NOW hear this all you
greasy government
number twisters and
grasping pols: your
Ripping Yarns hearing
test 2000 to follow.

Unfortunately, the prog-
nosis is far from encouraging.
Previous readings from

the Ripping Yarns Sound
Advice Meter have registered
somewhere to the south of
stone deaf when it comes to
governments listening to the
people on the issue of spend-
ing the people’s money —
which, as a small review for
all government minions, is
the only type of money they
have.

Despite continually flunk-
ing said tests, the same gov-
ernment grifters somehow
keep getting voted back into
power.

Maybe testing should be
extended beyond govern-
ment.

That, however, is a sub-
ject for another Yarn.

Today’s topic is basic
budgeting — another simple
test most modern govern-
ments fail almost by rote.

Paul Martin's most recent
effort is but the latest exam-
ple.

Bracket creeps may have
been eliminated but Ortawa
remains alive with a host of
other creeps, tax-related and
other.

Consider, for example,

maiibox

ients keen fail

that the much vaunted $58.4
billion in tax relief over the
next five years will be
reduced to nickels and dimes
by the time it reaches your
door.

West Vancouver-Sunshine
Coast Reform MP John
Reynolds, sharpened pencil
in hand, has determined that
Martin’s relief will amount to
just over $2 per week for the
average taxpayer.

Don’t spend it all in one
place.

But even more disturbing
than the tax relief flim-flam is
the federal government's
dedication to spending
instead of returning stolen
tax booty to the couniry’s
citizenry.

The Grits, giddy with the
tare joy of beholding a sur-
plus of taxpayers’ money well
into the billions of doilars,
earmarked another $86 bil-
lion in new spending for the
next five years.

The most arrogant exam-
ple being the $700 million
budget increase for the scan-
dal-racked human resources

department, whose Human
Resources Development
Canada grants have siphoned
off a cool billion in a host of
Liberal government pavofts
and boondoggles.

But that's all tax money
under the bridge.

Next up on March 27:
what we can all only hope is
the last budget from B.C.’s
fiscally retarded NDP gov-
ernment.

Regardless of its new
leader, the New Deticit Party
remains committed to the
same party politics and
accounting practices that
have all but bankrupted this
ence buoyant province.

And Paul Ramsey remains
at the fiscal helm of this sink-
ing ship.

The provincial finance
minister's hearing test this
time around involves every-
one from local parents to the
BC Business Sumaiit Panel.

Any sign of life yet?

Not thus far, I’m afraid.

West Vancouver's Richard
Kinar, for example, has been
asking the same question for
the past year: why does the
provincial government charge
provincial sales tax (PST) on
items that are purchased for
schools through community
and parent fundraising?

Why does it, in effect,
profit from shortchanging
the province’s education sys-
tem?

Considering that parents
raise approximately $30 mil-

hen annually for school sup-
plies and pay over $2 million
in PST on those fundraising
efforts, the questions need
answers.

But he has received none.

A Provincial Sales Tax and
School Supplies Working
Group has recommended
that a new exemption or tax
refund be provided for all
items purchased by school
boards with parent associa-
tion funds.

Mr. Kinar has tried to
determine whether govern-
ment has listened to the
working group and consid-
ered its recommendation.

In the lead-up to B.C.
budget 2000, he’s placed
repeated calls to the provin-
cial ministries of education
and finance.

Response thus far: dead
air.

Victoria’s hearing-
impaired prevail.

On the wider provincial
front, the B.C. business com-
munity is likewise seeking
government action on a host
of issues critical to righting
the sinking B.C. ship.

On March 8, the B.C.
Business Summit Panel On
Securing B.C.'s Future
released a public opinion poll
revealing that —~ surprise —
the B.C. public and B.C.
business share the same con-
cerns about the province's
economy and have similar
views on how to fix it.

At the top of their priority

a ea re Te a

TransLink needs to be accountable

Dear Editor:

] attended the North Shore
TransLink regional meeting
on March 7. Don Bell, our
representative on the
TransLink board, was seckin:
direction from the five Noi
Shore councils.

Glen Leicester, a TransLink
official, made the following
observation: “There are no
specific proposals at this time.”
Mr. Leicester was commenting
on how TransLink would
ascertain the vehicle levy (aver-
age $75 per year) and a “ben-
efitting. property tax.” (1 had
not heard of that term before!)
I believe that tax would apply
if a region were to receive 2
transportation benefit, but
who knows? TransLink does-
n't.

At the end of March, the

CH

Z ery Since 7945 .

1825 Ambieside Lane 922-7737
«(Directly bebind Windsor Meats)

. Correction Ketice

in our B2-38 Casual Living flver, the
Maytag Atlantis dryer #61121 on page
12 is not exactly as shown,

Sorry for any inconvenience
this may have caused.

TransLink board will vote ona
funding package that would
sce spending increased by
60%. When questions are
asked about revenue sources,
there are no specific answers.
West Vancouver councii
has put forth a suggestion that
an auditor be appointed to

examine TransLink’s plans and
report back to the taxpayer.
Presently there is no account-
ability from either Transl.ink
or the Greater Vancouver
Regional District. The direc-
tors of each (often the same
people) are appointed from
the regions. They are not

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elected te these boards, and
no one knows what decisions
they make until after the fact.
Accountability, objective
information, meaningful con-
sultaticn, all would be refresh-
ing. Hang on to your wallets!
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Sunday, March 19, 2000 — North Shore News - 7

hear

lists, according to summit
panelist Carole Taylor, “rax
reform.”

And according to the
summit panel's report, which
was based on public meetings
held in 14 communities
around B.C., its members
were “struck by the sheer
sense of helplessness and in
some cases, rage, that came
through in business presenta-
tions on the tax issue.”

Topping public priorities
for economic renewal,
according to the poll:

B Reduce personal income
tax (a staggering 90% sup-
port from poll respondents
that crossed all social and
political party lines);

@ Enact debt and deficit
management legislation (sup-
ported by 85% to 90%);

@ Reduce regulation and red
tape (supported by 81%);

@ Reduce the size of govern-
ment (also supported by

ng tests

81%).

The public also told whe
summit panel that they were
fed to the eye-reeth with the
rift between labour and man-
agement in B.C. — a rift that
continues to threaten the
province’s good economic
health.

Hands up all those who
agree with the foregoing sen-
timents.

Right then: the message is
being delivered loud and
clear. What zemains to be
seen is indication from
Victoria that any of it is sink-

in.

Don’t hold your breath.

As the old saw says:
“There are none so deaf as
those who don’t want to
hear.”

For hearing test 2000
results, tune in on provincial
budget day March 27.

—trenshaw@nsnews.com

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