August 27th, 2011 | |
Posted in Taxes

Premier Christy Clark Now Has The Chance To Lead The Way On Tax Reform.
BC voters have shown us they have been pushed to the wall on taxation. We’ve finally said enough is enough, and that we will no longer stand silent while politicians tax us into poverty.
Now that Christy Clark knows her chances of her party getting reelected are almost nill, why not start a move towards a complete tax and budget overhaul. With the odds of getting a far left government next election at almost 100%, she could find honor by at least doing something to protect us from them.
“The B.C. government, I think, has got now to sit down with business and all stakeholders and perhaps develop a Son-of-HST version that is a consumption tax, that is a fair consumption tax and allow it to not have to refocus its efforts on business taxes or on income taxes, which was their goal,” said B.C. Chamber of Commerce President John Winter.
BC in general is not business friendly. The reason is that we put up too many barriers to the creation of new businesses, and we lack competition. Our productivity suffers because of this, as well as employment growth.
Most are sympathetic to the fact that they need money to pay for all our freebies. The problem in BC is the government has crossed the line years ago in intrusion into our lives. We are a model nanny state.
The time for government to re-focus on what they really are responsible for, is now.
Christy could gain credibility and undo the damage done by Gordon Campbell by:
1) Cutting spending. Americans are leading the way in the “cut spending” movement, and spending cuts would be generally accepted. Yes the interest groups will all scream, but it’s about the silent majority. Government is spending beyond our means, and now is the time to make a few hard choices. We have a bloated government and now is the time to cut staff through attrition/hiring freeze, and salary freezes on public employees. Re-size government to the future.
2) Shutting down ICBC and getting out of the booze business. This would create competition in our insurance market and lower costs for most BC residents. Privatize the Liquor stores as Alberta did years ago. Once this is done, look at all ministries and shut down the foolish ones – it’s easy pickings here.
3) Getting rid of the carbon tax. It’s a sham and does nothing of what it represents. Our energy prices are only going up. Killing this tax would be a move to eliminate the deception Gordon Campbell left us with.
4) Reform the school districts. Focus on delivery of education not the bureaucracy. Create on school board and downsize or eliminate all the others.
5) Health Care? We know it’s going to bankrupt us in the next 10-20 years. Start looking for solutions to streamline delivery and to cut the waste.
6) Tax reform: BC taxes are the opposite of transparency. They have hidden a myriad of taxes in everything we buy. This makes everything more expensive in BC, and it is a silent job killer. The nickle and dime approach is petty and is causing tourists to stay away. Buy a bottle of water and see what I mean.We hide taxes on homeowners for things not related to owning a home, businesses for things that have nothing to do with business, and consumers for anything they can come up with.
Flat tax is the way to go, and a “Son of GST” would fly if the two happened at the same time. If the flat tax was handled correctly, you could even remove sales tax. The goal should be to streamline government income, and the best place is at the source. Removing the massive paperwork eliminates needless positions and expense. It also makes BC competitive in a global market.
If we don’t address the areas above soon, we’ll be forced to in ways we won’t have any control. Our wealth has been driven by housing and now that is about to end… and when it does, well see that it has been a mirage.
I know that BC has a strong anti-growth sentiment, and we need to instill the idea that growth is good, NOW. We’ve been held hostage by the enviro-nazi’s long enough, and hopefully now the silent majority will become vocal.
It is the only way we’ll be able to maintain our standard of living in the future… as the decline has already started.