tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35935973.post858122230475869035..comments2023-07-25T02:39:44.615-07:00Comments on Bill Tieleman: BC Liberal government's arrogance is its political Achilles HeelBill Tielemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304971610140279157noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35935973.post-76912839830506329622008-01-23T06:01:00.000-08:002008-01-23T06:01:00.000-08:00The Liberal Party of BC, a grossly mis-named neo-c...The Liberal Party of BC, a grossly mis-named neo-conservative collection of Campbell "Yes-Men" is in power because it enjoys the mutual support ($$$) of an equally mis-named "unbiased" and ineffective BC media.<BR/><BR/>But the NDP's abysmal non-leader and the party's continued failure to connect with the "working & taxpaying" middle class only insure more years of the same.<BR/><BR/>Until the NDP get a real leader, and policies that represent the real people of BC . . . the Gordon Campbell country-club elite will hold power by default in Victoria. <BR/><BR/>For BC as a whole this means more neglect and contempt from its government and even more corruption the likes of the BASIGATE Scandal & Cover-upAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35935973.post-85817288574360558272008-01-22T22:29:00.000-08:002008-01-22T22:29:00.000-08:00One point for Anon 9:07 p.m. - seniors who are "ho...One point for Anon 9:07 p.m. - seniors who are "house rich and case poor" can take advantage of a very decent tax deferment plan run by the province.<BR/><BR/>I wrote about this on January 23, 2007 in a column on the homeowner grant - here's an excerpt.<BR/><BR/>"And don't worry about "house-rich" seniors who allegedly can't pay their property tax bills - the province also underwrites a tax deferment program that allows cash-strapped home owners over 60 years old to put off tax payments till their property is sold or transferred.<BR/><BR/>Over 11,000 B.C. seniors benefit from this subsidized program, which currently charges a below-market rate of four per cent interest on deferred taxes."<BR/><BR/>I don't think that if someone has the good fortune of seeing their property value climb from say $100,000 originally to a $1 million they shouldn't be expected to pay tax on that increased value. They or their inheritors still profit immensely from the property but pay those taxes eventually.<BR/><BR/>And remember - this is a grant and one only given to homeowners, who are better off for the most part than tenants.Bill Tielemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03304971610140279157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35935973.post-84372146926631471132008-01-22T21:07:00.000-08:002008-01-22T21:07:00.000-08:00The problem is that the Libs look good-when compar...The problem is that the Libs look good-when compared to the NDP. I don't want to vote Liberal but the only other choice is NDP. No thanks.I may deplore their arrogance but I'm not STUPID.<BR/><BR/>As for raising the home owner grant threshold to over a million dollars, many of these home have escalated to that value through no fault, or effort, on behalf of their owners. You have people living on a pension in a million dollar home that they bought in 1962 for 10,000.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35935973.post-83563223564191567552008-01-22T18:19:00.000-08:002008-01-22T18:19:00.000-08:00I think the real backlash is going to be things li...I think the real backlash is going to be things like putting Paul Taylor in charge of ICBC. First Paul Taylor uses his monopoly to write a that boneheaded letter last month and now we hear they are going to start putting the screws to added drivers on your policy. I heard Harry Lali on CBC tonight and he is absolutely right; Paul Taylor and ICBC are screwing us. Just wait until the public hears these rip off artists have given themselves another round of bonuses.<BR/><BR/>We all know that Mr. UseLess as in John Les will do squat about it much like everything else in his Ministry. This is the kind of crap that can bring down a government. That and any truth about another tax grab on gasoline by Campbell and you will soon see why you don’t pour gasoline on a fire.<BR/><BR/>I don’t think the public gives a rats ass about the Convention Center but mark my words this other stuff will frost everyone. The ironic part is that the Liberals used to make fun of ICBC giving money to everyday people when the NDP was in power and today they would rather have ICBC screw everyday people and give themselves the money. We will see who the final joke will be on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35935973.post-42945462696881490882008-01-22T14:06:00.000-08:002008-01-22T14:06:00.000-08:00If all this arrogance can hurt, why the Hell hasn'...If all this arrogance can hurt, why the Hell hasn't it? It's not a big political science research problem to figure out why the downtown commercial media, CBC included, haven't made a <I>Pacificats</I>-style <I>cause celeb</I> out of the cost overruns on the <B>Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre</B>. <BR/><BR/>But how does one explain the blasse reaction of ordinary people, ordinary taxpayers, when you put it to them? I have tried to tell people that the Convention Centre is over budget more than the fast ferries ever were, and there's no response, nothing registers.<BR/><BR/>I even put it to one our most distinguished pundits, that had the VCEC been built in the late 1990s when <B>Glen Clark</B> wanted to, it would have been finished before the runup in steel prices and construction costs, coming out of China, drove the budget over the top. Nothing. Clark had blotted his copy book on the ferries and David Anderson was right to put the project off till a new government came in. There was no appreciation whatever of the actual reasons for the escalation in construction prices, or the role a public project can play in a softened economy, just the usual BC political rhetoric.Budd Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04194826986794514558noreply@blogger.com