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CONGRATULATIONS, WAGE SLAVE! Next Monday — if you’re an average B.C. family income-earner — you can at last start to KEEP your pay cheque.

good standard of universal educa- tion; and probably the world’s best medicare system. But that said, how much tax revenue is also

That’s a nice change from the fruits of your toil over the past 25 weeks. Up to this Sunday every single cent you’ve earned since New Year’s Day belongs to Ot- tawa, Victoria or your friendly local council and school board.

, . June 26 is ‘*Tax Freedom Day’’ in B.C. for the average family with an average $44,000 income. The date is calculated by Dr. Michael Walker's Fraser Institute -—— the only research body that analyzes our TOTAL tax burden — aud the bad news is that TF Day gets later every year. As recently as 1986 it was June 15.

Income tax, property taxes and B.C. sales tax are only the more visible portion of the iceberg that threatens eventually to sink us. Add to those the hidden taxes, taxes by another name and taxes

_ on corporations and businesses which pass them on to their cus- tomers. ; ;

Almost 40 per cent of your hard-earned bucks up to this Sun- day went to the concealed federal sales tax; excise taxes (liquor, tobacco, amusement, etc.); gaso- line and car licence faxes; social security, pension, medical and hospital taxers; profits taxes; natu- ral resources taxes; import duties and assorted minor taxes that are often hardly | remembered.

Allin all, in 1989, our three

idvels of elected hold-up artists will ‘ grab $21,249, or 48.3 per cent, of

t average B.C. family income of

*

’ True, Canadians get part of their taxes back — in reasonable family allowances, old age and welfare support; a relatively gen- erous Canada Pension Plan and . unemployment ‘‘insurance’’ (both now partially tax-funded); a fairly

MICHAEL Walker ...measuring the tax iceberg.

WASTED on governmental pet projects and sacred cows of no value whatsoever (o the average taxpayer?

With inflation around four per cent, why did five federal govern- ment departments this year need spending increases averaging 16 per cent (one as high as 26 per cent)? Why, in a free enterprise economy, §9 billion in handouts to corporations whose managers can’t manage? Why gifts of $3 billion to Third World basket cases? Why a cabinet of 39 ministers and depu- ties plus a $16 billion bureaucracy

Flight of fancy

T HOUGH details of inquiries into the recent

low-altitude buzzing of the North Shore by a

Canadian Armed Forces jet pilot have yet to

be released, the verdict shouid read: guilty of display-

ing above-average pilot skills and out-of-the- ordinary air force spontaneity.

Transport Canada officials have been unable to determine whether the pilot, North Vancouver’s Capt. Joe Parente, indeed violated any of that department’s regulations when he roared over the North Shore June J, terrifying some residents and delighting others.

Ard investigators for the Canadian Armed Forces have released no detaiis of their investigation beyond saying that no disciplinary action has yet been taken against Capt. Parente and that findings will not be available (; the public for weeks, or perhaps months.

What the flypast undoubtedly did was shake the cobwebs from the normally somnolent North Shore state of being.

Certainly the unscheduled flight over his home town and over the heads of his parents and other relatives would appear to be irresponsible use by Capt. Parente of a $35 million Canadian jet.

But there was also something exhilaratingly spon- taneous about such an audacious flight in the face of military authority and regulations.

In the United States, Capt. Parente would be the staff of folk legend. He would be a local hero.

Tax Freedom Day brings a really scary thought

INSIGHTS

— the two together enough to run a nation of 100 million?

Ottawa isn’t alone. Squandering of tax dollars, albeit on a smaller scale, is often just as rife at pro- vincial and municipal levels. And unless we soon take drastic steps to smarten ALL of them up, Tax Freedom Day brings a really scary thought.

Since, every year, it takes longer to arrive, what’s to stop it from finally falling on December 31?

geek

TAILPIECES: Off for two years to the United Arab Emirates is Cap College’s Associate Dean of Academic Studies, Dr. Bill Gibson. He'll establish a medical teaching program at Abu Dhabi Women’s Coilege — one of 10 new UAE col- feges where all admin staff hired to date are Canadians!... Happy with their MP Chuck Cook are the 250 tenants of North Van’s Twin Towers apariment complex for seniors — he’s just gotthema . $7,919 federal New Horizons. grant to expand their recreation pro- gram... Big thrill last week for nine-year-old Lisa, daughter of the chief North Shore health inspector Bill Kimmett — she appeared on. Stage at the Coliseum before 7,500 people to present love songster Julio Iglesias with a thank-you rose for his suppo: * of UNICEF... Many happy returns of today, June 23, to Woodcroft birthday girl of the week Margit Holicza... And anniversary greetings tomor- row, June 24, to Capitano river- bank dwellers Elmer and Adelaide Scott who'll be celebrating their 53rd.

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Candy “RUDI” THE NO-POOP POOCH ...with owner David Schreck who's bad the wooden mongrel chained Iz front of his North Vaa home for a year to warn careless passing dog-watkecs that his lawn is NOT 2 canine restroom.

WRIGHT OR WRONG: If owls are all that smart, how come they’re permanenily stuck on night shift?

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