Lately a lot of news stories have been bothering me, more for what's not being said than for what's being said.
Take, for instance, the HST debate. There appears to be a general assumption that, should we vote to resume the old PST/GST model, taxes will remain at 12 per cent, and we will instantly revert to the old tax model. I keep wondering why no one is pointing out that the Provincial Sales Tax portion could increase, and all those items not taxed before could suddenly, with a stroke of the pen, become taxable.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that, should we have to repay the $1.6 billion the Feds so graciously advanced us, the money will have to come from somewhere. And just in case you hadn't realized it yet - that somewhere is your pockets and mine. We'll be lucky to have the lint left.
The harsh reality is no government collects taxes because they can. They do so to maintain our standard of living and all those niggling things we take for granted, such as a decent education system, a health system many countries would die for (pun intended) and roads we can actually drive on. None of those things are free. Hence, when you add an extra burden of repayment to the above, you can suddenly see a tax raise looming. And for all you who still believe in the tooth fairy and that the NDP will instantly lower taxes when they get into power, you may want to check our history. I predict taxes would not go down with a new government, and in fact, there is a very good chance they would go up to pay for the usual election promises. Plus, since I've been called a witch often enough to rate a crystal ball, I predict that exact same scenario would happen under a re-elected Liberal government.
Another government ploy that has me shaking my head is the debacle going on at the District of Sechelt. We've pontificated about the issue a lot lately, but it can't be said enough times - how can a non-binding referendum settle anything? If I voted in Sechelt, my answer would be to spoil the referendum ballot.
Not only are some of the councillors saying they don't have the answer, but they don't believe the voters of Sechelt do either. What will the next council do? Hold another referendum in 2014? I believe this sets a dangerous and costly precedent. Is every decision that's difficult to make going to be stalled this way? It's a very chicken-spit way to do business.
Finally I don't believe that parents of the people who rioted in Vancouver should be required to pay for their offspring's stupidity. Anytime someone else is made to pay for another's transgression, a lesson is lost. For some families, the restitution is as easy as writing a cheque. For others, paying up could mean losing everything the family has worked for over many years. In either case, the person committing the crime is not paying the price. We are a very judgmental society. It's perhaps time to look in the mirror and fess up to our own sins.
In the meantime, let's stop ignoring the political elephants in the room.
