BC has greater political will than Ontario - why any tax?

[CitizenX]

Yeah, that’s funny....what do you think the province is going to have to do about the money we got from the FEDS for HST....Where do you think the money to repay them is going to come from? Me and your parents.....

This is your answer for why BC should keep the HST? That's laughable. BC will pay it back from all the money created by the Olympics...LOL . I mean thats probably where it went to anyway. What a joke.

[Guest Derek L]

This is your answer for why BC should keep the HST? That's laughable. BC will pay it back from all the money created by the Olympics...LOL . I mean thats probably where it went to anyway. What a joke.

No my argument is the same as the governments talking points………Truthfully, I was in favour of it mostly because it ended a lot of duplication and made it easier at tax time……..Any loss in revenue to the provincial government will be made in other ways mind you……in the end +/- a few thousand a year to me won’t really be noticed, but it will affect a lot of small business owners and their employees.

[CitizenX]

No my argument is the same as the governments talking points………Truthfully, I was in favour of it mostly because it ended a lot of duplication and made it easier at tax time……..Any loss in revenue to the provincial government will be made in other ways mind you……in the end +/- a few thousand a year to me won’t really be noticed, but it will affect a lot of small business owners and their employees.

The HST was an attack on the poor, and I will always fight on the side of the poor. It could have been designed and implemented much better.

Edited August 27, 2011 by CitizenX

[Guest Derek L]

The HST was an attack on the poor, and I will always fight on the side of the poor. It could have been implemented much better.

An attack on the poor? How many poor people are going to Canucks games, concerts, fancy dinners, buying Cadillacs and purchasing new homes?

A VAT is the most fair of taxes, in that people can make the ultimate decision in paying it, as opposed to payroll/income taxes…..No loop holes and everyone pays it, rich, middle class and poor…….

[TimG]

The HST was an attack on the poor, and I will always fight on the side of the poor. It could have been designed and implemented much better.

The poor will be much worse off with 12% PST and a much lower GST credit. Plus there will be cuts to government programs needed to balance the loss of 1.6 billion in fed money.

Whatever, the vote against the HST had nothing to do with common sense or knowledge of economic. It was all about greed and the delusion that government programs should be paid for by other people.

Edited August 27, 2011 by TimG

[capricorn]

Plus there will be cuts to government programs needed to balance the loss of 1.6 billion in fed money.

What??? You mean they've already spent the $1.6B and have to make up for it elsewhere?

[Guest Derek L]

What??? You mean they've already spent the $1.6B and have to make up for it elsewhere?

yup, they sent everyone a cheque..

[TimG]

What??? You mean they've already spent the $1.6B and have to make up for it elsewhere?

The 1.6 was used to avoid cuts in the budget that included the HST. They will be making those cuts now.

[capricorn]

yup, they sent everyone a cheque..

Not to be mean but...as an Ontarian, I want that $1.6B back into the federal treasury so that our piece of the pie doesn't take too big a hit. And man, with Premier Dad in charge we're going downhill fast. If you know what I mean.

[scouterjim]

But you aren't.

Perhaps because the evidence shows that what is good for business is good for the economy.

The trouble with people like you is think there is this endless pot of money that can pay for whatever you want and it costs you nothing.

You live in a fantasy land.

And yes, the referendum was a victory for narrow minded self-centered greed. There is no other reason to oppose a tax which most economists agree is more efficient and better for the economy. Greed and a belief that others should pay for the services that you want to use.

In BC, we were told the HST would save us money (it cost us more), It would create several thousand jobs (try about 100), and that businesses would pass their tax savings on to the buyers (they just pocketed the savings and raised prices). It was a bad tax.

Edited August 27, 2011 by scouterjim

[Guest Derek L]

Not to be mean but...as an Ontarian, I want that $1.6B back into the federal treasury so that our piece of the pie doesn't take too big a hit. And man, with Premier Dad in charge we're going downhill fast. If you know what I mean.

I don't blame you.......what a step backwards for the province........as was posted above, It maybe a rumour, but I'd hope Clark does call an election and uses the HST as a plank....only in BC

[Guest Derek L]

If I was Clark, I'd change the name of the HST to something like the BCST, Canucksin2012ST, BritishColumbiaisthebestprovinceST etc........they need to "re-brand it".....

[Bonam]

The HST was an attack on the poor, and I will always fight on the side of the poor.

