11/26/2011

Harper and Crew Strongly Opposed to"Drugs"?

     Five Vancouver Mayors (past and present) are now on board to change the Cannabis  (Marijuana) laws in this country.

     Doing so would change quite a few things in this country. Everyone knows that it would pretty much cancel billions of dollars in the underground economy and put those billions into government coffers. I suspect trade for cocaine and guns would fall off as well.

     But Harper obviously has his head where the sun don't shine. His blunt statement of not supporting the legalization of "drugs" lumps Marijuana in with the hard "drugs" in circulation. This statement is misleading at the least.

     Let me be quite clear here. MARIJUANA IS NOT A DRUG. It is a herb. A plant. The only people who believe it to be a drug (and I suspect they don' really believe) are the lawmakers who think that criminalizing it will bring them lots of money in fines and property seizures. These folks are amongst the the "Harpers head where the sun don't shine " club. It's a no-brainer here people. The money saved by eliminating spying, smart meters, Lawyers, court appearances, and costs of incarcerated "criminals", I allege would pay off the national debt.

     This draconian law should be repealed. Harper should not be afraid to do so. The US DEA has found too much power and they should lay off the cash cow called Marijuana. It is the DEA that dictates how Marijuana is handled. They have found an easy way to inflate their coffers and they apply it with a vengeance. And the only reason Canada has this draconian law is due to pressure from The United States.

     Way back when I stated this blog I did a piece on Marijuana complete with a brief history of how it came to be outlawed. And that outlawing was fuelled by the power of the press led by non other than Randolph Hearst Followed by the Dunlop family.  Seems that Hearst was Pissed off at Poncho Villa for seizing his forests for the revolution and the Dunlops worried about what it could do to their businesses.

     There is plenty of information on marijuana or cannabis online. One of my favorites is Jack Herer
You could also read his book The Emperor Wears No Clothes. Check it out. Get educated.




    

11/12/2011

This Pretty Much Says What The 1% Is Doing To The Occupy Movement

 It is also telling in how the MSM wants to control your thought process.  
 
Sent via e-mail from Rafe Mair. The following lets the 99% know what the1% are doing to the Occupy Movement (and your thought process) through their corporate controlled Media. I believe it is time to start severely attacking that media and their advertisers. And read the op-ed piece in the G&M.


Don't let the corporate media define 'Occupy' ...

Media focuses on camps, ignores issues - as usual

The Corporate Media is the propaganda arm of Corporate Canada.  Right now the media is trying to 'define' the Occupy movement in a negative way.  And all of the rest of us 99% must remember that The Media is the mouthpiece of the 1%; it is not our friend, it cannot be trusted, and we must always watch the corporate media with an eagle's eye because it never stops trying to lie to us and mislead us about everything of importance. 

Since the big 'Occupy Protests' of a few weeks ago, the media has focused all of its attention on 'the camps' that have been set up across Canada.  Here in Victoria, the focus is on the camps around Victoria City Hall and in Vancouver.  It is relatively easy for the media to make the camps 'look bad', and now someone has died in Vancouver and the officials are saying that the camps have to go.  There may be trouble and it will all end with anger  which is what Corporate Canada wants.

But the camps are not the Occupy Movement, only a small part of it.  The media is focusing on the camps because that is where they want the focus to be.  They DON'T want the focus to be on what the movement is really all about, and that's because they want us to forget about that.  Occupy is about the lack of democracy in Canada, but there is little mention of that in the corporate media.  Occupy is about the corruption of our governments by the billionaires and the elites, and how those people are bankrupting entire nations and destroying our planet.  Occupy is about the 'free trade deals' the 1% have imposed on us; deals that have cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs and led to record corporate profits and record homelessness and record food bank use.  Occupy is about the nuclear disaster in Japan that is going to kill millions of us, and about how all the Big Media is corporate and how it lies to us and misleads us every day of the year.  All of that is what Occupy is about, and The Media's job is to make us forget it - if they can.

The media could be leading us in a discussion about how to improve our democracy and make it work better for us, but they aren't.
The media could be giving us information about how we can fix up our tax system, but they aren't.
The media could be telling us about climate change and fracking and how we can move towards a sane environmental policy, but they aren't.
Instead the media are focusing on a few dozen people living in tents.  Why are they doing this?  Because that is where they want the focus to be.  And until the rest of us come to grips with how corrupt and manipulative the Canadian media is, we are going to keep losing.   We've got to keep our eyes focused on our real enemies; and the real enemies are the corporations, their politicians, and their media.  And we have to keep some real solutions in mind, and in my opinion two of the best solutions are more democracy and a free press.  Let's Occupy That.
jack etkin
jetkino@yahoo.ca

11/10/2011

I Remember

 For the past few years I have been worried that the younger kids of today were not interested in what went on during the 20th century. But with the events in the world since 2000 I believe the latest generation has taken up the cry. It has been very nice to see some of the news reports showing children making statements about Remembrance Day. Formerly Armistice Day in Canada.

