Editor:
I am often assured and told how good the Harmonized Tax is for all of us, our children and their children.
What a load of nonsense!
It's certainly wonderful for business but how can more and more tax be good for the majority of people in B.C.? Unfortunately, it's unlikely we will be able to get rid of the HST so I have some suggestions for our elected officials.
1 - Increase the hst credit for low income families. The maximum credit is $230 per year per person. The family annual credit is $115. These government numbers are based on an income of $25,750. For every $1,000 of additional income reduce the credit by $40. Most people will spend way more than the credit on HST.
2 - Do not apply HST to any more than 61 products and services which were published on the government list (go to http:/hst.blog.gov.bc.ca, scroll down to helpful links to what's taxable and what's not).
3 - Do not cheat and add PST to products and services as you did on the private sale of motor vehicles which now have no HST but 12% PST.
4 - Advise and inform us, prior to the referendum, what companies or services have reduced their prices on products or services to us, their customers, since HST was implemented. And how many new jobs have been created because of the tax savings businesses now enjoy? And how much have wages/salaries increased because businesses are enjoying this windfall?
5 - Do not add 7% portion of HST to gasoline, gasoline is now excessively taxed, i.e. GVRD 23.5%, Federal Excise Tax 10%, Carbon Tax 4.45% - total before GST 37.95%, GST 5%. You will note, GST is a tax on a tax. It's amazing how most of us blame the oil companies for the price of gasoline.
6 - Do not add 7% portion of HST to home energy cost —it's outrageously expensive already.
7 - Guarantee to reduce the salaries of elected government ministers by 15% per annum for every billion dollars they add to the deficit per year. Reduce the deficit by responsible fiscal management and not increased taxation.
By implementing these suggestions they may well become the sort of government the majority of people will think well of and perhaps vote for.
Roger Layton, Langley