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| Charlie Brown meets BC Premier Lucy van Pelt and HST football |
Christy Clark Has Trust Issues
She's Lucy. The HST is the football. Are we all Charlie Brown?
Trust us.
Forget all the times we've broken our promises to you -- this time it will be different.
You have our word on it.
That's what the BC Liberal government is telling voters about the Harmonized Sales Tax.
Believe that they will introduce changes they pledged last week to bring in -- trying to buy your vote with your own money -- but only if you agree to keep the HST in the June binding referendum.
It's like cartoon character Charlie Brown running full speed to once again try kicking the football -- and having it pulled away as usual by his nemesis Lucy Van Pelt.
With the HST, Lucy's character is played perfectly by Premier Christy Clark.
Big smile, sweet words: "This time you can trust me -- see, here's a signed document testifying that I promise not to pull it away."
British Columbians get to be Charlie Brown, the trusting soul who always gets tricked and ends up flat on his back yelling "Arrrgggh!" at his foolish mistake of believing Lucy once more.
That is, unless voters decide to not get fooled again.
Or unless they look at what a bad deal the HST changes really are.
The first part is simple.
Here's what Clark said on March 21 on Vancouver's CKYE Red FM 93.1 on why she would not cut the HST rate:
"We aren't going to be talking about trying to reduce it by a point or two before the referendum. I mean, I think people will see that as buying them with their own money," Clark said.
Now she's trying to buy us with our own money! She does think we're stupid.
And why give a $175 grant for every child under age 18 without any regard for the family income level?
Why give $175 to someone making $200,000 a year? Or $150,000 a year?
But guess who qualifies for that $175 grant -- Premier Christy Clark and Finance Minister Kevin Falcon, who each have a child.
Second, can you believe a BC Liberal government that said it wouldn't introduce an HST, then did so after the election, will cut the HST in 2012 to 11 per cent?
Or that three full years from now it will cut the HST to 10 per cent in 2014?
Can you trust a government that swore the HST would be revenue neutral, then admitted it would raise an extra $820 million a year?
Who can have faith in desperate BC Liberals who said in March 2010 that every dollar from the HST would go to health care, when that's just not true.
Why would you believe a government that promised a 15 per cent income tax cut for all British Columbians last October to convince us to support the HST and then rescinded the tax cut just weeks later?
Can anyone believe BC Liberals who first attacked NDP leader Adrian Dix for pledging to increase corporate taxes to pay for public services -- and then said they would hike corporate taxes to pay for the HST grants and lower rate?
On the HST changes themselves, most British Columbians will still pay more even if the BC Liberals actually do cut the rate to 11 per cent.
That's because you will still pay an extra six per cent on hundreds of goods and services.
The extra six per cent HST would still apply to restaurant food, basic cable TV, telephone, household cleaning, maintenance, and renovations, sports events, movies, gym membership, domestic plane, train or bus travel, taxis, parking, dry cleaning, vitamins, massage therapy, some school supplies, snack foods, haircuts and far more.
In three years if the rate is cut to 10 per cent you will still pay five per cent more on all these things than you did back in June 2009.
Is it any wonder the BC Liberal government is trying to buy your vote with a multi-million dollar ad campaign?
Or that big business is spending millions to keep the massive tax shift that makes consumers pay more and corporations pay less?
Trust us.
Kick the HST football.
What could go wrong?
.
23 comments:
I'm afraid we have learned the very hard way, what happens when we trust the BC Liberals.
Campbell begging the BC people to forgive his criminal charge of a DUI. Campbell kicked the very people who forgave him, right in the face.
Campbell promised not to sell the BCR for, his election lie win. We know who all were implicated, in that theft and corrupt sale.
The HST wasn't on Campbell and Hansen's radar, the other election lie. And, throw in the very small provincial deficit.
Christy is no different than Campbell. We heard her nasty comments on her radio show. People who objected to Campbell's insanity, were called names.
We heard the dirty and vulgar words, Christy said about Eby. We saw her arrange a photo shoot, out side the election hall doors, campaigning people on their way in to vote.
Her, you decide about the HST, was a very underhanded tactic. Thieving our tax dollars, to tell us, how wonderful the HST is for the province and the people. TV ads certainly are costly to the citizens. Adding to Campbell and Hansen's lie, we will have good paying jobs, because of the HST. We will save gobs of money, by the HST. We see no jobs, and the cost of living has gone sky high, because of the HST. I am on the verge, of having to sell my house. That's how much money i have saved by the HST.