Tomorrow sometime after 9 AM Pacific Standard time  (about noon in my Hometown)I will begin my 68th year on earth. Being a holiday I was able to attend most of the services in the past. One I missed was memorable. I was in the RCAF and had severe ingrown toe nails and the day before I was to go on Parade the M/O removed the nails from both my big toes. I attended in full dress blues in a wheelchair and thought "well at least I don't have to march." But it was my birthday and what the hell, eh. It has sometimes been a stretch but I have survived. Many of my family fought in both of the Great wars and my Maternal Grandfather enlisted in the PPCLI in both the first and second worl wars. He survived. And some of my friends fought and died in Vietnam. I remember them all.My time was served during peaceful years in Canada.(except for the Soviet Union Problems)
The only poem I ever learned is reprinted below.

For those who have not read In Flanders Fields by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae I post it here.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Flanders Poppy on the First World War battlefields.

10/18/2011

Lower Mainland Gets New Tax

  Before contracts have even been Let the government has rammed through a new tax to build the Evergreen line. I was wondering how this could be done so speedily when the HST removal would take up to two years, when I spotted the following comment in a article in the Province.

hunkyleepickle

4:56 PM on 10/17/2011
Funny how a new tax can get legislated in a matter of weeks, but to get rid of a tax it takes a provincial vote and then almost two years.

Not only did I think of the speed of the legislation, but wasn't there a previous tax that was to cover the line? Time doesn't permit me to research this in the next couple of days so maybe some of my readers could help.

10/17/2011

ISA (deadly virus) Found in BC Salmon

The Tyee is reporting that the deadly exotic virus that wiped out at least 70 % of Chile's farmed salmon has been found in BC Salmon.

After years of denial the lying bastards at DFO have now been found out. Shut down the Farmed Salmon Industry in BC. Clean up the mess and do not allow any foreign salmon eggs into this country. This is not a request. It is a demand. Do it now.

I am urging everyone reading this blog to write your MLA's, your MP's, the Federal and Provincial departments of Fish and Oceans and the ministers responsible. Shut the god dam system down. And keep writing them until they do shut it down.

See Alexandra Mortons Blog HERE

Harper Government Believes That Because They Hold a Majority Of Seats, Other Majorities Don't Matter


 I have reprinted other material by Wendy Holm here, but this one is big and I believe follows to what is happening with the 99% Evolution. Highlighted below are the sections I believe are important I don't remember hearing anything from Harper about dismantling the Wheat Board. Not from any candidates in my area. And for a government to suggest that they have a mandate to do this is appalling to say the least. (Highlighting other than websites are from GaryE)



Western Dairy Farmer - October 2011
Wendy Holm
Column
747 words

Lulled by the spin-cycle?

On September 10th and 12th, two events that will shape the future of Canadian agriculture policy quietly occurred.  They warrant the attention of all farmers, particularly those in supply-managed sectorsŠ

The first was a ruling by the Federal Court of Canada tossing out a motion (filed jointly by Canada's Attorney General and Canada's Minister of Agriculture in his Capacity as Minister Responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board) to dismiss an Application for Judicial Review filed by The Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board - a group of prairie grain farmers.  This means the promise by Canadian Agriculture/Canadian Wheat Board Minister Gerry Ritz to introduce legislation in the fall session to dismantle its single desk authority for non-feed wheat and barley will be subject to judicial review by the Federal Court.   Under Section 47.1 of the CWB Act, any such legislation must first be approved by producers through a CWB plebiscite.

Two days later, on September 12th, the results of JUST such a plebiscite were released, providing irrefutable evidence of what most already knew: prairie wheat farmers overwhelmingly support - by a majority of 62 percent - retention of the CWB's single desk selling authority for wheat.  (Support for barley was a much tighter race at 51 percent).  Would seem to take the wind out of Ritz' sails, yes?  Not on your life.

That very night, on CBC's As it Happens, Ritz told Carol Off that the plebiscite was "irrelevant""We control 51 of 56 seats in western Canada," said Ritz.  "We certainly weren't shy about campaigning on an open marketŠ  This should come as no surprise for anyone." 

Clearly we should all be surprised at the arrogance in governance that sees a Minister of the Crown vow he will act ultra vires of legislation.  Clearly, all farmers who depend on enabling legislation should care deeply about what is happening hereŠ

Put aside for a moment the comforting vision implanted in your brain by Ottawa's spin-doctors of prancing bureaucrats with "I LOVE SM" buttons dancing rings around the DOHA negotiators in defense of Canada's supply management system.  Rest assured, they will keep that vision a'spinnin till the bitter end.  After which the messaging will switch to: "the-trade-rules-made-us-do-it" in rural constituencies (a complete fabrication but will be well-spun).  In urban settings, any opposition (we can only hope from those who eat for a living) will be blanketed with the right wing froth of pundits like William Watson (Time to end supply management, Financial Post, April 1, 2011) and Andrew Coyne (The $25,000 cow. Macleans. August 11, 2011) who are moving the big guns into position.

