Mark Milke Contributing Columnist GIVEN Gordon Wilson's unpredictable political positions (Liberal, PDA, now NDP) analyzing what he would do as premier should be viewed as highly speculative (as in Bre-X). Nevertheless, there seem to be a few consistent thoughts emanating from Mir. Wilson on taxes. Unfortunately for taxpayers, “consistent” does not equal “broad-based tax cuts.” “Massive tax cuts are not necessarily the panacea that ecipher! Milke would have your read- ers believe,” wrote Mr. Wilson in the Vancouver Province, in. response to my (correct) assertion that he embraced Joy MacPhail’s bil- lion -dollar deficit budget and Gordon Wil belitthed broad based tax relict. Instead, he offered (then and now) “targeied tax con- cessions,” along with making Mortgage interest payments tax deductible, and scrapping B.C.’s machinery and eguip- ment (M&cE) tax and the cor- porate capital tay. First a comment on the language: Tax “concessions” sounds an awful lot like someone who views money as government property to be “conceded” to taxpayers whenever politicians can get around to cutting us a break. The rhetoric is hardly encour- aging. In Mr. Wilson's favour, dumping the M&E and cor- porate capital taxcs would remove one barrier to growth in B.C.’s economy, jobs and wages. Not so good is mak- ing Mortgage interest pay- ments tax deductible. While such a move would be politically popular, it would be dumb public policy, as it would create an entitle- ment chat no government could ever scrap. Anvone who doubts that should look south. Besides, this is not 1980. Mortgage interest rates are not at 18% and there are better ways to reduce taxes, starting with the broad-based tax relief idea Mr, Wilson knocks. Here’s why: Inflation has pushed many Canadians into higher tax brackets and a $40,000 wage-carner now son’s tea pays over $1,300 more annu- ally than they would had tax brackets been properly indexed for inflation since 1988. That same wage also hands over $460 more in taxes this year compared with 1992 because of higher pay- roll taxes. Broad-based tax decreases are necessary bevatise broad-based stealth tax increases have taken place. Perhaps Gorden Wilson doesn’t like broad-based tax relief for the same reason many politicians don’t like it: as opposed to “targeted tax concessions,” it provides no photo-ops in front of film studios or hi-tech companies. Broad-based tax relief is boring because only taxpayers leaves get to decide where they will spend or invest thar saved money. Where's the fun for politicians in that? On another tax/budget idea, Mr. Wilson proposes that B.C. should — in con- sort with the other provinces — set up a bureaucracy to replace Revenue Canada, col- lect both provincial and fed- eral taxes from B.C., spend what they like, and then hand back whatever is left to Ottawa as sort of a reverse transfer payment. While placing Ottawa on a taxpayer diet is attractive, there is only one smali prob- fem with Mr. Wilson’s grand scheme: B.C. can’t collect federal taxes unless Ottawa allows it to. (B.C. can collect its own taxes any time it likes, if it cares to create more civil servants.) If Mr. Wilson becomes premier, he should be forced to sit down and write “There {s Only One Taxpayer” one hundred times. It does not matter who collects B.C.’s tax dollars. It matters how they’re spent, and the mem- bers of this government have racked up deficits (i-¢., over- spent) for nine straight years despite positive economic growth every single year. British Columbians need a serious plan on how Victoria should balance the books, i.c.: its own diet. Mr. Wilson’s plan to get more of their tax- payer money, via Ottawa, is not it. — Mark Milke is the British Columbia Director _for Canadian Taxpayers Fed- eration (mmilke@vanisle.net). Gardens raise LGH funds PARK and Tilford Gardens’ third annual “A Little Light Goes a Long Way” campaign raised $6,000 for the Lions Gate Hospital children’s wing. “People were very gener- ous this year,” said garden director Todd Major. “Cash dénations more than doubled the previous year's total.” Along with cash dona- tions, generous North Shore companies sponsored _ Christmas trees which were decorated and displayed ¢ within the Colonnade Garden, complementing the garden's traditional (Christmas light display which “runs every year from the last Saturday of November to the first day of January. “It’s a wonderful event which we hope to expand on this year. We are considering opening it up to the public so that friends of the gardens can take part in this worth- - while cause,” said Major. . Since the event’s incep- tion in 1997, “A Little Light Goes a Long Way” has raised over $16,000 for various , charities, ; : According to Major, the campaign's objective, to raise monies for a selected North Shore charity (which changes‘ from year to year),:is Park -. and Tilford’s .way of giving ° back to the community. a, RSE RPRPRP UY PPA ENACT AIDD LT PEMA SEEPS Pg 0S see ea St Pa ee te lee ae OS Pee ONO ee TEE .