Thank God that the Zalm has come out of the woodwork to save us all!! As despised as the HST policy is, this is NOT a new tax, but a replacement of the PST. Yes, there are categories that will be taxed that are not currently, there are also sectors that will benefit from the HST. I don't here folks in the Maritimes complaining? Where are we going to get the 2 billion the feds are giving us?? Come on people, we need to look at both sides of this and stop trusting everything said by someone we couldn't get rid of fast enough. Hmm, maybe we should ask Glen Clark while we are at it.

We did not hear from the other provinces (including Ontario) because they did not have a law in place like we have in B.C. - namely that if we gather more than 10% of votes in each riding the government must follow the next steps as outlined in the law.

They had no option, they had to swallow the pill without being able express their opposition against the HST by action, democratic action.

Anything wrong with the people getting a rare opportunity to express their opposition to something that is sneaked up on them BETWEEN elections?

They also do not have any recall legislation, which they might have made use of.

The feds are not giving away 2 billion dollars for nothing, even though it is our own money.

What do the feds get in return?

BTW, what is wrong with the idea that the government should try to get by with the money it already collects from us?

It is not the Zalm coming out of the woodwork to save us all, at all. It is hundreds of volunteers from ALL political parties with a common democratic purpose. It is over 700,000 voters saying, "Enough!" and demanding an end to this nonsense. It is democratic free speach. Possibly, you may have heard of it.

Europe is lowering the tax on restaurants from 19% to 5%...The reason? Underground economy, it will create jobs, millions of jobs!....Theviewuphere...Your full of it..The bribe is $1.6 billion not $2billion..Prices went up in Atlantic Canada...And they are complaining



http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.com/2010/06/frances-lowers-restaurant-tax-from-196.html

And...This was the last straw...Liberals have lied so much, .....The corruption under Gordon Campbell has flourished!

http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.com/2010/06/john-lesrobin-mcfee-con-men-run-amok.html

Theviewuphere, if you don't hear the people in the Maritimes complaining it's because the implementation of the HST there LOWERED the combination of GST and Provincial Sales Taxes they were previously paying.

But now, if you scroll down on this page and read the previously submitted article by Del Archer, who lives in Nova Scotia, that Province is again faced with revenue shortfalls and the strong likelihood of a HST tax increase versus further spending cuts.

This has been the experience in other jurisdictions that have implemented this type of tax, too. New Zealand will likely see their GST rise to 15% from it's current rate of 12.5%, despite the promise of the opposition politicians there, who are now the government, to eliminate it.

Vander Zalm is partly right in his assertions above, but he, too, is making the same mistake most of the public makes. Either through his own ignorance of financial processes, or because he's shrewd enough as a long-time politician to avoid trying to explain something that's going to go completely over the heads of most of his audience.

That mistake is assuming the finances of a country, or even a province, for that matter, are exactly the same as the finances of the individuals that make it up. They are NOT.

One more Time, there is only one Taxpayer and that is us, no such thing as a Federal or Provincial !

And when Drunk drivers like BC Liberal Jane thornthwaite got caught Drunk driving...

When she apologized and admitted her guilt...She pleads not guilty, LIEBERALS!


http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.com/2010/06/john-les-jane-thornthwaite-leaches-of.html

And then there is the outright bullshit from the Fraser institute!


http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.com/2010/06/fraser-institute-con-artists-exposed_21.html

Atlantic Canada HST explained here...And Jack Mintz phony report gutted.


Enjoy the read PAB hacks.


http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.com/2010/03/hst-shell-game-continues.html

Prince George:-"The feds are not giving away 2 billion dollars for nothing, even though it is our own money.

What do the feds get in return?"
-----------------------------------------

About the same amount of money EVERY YEAR in increased Income Taxes on corporate profits that they're giving us ONCE. The HST is not only a tax shift from business to consumers, but a tax shift of Provincial revenues Federally. Not just through the collection of the HST by Ottawa, but through changes it brings to Federal Corporate Income Tax takes.