Watson's column went ga-ga over a recent luncheon speech by John Manley, former industry minister, former finance minister, former foreign minister, former deputy prime minister, current chief executive of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.  According to Watson, Manley argues it's "well past time to begin to phase out supply management, the marketing board system that keeps our production of dairy and poultry products artificially low so their prices can be jacked up artificially high." Claiming Canada's support for SM commodities has resulted in Canada becoming "a outcast' in the evolution of international trade rules, Manley suggests if "a given regulatory regime no longer serves the public interest" the main task is transition measures.   Does Watson question any of this?  Nope.  His conclusion is downright tail-wagging: "Š if the spokesman for 150 of the country's biggest companies, representing half its GDP in sales, says it's time to do something about marketing boards, that's encouraging news."

Pointing to Australia and New Zealand, Maclean's Andrew Coyne jumps on Manley's bandwagon, concluding "Šthe question cannot be avoided: why we should have one set of rules for some farms, and another for the rest; and why, if our aim is to keep farmers on the land, we should have chosen the most inefficient, unjust, counterproductive, and internationally obnoxious way to go about it."

Of course it's aggravating to read such froth.  But it is important to understand where this is all heading and not be lulled to sleep by the spin-cycleŠ

If Ottawa gets away with dismantling the rights of grain farmers, their next target will be supply management.  Sure, it will "look" different from the CWB fight.   But it will come to the same end.

Consider becoming a Friend of the Canadian Wheat Board (www.friendsofcwb.ca )and putting a few coins in their hat to fight this fight.  We all have a stake hereŠ

- 30 -

Wendy Holm is an award-winning columnist living on Bowen Island.
May be reprinted with attribution.

10/05/2011

Kitimat Dailys' Merv Ritchie on the Worlds Money Problems

I have just read the following article in the Kitimat Daily and recommend all who visit here to read it

http://www.kitimatdaily.ca/show5011a/DOING_NOTHING_FOR_PROFIT__WORLD_MONEY_PROBLEMS_EXPLAINED

Not only does Merv give a background of his early political education at the end of the article he gives solutions. This is by far the best article I have seen on the world financial crisis. It's right up there with the seminar I attended while involved in the HST debacle.  Left leaning politicians (and right leaning as well) would be well advised to read this article.

My own political leanings were formed pretty much along the lines of Mervs' although I grew up in a Liberal family in North Van. I still have healthy arguements with one of my brothers over Left vs. right.

And I met Dief the Thief during his Follow John campaign when he and a couple of suits arrived at our door to solicit votes. I being the only one home at the time, and I think I was thirteen or fourteen, shook his hand and told him that when I was of voting age I would vote in every election I could although I probably wouldn't vote for his party or policies. With that he left and went to the next house.

I think today it is time to act on some of Mervs' suggestions. Start Now because it will soon be much too late.

9/26/2011

Labour Problems in the North

     Because of time constraints I recently sent BC Mary an article from the Kitimat Daily that I thought would fit with her recent column on Rail in the north. She ran with it posting parts and referring to the Kitimat Daily.

To my complete surprise Professor Robin Mathews has weighed in on the subject with a short story about the Smelter and the labour troubles back in the day when they built the smelter. His main question is where is the NDP and the Media. I might add "Where is the BC Federation of Labor and Jim Sinclair?"

9/25/2011

Getting Back On Track (so to speak)

     The past few months have been trying times for me. Personal and political problems erupted in the lead up to Recall causing me to back off and confront them. Politically I just stopped getting involved feeding things to other bloggers when I could and letting them run with it in their own way.
    
     On the personal end, just when I thought things may drag on for a year, things did a complete 360 in my favour. As I suspected, the main cause of the problems was initiated by others. I will be filing injunctions and a lawsuit is not out of the question, yet. At this point in time I am winding down these problems and will be ramping up this blog in between the continued saga of building Gary's Daughters house. (now two years in the making).

     Just as Gordo the "wannabe great" had decided to stick you and I, the low and middle income people, with a draconian money grab that he claimed was revenue neutral, I had commenced procuring drawings, permits, and materials for construction. All this on a very meager set of pensions while working on the initiative petitions and recall. I don't use credit simply because in a project like this any cards I might have would be maxed out and I simply can't afford 27% interest on unpaid balances. So I pay cash and build it one step at a time. Or in this case one block at a time.

     Six months before I decided to move forwards with drawings and permits I had decided to go as green as I could. So I am building this home with ARXX Blocks. They are styrofoam fire resistant blocks that you snap together like leggo, and fill with concrete and rebar. When it is finished I will conceivably be able to heat the building with matches.lol. Not quite but I certainly will be able to heat it with much less than the three cords of wood I am now using.

     I am also going solar. I have already acquired the hot water solar panels and an emergency propane "on demand" water heater for now. I will be using composting toilets and have purchased the one for the main bathroom. And the big kicker is I will be GOING OFF THE GRID.
For those of you who may be wondering I will eliminate BC Hydro from my life. I won't even sell them back any excess electricity I may have because they don't pay you shit for it.And they want a surcharge.

     So, I haven't been sitting on my duff. Just been a little busy personally. I hope to pump out a lot more on the sorry state of the Campbell/Clark reruns we are now watching but I will be coming back slowly as the other problems wind down.

Stay tuned and go green.