Christy's lie of, families first? Well, the HST has done more to harm parents and their children, than any other, government rip off i can think of.
So in three years time, our HST may go down by 2%? If that's Christy's offer. Well, she will have to get our BCR back, our rivers back, and every penny the BC Liberals, thieved from the province and the people. Return Campbell's thieved $60,000 per year salary hike, you too Christy. After all the BC people have to cut down on utilities and food, to pay taxes.
BC is bleeding jobs. Mr. Mikes and The Pantry chain restaurants, had to close their doors, the HST killed them.
Trust Christy? Not on your Nelly.
Hate to be nit picky Bill but:
"The extra six per cent HST would still apply to restaurant food, basic cable TV, telephone, household cleaning, maintenance, and renovations, sports events, movies, gym membership, domestic plane, train or bus travel, taxis, parking, dry cleaning, vitamins, massage therapy, some school supplies, snack foods, haircuts and far more.
In three years if the rate is cut to 10 per cent you will still pay five per cent more on all these things than you did back in June 2009."
The Dinning Report said (on page 9)
that an "average" family used to pay $1169 a year in PST/GST. They now pay $350 more. 30% more in taxes.
That's Dinning's framing.
But, if I paid $5 GST on something before (that cost $100) and now I pay $12 HST, the increase in the tax I pay is 140%. If the PST portion is decreased to 5%, the increase in the tax is 100% ($10 HST).
Framing.
Oh good grief.
Mr. Tieleman, you're arguments are weak. I, a Vancouverite and a concerned citizen of British Columbia, take the independent panel's word over your biased and personal view on this matter.
I checked out both yours and all of that panel's backgrand and credentials and hate to break it to you, they are better qualified to inform me about .
This is not about Clark or Campbell, this is about the furutre of our province and it hurts me to see people like you who are willing to jeopardize our future for your own personal gains. shame on you sir, shame.
Can someone explain to me how the NDPs being left wing socials and all are against the concept of Value Added Tax? This type of tax is completely aligned with their economic values.
Taxes on spending promotes spending and consuming less and is progressive. Why are the left wings against it?
Guess it's ok with Pifpof that his/her politicians lie right to his/her face! And just for your info, the "independent panel" are the ones that proved the Liberal lie about the HST being revenue neutral. So go ahead pifpof - vote to maintain the HST.
Me? I'll be working my guts out to convince people to vote YES to EXTINGUISH it!
The instant I saw this cartoon and read your first few lines "trust us this time it will be different" I thought of a peanuts cartoon from more than twenty years ago. Lucy says the same thing and Charlie mulls it over. Then decides to kick the ball. Lucy pulls it away and Charlie goes flat on his back. The last frame shows Lucy standing over Charlie with a movie camera asking if he would like to see it on the instant replay. Hilarious. Just what I firmly believe the Liberals will do to us.
VOTE YES TO EXTINGUISH THE HST
No matter what the Liberal supporters say, it's costing our family more money for so many things. Small restaurants for example are closing down. WE are paying extra for many items that were not taxed under the PST. and of course the Liberals lied so often , why would we believe they would keep any promises they make. Vote yet to get rid of the HST, and shortly after, vote to get rid of the gang trying to con us one more time
This is NO value added tax. This tax won't help with the education system, won't help health care, won't help social programs,
it is meant to tax the tax burden off of corporations who don't need a break and shoulder the burden on individuals who really do need a break. I Don't mind paying reasonable taxes, if they serve to benefit us, but I detest the thought of corporations getting "corporate welfare" when they don't need it! They, for the most part, won't pass any savings onto the consumer.It'll increase their bottom line. V.A.T indeed , Give me a break!
Mr. Tieleman,
I am concerned about the polls shown on CBC website. I hope that more people with your communication skills and influence will rally against the HST.
As cherylb said:
"Me? I'll be working my guts out to convince people to vote YES to EXTINGUISH it!"
The old con artist in 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' said it well: "I've got every fool in town on my side, and that's a big enough majority in any [redneck] town in these [hillbilly] parts!"
It's going to be a real challenge for the Liberals to even persuade the public that they won't break another HST promise and actually lower the rate given that 70% of British Columbians find them "unaccountable" and untrustworthy according to that recent Ipsos-Reid poll.
I, a Vancouverite and a concerned citizen of British Columbia, take the independent panel's word over your biased and personal view on this matter.