The HST is a golden gift to the Banks and Big Business. It improves the reported rate of pre-tax corporate profit, and it is from these profits that the principal of every corporate bank loan is amortised.

When the rate of profit rises the Banks can increase the amount they can lend in the expectation of safe re-payment. Big Business looks at its borrowings somewhat differently than small businesses do. They will NOT be using this increased pool of capital to "increase jobs", not in the long term. They'll be using it to further consolidate and eliminate more of them. In the interests of "global competitiveness", of course. But just ask yourselves, WHO are we 'competing' with, and for WHAT?

It is against our constitution for the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT to tax the people directly! It is supposed to be the PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS JOB! That is exactly what Campbell is selling to the Federal government! The east has never given to chits about the west. Do you really think BC will get their portion of the tax back? HARDLY! We are about to lose once again a part of the constitution. The corruption in all levels of government is astounding. What is even more sickening is the DEBT created by these crooks. 111 million dollars in debt for PRINCE GEORGE, almost 500 BILLION dollars in debt FEDERALLY and last but not least PROVINCIALLY and who the hell knows what that debt load is? We need to take back our governments and take back CONTROL. The people need to VOTE on ALL important issues such as THE SELLING OF OUR RAILROAD. DONT even bother going to "we can't afford to vote, it costs too much" because with the technology now a days...online voting would cost next to nothing. At least the majority would be voting. We had better wake up and take control of these crooks that are bought and paid for by the corporations or we will have nothing left.

There! I said it!

I fully support scrapping the tax. However, it order to make that feasible we need to make massive cuts to the civil service and all other government funded positions - union or not. All in favour say, "aye".

I agree for the most part faxman,but we really need to start with politicians inflated salaries,expense accounts,and pensions.
Politicians don't want us to know what they spend, and that is telling us something.
That is a huge portion of government waste...right there at the public trough!
Elected leaders should be on a graduated salary scale.
The longer you survive in office,the more you make.
A damn good incentive to LISTEN to those who elected you and remember what your job is!
To represent!
It is not to serve some egomanical party leader who hears little voices in his head and kisses a lot of corporate butt...as we have now!
The "party" system is well named!
It is also time that "party" was over!
The HST is an example of what we get when those we elect party a little too hard and too long!

Faxman, the two are not connected, surely. We are assured by Campbell and Hansen tyhat the HST is revenue neutral. That means that whether we have the HST or the GST+PST the amount raised will be the same. The question is fronm whom is it raised? That means the HST has no relevance to government employee levels, since the tax incomew doesn't change.

If there need to be cuts in employment, then it is so regardless of the tax system, but that is a completely separate debate.

Faxman.,

We need to make massive cuts to not only Government funded positions, but also the positions of those in Government entities like BC Hydro, ICBC, Worksafe BC, BCLC, BC Liquor Board, BC Ferries, BC Transmission Corp,PowerEx, etc; etc; etc;.

There are at least 25 separate Government entities in BC and they all have huge management boards, boards of directors, CEO's etc; who draw huge salaries, and have huge expense accounts, etc; etc; Some of these people get these jobs because of connections as much as qualifications. If we could clean up those Government corporations, along with the Government itself, and decrease some civil service positions, and put in some good efficient oversight of Government contracts, we could save hundreds of millions.

Anyone who thinks that BC and the Feds dont have any money need only look at the BS projects being implemented in Prince George and then apply the same waste, to the rest of the Province.

1. PG Airport $36 Million runway exaansion
2. River Road upgrade $6 Million plus
3. Cameron St. Bridge $10/12 Million
4. Boundry Road Cut-Off $28 Million
5. Highway 97 South expansion **God Knows**
6. Propsed Wood Innovation Building $40 Million?
7. Performing Arts Centre $50 Million
8. New Police Station $48 Million
9. Community Energy System $15 Million and counting.

Roughly $240 Million that didnt really need to be spent. This just scratches the surface. There is much much more.

