybe they take some downers so they can sleep. Then we see these people get chased by photographers for gossip mags. And they have to go to the parties so they will be thought of as being cool. They are continually at these parties and chased by the press. They know no other life. And we read about it every day in the press.

Michael Jackson never lived off my tax money.

Why does it cost someone in Hong Kong less than 1/16 the cost of me to send the same 2lb package to someone else in BC? It arrives in the same Canada Post van, and there isn't any cost incurred from Customs sending it within BC, yet it's costing me 16 times more.

It's no wonder domestic industry can't compete.

Has anyone driven the IDL , City Council Freeway? If you are wondering where it is, take a drive out the BCR to Boundary Road then straight down Boundary to a Canfor sign, turn right and drive the four kilometers on a beautiful, paved road with two bridges, and ends up nowhere. This is another under the table deal with city council & IDL, no other bids allowed. The amount of asphalt alone would have fixed every pothole in town. Take a ride it's a great road. This was done 2 1/2 years ago, another Colin joke.

VAT (value added tax, often already included in the final purchase price to the consumer) in some other
countries:

Austria 20%
Belgium 21%
Bulgaria 20%
Cyprus 15%
Czech Republic 19%
Denmark 25%
Estonia 20%
Finland 22%
France 19.6%
Germany 19%
Greece 19%
Hungary 25%
Ireland 21.5%
Italy 20%
Latvia 21%
Lithuania 19%
Luxembourg 15%
Malta 18%
Netherlands 19%
Poland 22%
Portugal 20%
Madeira and Azores 15%
Romania 19%
Slovakia 19%
Slovenia 20%
Spain 16%

All I can say guys is politically, regardless of who we as individuals voted for, we have what we have because we thought this was what we wanted....so suck it up, we created this mess. You say 50% of B.C. didn't vote, well that's probably because a good portion of those people are now residents of another province and are looking for work. Unemployment will continue to go up as will the homeless and social assistance, this is what our political leaders want to see.

The late M Jackson was never a star. This is a good example of what our world has come to, death means nothing but money to all that can figure a way to grab it.

Any BC Provincial government that gives up its sovereignty to the Federal government in ANY area of taxation, should be driven from office. The Party that forms that government is not worthy of holding office.

You might recall that prior to World War One the entire Federal government was primarily funded from Customs duties and Excise taxes on imports. A policy that not only raised revenue, but encouraged the development of Canadian manufacturing.

That during that war the Provinces were asked to agree to the levying of a Federal "Income Tax" ~ something technically beyond the Constitutional authority of the Federal government ~ temporarily, to supposedly help pay for the war.

Now even though that war was completely paid for "physically" as it was being fought, (or it couldn't have been fought), after it was over there was a huge "financal" debt left over from fighting it.

In spite of what had already been taken in in Income Tax, the Canadian people owed a huge "debt", not to those who'd made the munitions of war ~ they'd all been paid, and their workers, too, all through the whole war, as had those who'd actually fought in it ~ but to those who'd made the "money". The Banks. "Out of nothing", as the saying goes.

Not much has changed since. For the better, that is. Remember the GST, that tax that was going to pay down and pay off the "National Debt?" As big a farce as the "financing" of World War One was!


Palopu is right, fight the HST by every means possible. It isn't about partisan politics, it's about whether WE have some say in what we'll pay, or whether those who govern us will only listen to those who deal in figures, and succumb to the "Black Magic" of monopoly "finance". A "voodoo" that'll only see both our government and OURSELVES further in the hole after they start collecting it.

And remember, when you sign the NDP's Petition this time, if that's the only thing you do, you're not being tricked by slick wording into supporting something just as bad, or worse, than the "Carbon Tax". Or even signalling your support for the NDP, and its leader. Though I, as a life-long Social Credit supporter, commend both for taking the action they have and organising this Petition. This is just a straight expression of our collective disgust at the duplicity and dishonesty of a government that, if it proceeds with this tax, has gone too far.