9/23/2011

People Still Want to Twist the Facts

 Following is my response to a LTE in the 100 Mile Free Press ( which by the way is not monetarily free)

  Mr. xxx appears to be making statements without checking some facts.

First, the biggest thing we gained was not monetary, but the right for British Columbia to set their own provincial taxes. If this were left to the Federal government there would be little we could to to hold back any government that wants to tax and spend.

Second, the "enormous amount of money to defeat the tax" is a misstatement at best. The enormous amount of money used was not done by the the "yes " side. It was the government and their big business biddies that spent well over $50 Million to try and save their tax. A tax by the way which has been described as the biggest money shift in BC history.

Switching back using an enormous amount of money, I allege, is a government/business scare tactic. Put more succinctly it is a lie. People need to get the fact through their heads that removing this draconian tax will remove the burden from the middle and lower income people and make business pay closer to their fair share. And taxing the air we breath is not far off. Look at what is happening with our water.

8/26/2011

WE WON!!!!!!!! The HST IS Toast

After two long years listening to a government lie to our faces, an initiative petition, recall (which I maintain no politician wanted to succeed) and a referendum in which a new Premier  also lied to us saying she wanted to give us a level playing field and all the spending would be equal, we won. Handily.

Many volunteers gave up personal time and suffered domestic problems yet they forged ahead. Seniors who had been die hard liberals all there lives reactivated themselves in opposition to the BC Liberals robbing them of there meager income.

The people were "mad as hell and weren't going to take it anymore."  In spite of a huge infusion of cash by the only ones to benefit from this robbery, big business. In spite of threats by politicians and in particular the bird man of the legislature, in spite of out and out lies to us, we won.

And weeks before the count was official, the government started their spin on the results. Falcon claiming that he wouldn't take the PST off restaurant food. Christ, he's got to be stupid to say that,. Why? Because the question was, are you in favor of eliminating the HST and returning to the system that was used prior to July 1 2009?

Lies like his no doubt affected the outcome. And the big bribe by the premier after saying "it might look like we were trying to bribe the people" She offered to reduce the tax to 10% from 12%. People not following the situation too close may have been appeased by this but it is a total lie. If this robbery were to pass, the Feds would have control over all our taxes and if the feds did not want to reduce them we would be shit out of luck.

So my friends as I see it our next step is to pressure the liberals as hard as we can to turn this tax around. If that means another round of recall, so be it.

After getting this done once and for all, I will be turning to pressuring the governments to step in on the gas prices. I've about had it with those guys as well. We need to have a national organization that will keep the pressure up, not just make noises once in a while. We need to target the oil companies with boycotts.

We have all witnessed what has happened in the middle east and Egypt. And I am convinced that social media was the turning point for the average person fighting the dictators.

I wish to thank all the people of my crew for the valiant effort they put into everything we worked for prior to the referendum. (after the referendum I took a smaller role) I would also like to thank all those who sacrificed time and money to make this day possible. that would be 54.7  % of the voters who voted to get rid of this Tax. It's significant and in spite of BALDREY's ranting this Tax better be gone ASAP or else.







Let's Get a Few Things Straight Here

I'm listening to Baldrey (chief lapdog for the Libs)

He seems to think that to get rid of the HST and put things back the way they were will take 1-1/2 to 2 years. So lets have a look at that. Just days before the may 2009 Election Campbell and Hansen swore that the HST was not on their horizon. In spite of the fact that they were warned by everyone that the economy was about to tank.

Then just days after the election they announced that they were going to change the tax system (without any consultation with the people) to the HST system. Not only that, they were going to further decrease taxes (which were already near zero) for big business, and dump that burden on the people who elected them and told them pretty much that they could love it or shove it. Now they want to know how they will pay the bills without the HST. For christs sakes just start making business pay their fair share of the burden. Is that so god damn hard to fathom? Take the burden off the backs of the poor and middle income folks. It's so simple. Recall the Legislature and pass legislation to fix the Liberal screwup. It didn't take them long to fuck it up. Why should it take any longer to fix it?

If CC thinks her plan B is to raise the people taxes to cover the loss instead of putting things back the way they were then she is committing political suicide. We still have the option of recall.
 If she calls an election before fixing things she will lose.

They were so arrogant they didn't even fight or register to fight the more than 700,000 people of BC who signed a petition to get rid of the money grab. After the unprecedented success of that petition in which a newly appointed TEMPORARY Chief Electoral Officer manged to cancel almost 200,000 signatures they further brought out their big guns (and big money suits) to have the results overturned. Even in the face of a probable defeat in a referendum they forged ahead. Still not listening.

Then came the recall campaign. They twisted the facts to suit their agenda, still not admitting that this was going to hurt some businesses and would not generate  jobs as they told us. In fact the jobless rate got worse but they spun that to say it was improving. And prices were going to go down because of the saving to business. What a total crock of shit. The first business owner I talked to (and every one since) said they hadn't had an increase in a while and they would be using their windfall profits on the backs of the people as a virtual increase.

