Thursday, October 28, 2010

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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13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi, can you change the title of this post as it insults the grader 4ers.
thanks

Anonymous said...

Iglika Ivanova from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has a well written take on the new gift for the rich.

So this tax cut won’t help the economy much, but will it benefit British Columbians? Those who’ve been telling the Premier that they’re working harder and harder but can’t seem to get ahead? The answer is No.

[...]

Spending a temporary unexpected windfall on a permanent tax cut does not make economic sense, especially when the benefits of the tax cuts will be concentrated among higher earners. What Mr Campbell must be betting on is that it will make political sense.

Anonymous said...

PS to Anon 3:19

1 sack equals 364 pounds
4 sacks equals 1,456 pounds, there's no direct calculation for 4 sacks to kilograms, I wonder why that is, when we know longer live in an age of Imperialism.

BC Mary said...

Dang.

And I thought Mr Red Mitts was going to announce -- from a flower-filled dais -- his impending retirement, with many scenes of Olympic triumphs (his), bridges, highways, hard hats (his), and the colourful RCMP bodyguard (also his) ...


and then, hand-in-hand with his Deputy Chief of Staff, E.A., and Travel Companion (all the same person), would depart for Maui ...

like that man from another time, representing the Rhinoceros Party.
.

West End Bob said...

Great post, RossK, and your Grade 4 math is spot on!

Did you watch His Drunkeness last night? Luckily I was otherwise occupied and didn't have the opportunity to have a barf bag handy . . . .

Anonymous said...

http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/pop/pop/BCPop.asp

2010 4,530,960 British Columbians

Campbell said yesterday that the cost of the televised statement from him cost taxpayers $240,000, that's five cents per citizen.

Just a little fudging on his number calculation. Based on the 4,530,960 (as of October 1, 2010 data) population, the cost per person is $0.052968907.

I was taught that if anyone ends a number is a zero, or a five, they're lying.

Can we really believe that all the costs that went into producing this 22 minute exercise, including taxes, cost $240,000? I'd like to see the facts behind the numbers, along with that of the $6,000,000 for Basi and Virk and the $12,000,000 for the prosecution.

Anonymous said...

I watched Campbell's TV address out of curiosity - but many I know can't stand to look at or listen to Mr. 9% anymore. He's reaching new lows as far as I can see.
Case in point: Government interference in the BC Rail trial (i.e. the destruction of documents, delay tactics, allotted $6 million Basi/Virk legal fees and seemingly biased actions on the part of Justice Mackenzie) was transparently evident throughout the trial. A multi-million dollar trial in which only two crown witnesses appeared before the court (though many more were scheduled)!! Justice Mackenzie sudden acceptance to an ending of the trial with what could be perceived as a pay off to Basi & Virk has denied taxpayers of a full and transparent accounting of the sale of BC Rail. Taxpayers of BC lost an important public asset which added revenue to government coffers to pay for Education and Health Care. We are left with a multi-million dollar bill for this travesty of justice that denied 'public' due process for their loss of BC Rail. One wonders why Justice Bennett was pulled from the case after 7 years of experience in the pre-trial process. Gordon Campbell would have us believe that Basi and Virk are the only culprits here; but we were denied the exercise to prove they were the only ones involved as Campbell would wish us to believe.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't that $6million pay-off a bribe?

Just a straight-forward bribe. Like, if Basi-Virk do this, Campbell Govt. will do that, and oh, there's $6million in it if they agree.

Sorta like the $1.6Billion Ottawa sent, if Gordo would do the HST thing.

Dana said...

Ross, is there any evidence to suggest that the majority of British Columbians *aren't* "dumber than a sack of 4th graders"?

RossK said...

Oh boy....

Clearly I have to apologize to 4th graders everywhere.

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And Dana makes an excellent point....How else to explain the last two elections?

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Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=channel

Changing Education Paradigms

And El Gordo's idea that all Grade 4 will be ..

Anonymous said...

Hey i am suuper boy

BC Mary said...

This might be a good time to mention a YouTube which catches the Campbell Gang (including Basi & Virk) trying to explain who authorized the $6million br ... bri ... payment of The Accuseds' legal fees.

Google "Questions arise of BC Rail Plea":

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