The BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) has been dead set against keeping the HST in British Columbia. Not just a little, but a lot! That’s fine and it’s most certainly their privilege to advocate against it. Now that their wishes have been granted they, like the rest of the citizens in B.C., must accept the consequences.
With a whole lot less money now to be entering government coffers, the teachers union clearly must have understood that a whole lot less money would be available to pay out to their members.
Much like parents, a key role of teachers is to educate children that, along with privileges, comes responsibilities. Accepting the former but ignoring the latter would be highly unprofessional & hypocritical. But we’ve never seen any examples of that amongst Far Left Ideologues & Zealots, have we?!
To the members of the BCTF, let me quote directly from Jack Layton’s final letter to Canadians:
My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.
We look forward to such positive sentiments from you all in the coming months & years. For we know that you each of you will share equally in the extra financial burdens that will be imposed on us all now that extra revenue from the HST is no longer available. Equality and Fairness, My Union Brothers & Sisters! Your mantra is now my mantra. Let’s all sing together now!
If the Government raises the price of the goods and services you sell by 10%, then you have to reduce the price of the goods and services you sell by the same amount in order to have the same volume of sales. That would include trucks.
And all the monkeying around with method does nothing.
Posted by: Me No Dhimmi at August 28, 2011 10:04 PM
No, I don’t think I’m wrong. I wasn’t arguing about type, or methodology. The three points I made were specific, real, and easily measured. And, I specifically advocated for a reduced rate, say 10%, to offset the increased amount of goods and services taxed by the HST.
I still say abolishing the thing is idiotic. We’d already been living with it for two years, so it wasn’t some abstract discussion. I see no material benefit that offsets the three points I made.
In terms of smacking down the government, a premier already resigned over the thing, and the current premier felt compelled to propose a reduction to 10% (which is what the damn thing should have been set at to begin with). I’d say a smack down was aptly applied well before the referendum.
There was lots of emotion and little reason involved in dumping the HST.
Posted by: Dirtman at August 28, 2011 11:50 PM
Amen.
afreeenterprizer:
So public servant salaries are to be paid from the taxes of … public servant salaries?
You do see the problem with that, don’t you?
“But Christy Clark isn’t any brighter than that other Clark we had in the past.”
She heavily backed Stephane Dion for leader of the federal Liberals. She supports making schools and hospitals pay carbon offsets.
Her idea of dealing with bullying in schools is to implement a program where infants are taken to schools to show children that they must treat others gently.
My favourite SDA posting:
Re. Vancouver riots: “Not on my watch – these people will be prosecut … oh, look a butterfly “. Premier Christy Clark. Posted by: ∞²
Only problem for you, Jamie, is that AL is right. Most people here don’t understand the difference between a sales tax and a flow-through VAT tax. And the difference is huge.
Only problem for you, Jamie, is that AL is right. Most people here don’t understand the difference between a sales tax and a flow-through VAT tax. And the difference is huge.
Posted by: cgh at August 29, 2011 1:45 PM
Most people understand less money in their pocket.
And that’s what the HST has done to the average blue collar worker in Ontario. And even The Liar McGuinty (finally) admitted it earlier this summer.
Spot on Jamie MacMaster.
Too much discussion about the techncial aspect of the tax. That’s the problem with our statist economists and egg-head accountants. They get all horny about the technical features of a tax.
Sure, the blended HST is technically superior to the two separate tax systems which don’t tax the same things.
The question, however, should simply be this:
Does the HST transfer less, the same, or more income from taxpayers to gubment? That’s a rhetorical question!
To favour the HST is to favour higher taxes and bigger goverment and to be a very conflicted conservative.
rabbit: not if they provide more value to society than what they are paid, which they do. It’s a positive feedback cycle.
“Too much discussion about the techncial aspect of the tax. That’s the problem with our statist economists and egg-head accountants…”
Posted by: Me No Dhimmi at August 29, 2011 8:59 PM
…and wiki-dickies on SDA. 😉
…and now the liberano government of BC has set up a webpage to indoctrinate all the plebes about the wonderful carbon tax.
I cannot stand the NDP but if we cant get the liberanos out with a conservative replacement then I’m either moving back to Alberta or I will hold my nose and vote for them, stupid cant be any worse than these scumbag crooks.
Love how the BCTF is now starting the drum-beats for a “progressive taxation system”.
Overtaxing the ones who work hard and smart to produce products which are consumed by the general public will only drive business out of the province, just like sylvanguy. Then where are the socialists going to get their HUGE taxes from?
Socialists living in an open bordered country are clueless to this fact. The only way they will be able to stop this is to tax the businesses if they leave or hold bond before they start up a business just to keep them from leaving. Once again using the laws and lawyers to do their dirty pond-sucking for them.
Never met a NDP / socialist that didn’t like more laws, more taxes or more government departments to solve a problem. ‘Cause they be smarter than the rest of us kin-folk!
@chutzpahticular
“T.C., you sound like the power elite (Sheila Copps, the big unions, etc.) who were REALLY sure that Canada would fall apart if the Charlottetown Accord referendum didn’t pass.
Not to worry, little camper. Life will go on:-)”
Glad I gave you the impression that I am one of the “power elite.” I admit I am a little overwhelming to people like yourself, but I am afraid I have neither the pedigree or the connections for “elite” status.
Other than that, perhaps you could help me with the logic behind your comments? For example you link my “elitism” to “the big unions,” inferring that they are in favour of the HST. However, the link which headlines this discussion is about a big union OPPOSED to the HST.
You did read that link before writing your comments, didn’t you?
If so, perhaps you can take this opportunity to explain why, in your mind, big unions are in favour of the HST when the reality was that one of the biggest unions in B.C. acted in concert with the provincial NDP to vote down the HST?
C’mon little camper – please answer the question and demonstrate why I shouldn’t use that one particular adjective to describe your reason for opposition to the HST. You know, that adjective beginning with “s” and encompassing the vapidity of your original comments.
Oh, and a :o) right back at you…