1054 replies to this topic

[Bob Fugger]

Well when i go out to eat after this tax is instated, i'll give a smaller tip to make up for what i'm losing with this tax.

This is easily one of the stupidest posts I've ever read on here. Would you blame your doctor if you broke your arm falling off a ladder?

That's really, really mature to stick it to the servers - you know, because it's their fault and all. Make them the object of your misguided tax revolt.

[VicDuck]

This is easily one of the stupidest posts I've ever read on here. Would you blame your doctor if you broke your arm falling off a ladder?

That's really, really mature to stick it to the servers - you know, because it's their fault and all. Make them the object of your misguided tax revolt.

I don't make that much money Bob.

[Holden West]

Shortly after the GST was introduced I witnessed a diner leave a table after stiffing the server, saying the GST got your tip! I thought it was incredibly thoughtless.

[martini]

http://www.timescolo...8172/story.html
HST gets ex-premier Vander Zalm hopping mad

'Short of a revolt, we certainly need to make a huge protest'

By Katie Mercer, The Province
July 31, 2009

Former premier Bill Vander Zalm says he's coming out of political retirement because he doesn't mind 'tackling issues.'

One of B.C.'s feistiest former premiers is calling for a revolt against the Liberal government's new harmonized sales tax.

Bill Vander Zalm -- the defiant Dutchman who resigned as Socred premier in 1991 -- says something needs to be done about the "$2-billion tax grab."

And he's willing to lead the charge.

"That's why Bill Vander Zalm thought, 'Well, if nobody else is going to bring this out, I'm going to have to step to the fore and do it anyways,'" the 75-year-old told The Province Thursday.

"I don't want to get involved in politics, but I'm concerned about what's happening to the province and I don't mind tackling issues."

Beginning next July, the seven-per-cent provincial sales tax and the five-per-cent goods and services tax will be merged into a 12-per-cent HST.

Previously PST-exempt items -- restaurant meals, taxi fares, hydro and cable bills and more -- will be seven per cent more expensive.

Vander Zalm says he's irked that the Liberals broke their election promise to not introduce a new tax during an economic downturn. What's worse, he says, is how they announced it.

It was hot and muggy last Thursday -- the same day as commissioner Thomas Braidwood was grabbing headlines with his much-anticipated report on police use of Tasers -- when the announcement was released.

Vander Zalm said it was a smart political move to effectively bury the story. The year-long delay before the tax is implemented will also help citizens to forget the issue, he added.

"It's not a bad political move to do it this way, but we best be aware that it is a political move and we best act now," Vander Zalm said.

"Short of a revolt, we certainly need to make a huge protest," he said, imploring B.C. citizens to phone, write, organize demonstrations and put pressure on their MLAs. He can be reached at www.billvanderzalm.com.

Vander Zalm said the saddest part of the HST is that the poorest, who pay the most as a percentage of their income, will be hardest hit.

The move toward HST is contradictory, he said, as the government asks people to cut back on spending while taking more money from taxpayers.

Then there's the economic impact, which will likely cause unemployment in industries such as tourism, homebuilding and restaurants, he said.

Vander Zalm said that none of his own, or his family's, interests would be affected, and that was not the reason he was objecting.

Meanwhile, the Mining Association of British Columbia came out in support yesterday of the HST.

Association president and CEO Pierre Gratton said the new approach could lower operating costs that can then be reinvested in the province.

"When the mining sector is doing well, companies have money to invest in growth and that means new job creation," Gratton said in a news release.

"This new tax structure will help attract investment into B.C. and help speed the way to economic recovery."

kmercer@theprovince.com

More on the web

To comment on Vander Zalm's protest, go to www.theprovince.com.
© Copyright © The Province

[spanky123]

100% agree that it is not fair to punish for staff for a tax.

Having said that, I also agree that many people now calculate 3 x the GST to figure out a tip and will probably just go with a little more than HST next year.

That will have some impact on tips.

[martini]

If you're thinking green, watch out for harmonized tax
By Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
August 1, 2009 6:52 AM
http://www.timescolo...1767/story.html

"During the election campaign, the B.C. Liberals staked their credibility on claims they were encouraging consumers to make green choices," said environment critic Rob Fleming. "Instead, they are scrapping millions of dollars in incentives and tax exemptions for sustainable products like bicycles, green building products and fuel-efficient cars."

The biggest "sticker shock" will be for green-built homes, which are already more expensive, Fleming said.

