Tax shifting needed

The solution has always been there, but few, other than the Green Party, have offered a serious platform positions.

Via taxation, make it more expensive to produce non-organic factory/corporate farm produce, while offering tax incentives and subsidies to those in our local agriculture community who choose to do it the right, sustainable way. By doing this, you will entice more farmers into doing it the good way, resulting in more supply, more competition, prices come down. Everybody eats better produce.

I buy organic/local as a general rule, but only because I can afford to. I know many who can't and would like to. Unfortunately, local organic produce is still considered a luxury of the petite bourgeoisie. We need to make this less a luxury for the few and accessible to all.

We buy them

Especially with the tax cut that the government has brought in. Now we are able to keep more of the money we work so hard to earn, so that means that if we buy local well produced food and it costs more, we don't mind. We are happy to support our local farmers even if we do spend more. We understand that bulk buying of anything makes things cheaper but we feel that the local produce is better for us to eat and it tastes better too.

The more taxes are reduced, the more of our earnings are not swallowed by the government and the more locally produced foods and clothing we will buy.

The added expense is like a voluntary tax that we don't mind paying.

You buy them!

Realisticman, you are living proof that Adam Smith's invisible hand is going to hand-feed us fresh, organic, locally produced farm goods if we just, darnit all, lower income taxes! God bless you, brother!

Ah yes, let us recall how the trickle down theory allowed Americans to reap a bounty of fresh local produce under Reaganomics during the 80's! And how the Brits spent all their windfall extra tax break income on organics during Maggie's reign! Under Bush #1, organics and local farming in America flourished, and under Bush #2 the evil factory/corporate farms were once and for all made obsolete (don't believe anything those pot smoking socialists at Farm Aid say) because of... "read my lips"... all that extra income due to tax cuts!

Here in BC, of course, agriculture went from have-not under the NDP to local/organic agriculture Utopia, thanks to all those Liberal tax cuts that put extra bills in our pocket, with which we rushed off to the local farmers market to buy local!

Seriously, if we let the market feed us, we'd all starve, or die from an malnutrition.

unrealisticman

Here we go again, r-man. You buy into the neo-con myths. Most reading on this site don't.

You think tax revenues are squandered by incompetent governments, while I think private providers of the same services will value their shareholders over their clients. Blah, blah, blah.

Where has privatization resulted in better services for lower costs?

Back to the actual topic of this article: I think that the people who can least afford to buy expensive produce are those in the lowest tax brackets. That is, the people who benefit least from tax cuts and the corresponding erosion of public services.

And I don't see how Gordo's Hail Mary tax cut will lead to more people supporting local farmers. More likely those extra dollars will be put towards increases in health care costs (BC Med?), transportation costs, education costs, etc.

Japanese Melons

I'm presently living in Japan, and I really get annoyed by writers misleading their readers on the expense of melons here.

When I want to eat watermelon, I go to any local supermarket and buy a nice one for between $5 and $10. Or I buy portions for considerably less. I got a good-sized quarter-melon for about $2 during the summer. And unlike Safeway watermelons back home, they are always sweet and delicious.

Yes, you can find a $200 melon if you go the right stores (or buy a $6,000 one if you bring enough cash to a special auction). But those are not for everyday consumption. They are normally used as gifts, they are packaged and presented immaculately, and most people I know have never bought or received one.

The linked msnbc article even states that the purchaser of the crazy $6000 melon in 2008 did so "because he wanted to support local agriculture." I imagine he could have paid a lot less.

Personally, I'd suggest removing that one paragraph from an otherwise useful article.

warbler

As the facts and stats tell us, you are right. People are always complaining about how government, through our taxes, subsidizes the nasty oil companies, etc.

With lower taxes we can now disperse these funds as we wish. We seem to be doing just that, buying up gobs (sorry) of whole-grain protein-rich stuff and big helpings of organic carrots etc. and altogether having a bellyful of fun.

Here's Bob of the BC Association of Farmers' Markets, talking about significant expansion during the recent years under the BC Liberals.

Local Flavours, Familiar Faces!
"Vice-President: Bob Callioux

The market in this location (Kelowna) started with 4 vendors; it took three years for the market to be noticed and customers started to shop on a regular basis. He wore all the organizational hats: president, manager, secretary, etc. Bob did what was needed to get the market going; "I juggled 3 jobs until the new market organization was able to hire me as a part time manager."

He had determination and dedication to the Kelowna Farmers' and Crafters' Market. There are approximately 120 registered season vendors and roughly 175 day vendors filling all the 165 stalls that are available on the site. "We get over 5000 people shopping in the height of the season, last year we added a Thursday evening market in downtown Kelowna.""

http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/directors.htm

Further. With help of the income tax cutting federal Conservatives and Stephen Harper:

"Subject: Growing Farmers' Market Economic Impact - BC Farmers
From: BC Association of Farmers' Markets
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009

Growing Farmers’ Market Economic Impact
BC Farmers’ Markets - A Sleeping Giant

Vancouver, BC – With $800,000 funding offered by the federal government through Western Economic Diversification (WED) for a proposal submitted by the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets (BCAFM), there is a valuable opportunity to increase the economic impact of BC farmers markets by over $90 million over the next three years.