Do you envision yourself as some kind of Robin Hood?

[CitizenX]

Do you envision yourself as some kind of Robin Hood?

No just a normal person with a little compassion and empathy for people less fortunate than me. I'd like to think, just like the majority of Canadians.

I don't blame you.......what a step backwards for the province........as was posted above, It maybe a rumour, but I'd hope Clark does call an election and uses the HST as a plank....only in BC

Thats what she's going to run on...a tax that no one wants? Good thinking.

[TimG]

Thats what she's going to run on...a tax that no one wants? Good thinking.

45% of people want it. Enough for a majority.

[Bonam]

No just a normal person with a little compassion and empathy for people less fortunate than me. I'd like to think, just like the majority of Canadians.

Yes, and also with a little aggression and hostility for people more fortunate than you (that's what "fighting" on the "side" of the poor means). I'd like to think, just unlike the majority of Canadians.

[Guest Derek L]

45% of people want it. Enough for a majority.

Bingo

[Guest Derek L]

No just a normal person with a little compassion and empathy for people less fortunate than me. I'd like to think, just like the majority of Canadians.

Thats what she's going to run on...a tax that no one wants? Good thinking.

How do you propose getting us out of debt in BC without raising taxes or cutting services? The Teachers negotions just got interesting……..I hope they get told to pound sand

Edited August 27, 2011 by Derek L

[Remiel]

On my, Argus has not in fact abandoned Maple Leaf Web after all...

[dre]

Sure, some of the voters of BC are vindictive immature children who would shot themselves in the foot to punish a politician who is long gone. Others are people who are fundamentally selfish and think taxes should be always paid by someone else.

[WWWTT]

The message is not only untrue but tiresome propaganda that people don't believe anymore. If this tax break somehow only helped small business I might have been alright with it, but these big greedy socially irresponsible corporation deserve nothing.

P.S. if it comes from the Fraser Institute it's really coming from big business which = B.S.

I am not sure how the HST is applied in BC as it is now done in Ontario in regards to services(labour).

Previously in Ontario(seperate GST and PST)the PST was not applied to services,only goods.GST was applied to goods and services(as the name implies)

Therefore service providers only charged 5%.Which is collected upon completion of a job and then repayed to the government on a 3 month cycle.In most cases there is a small period of time where the company collecting the tax for services provided to the costumer can hold on to this 5% before handing it over to revenue Canada.This equates into a small business loan.

Increase 5% to 13% and effectively you are increasing this alleged small business loan.

During the construction of the last house I built in the Kawarthas(2010-2011) a couple of the sub trade owners told me the HST is in a way helping them(but it also is hurting them,more on this at the end of my comment).

Aswell it should help me too!

In the previous houses I have built I was only able to apply for a GST rebate.Now I am able to apply for a larger HST rebate!

However I am yet to finalize the paper work and see the rebate cheque.And I will have to crunch the numbers to see if this HST rebate program helps me recover a greater cost in the construction process.

Contractors and sub trades who do smaller jobs were the costumer can not apply for any rebates have seen a signifigant drop in business.For them the HST has bein painfull!

WWWTT

[Tilter]

Good question.

What exactly did BC do with the subsidy it received? (Ontario basically used the money to send cheques to taxpayers... kind of like bribery.)

McPremier is good at that--- raise Hydro rates 20%, send checks to customers for 10%. How many stupid people votes will that win him in the fall?

[Tilter]

In BC, we were told the HST would save us money (it cost us more), It would create several thousand jobs (try about 100), and that businesses would pass their tax savings on to the buyers (they just pocketed the savings and raised prices). It was a bad tax.

Likely 100 more gov-tax-people

[scouterjim]

McPremier is good at that--- raise Hydro rates 20%, send checks to customers for 10%. How many stupid people votes will that win him in the fall?

We were promised a cheque for $100 each in BC (taxable income BTW). I don't know about you, but $100 iS NOT a lot of money to cover the other $800 I was paying in HST.

[Wilber]

Sure, some of the voters of BC are vindictive immature children who would shot themselves in the foot to punish a politician who is long gone. Others are people who are fundamentally selfish and think taxes should be always paid by someone else.

I see it differently. One way or another we will be taxed but this will teach BC governments to think long and hard before they ever treat the electorate with such contempt again. To me, this will be the real legacy of the HST in BC and it is an important and lasting one.