They used smear tactics in the recall campaign. In the case of "How Bad Is The Record?", they pointed to my usage of sometimes fowl language in my posts. That smear went viral but the overwhelming majority of respondents said "so what? He's just voicing what most people think of the situation." They quickly shut their mouths when they saw that backfire. There were numerous requests for interviews but I just ignored them. Why? Well first off they were trying to set me up and I don't play that god damn game. Secondly, I don't believe for one second that Terry Lake happened to find my blog all by himself as he professed. I happen to have a tracker here and I know exactly when the spooks in Victoria visit my site. Most bloggers have the same.

They were wrong in everything they did. Campbell resigned over it and some people in the movement thought that was good enough. It wasn't.

Now as we await the results of the referendum Clark has a plan B and Baldrey thinks he knows all (as usual).
I believe that Baldrey should actually spend time in the trenches away from his pals in government and he may get a real perspective on matters in the province. Lets have him get in to real investigative reporting instead of pimping the party line. In fact that could go for 99.9% of the reporters in the BC mainstream Media. Stop the spin and report the facts.

We used to have a beautiful province here. In the past 10 years we have gone from real work in the leg to basically no work at all. My next cause would be to get the people together again and have legislation in place to have the Legislature sit a minimum of 70% of the working days in this province. Lets stop the photo ops and bullshit that is now spewing from Victoria. Get the fucking job done and stop pissing around.

That's my rant for today. And now I'd like to take time to thank Bill Van der Zalm , Bill Tieleman, Chris Delaney, Cheryl Baron, their crews, all the area captains and their volunteers, (that's right, volunteers not paid lackies) that brought us to today regardless of the outcome later today. They did a masterful job with the help  of the average joe. I'd especially like to thank the volunteers in the Cariboo Chilcotin without whose tireless efforts we could not have progressed as far as we did.




7/24/2011

Is The HST Referendum Being Manipulated By The Government?

I have been saying it for months now. And now:

Bob Mackin has a piece in the Tyee on the manipulation of the voting process with the HST Referendum.

It seems a top aid to Campbell is in the mix and the Freedom of Information response is heavily redacted.


And while you are at it have a look over at BC Mary's place to see her comparisons of the News Of The World and our own local (lack of responsible) media. .

Seems as well that we "conspiracy theorists"aren't alone. A well known retired journalists has been giving us lessons on what questions the media should be asking of the government. When you hear it from someone as experienced and respected as Harvey Oberfeld it kind of puts water on the fire of some local lapdog journalists in the Mainstream Media

7/19/2011

Hit List Of Items Previously Exempt From PST

From Fight HST

The “Real” Fight HST Hit List

Here is a list of the items previously exempt from PST that will now have HST applied to them at 7% additional.
  • Accounting
  • Admission Fees
  • Advertising
  • Airline tickets
  • Animal feeds (hay is exempt)
  • Appliance repair & maintenance
  • Architects
  • Art Galleries Admission
  • Attractions / Events
  • Ballet Lessons
  • Basic Cable TV
  • Bicycles
  • Campgrounds
  • Cigarettes / Cigars
  • Catering
  • Chinese medicine
  • Clothing –adult sized children
  • Clothing – used adult (less than $100)
  • Coffee shops
  • Commercial Leases
  • Compost
  • Computer servicing
  • Concert Tickets
  • Condo management fees
  • Consulting services
  • Conveyance fees
  • Delivery Services
  • Dietary supplements
  • Dry cleaning
  • Driving Range fees
  • Electronics repair
  • Energy equipment
  • Esthetician Services
  • Fast food – Beverages
  • Fire extinguishers
  • First aid kits
  • Fishing charters
  • Fitness Club memberships
  • Fitness Trainers
  • Food producing trees and plants
  • Freight (in BC)
  • Funeral services
  • Golf fees
  • Grass Cutting
  • Hair cuts
  • Hall rental
  • Health equipment
  • Helmets
  • Hockey tickets
  • Hockey rink rentals
  • Home appraisals
  • Home inspections
  • Home maintenance
  • Home renovations (Labour)
  • Horse Boarding
  • Horse Shows
  • Horse riding lessons
  • House Cleaning services
  • Insulation
  • Interior design services
  • Investment Counseling fees
  • Landscaping
  • Life jackets
  • Limousine rentals
  • Magazines/ newspapers
  • Marketing services
  • Massage therapy
  • Membership fees
  • Moorage
  • Museum admissions
  • Movies / Theatre
  • Moving Costs
  • Music MP3 downloads
  • Naturopathy
  • New Homes (some rebates applicable)
  • Nicotine replacements
  • Non-prescription meds
  • Painting
  • Parking
  • Photography
  • Postage
  • Private Bus fares
  • Printing
  • Rail travel (originating in BC)
  • Real estate fees
  • Reflexology
  • Rentals for Weddings, Canopy, Tuxedo etc.
  • Reroofing House
  • Restaurant meals
  • RV parks
  • Safety equipment (Not all safety and Energy Equipment is affected)
  • School supplies
  • Shoe repairs
  • Skiing
  • Smoke detectors
  • Snow removal
  • Solar power
  • Some groceries
  • Spa services
  • Sports Training / Lessons
  • Storage lockers
  • Tailoring
  • Taxi fares
  • Telephone (Basic Charge for landlines will be affected)
  • Theatre admissions
  • Veterinarian
  • Video downloads
  • Vitamins
  • Wedding Planner
  • Windows (energy star)
  • Rentals / Strata fees (Though they are HST exempt, most people will notice increases brought on by an increase in maintenance costs and other costs associated with owning Rental and Strata properties)
  • Used cars / trucks / boats / non-turbine aircraft (Private Sale will have an additional 5% tax, it is not called HST)
Update: here are some interesting graphs and info I found from David Schrecks blog