Governments are waste machines, and they need to be shut off from time to time, or they will ruin the Country. Take Greece for an example.

We need to stop excessive Government spending and waste at all levels. The best way to start is to NOT give them the HST CASH COW.

Bang on Palopu!

Under the HST the consumer will have less money to spend. This will relate to lower over all purchasing of goods at our local shops and stores. Less purchasing by the consumer will then require few staff positions in the shops and stores. The now unemployed worker will now further cut back on his or her purchasing of goods and services. In order for the shop keeper to remain profitable as there are now fewer sales prices will need to increase.

It really is the consumer who creates the demand for goods and services which in turn creates jobs. Even the Feds realized this and gave a home renovation tax credit to create a demand for goods and services.

Recall is the only answer to stop Gordon Campbell before he destroys this province.

Heard this morning on the news that 46 of the 50 US States are in a debt position worse than the position Greece is in!

Add to that the massive debt that the US Federal government has - who knows what it is: 17 trillion, 40 trillion or whatever -
and what does that bode for the future?

Just wait and see what our Canadian federal debt will have been cranked up to by Harper by the time we finally will have found a way to replace him...

"Recall is the only answer to stop Gordon Campbell before he destroys this province."

The HST agreement can not be cancelled for the next five years and James will not come clean about what she would do about it, if elected.

Looks like we are up sheet creek in a boat with barbed wire seats, a big leak and no paddles.

Palopu, you think those are "BS projects", many others obviously think they are worthwhile, otherwise they wouldn't have gone ahead. What makes you right and them wrong? Is it simply a conflict of egos and arrogance? If so, is that really a genuine way to evaluate the merits of government spending and thus the need for tax funded projects like those?

Palopu keeps trotting out the sasme list all the time. I mean, he takes it from his back pocket so often, the paper is starting to wear thin. Soon it will have to be put under glass and displayed in the Two Rivers Gallery (oops, he forgot about that one .... shhhhhh) as a piece of local iconinc memorabilia.

It's the poor man's opinion.

Actually his first prediction was that Woodwards would never last at Parkwood. And he was right!!!!

That success went to his head. :-)

"Heard this morning on the news that 46 of the 50 US States are in a debt position worse than the position Greece is in"

What do you mean by "debt position"? Total debt? Debt to GDP? Debt per person? Debt compared to predicted growth? What exactly are you talking about?

"Add to that the massive debt that the US Federal government has - who knows what it is: 17 trillion, 40 trillion or whatever"

17 trillion vs 40 trillion is quite a variance, LOL. But getting back to my point, the total debt level is completely irrelevant without some additional analysis. What matters is whether their economic growth will allow them to service that debt . . .

For a more real example, take a look at most every new subdivision in PG comprised of $500K homes. Some people in the subdivision can afford them, many can't. The total debt level (the $500K) is only one part of the puzzle. You have to look at the other factors before you can determine if the number is problematic.

What services should we cut BECAUSE of the HST?

Read about the $billions of dollars Gordon Campbell gave to his millionaire friends here.


http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.com/2010/06/what-services-should-we-cut-because-of.html

Just maybe people will start to pay attention to elections,thats were the real important decisions have to be made . If your unhappy then take the opportunity in 2013 to vote or have another beer then a nap.

theviewuphere, thanks for your comment. You make a good point.

Grant G.

We get it.. you have a blog.

"I don't here folks in the Maritimes complaining?"

1. they are too far away. Maritime news does not reach BC.

2. maritimers are not Quebecers or Westerners, they do not complain.

3. Maritimers enjoy their lives. Pretty low keyed people.

To Grant G: "We get it.. you have a blog."

Blogs are just opinions, comments, rants. Nothing has to be factual, real or the least bit believable!

Everything one reads there is biased and more than likely pure conjecture and/or intentionally designed to be deceptive. If our premier had actually given billions to his millionaire friends he would be in front of an official inquiry which would be trying to find out how many one thousand dollar bills were in those truck loads of brown paper bags!

