Jack Layton is going on the offensive in Tory ridings in British Columbia as his first campaign priority, and his biggest point of attack, the HST. What Jack did not mention in his fiery speech is that the Prime Minister gave Gordon Campbell the option of not adding 7% tax to goods that were not previously taxed provincially. The soon to be unemployed Premier made the personal decision to add tax to goods that were not previously taxed. People were not mad at the harmonization, they were mad because a large basket of goods and services became more expensive. In a place like Vancouver with such a high cost of living, a lot of people are already living pay cheque to pay cheque.
Had Gordon Campbell taken the offer by the PM to charge different rates for different goods and services, nobody in BC would have been pissed off about the HST. The move was tantamount to announcing that a whole bunch of new items would be 7% more expensive, instead of no prices changing. For Layton to attack the federal Tories on the basis of the HST is ridiculous because Gordon Campbell had the choice not to do the very thing that pissed people off. The pox of the HST in BC is on Gordo, not Harper. The HST passed the House of Commons with support from the Ignatieff regime.
How do you know when Jack or Iggy are lying? Their lips are moving.
ReplyDeleteThe charge won't stick and the HST is toast anyway
ReplyDeleteLiving in BC we know exactly who is/was responsible for the HST and the blame falls fully on the provincial government. Truth and facts just never seem to matter though for the NDP.
ReplyDeleteanonymous it will stay. because people are starting to come around to it. thats why I guess Don macrae mla didn't get recalled because people started learning more about it. I kno I was pissed off when I friest herd about it to. but I bet if cambell would have campaigned on the hst he would have won. it was how it was presendted that I was mad at. but think about it you can Buy a pickup through your company tax free because you get it all back.
ReplyDeleteSame thing happened in Ontario. Only for a bit the PC's joined the populist rabble rousing wagon rather then taking the extra effort to point that out and be the bearers of clarity from the beginning. They eventually came around, but were very late in getting around to it. From what I saw, maybe someone can correct me on when that realization occurred...
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, the HST is a good thing. Once complete the Federal Government will move towards getting a flat or flatter rate across the board and likely lowering it at the federal level if necessary.
Doing so will help fix trade barrier issues and discrepancies between the provinces.
Essentially setting things up for freer trade amongst the provinces. Which we currently have freer trade with the U.S.A than within our own country!
They should look into either creating less exemptions to get a lower but more broad based tax or separate the goods tax from the services tax as it makes little sense to me to have them at the same rate.
Looks like the Ontario Libs pulled some stunts with the HST to keep it form being altered even if PCs take back queens park with a majority?
Hmm... they'll have to make the difference up to tax payers through other means. Like corporate and then income taxes. Best taxes are the ones that hit everyone like sales taxes & have a high trigger rate like sales taxes and generate large amounts of revenue even at a low rate.... LIKE SALES TAXES!
Some economists say 20% but thats way too high & would lead to more cash only deals. Shouldn't go over 15% (IMHO). It really depends on the Laffer curve. [And for what reason governments are collecting the rate coincides with how, why and what they spend it on outside of the Rahn curve. Laffer & Rahn curve = more revenue for government and less waste.] (((Efficient use of these principles gives rise to positive Tax Competition. What is tax competition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSXSCaRixYI, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJWLemN29Wc)))
A lower rate is more affective at raising consumer confidence and thus the multiplier effect that generates even more revenue each time it is triggered through a purchase.
Similar to how income taxes are good for tracking employment, and lowering corporate taxes, since it often leads to more job creation and thus a higher multiplier from each job created. The same effect lends itself to a higher sales trigger when employees income gets taxed less and thus have more cash to spend on purchases. In the case of the HST, services as well.
And even organized crime has to pay HST when they purchase their "yachts" etc...
So ease off with the HST bashing and instead be righteously enraged over the outlandish rise in taxes & new taxes over previously untaxed goods/services.
Mmm... The second video link regarding Tax Competition is much more straightforward than the first. I should of had the order in reverse. It was less political and cut to the point.
ReplyDeleteBetter to send that one ahead of the other next time...
ermmmhmhmm~yes, indeed-indeed...
*twiddling the curls of my imaginary handlebarmoustash*.