    Something Fishy With The HST Ballot Returns

     From the Globe and Mail

    Elections BC’s collection centre for HST ballots in the city of Vancouver is centrally located – across the street from city hall, down the road from Vancouver General Hospital and a block away from a Canada Line subway station.
    The referendum may have been hotly contested but you’d never know it at the collection centre. At noon on Monday, the office was empty........[snip]

    Further to this, I have been getting reports of only one ballot being sent to a residence where multiple eligible  voters live.

    If you have not received your Ballot please call Elections BC at 1-800-661-8683 This is the voter registration office. Call to make sure you are registered.. If you are registered and there are no errors then request a ballot be sent to your address. If they say you are not registered, yet you voted in the last Provincial election (May 14,2009) then you must dispute their information. There may be discrepancies in the information they have for you which might cause the delay. Correct any faults and have them mail you a ballot today.


    There are too many variables in this ballot that can cause it to fail. I allege that these variables were put in place to sabotage this vote. Certainly Clarks claim about having a level playing field in this campaign went out the window in a hurry. $5 Million+ for the No side and $250,000 for the people on the YES side.


    VOTE YES TO EXTINGUISH (GET RID OF) THE HST



    7/18/2011

    Commentor Responds to Stockwell Days Comments on HST

    From Kamloops weekly

    Concerning Stockwell Day’s pro-HST editorial of July 14th, 2011. Mr. Day was kind enough to take time from off from his Federal government indexed pension and retirement to tell the British Columbia electorate that the HST will drop 2 percentage points if it is brought into law. He goes on to say how much it will save the citizens of BC, when the actual reduction of the HST rate is finally reached; 2 years into the future. Anything could happen in 2 years to negate that reduction including a Provincial election.

    What Mr. Day fails to mention is that the HST is now 12% and that since the HST was passed into law each British Columbian (baby, toddler, child, teenager and adult) is paying a minimum of $443.37 more a year in taxes. Because of the HST British Columbian’s tax free day is increased to June 6th, so each British Columbian works over 5 months for the government... that's too much!

    What Mr. Day also doesn't mention is the currently British Columbia needs Federal government approval to get the HST reduced to 10%. Chances of a reduction in the HST are slim to none; if you believe it will occur I have a house in the US you might like to buy. You have to remember as the electorate that this is the same BC government that gave as an election promise there would be no HST brought in, yet here it is and we are paying it. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

    Concerning Mr. Day’s main argument about job creation by the HST. Let`s start with the projected job gains by 2020. Jack Mintz in his twelve page, twelve thousand dollar report paid by the BC taxpayer forecasted that the HST would create 113,000 jobs by 2020. Well, we all know what happened to that well thought out projection; it disintegrated, like it was infected by the Ebola virus.

    The new report released by Jim Dinning declared that Jack Mintz’s forecast was wildly incorrect; the Dinning report claims the HST will create a mere 24,000 jobs by 2020, roughly 2400 new jobs per year. That’s a heck of a correction from 113,000 jobs to 24,000… HST isn’t looking that good is it? No it’s not looking good at all. Two different reports full of BC Liberal government propaganda, both paid by the BC taxpayer, that’s you!

    This is same BC government that brought the HST in by an “Order of Council”. That means the BC Finance Minister signed the HST into law without consent of the BC legislature. Although legal that equates to taxation without representation, our elected representatives should have debated the HST issue in the legislative assembly at which end they should’ve had a free vote on it. In a representative democracy that’s what we are paying our elected officials to do for us, represent our interests. The HST initiative had an over whelming number of signatures from British Columbia indicating they wanted the tax repealed, BC Liberals are ignoring their constituents wishes.

    Back to the “job creation” part of Mr. Day’s argument; those 24,000 jobs in ten years could have been created with the PST in place at no cost to the taxpayer, but let’s give the HST the benefit of the doubt and say it does create those jobs.

    How much does it cost the taxpayer for those jobs to be created? The number is a staggering $554,166.67 per job, that’s how much it costs you the taxpayer through HST.

    This quote is out of the most recent BC government endorsed report “families now pay a total of $1.33 billion more in sales tax after HST rebates and tax breaks are taken into account” So the math for the cost to the taxpayer for job creation is simple 1.33 billion per year / 2400 jobs per year = $554,166.67 per job, per year for the next 10 years. That’s outrageous…talk about misuse of tax dollars, this is a prime example.

    Why not just give each one of those new BC employees the $554,166.67; perhaps they could start new businesses, which would really help the BC economy.

