Once again: Industry and

Once again: Industry and transport, the biggest users and polluters, will transfer their costs on the public in grossly inflated prices. For every extra penny they have to pay, they'll charge 5 or 10.

Lowering the speed limits would have accomplished far more, as a 10% reduction could save up to 30% fuel, depending on the engines. Check it out.

Also, the biggest problem is the collectivization of industry, the long distance separation of the producers from the users, necessitating hugely increased transfer of goods, including the fraudulent concept of "globalization", the biggest racket in human history, destroying local industries, and then the long distance commuting by hundreds of millions, also caused by collectivization and forced urbanization, for the single purpose of huge profits to the middlemen controllers of the economy.

Stalin and Mao must be rolling in their graves for not having thought of this all enslaving racket. Paid for with pollution, global warming and self destruction.

But it is "growth of the GDP and productivity" in the warped minds of our politicians and economists.

Ed Deak, Big Lake.

not so revenue neutral

The green shoe Carol and the mad pastor Campbell would like you to believe that the so called carbon tax is revenue neutral.

Every purchase, except food and donations, consumers buy with the $100 green cash from fossil fuel consumption is subject to both 7% PST and 5%GST. It's the $88 dollar solution solving nothing.

In a recent poll by the Langley Advance, a regional community paper, readers were asked what they would do with their $100 funny money from the Campbell...over 60% said they would fill-up their vehicles with gasoline! Not very carbon neutral.

Now let's look at what a $100 of gas purchases means...20.5 cents in Provincial Excise tax (includes Translink's portion) and 10 cents in Federal excise tax and to top it all off, 5%GST!

So folks, either buy food or pay your rent or if you can donate to a charity of your choosing.

errors and omissions

Just to add to a very important omission in my response above, the 20.5 cent provincial tax and the 10 cent federal tax plus on added to those taxes 5%GST are for a litre of gas.

So depending on how fast your guzzler consumes and expels carbon dioxide and monoxide, nitrous oxide and the other fumes harmful to us and our planet, a large portion of your 100 Campbell fossil dollars will return to the government.

IT's your opportunity to put those dollars to good use, donate or feed your family.

Post Partisan Action on Climate Change

Kevin,

While you clearly shoot for a principled tone to this piece your framing of this debate as some sort of twisted partisan race that disregards the altruistic agenda of environmental improvement is far off the mark.

Campbell's tax is ideological and partisan in nature and Carole's criticism is more realistic than it is partisan.

Quite frankly, most British Columbians do support improving the environment but, contrary to your spin, they do not support Campbell's tax.

What is desired is effective tax shifting which involves punitive measures for the worst emitters while awarding behaviour that results in less emissions.

Campbell's tax is a disproportionate, green-washed corporate tax cut which will have little if any effect on emissions.

The tax is in tune with the ideology driving Campbell's government and our Province into the ground and Carole is right to call them out on it.

People are tired of these wealth transfer policies masquerading as populist measures.

This tax simply manages to transfer the burden of priced emissions on to people with fixed incomes while disproportionately handing the wealth generated back to corporate coffers through targeted tax cuts.

James should continue slamming this green-washed corporate tax cut and offer British Columbians what they want, which is genuine action and policies that actually have impact on emissions while improving the environment.

Finally, those who should re-consider their partisan behaviour are the environmental groups who support such tripe while trying to claim the principled high ground.

Environmentalists should support good policy and effective legislation. They should not claim hollow victories and support ineffective measures such as those offered by Campbell's government.

Let's creat a positive climate

How many years is it now that we have been paying both provincial and federal taxes? Has it made any difference to our spending habits? It’s not the two percentage points that we are paying on our gas bill that will ever get the majority of motorists out of their vehicles, but the hefty increases that we are now seeing almost on a daily basis that will ferment the heat needed to do so. When you get the combined effects of a depressed economy, substantial increases in rents, housing, food and gas, then you will have people getting out of their cars and trucks and seriously thinking of finding other ways of getting to and from work and the grocery store. However, from a recent trip down to the big city from the interior my wife and I found ourselves practically the only ones travelling the HOV lane. There were still a lot of empty “dualies” on the highways as well as a lot of jerk truckers taking up two lanes on the #1 (what is the matter with these guys??).

Campbell has no plan

"Government must soon present British Columbians with a clear plan for reducing emissions from big polluters." Campbell presented no plan. The language plan they used for this tax was " giving people a choice." They have no plan and it's just going to cost the people of BC more. The best thing to do with your $100 rebate would be to contribute it to the BC NDP.

This is funny

Campbell, the strong silent type? He'll have to be bold, honest, courageous. After almost two terms of dishonesty, arrogance, lies and deception you must be smoking something pretty strong to suggest that Campbell could rise to any of these characteristics.
How come this carbon tax idea has not been labelled a tax-grab by the Sun or Province? Can you imagine if the NDP were in power and brought in this idea? Ten years from now we'd still be being reminded about the terrible taxation policy of the NDP that caused thousands of people to leave the province and dozens of head offices being relocated in Alberta.

Fuel for the speculators

If there is anyone here who would like to argue that the $150 a barrel price is not mostly speculation, I urge them to google oil+speculation. It is hurting alot of people (food price in 3rd world countries,...). If this due to normal maret forces, I would say okay, but it is not!

Do something. Phone your MPs.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20011.htm

http://www.closetheenronloophole.com/

Hot Air Emmissions!

The Carbon Tax is a joke!

I suppose its an example of how we are becoming more sustainable!

Revenue neutral for the average wage earner who has not seen a real increase in purchasing power since the late 80s!

While yes it would be nice to donate the 100 bucks to build homes for the homeless, or a roof for BC Place!, most will end up buying gasoline!

And shame on the ENGOs for endorsing Campbell's carbon tax.

What about a Sustainability Tax (sustainable meaning can be done in perpetuity-not in a political term of office!), that rewards sustainable actions/choices and penalizes unsustainable actions/choices?

I suppose a Carbon Tax would justify exploring for more oil of the West Coast?

Would a carbon tax justify subsidizing the oil and gas industry in BC.

Will Albertans who flee the Alberta 'Fire Sale' and take up residence in BC continue to support green washing?

Good luck Earthlings!

VTACC

Apparently VTACC agrees with the Libs that we should tax carbon here while exporting raw materials to other places where they can produce carbon without the tax.

What a great idea! Fortunately Mr Campbell will raise the tax every year until everything is done somewhere else.

Here's a thought, would it not be better for the environment if we produced what we consume here?

The Campbell Carbon Tax thinks otherwise.

And by the way VTACC, even the gov't doesn't claim they're sending you free money, they call it "revenue-neutral", remember? That includes you.