8/10/2009

Terasen Wants Your Money But Doesn't Want To Pay Taxes

  • On April 25, 2003, BC Gas Inc. became Terasen Inc. As with the previous name change, the company's growth beyond BC and into diversified business lines was the impetus for the name change.
  • In 2005, Terasen Inc. was purchased by Kinder Morgan Inc. out of Houston, Texas.
  • In 2007, KMI sold Terasen Inc. to Fortis Inc. of St. John's, Newfoundland.
Our friend Leah has some very interesting comments on Terasen Gas using a loophole to get out of paying taxes:

Well Gary - this will make your day! Our provincial PST coffers are short 4.5 million dollars as a result of Terasen finding a loop-hole in their contract. That's the amount of PST they should have to pay - the actual amount paid = 0.00 .

Now, the next time someone in government says the reason they deserve to be paid so highly is to attract the best minds...luring them from the private sector, they should be slapped with a sock full of rocks and then be reminded of this little faux pas.

If a person were working in the private sector, whose responsibility it was to proof sales contracts for items such as these handy little loopholes yet somehow missed one like that...how long do you think he/she would be working in the "private sector"? Right! About 3.4 seconds!

Only in the best of government minds can you find something that hideous - yet pat the writers of the contract on the back. I think we need to give them a pay cut retroactive to 2001...let's say about 50%. I know, I know, that would mean some of them still got a raise...but what the hell...I'm feeling magnanimous today. Sort of.

Only in government will you find people promoted to their level of incompetence...the higher up, the more incompetent it appears.

(And here I might suggest that the highest of them all is the most incompetent...Gary E)

And while ripping off the people by not paying taxes they have also applied to the BCUC for a rate increase. After seeing this article (on the tax ripoff) I expect the BC Utilities Commission to turn down any increases as long as this company gets away with the non payment of taxes...Gary E

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now if anyone believes this was an oversight in the writing of the contact they are incredibly stupid. (Sorry the word should be 'naive'.) This is just more of the present government 'looting' of the public treasury for the benefit of the favoured few. On second thought stupid is the best word to describe this blunder.

Anonymous said...

Anon, you're absolutely right! But, I'd be willing to bet there are lots of folk who will believe this is an oversight, not a deliberate act.

Obviously, we're not among that number.

BC Mary said...

.
Nice work, Leah ... and Gary E!

This is so important!

I keep returning to BCRail ... it was the first big public asset to slide secretly into private hands; and since then, sometimes with a little variation on the theme here, a little variation there, the same sly, carefully-cooked, anti-social deals take more and more away from the BC public ... and I think,

yes I do think

we've been right, all along, to keep the faith with BCRail. Because they help us to understand these further outrages

which can all be fought as one battle.

Big thanks, Leah.
.

Gary E said...

I tend to agree somewhat with Anon 10:49PM. People get paid good money to negotiate contracts and we know that this government is paying itself big money to bankrupt our province. It would not surprise me in the least if it weren't an oversight but a deliberate intent. Not the way this province has been led by a micro managing pro big business wanna be premier.
BC Mary. First I submit here that if it were not for yourself, Bill Tieleman and Robin Matthews, all in the forefront the BC Rail scandal may never have been kept alive. It is only today, more than five years after the Raid that the Mainstream Media is waking up to the fact that there is definitely something wrong with this picture. But what really goads me is the columnists an commentators who deliberately white wash what is going on. As you have said "move along folks, nothing to see here."
Even Harvey Oberfeld has told us of how the reporting should have been done. And I might add he states in his blog at the expense of some friendships. Some friends.

Anonymous said...

With friends like that - no one needs an enemy.

North Van's Grumps said...

Now that Madame Justice Elizabeth Bennett has cleared the air as to her future, without any more BC Rail pre trial/trial, what do you think of having Justice Frank Cole?

He's the Judge who ruled against the GAG law.