... Launching the nationally recognized and successful BC Farmers Markets Nutrition and Coupon Program (funded through the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance), benefiting hundreds of low-income families, farmers and markets across the province and improving the health of hundreds of people.
Over the past nine years, the number of farmers markets in BC has increased from 60 to over 100. Today’s farmers’ markets will become the supermarkets of tomorrow! ..."

http://www.lillooetchamberofcommerce.com/news/bc-farmers.html

Something to get your teeth into, eh?

This creates a suitable background to listen to while reading these bountiful stories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjiV8et8C34

khed67

"Where has privatization resulted in better services for lower costs? "

For just one, check out the cost of airfare when the airlines you fly on were owned by governments. Air Canada now has round trips from YVR to Tokyo for around a $1,000.00.

Deregulation and private competition has made flying much cheaper than it ever was.

Want to talk about government run telephone companies around the world? We wouldn't have VOIP and Skype if the governments still had their iron grip on telecommunications. NTT had this grip until not long ago.

Have you yet met any gaijin that nip over to Bangkok for a quick cheap world-class medical procedure?

here in the Valley...

we don't wear Lulu Lemon, we wear MooMoo Melon...and yes, we have melon bags. Just thought you might like to know Christopher!

Flying, just like mass-produced food, has become tasteless and generic: could there be any surprise that the race to be the cheapest could produce anything else? And just as in everything else, most of us in this country could do with less, of a higher quality...and given obesity figures, it is likely true for food.Thank you for acknowledging the wage issue, and for paying wages that at least rise above the grimmest bottom. I think one would be nourished, in the broadest sense of that word, by buying perfect melons, and helping to nourish others as well.Purchasing local from local businesses that respect and value their employees is a profoundly political act: one that requires only the action of an individual and one that will help remake the world.

Air fare

Yep! - pretty cheap and VERY DIRTY...we should be paying the ACTUAL cost of air travel and not the artifically low one based upon the subsidized 'price' of oil...

As for the 'success' of small organic farmers - they manage, in my community, to survive because there are a lot of fairly well off folks who patronize them; young people, with families, simply can't afford the luxury - they're shopping at Wal mart for dreck at the lowest possible price.

That's the world you've given them realisticman.

Sad.

Oh yeah?

When I was living hand to mouth I bought more expensive organic produce.

You told us that you and Carole James shop at Thrifty/Sobeys. We think you might be the more likely cause.

R/M old man....

Uh, the actual cash in pocket doesn't happen until 2012, at least from the latest "tax reduction". And don't forget to factor in those inevitable "service fee" increases that kind of renders the notion of discretionary cash laughable.

Oh, and don't forget the continuing job losses in BC and TROC:
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2010/08/06/canada-job-employment.html
Those on that end of the stick won't be flying off to Japan - or anywhere else.

Rick

Remember?

"Shortly after coming to power in June 2001, Campbell implemented major tax cuts on both personal and corporate income and scheduled additional cuts thereafter. Specifically, in his first budget (2001), Premier Campbell enacted a 25-per-cent across-the-board reduction in personal income tax rates, followed by more cuts in 2007 and 2008. The result was a significant improvement in incentives for British Columbians to work, save, invest, and be entrepreneurial.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/Premier+Campbell+popularity+doesn+match+performance/3726205/story.html#ixzz152vC5OVH"

Read your link.

"British Columbia gained 16,000, "

The Japan comment was for @khed67 who's, "presently living in Japan "

R/M old man....PS as it were

Hmmmm.....my chiropractic fees used to be $10/visit. Now it runs to $50/visit. So much for "...to work, save, invest, and be entrepreneurial."

Or are you saying that such treatments are superfluous, and the "quacks" should be run out of town on a rail - so that, even if I cannot get out of bed in the morning, I can never the less "work, save, invest, and be entrepreneurial"?

Skywalker

You have our commiserations if you are in pain. Although the chiropractic profession is primarily based on the use of the spinal adjustment, many other techniques exist for treating the spine, as well as other joints and tissues. A modern chiropractor may specialize in spinal adjustments only, or may use a wide range of methods intended to address an array of neuromusculoskeletal and general health issues. Examples include soft tissue therapy, strength training, dry needling (similar to acupuncture), functional electrical stimulation, traction, and nutritional recommendations.

Claims made for the benefits of spinal adjustments range from temporary, palliative (pain relieving) effects to long term wellness and preventive care. Some claims are controversial, particularly with regard to indications and health benefits. There is debate concerning the safety of some of the procedures used in spinal adjustments, particularly those including upper cervical manipulations.

M.S.P. provides partial coverage for chiropractic fees for persons based on earnings. Only those MSP beneficiaries with premium assistance status qualify for MSP coverage including treatment of spine and related conditions by chiropractic doctors. Please consult your family chiropractor for your coverage details.

RickW

That was, of course, for you, not our dear friend Skywalker.

R/M old man....

Great cut 'n' paste!

But it doesn't address the fact that, while taxes (allegedly - just 'cause a government TELLS you they do, don't make it so) dropped, service fees increased, thus removing the word "choices" from the lexicon describing Campbell's beneficence.