Revenue Canada would have its most capable investigator blood hounds sniffing for any real evidence!

But if you do it in the form of a stumpage break for one company named Canfor in Mackenzie, that wouldn't count, Prince George?

If it saved the town from becoming a ghost town, if it saved and jobs, if the people in Mackenzie asked for it...I presume that even the NDP would have looked at the desperate situation and given a special stumpage break for the above named corporation, in fact the unions would have demanded it.

Only then it wouldn't be called "giving billions to millionaire friends."

No, it doesn't count. Of course not.

Gus. Go stand on the Airport Runway Expansion. In fact go there and pitch a tent and live there for a year. You will not have to worry about being run over by any Wide Body Cargo, or Passenger Jets.

Go an watch the construction of the Boundry Road Cut-Off. They will work like crazy to finish this project by 2012 because the Federal Funding requires them to finish by then. After that you will have a few lackadasical attempts at putting up some buildings. Or go to the New Upgraded River Road, with lights and left turn lanes, and count the VERY FEW vehicles who use this road.

These are all wasteful projects. If you make your living by working for or receiving money from these types of projects, then of course you would like them., However if you are just a taxpayer and have to pay for this BS it is an entirely different story.

Anyone who makes money off these Government (waste) projects, are basically on business or corporate welfare, and are living in a dream world where they think that what they do makes a difference.

Unless you are willing to give me a list of business people in Prince George who are making any huge investment, of their own dollars in any business venture, then I suggest you are doing nothing but taking an alternate point of view, so that you have something to write about.

How money is spent and wasted in this town is obvious. If you cannot see it, then you have some serious comprehension problems.

Thanks Bill Vander Zalm for stepping forward for the working middle class in this province. Its appreciated. We have a government that is out of control and the province needs a statesmen like yourself to step forward and lead the process to a state of accountability for those that defy the democratic process.

Palopu, I'm pretty sure most logical level headed people absolutely agree with what you're saying. It's always those that benefit from the wasteful spending of tax dollars that speak out in favour of these types of projects.

Well I knew I would open a can of worms with this.
I don't agree with how the liberals have done this, and I don't currently have much trust or faith in them. Problem is the NDP in BC isn't an option either, they will just chase away all the investment in BC and spend our money on socail programs (yes, I know they are needed). At least the Liberals have the money flowing on things we will still own when the good times return.
And to put my point a bit blunter, I think the Zalm just loves to hear his name on the radio again. And he is the one who has rallied the volunteers, they just didn't magically show up.

Also, as I said in the very beginning, the HST is NOT A NEW TAX it is a REPLACEMENT TAX. Yes it may tax more categories, but it is the same percentage on the majority of things we buy.
A new tax would be just that, a new tax. So if the Liberals announce tomorrow that they are instituting a 10% tax on all bank service charges (example only) THAT would be a new tax.

theviewuphere, you just don't get it do you? Under the HST, there are things being taxed that once were not. Thats a new tax! Childrens clothes for example, will be taxed if your kid is of a particular size. Thats a new tax! Duh!

Dragonmaster:"Palopu, I'm pretty sure most logical level headed people absolutely agree with what you're saying."

It is not difficult to disagree with wasteful or unnecessary government spending.

However, the Feds and the province set aside each year a certain amount of funding for projects in their annual budgets.

If a city does not make any requests for projects the money will be given to other cities. It will be USED UP, if not here, then elsewhere.

It will be USED UP until there is no more!

So in effect if we don't apply for or turn down available infrastructure funding from Ottawa and Victoria we are just doing others a favour, those who don't have any qualms about spending whatever they can get their hands on.

The squeakiest wheel gets the grease.

Prince George. Typical answer that justifies spending the money. Problem is you and other have a serious case of tunnel vision. All you can see is the **spend** part.

Did it ever occur to you that Governments could reduce taxes and allow us taxpayers to spend our own money, rather that have it used up by Government Workers, Contractors, and useless projects.

?????????