It's not an "independent" panel. It's an appointed panel clearly biased in favour of the tax. One would have to be rather credulous to think that the Liberals would place anyone opposed to the tax on this partisan and tendentious little appointed panel.
Can someone explain to me how the NDPs being left wing socials and all are against the concept of Value Added Tax? This type of tax is completely aligned with their economic values.
It's not aligned with their economic values at all. They don't support regressive taxation and corporate welfare. The HST is not the only way to enhance revenues, nor is it the best.
Taxes on spending promotes spending and consuming less and is progressive. Why are the left wings against it?
Taxes on spending do not promote spending at all, they discourage it. In fact, this point highlights why it's a total myth that every economist there is, has been, or ever will be supports the HST. In fact, most economists are, or should be, against the HST even if they are for it. The conventional wisdom is that economists argue that if you're trying to stimulate consumer spending during a recession or fragile recovery, and you want to avoid the paradox of thrift, you should not raise taxes on people (especially a consumption tax) that decreases their discretionary spending and stymies the recovery. You hear this all the time "you don't raise taxes during a recession." Even if an economist is for the HST they should be against it because of the timing of its introduction in the aftermath of the worst recession since the 30s.
"No matter what the Liberal supporters say, it's costing our family more money for so many things. Small restaurants for example are closing down. WE are paying extra for many items that were not taxed under the PST. and of course the Liberals lied so often , why would we believe they would keep any promises they make. Vote yet to get rid of the HST, and shortly after, vote to get rid of the gang trying to con us one more time"
True enough, but consider that when you sell your house, it is subject to the Property Transfer Tax brought in by Bill's friend VanderZalm, and the NDP raised sales taxes by +2% when they were in office, which included things which were not previously taxed.
The reason for a small restaurant closing isn't the tax in isolation, its people not going there in the first place.
So why would we trust the NDP, when its current leader decided to skate around the rules and haul in membership money seperated from membership slips, and the NDP wasn't exactly "as honest as the people who pay for it" (as Mike Harcourt repeatedly said).
How about we just fix the tax (combining it without expanding it) and exterminate the crooks in Victoria? A snap election this Fall will do that. Let's hope Cummins can steal enough votes to wipe out the crooks.
"BC is bleeding jobs. Mr. Mikes and The Pantry chain restaurants, had to close their doors, the HST killed them."
I doubt that the HST in itself killed Mr. Mikes or the Pantry. It is more of the competitive nature of the restaurant business. There are a few Pantry Restaurants
existance. There are new owners for both.
Like everything else, the restaurants will only stay in business if you go out to them.
Let's hope Cummins can steal enough votes to wipe out the crooks.
Cummins will get the votes from the wing nuts from the right, only to have the wing nuts from the left rule the roost.
Hey anon 10:07. In case you missed it VanderZalm has been out of office for a very long time. The property transfer tax has been left in place under King Gordo's reign. Sure, all the NDP leadership candidates brought in new members, however, the people looking after the voting cleared them all as they found no wrong doing
Mr. Mikes went out of business because of the indigestable abomination they served in place of food, not because of the HST.
Not that that should have any bearing on the way you vote next election. Remember the BC Rail episode and vote ABC! (Yes, Anybody But Clark!)
It's not just Christy Clark people have trust issues with. It's the same old Campbell group with a new leader. They are all part of the same "culture of deceit".
What do we know for sure? You can't take anything said by a Liberal at face value. It may or may not be true. But trust them? Not a chance.
Are the NDP any different? No, they'll commit similar crimes when they next get into power as they have in the past. Look no farther than their memo-back-dating leader.
Are the voters still being fooled? Just look how many of them keep voting for these crooks. Look how many people here are out for HST blood, but can't see that they have already cut their own throat.
Do voters want to be fooled? Of course they do. That's why they keep voting for the same thing over and over again, someone that will lie to the public, make excuses, concoct irrelevant policy and find fault with the other side even if they are doing the right thing (a rarity).
How do we get off this roller coaster? Stop debating non-issues such as the HST and concentrate on the problem. The FightHST crowd is a senseless mob that is prodded along by con-men intent on distracting people from what's important, electing a government that can be trusted.
Is there such a thing as government that can be trusted? Not under a system that rewards abuse of power. Not under a system that allows the will of the people to be ignored. Not under a system that can only be altered by those in power who only measure success by the power they already possess to prevent others from joining their elite status.
But what the hell do we care? As long as we have a system that we're familiar with. We may not like the result of an election, in fact I can guarantee it. But at least there will be someone we can blame for our unhappiness, the people we elected. HST or not.
