http://ajh.ca/clark_on_the_hs

http://ajh.ca/clark_on_the_hst.html

I trust that the Liberals

I trust that the Liberals will continue to do to us what they've been doing to us for years.

(No, not that, though they have been doing that to us all. I meant lying to us.)

Who wants bribe money to vote for the HST? Line up, Folks, for your cash. Families first!

Fish-counter

Your a PAB! You would like somebody if you met them even if they screw you when you turn your back? Spoken like a true PAB. You subliminaly suggest we should like her because she has a "nice smile" and you suggest she has more credibility? How can you say that when 2 months previously she said "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," and then does exactly that. I bet you enjoy your $100,000 a year!

One group likes the HST...

You might be interested to know that there is one group that likes the HST. The Agriculture Council of BC has taken out a full page ad in the monthly "Country Life in BC" suggesting that all of BC's farmers should take it upon themselves to promote the HST among their friends and neighbours.

Then there is John Winter ...

... who on Sean Hollman's blog admits that the HST is good for business. The only thing good for business is more profit. Yeah, and where is it coming from? A for the Agricultural Council of B.C., most of these guys are right- wing ie BC liberals. ( MOST)

And not only that...

As a person on the meagre allowance the Province allows for the severely disabled, this HST impacts me enormously. As Bill T. pointed out in the article, Ms. Clark is apparently offering the bribe for families with children and for seniors, but entirely forgetting or ignoring how much this tax affects the ability of those with only a disability allowance to even survive with minimal food and shelter. I guess we don't warrant a bribe even, she's ignoring us completely, as pitiful as her token payment is, compared to the harm this tax is doing to all British Columbians except maybe those in the top few percent who control most of the "wealth."

As Bill said, there's no way to get around the simple fact that the tax takes a burden from the corporations and places it on those precious families she's always pretending to care so much about, as well as all vulnerable low-income folks.

Having to live rurally because I'm unable to tolerate a more polluted urban environment, I have to keep a vehicle to access even basic essentials, though I try to limit my use of it to a half a dozen trips a year, since it's about an hour each way to town and I can't afford the gas, either. Yet the HST will be charged on the labour portion of vehicle repairs, making them even more un-affordable for someone with such a small income.

Also I make almost all of my own clothing so I can control the fibre and chemical content and have things that are comfortable for me, but this tax now considerably increases the cost of the yarn and the raw materials I need, which didn't have PST before. It makes it much more difficult to purchase such things, and as a result I have drastically reduced my yarn purchases, held off on needed vehicle maintenance, and in fact avoided all possible purchases, waiting to try to get rid of the tax! Even the food supplements I need, like Spirulina, that help me maintain my health somewhat, which only had GST before, are now increased by another 7%, so I am trying to buy less of them. So much for boosting the economy, eh, Christy?!

Sure, we'll pay the extra tax when we absolutely have to, but many of us will look for alternatives and ways to avoid it. It's hard to justify spending money on things that are now enough more costly that it's tempting to do without them, for the sake of self-respect and to prove, if only to ourselves, that we're not as stupid as Lucy (I mean Christy) thinks we are. And I'm voting YES to extinguish the HST.

When I get a chance, I'll try to vote to extinguish the BC Liberal Party, too, no matter what fake ID they come up with!

Thanks to G West for his comment...

Yes, even beyond all of the issues around the details of the tax and all of the ensuing complications the BC Liberals have muddied the waters with so you'd need a computer program to figure out the real numbers or how any of it plays out, ultimately...what matters most to me is that a Citizens' Initiative was successful and I hope it won't be the last we bring! So I do really want the HST extinguished to send a clear message to all of us who had the courage to stand up and object to being treated like cattle or statistics ~ we can do this! BC is capable of self-governance! At least, it's a start.

There's still a long way to go to genuine democracy and self-governance, but this would be a good beginning and I think it would succeed in motivating people in BC to become more involved in their local communities socially, as well as politically. Politically, I think our best over-all change would be to dump the whole political party system and organise our communities ourselves so we can elect accountable MLAs who can't leverage against our interests through a powerful political machine.

We need to demand the ability to place and change our votes whenever we see fit, and permanent electoral offices in every community and neighbourhood, so we have a place to discuss and share information and ideas about what we really want our province to be like. The political parties all divide and conquer, and they are the only beneficiaries of that system, along with their corporate sponsors. It's never going to be a system that works for voters, and the electoral system will only change if we do it ourselves, from the bottom.

Even those at the top who admit it would be better can't bring themselves to let the voters really have the power, so we have to demand it through a new Citizen's Initiative and refuse to take "No" for an answer from any political party. I'd rather discuss my disagreements about policy or methods with my fellow citizens than with someone who's basically an elected dictator, regardless of party or gender.

C'mon folks...trust Christy Clark...

...Not! This political leader has more nerve than a mouthful of broken teeth.

Less than 24 hours after election in Vancouver/Point Grey...on CKNW's Bill Good pgm. , Clark declares she won't necessarily seek re-election in...Vanc./PT. Grey.

This swift slap in the face should be met with a quick kick in the ass for BC Liberals come election day.

Why shake hands with your abuser?

Get no respect? Give no respect.

It is time for change in British Columbia.

It's spelled T-I-E-L-E-M-A-N - even PABsters know that!

C'mon sspooner - you can't spell my name right when it's at the top of the column? Ha-ha - but you use lots of $10 words - or should we say $100,000 words?

It's not my job to outline the NDP platform - but they obviously have a clear position on the HST - and unlike Christy Clark or Kevin Falcon they haven't changed it constantly since July 2009.

To Frank2 - if the HST is a consumption tax, why did the BC Liberal make sure luxury vehicles over $55,000 cost less with the HST?

But you are right that it is regressive - because lower and middle income earners spend proportionately more of their money on the HST than upper income earners. It's that simple.

Lastly, if progressive folks don't oppose a bad, unfair tax, how will they defend fair taxes? That's why the HST can only find support from big business and the BC Liberals.

Dumping the HST is cynical

Dumping the HST is cynical populism, not sound policy. Addressing the limitations of existing taxation policy (as per Frank2)respects people's intelligence, rather than panders to their ignorance.

sspooner

Dumping the HST is not cynical - it's essential.

Respect is earned, not doled out like candycanes to the poor at Christmas - while every child gets $175.00 no matter how much their mommy and daddy earned...In fact, if you wanted a better definition of pandering, you'd go a long way before finding a more appropriate one than Christina's phony 'fix' for the utter botchup they made of this tax shift.

Intelligence requires some analysis - I have seen neither analysis nor intelligence from the pro-HST forces on this file.

In fact, they've been playing catch up from the time the puck was dropped.

Nothing new here.

Just Vote Yes

We have to, it's simple (provided that the ballots will even get mailed to us if the posties walk). We are struggling under this government's "Families First" agenda, which apparently does not or omits people like me, you know anyone who is 18+,single,gay or lesbian and the disabled or for that matter anyone living on a fixed income. Ms Clark's government still seems to ignore those most in need and it shows very badly I might add. I know that if the HST is defeated the cost of living will at best be a bit more tolerable. I had to think long and hard about my vote and what it means. There was only one real solution. Vote yes and scrap this tax and then vote out the BC Liberals. If we can accomplish these things we as a society can restore some "sanity" to our lives. Remember, Circle Yes on your ballot.