7/14/2008

Carbon Tax: Where is it Fair?

If you think you are being gouged with the Carbon tax, I agree.




I was just reading the Save Our Ferries website and turned to a February 08 article on the tax. It lets us know that everytime they get an increase in the tax we pay. Whether it is through a "surcharge" or an increase in fairs. To me they are one in the same. They also say that Ferries is headed for a "Perfect Storm"




But then it hit me. When I go to get gas at the pump, the government sucks 2.34 cents out of my wallet per litre. But what do I get to cover that 2.34 cents? A lousy $100 one time check to keep me placated. I have seen no evidence that we will get more checks and you can bet your ass that comes time for the next budget my taxes won't go down another $100. Which by the way does not cover what they are sucking out of my fixed income pensions.


Now for the good part. Every time the ferries gets hit all they do is jack up the prices (to more than compensate) for the loss.


And where does that increase come from? Right out of our wallets, that's where. We get hit with a god damn double whammy.




If this tax were fair the government would have enacted legislation at the same time forbidding any companies in passing along the increase to the public. That's fair. What isn't fair is you and I paying for the whole god damn thing.




So you see, the only people getting screwed are you and I. We aren't getting our money back. And Campbell never did enact (nor even drat) that part of the legislation nailing the biggest polluters.



Following is from a Tyee column on the tax:



"Take cap and trade for instance. B.C. is part of the Western Climate Initiative. The group, made up of three Canadian provinces and seven U.S. states, plans to create an emissions-trading system that will set limits on the amount of greenhouse gases polluters can spew. Details on what it might look like will come out this fall."



Notice they say might. Is that because they might enact legislation? Or is it that there might be a draft? And why are we waiting until fall.? You and I are getting royally screwed right now. And what do we have on the other side? Mights, maybe's, sort of, possible.



If they were going to do this fairly they would have done it all together. Not wait until the fall so they could stall it again with more studies to get past the next election and keep their big business donations. Or better yet maybe everyone will forget about it in time and they just won't enact it at all.



My bets are on the latter, because as we know everything that comes out of this Premiers mouth is a lie.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had myself a little rant on this business of fuel surcharges back in July 2005

http://eclecticeccentricity.blogspot.com/2005/07/bc-ferries-insult-to-injury.html

Now it has got to the point where even my damn plumber charges a fuel surcharge.

GAB

Gary E said...

GAB

Thanks so much for sharing with us your take on this rip-off. It's nice to read someones' rant who is experiencing the day to day cost. And especially while trying to maintain a family unit.

All this is going on with an extension of the Trans Canada Highway. I'm still trying to figure out how that works. Are the federal Liberals and Cons complicit in this give-away? And it looks like they sure are FOR this tax rip-off. Harper is upset (I alledge) because Dion trumped him. What a joke.