And, the province has opted to use the lion's share of the five per cent of gross sales the federal government allows it to exempt from the HST by exempting gasoline and fuel, he said -- " a huge slide backwards."

[Ms. B. Havin]

^ I saw that this morning, too, and thought, 'oh great, this is a nice nail in the coffin for green tech.' Made me shake my head, for sure.

[VicHockeyFan]

^ I saw that this morning, too, and thought, 'oh great, this is a nice nail in the coffin for green tech.' Made me shake my head, for sure.

In fairness, as the article mentions, there is other ways the items could still be made attractive, like a mail-in rebate for qualifying items or a similar program. Or looking at a complete HST exemption, like there is on grocery-store food now. There is time for interested groups to lobby for this.

[Phil McAvity]

Here's the online petition link:
http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/en/node/2748

Wow, I didn't think I would ever agree with the NDP on something, especially not Carole James, but I signed the petition.

You know the world has gone off it's axis when the NDP are championing lower taxes.

There's little question that the Liberals really miscalculated the public's disdain for this tax and it is almost certain to hurt them at the polls. Unanimously people are opposed to the HST. The Liberals also shot themselves in the foot with their timing of it's announcement, like we wouldn't notice! It just makes them look sly, sneaky and dishonest.

[North Shore]

There's little question that the Liberals really miscalculated the public's disdain for this tax and it is almost certain to hurt them at the polls. Unanimously people are opposed to the HST. The Liberals also shot themselves in the foot by their timing of the announcement of the tax, like we wouldn't notice! It just makes them look sly, sneaky and dishonest.

Sure, we're annoyed with a new tax - who isn't? OTOH, the next election isn't for 4 years - that's plenty of time for other things to come to the surface and for the vast majority of us to forget.... Smart politics - introduce the painful things shortly after an election, and then you have time before you go to the polls again...

[VicHockeyFan]

Unanimously people are opposed to the HST.

I'm not sure the opposition is all that unanimous. And I'm not sure most people will notice it all too much, except at restaurants. Your average 9-5 working Joe doesn't use an accountant or lawyer much, and won't really notice an extra 50 cents on his movie ticket.

The Business Council of BC like the tax. That's a group of the 250 or so biggest businesses in BC. The BC Chamber of Commerce like it. Vancouver and Victoria have not formed an opinion yet.

[spanky123]

Not suprising that business likes it as the tax largely shifts costs from business to the consumer.

[jklymak]

I completely empathise with folks who are upset by the lack of public discussion about this - good job BC government in doing things in an above-board manner.

On the other hand, I don't particularly mind the HST, despite eating out a fair bit. If we want green-tech to be exempt, for example, we can now lobby the feds, and have all 12% exempt, not just the provincial share. Same with all the other worthy things that are no longer going to be exempt (safety eqpt etc).

I call eating out a luxury, so upping the tax on it doesn't seem too draconian. Same with airfare, and the other big-ticket items in there.

That being said, I'm not a huge fan of sale taxes in general, as they tend to be regressive. Income taxes are far more fair. (off topic alert: I've never understood the logic behind the nonsensical argument that somebody made above that a progressive income tax discourages you from earning money. If my boss offered me $10k more a year, I'd take it unless I was going to charged 101% tax on it or something.)

[VicHockeyFan]

Not suprising that business likes it as the tax largely shifts costs from business to the consumer.

Agreed, but business doesn't like any move in general that raises prices (unless it also raises revenue corespondingly for them), that is usually bad for business.

[spanky123]

Although people will *****, I don't think that purchasing habits will change as a result of the HST. You only have to remember back to 1991 and the start of GST to see that the furor eventually subsides.

With any tax change there are winners and losers. I should have been more specific when I said that business wins. Big business wins, small business is neutral and the consumers loses out with HST.

[sebberry]

I was talking to a friend about this the other day. Her response: "I didn't hear about this.. oh well, nothing we can do, no point in complaining.. I'm a student and will get a rebate anyway"..

Too few people keep informed to care about how this impacts the general population.

[martini]

Too few people keep informed to care about how this impacts the general population.

True. Too busy munching on lotus leaves.

[VicDuck]

The majority of the youth these days tend not to pay attention to political matters. This scares me a little.

[sebberry]

The majority of the youth these days tend not to pay attention to political matters. This scares me a little.

Too busy text messaging and showing off their new iPhone app

[Phil McAvity]

The majority of the youth these days tend not to pay attention to political matters. This scares me a little.

Since young people identify with socialism/communism more than older people that doesn't scare me at all. In fact I wish more young people were totally apathetic to politics.