Gordon Campbell Tells British Columbians That They Are All Dumber Than A Sack Of 4th Graders

PowerpointsAndPieChartsWillNeverBeat

ChildPovertyVille

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Update: I apologize, profusely, for insulting 4th graders everywhere (see comments)

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Why?

Because even a 4th grader who can't read or write (or who is smart enough to refuse to take the stupid Fraser Institute-mandated FSA tests that skew the numbers to the way less literate side of the ledger) knows that you can't use percentages when their Mom sends them to the local 7-11 to buy a loaf of bread and a quart of milk.

And even more importantly, when you are a kid from a not-so wealthy family, and you head to the corner store to buy stuff for your Mom you know you are going to need cold, hard cash.

So let's have a look at the real money that the Moms and Dads in this province will get back from Mr. Campbell's (as yet unannounced) cuts to their kids' services (aka the 'Unfunded Tax Cut').

Are you ready?

Hold on to your hats, and maybe even grit your teeth because this going to take a little....

Gasp!

Grade 4 Math.

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According to numbers posted by Andrew MacLeod of The Tyee, if you are single Mom making $20,000 per year you will get $68 dollars back from Mr. Campbell's 'Unfunded Tax Cut'.

Or, put another way, if you are family of four where the two parents who are working their butts off at $10/hr to make $40,000 per year, the savings they will receive when Mr. Campbell cuts services to their kids will be $136 per year.

Now, in contrast....

If you are a family of four that makes $144,000 per year (or more) you will get $1,232 back for screwing lot of other folks' kids out of the public services that you can afford to pay for at your private club (or private school).

So, given all that.....

If you are in grade 4 and you can add, subtract, and even do a little long division, you can figure out that, in percentage terms, the family that makes $144,000 per year (or more) is getting a tax break that is 805% more than the family that makes $40,000 per year ([1232-136]/136X100).

Yes.

That's right.

The rich family that doesn't need the public services that Gordon Campbell himself needed when he was a kid growing up (as he so glowingly told us last night) poor in Point Grey will be getting more than 8 times the cold, hard cash than the family whose kids are growing up poor in Port Kells and really needs those public services that Mr. Campbell is going to have to cut.

All of which is just another way of saying that the rich family, in addition to never worrying about having to find the cash to pay for a loaf of 28 grain bread or a quart of oganic soy milk at Choices will now find it even easier to spring for private tutoring sessions, ice skating lessons, braces, and more red mittens to wear on those trips to the condo at Whistler that the poor family could never dream of based on Mr. Campbell's coming cuts to public services.

But, of course, even that is not the entire story.

Why?

Well, because there is still that matter of the cost of the HST to both families.

Which, unlike the returns on the unfunded tax cut is exactly the same for BOTH the rich and the poor family.

And it sure as heckfire ain't $136 per year.

OK?

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