From page 42 to $532 million. According to media reports, B.€ would have shrunk by another $150 million this year due to the recent: federal’ budget. Now that B.C. is de- -linking though, the province’s finances won't be affected by Paul Martin’s recent tax cuts, i.e. no eutomatic provincial tax cur. Our of all the provincial finance ministers, only Alberta Treasurer Stockwell Day cam- plained about the effect’ of bracket creep upon taxpayers. He announced in February 1999 that Alberta would kill bracket creep, and when the 2001 tax system kicks in chere, annual overall taxes would be reduced by $750 niillion, an amount that will more than compensate Alberta’s taxpayers for the current effect of past bracket creep taxes. Shifting how provincial taxes are calculated is not a bad idea in itself, and in fact, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation supports such idea, providing provincial taxes are cut annually similar to the cuts that would occur were provincial taxes still linked to federal rates. If that doesn’t happen, and B.C.’s government reduces taxes by a smaller amount (and then takes credit for tax cuts that would have happened anyway and would be more icant under the old sys- tem) that will mean the province decided to hoard the exffa annual tax revenues that resulted fom bracket creep. Watch the next provincial budget — and the ones until 2004 — very carefully. — Mark Milke ie the B.C. “director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. From page 22 finance the tax cuts delayed until ars three, four and five (or, alter- natively, to reduce the national debt), the federal government has chosen to spend 95% of this addi- tional revenue. Given the platitudes about the importance of tax relief, these spending initiatives must have been priority areas, right? Wrong! Only two-lifths of the amount available was allocated to health, education, and welfare — in the form of a $2.5 billion, “one-time” missed fi adjustment to the Canada Health and Social “Fransier parcelled out over four years. The rest of the money will be spent on a plethora of empirically dubious new programs. The list ike a “Who's Who” of special- funding initiatives, such as sting in “research and innova- tion” ($1.1 billion), “promoting environmental technologies and ” ($235 million), “further- Ing inte: national co-operation” ($175 million), and “economic adjusanent” ($661 million). Also contained in the budget are aling spending Ae Anna-Louise Pentland Contributing Writer TWO vocal community members turned out to comment on North Vancouver City’s pro- posed five-year financial plan on Monday night. John Harvey, who ran for city councillor in the fast civic election, wants no tax increas- es, and said most of the councillors said the same thing during the election campaign. He read from some of the councillors’ election brochures. Coun. — Bob Fearnley’s brochure said that he was “against tax increases,” a view he confirmed at Monday night’s meeting. Coun. Barbara Perrault’s brochure pledged to “keep tex increases to a minimum,” and Coun. Craig Keating's brochure said he would “keep a lid on taxes.” Harvey also quoted from Coun. Darrell Mussatto’s Web site, which said, “clearly the caxpaying public is reaching their limit on their ability to pay for any tax increase.” Sue Cook spoke to council for the second week in a row about the budget. She said she makes $12.75 an hour and is going to see her transit costs go up $25 a month, according to the pro- posed TransLink plan. She said she can't afford to pay any more tax “I'm going to appeal to the nobler side of yourself and consider those of us who are Jower income earners,” she said. The proposed budget looks at options for tax increases from 3.4% to 4.4%. The option of a O% tax increase is not considered in the plan. A March ii public work- shop to discuss capital spend- ing issues and tax rate options i] will start at 8:30 a.m. at city hall. 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