Alternatives to being
milked dry by the GST

DEAR MICHAEL WILSON: Being now up to your ears in
alligators over your nine per cent Goods and Services Tax,
you're telling us it’s the only way to cut the deficit — that

there’s no alternative.

Really, Michael! You know as
well as I do that’s pure flimflam.
What you really mean is that the
GST is the only way you and Bri2n
WANT to tackle the deficit. None
of the sound aiternatives give you
the GST's never-ending hand in
our wallets to maintain you in the
style to which you’re accustomed.

Qne such alternative is a
Business Revenue Tax (BRT) — a
straight 10 per cent, for example,
on the gross revenue of corpora-
tions and other businesses, with
NO deductions and paid MON-
THLY like PAYE income tax. At
the year-end, expenses would be
deducted and corporate income tax
calculated as at present, but with

the rate reduced from 38 per cent
to maybe 25 per cent and a Reve-
nue Tax Credit for Canadian
businesses. It’s been estimated that
such a BRT could produce $25-30
billion a year for you.

As with the GST, the cost of the
BRT to businesses would, of
course, be built into their prices, so
that the consumer would still
ultimately pay — though no more
than with the GST, if as much. But
the advantages of the BRT to all
concerned would be enorinous.

It involves minimal paperwork,
and therefore minimal costs for
both businesses and yourself. No
cash register problems about
what's taxable and what isn’t. No

NEWS photo Neil Lucente

AGE OF Fitness ... Matiida Mayres, 78, keeps limber with chair exer-
cises, part of the seniors’ program at North Shore Neighbourhood

House.

years.

Federal fisheries reopened the river Sunday, narrow-
ly averting a disaster to the fishing industry.

Nevertheless, the incident has infuriated commercia!
fishermen, Musqueam fishermen, and a public tired of

government rhetoric.

Federal Fisheries Minister Tom Siddon says the spill
was avoidable, but sings the familiar tune that respon-
sibility lies with the province. Meanwhile, the provin-
cial government has been mute.

But this is the fourth chemical spill into the Fraser in
as many months. Surely the governments have had
time to resolve the jurisdictional dispute.

If it’s a provincial responsibility, then the Vander
should put
vironmentalist views into action.

They should enact strict standards regulating the
storage and transport of chemicals, and then inspect to
ensure compliance with those regulations. Polluters
should be made te pay the cost of the cleanup, and
they should be fined for not complying with govern-

Zalm government

ment regulations.

Chemical warfare

RIDAY’S FRASER River chemical spill brings
home the need for tougher regulations and for
government enforcement of those regulations.
Nearly 91,000 litres of a wood preservative chemical
spilled out into the Fraser River.
The chemical, TCMTB, is particulary harmful to
salmon, and the spill coincided with the largest sockeye
salmon run — an estimated 20 million fish — in 76

its new-found en-

need to squander $160 million on
those 4,000 extra civil servants
needed for the GST. And with no
deductions allowed from the BRT
itself, tax avoidance would be im-
possible.

One other big advantage with
the simplicity of the BRT is its
monthly remittance feature, which
would provide you with a MAX-
IMUM cash flow, thereby reducing
your need to borrow for the day-
to-day bills. Under your com-
plicated GST only corporations
with annual sales over $6 million
must file monthly. All others file
quarterly or annually.

Your problem, I know, is that a
BRT is harder to quietly hike every
year than is the GST. The business
lobby packs a punch, as witness
the £9 billion in handouts you give
it. Unlike unorganized individual
consumers, business is NOT a
helpless cash cow for milking dry,
which is what you and Brian want
to keep you in comfort...for the
moment.

But think ahead, Michael, to
1992. On Friday I’}l have some
further deficit-cutting ideas that
could improve your place in histo-
ry. Regards — NOEL.

wre
POSTSCRIPTS: West Van and St.
Monica’s parish at Horseshoe Bay
iose one of the community’s best-
loved couples next week. After 17
years here Malcolm and Margaret
Robertson are moving to Dawson
Creek to live near their son John
and wife Ann — the Venerable
John, as he now is since being
named Archdeacon in the Diocese
of Caledonia last fall after being
Rector of St. Monica’s for 19
years. Malcolm and Margaret will
be honored at a farewell reception
Sunday, Aug. 27, at St. Monica’s.
after the 10 a.m. service and their
first day in Dawson Creek, Sept. I,

i Victor Bos a

envelope.

SOMEDAY SON... ALL.
THIS WILL BE
MICHAEL. WESON'S.

Publisher ........... Peter Sp@Ck
Managing Editor... Barrett Fisher Kec ss Bu ees)
Associate Editor... . Noel Wright news

Advertising Director . Linda Stewart

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has a happy omen: it's their 55th
wedding anniversary...The News
sure gets around. Back in May I
ran an item on Frank Richards,
president of Gulf Islands Drift-
wood and doyen of B.C. com-
munity newspapers, who recently
celebrated 40 years as editor,
publisher and columnist. This
summer, while touring Britain,
Frank visited an old friend there
who — to his astonishment —
produced a clipping of my May

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column on Frank’s long career
here on the Coast!...Auniversary
greetings to Everett and Dorothy
Irwin of North Van, who celebrate ~
their 52nd tomorrow, Aug. .
24...And that’s also the date for
happy birthday cards to North. ..-..
Van’s Charles Kiff on turning 92.
wkt
WRIGHT OR WRONG: How
come a slight tax increase costs you
at least $200 and a substantial tax
cut saves you only 50¢?

photo Noel Weight

MALCOLM AND MARGARET ROBERTSON ... well-loved couple
moves north.

MEMBER

eerie Ae mee oe amore

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