Wednesday, March 04, 2015

Can Someone Explain....


...How The Translink Tax Is Not Like The HST?


And I'm not talking about the parallels in terms of the 'selling' of the thing as the Dean did awhile back.

Instead, I'm talking about the tax 'shiftyness' of how the thing will actually work.

Especially for those households that will not find the couple of hundred bucks a year to be trivial.

Unlike, say, the usual suspects 'round here that are NOT paying their fair/fare share.


****

Look.

I'm not saying we shouldn't have transit infrastructure improvements.

Quite the contrary

But...

If we can build billion dollar ice bomb bridges and sea-to-sky highways that everybody, including the usual suspects, helped pay for (and nevermind that 'P3's-paid-for-everything codswallop', OK), why can't we pay for tons 'o buses and lay down more rapid transit tracks the same way?



__________
And, speaking of (three) billion dollar bridges....Didn't the now always taxy-thrifty Mr. Batemen himself lay a wee bit of turf to help sell that one?
Again, the only real winners in the Translink Referendum Shuffle-thingy will be the collective flack-hackery...



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11 comments:

G West said...

Good point Ross - and something I've been wondering about as well - given the reversal of roles between the Taxpayers Federation and Bill Tieleman - relative to who supports and who does not....strange bedfellows...

North Van's Grumps said...

Jordan Bateman's only crime against his BC Liberal Party faithful was his blind-sided hit on Rich Coleman and especially Finance Minister Colin Hansen where the latter's RESIGINATION was demanded. The 'request', covered by the Press, must have sullied / soured his relations with government backers/hackers.

If he isn't working for the Liberals, .... are his backers the Conservatives?



motorcycleguy said...

now that you bring up (no pun intended) the Port Mann ice bombing.....have you seen this ad that airs on TV...for a Nissan I think....it is written for us here on this blog....2015 Nissan Murano Ice Bridge video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_B5kKVn5_w


Anonymous said...

I saw that ad too, motorcycleguy, and thought the same thing.

Unknown said...

Big difference between the HST referendum and the Transit Plebiscite is that the BC Libs have removed the plebiscite from the Referendum Act making the vote non-binding. Basically what we have now is an expensive opinion poll. The government can either accept or reject the vote as they choose. The government has also ämended"the wording of the plebiscite and removed the pesky clause regarding independent auditing of the tax money collected http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Changes+transit+plebiscite+ballot+keep+voters+guessing/10755759/story.html

spartikus said...

@NVG:

One of the founders of the CTF was Jason Kenney. Hamish Marshall has deep links to the CPC.

So, yes.

Anonymous said...

http://www.notranslinktax.ca/

Anonymous said...

Translink
A house built on a foundation of sand?

spartikus said...

This is what the CCPA has to say about this sales tax:

While sales tax increases can have a regressive impact (hitting lower-income households harder as a share of their income), in this case the new investments will go mainly to transit improvements, which benefit lower-income people in particular (since they rely more on public transit). As a result, the proposal is likely progressive overall.

http://www.policynote.ca/why-were-voting-yes-to-new-transit-and-transportation-funding/

spartikus said...

@Mark Mounce:

The auditing requirement has been moved from the ballot question but remains on the ballot. Not being a lawyer I can't say if this has any legal repercussions.

Anonymous said...

Who are the better economic managers?

lets get a content consultant right on it.Oh wait ,a communications advisor.Oh wait, a bc billionaire who wont be allowed to blog his beefs with translink?
lots of pr, little pragmatism.?