    According to StatsCan the nation’s official number crunchers, if you want policy to encourage job creation, cutting corporate taxes is the weakest option (20 cents growth from every dollar of tax cut). But according to the BC Liberal government report “Businesses will pay about $730 million less in taxes”. What happened to ‘revenue neutral” which the BC Liberal government was so proud to point out early in the HST campaign, clearly the HST is not revenue neutral, the entire tax burden is shifted to the BC taxpayer.

    Just a side bar to the discussion where are those promised reductions in price of goods supposedly coming back to the consumer because of the HST….they never materialized. Here’s a real example, the British Columbia liquor stores have not passed on the savings of HST to the consumer, if the government of British Columbia doesn’t reduce their prices why would private enterprise… the answer is they won’t!

    According to the most recent BC government endorsed report “B.C.’s Consumer Price Index shows an initial spike of 1.1 per cent in the rate of inflation from June to July, when the HST
    was introduced. That was higher than the national inflation rate of 0.5 per cent for the
    same period” All due to the HST, you can’t make this stuff up it comes from the government of British Columbia.

    The Liberal government of British Columbia has spent millions of our tax dollars trying to convince the people of British Columbia that the HST is a good thing, it’s not. It will allow the government to reach right into your pocket and take whatever money they want, whenever they want.

    After the repeal of the HST in BC by referendum, the follow up referendum in British Columbia must focus on the electorate having the final approval of any tax submitted by the provincial legislature. Another referendum could propose that British Columbia passes a law enacting that any time there's a BC provincial deficit of more than 3 percent of BC’s GDP, all sitting members of the BC legislature are ineligible for re-election. That would motivate all BC politicians to get a sudden streak of ethics and use the BC provincial tax dollars efficiently.

    The citizens of British Columbia need a political process allowing registered voters to propose laws which then can be submitted to the electorate for approval by vote after thorough debate by the BC electorate. This process has worked exceptionally well in Switzerland for over 125 years.

    In this time of computer technology the citizens of British Columbia must have an easy and effective process to apply checks and balances to laws passed by their provincial government.

    Because the BC Liberal government has purposely confused the referendum question you the voter must vote “YES” to have the tax repealed.

    Update: Just now I was watching the Early News and There flew the birdman spouting about all the money the government has raised on the backs of those who can least afford it. He actually had the balls to say that the defecit was only some 300+ million instead of the 1.5 billion he originally stated. But what he doesn't say here is that big business isn't contributing and furthermore the tax is not revenue neutral.

    Vote YES in the referendum to repeal HST!   

    And when you' done that lets work on getting rid of these lying thieves

    7/15/2011

    Falcon And CO. now threatening the masses

    And  The Terrace Daily has the story in a letter from The NDP

    Honest to Christ(y) Clark, just when I think the Liberals can't stoop any low they come out and lower the bar. The threat is idle folks. They can't keep restaurant meals taxed unless they pass an amendment to the tax act. And if they did that it would mean political suicide.

    Give us a break. I think they honestly believe their lies and threats folks. Either that or they are so desperate to hide from us the fact that they have ruined this province for at least a decade to come, they will attempt anything to get you to change your vote.

    7/11/2011

    Errors in the Ballot From Elections BC

    This email is making the rounds and I feel that all bases need to be covered.

    *This advice re: the HST referendum*

    If anyone gets their ballot envelope and there is no ballot inside.
    please contact thand@island.net immediately


    This is very important so please pass this along to everyone you know
    asking them to do the same.

    Also, please read the directions on the envelope and put your
    birthdate in the order that is requested – if wrong it could be
    rejected.

    *More on the HST referendum:
    http://rafeonline.com/2011/07/this-advice-re-the-hst-referend

    Another thing I have noticed is that some households are getting only one ballot where multiple people should be getting them. When Elections BC is called and challenged on this they say that people are not registered. In one case I know, all people in the house voted in the last election. 

    All I can say is CHALLENGE EBC to prove you are not registered. Do it on the phone and don't hang up until you are satisfied that an error (if made) is corrected and you are having the ballot mailed right away. The Number to call is 1-800-661-8683 or visit their website at www.elections.bc.ca

    If you are having trouble get hold of me. I'll see what can be done. If you don't want your comment posted please mark it "NOT FOR PUBLICATION" But make sure you give all the facts.

    This Referendum is your life. You need to vote.


    VOTE YES TO CANCEL THE HST. And look at the facts. Such as the HST has not been lowered to 10% and that is not going to happen any time soon. If ever. Remember, if we don't vote this down now we will lose the Provinces ability to set our own taxes. And you as a taxpayer will be shouldered with paying for Businesses taxes.


    There are many local (BC) bloggers who have some great input on the HST. Some of whom are listed in my bloglist here. 

    6/30/2011

    Christy "Cluck Cluck" Clark Is Now Our "Chicken Premier"

         Some time ago, while in a heated debate with Cristy Clark, the talk show host, over BC Ferries, our friend

    the powellriverpersuader branded Clark "cluck cluck"

    And now Clark has proved Grant G right. This mornings Province reports that Clark is still hiding. She still won't debate the issues.


     By all appearances she is setting herself up as another Photo-op Premier I allege who is being run by the big

    business interests in British Columbia .  This type of governing is known the world over as "Puppet Ruler".