"Hey anon 10:07. In case you missed it VanderZalm has been out of office for a very long time. The property transfer tax has been left in place under King Gordo's reign."
The fact remains that VanderZlam brought in that stupid tax without consulting with the citizens, and the NDP did nothing to get rid of it.
"Sure, all the NDP leadership candidates brought in new members, however, the people looking after the voting cleared them all as they found no wrong doing"
The NDP officially said there was no wrong doing, but let's say a Liberal candidate such as Christy Clark did exactly that in the Liberal Leadership. You would be all over that one, and honking in protest so loud, the Canadian Coast Guard would be asking if you would be a fog horn to replace the one at Point Atkinson
True enough, but consider that when you sell your house, it is subject to the Property Transfer Tax brought in by Bill's friend VanderZalm...
The fact remains that VanderZlam brought in that stupid tax without consulting with the citizens, and the NDP did nothing to get rid of it.
You're right that Vander Zalm should have consulted with the public before announcing the property purchase tax, but that's not as bad as explicitly telling voters before an election that you're not going to bring one in, and then doing it anyway. The Socreds never directly said, in writing, to organizations like the homebuilder and restaurant associations that they would not bring in a PPT. The Socreds' finance minister never said on radio before an election that they would not bring in a PPT and if they did there would be public input on the decision, unlike Mr. Hansen who in March 2009 said that they were not proposing an HST as it would be "clearly a controversial move, one that we would like to get lots of input on". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJvO2bt_Bd4
And the property purchase tax with all its flaws is still a lot better and more fair tax than the HST, and it saves British Columbians a fortune. The PPT bends the cost curve of real estate prices significantly. While they weren't in favor of the tax, the CD Howe Institute did a study ("Sand in the gears" 2008) where they found that in just one year with only a 1.1% rate, the price of an average home in the municipality of Toronto was dampened by $6400. That number would be a lot higher in Vancouver with our higher rate and higher prices. And this is only one year. Remember, people don't buy homes every year, but the effect of the PPT is annual and cumulative. Plus take the $6400 figure for Toronto. That doesn't just mean that a Torontonian would have to pay $6400 more for a home without a property transfer tax in the year the study looked at (although far more overall of course because it curbs prices every year), no it means they would pay thousands of dollars more on top of that $6400 because of the additional interest paid on $6400 over the lifetime of a 25 year mortgage.
And under the NDP the First Time Home Buyers Program was initiated which mitigated some of the PPT's regressivity, and substantially reduces the amount the average family is going to spend on that tax in their lifetime.
The NDP officially said there was no wrong doing, but let's say a Liberal candidate such as Christy Clark did exactly that in the Liberal Leadership. You would be all over that one, and honking in protest so loud, the Canadian Coast Guard would be asking if you would be a fog horn to replace the one at Point Atkinson
It was the Liberal leadership race that had cats signing up as members I recall, not the NDP. The hysteria over an alleged clerical peccadillo is pretty silly and unserious. Look, all this bunk about the NDP leadership race being fixed is just a paranoid and desperate conspiracy theory cooked up by partisan opponents of the NDP. I guess the widely respected former CEO of Elections BC Harry Neufeld who audited the race is in on the vast, vast conspiracy too right? And I guess Provincial Secretary Jan O'Brien must have gone back in time in her time machine after the new member cut off and teleported to January 13th 2011 to tell all the NDP leadership candidates in an official Summary that money and forms should be attached, but "if there was not enough time to process all forms on January 17, 2011, the forms would be date stamped and the canvasser would have to return the next day to complete the process."
http://www.publiceyeonline.com/archives/005728.html
"It was the Liberal leadership race that had cats signing up as members I recall, not the NDP."
Gwet the facts steaight. It was one cat (singlular) not cats. Also in regards to the NDP< it was clearly stated that their rules said that cash must accompany the membership slip for new memberships (which means BOTH cash/cheque must accompany the slip at the exact same time the membership slip is presented to the party).
" The hysteria over an alleged clerical peccadillo is pretty silly and unserious."
If the rules are there to be broken, why have them at all?
" Look, all this bunk about the NDP leadership race being fixed is just a paranoid and desperate conspiracy theory cooked up by partisan opponents of the NDP."
Many NDPers like myself questioned the antics of the bags of membershps coming in like that.
"I guess the widely respected former CEO of Elections BC Harry Neufeld who audited the race is in on the vast, vast conspiracy too right?"
According to you, and you only.
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