    Just like her predecessor she runs around making meaningless announcements and throwing candy to the

    voters which she will take away later. You remember him. He appeared at every shovel turning in the province
    for some 9 years. He made his Lackies explain his screw-ups in the Legislature. Invoked closure on Bills so

    he could go on vacation and not have to worry about it. Ruled by Order In Council. Had fireside chats when

    rumours started like the one where he and his wife were no longer together. telling us how they met and

    "clicked" but never dispelling the rumour. Tried to save his job by giving us candy. Like big income tax breaks.

    Yes folks, by all appearances the Liberal party is governing on looks, appearances, propaganda, and lies.

    When are the voters in this province going to wake up. This is not the way to run a Province, nor a business. 

    And definitely not a Country.

    VOTE YES TO EXTINGUISH (GET RID OF) THE HST

    6/27/2011

    More Liberal Spin On The HST


    The BC Liberal “myths” about the HST just keep piling up.
    We don't have the budget to fight the lies, we need your help.  Keep the message going by forwarding this link to all the people you know and ask them to do the same.
    Following is their latest Top Seven – all new and misleading as ever – HST Myths:
    1. The HST is now 10% - False
    The HST is 12% and will not be 10% for three years – if ever. There will be an election before that, and even if the HST were to miraculously drop to 10% - it will still apply to hundreds more goods and services than a 12% PST/GST for a consumer tax increase of $1.6B per year.  And who says it won’t go right back up again later?
    2. The HST will lower taxes – False
    This one is hilarious. The HST increases taxes for British Columbians by $2.8 Billion per year. That’s an average annual increase of $500 per person - or $1208 per average family – forever. Finance Minister Falcon says if his side loses he may disregard the result and expand the PST to items previously exempt – and that’s illegal.  Do you really trust this guy to cut the rate if he wins?
    3. The HST will save you money - False
    And the tooth fairy is going to leave you a quarter under your pillow too. To get their numbers to show the HST actually “saving” you money they are calculating only “routine purchases” and that 90% of what you pay in HST will be passed back to you in lower prices. Have you seen lower prices?... We didn’t think so.
    4. The HST benefits seniors - False
    Seniors and people on fixed incomes are some of the hardest hit by the HST. A one time rebate of $175 if you vote in favour of their tax in exchange for paying it for the next 10-30 years of your retirement is a deal only a snake oil salesman would offer. Why take $175 when you can vote to cancel the HST and keep all your money? How dumb do they think we are?
    5. The HST benefits families – False
    Next to seniors, working families are hardest hit by the HST because they are among the largest consumers and have dependent children. Bribes of $175 per child when your cost is closer to $400 a year each makes you wonder if they think all of us failed math as badly as they did. And what about a single mom with two kids going to college? She gets nothing while the Premier and Finance Minister who earn big six figure salaries get the rebate. Nice.
    6. Business will pay more so you can pay less - False
    A temporary increase of 2% in corporate taxes will be passed on to consumers with increased prices. Either way you pay the final bill whether it’s in HST or higher prices.
    7. We will owe $1.6 Billion if we cancel the HST - False
    The “Independent Panel” says the HST generated $850 million more than budgeted. Setting aside that is the biggest tax grab in history, it means government already has $850 million to repay Ottawa. BC has only received $1B, and Ottawa collected $300M more in corporate taxes under the HST than under the PST. So it’s a wash.  And keeping the HST would cost British Columbians a lot more than killing it – over $28 Billion in new taxes in just 10 years.
    Vote YES to extinguish the HST and save your province, your democracy, and your money!
    You are more than welcome to copy this and paste it to your email and send it to all your friends

    6/17/2011

    For Shame For Shame

    It was only a god damn game

    A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows the public opinion. Grantland Rice

         I have waited a couple of days to write this. The reason for the wait was to cool down. We all know how bad my language can get and in this case I don't need to feed the language cops any more than I have already.

         The destruction was senseless and at this writing I can't comprehend acts of kicking an inanimate object. (Booting an overturned car) 

        Breaking windows and looting businesses using sledge hammers is a premeditated act and deserves  full and complete prosecution. I see our premier tonight yapping about the same things but using words like the "revolving doors of justice". If you want to fix things Premier then lets start with the corruption in government and the revolving door in such cases as the BC Rail Giveaway.


         The instigators of this riot was instituted by GOOFS. I use that word to let some of these no-minds know that this word will be added to their vocabulary when they are sentenced. Other than Pig, used by inmates to describe the guards, and Maggots, used by the guards to describe the inmates, the word GOOF is used as a derogatory term to describe other inmates. It is most likely the worst word used in the prison system and it suits every one of these morons that caused this riot and destruction.


         I commend the police and guards as well as the people who are donating their movies and photos to catch these GOOFS.


         One thing for the Premier. You had better hire all the Sheriffs back that had been laid off and put out requests for more or none of these GOOFS will get prosecuted


         "For when the one great scorer comes to write against your name, he marks not that you won or lost but how you played the game." Also by Grantland Rice
     
         


    5/29/2011

    B.C. LIBERAL HST GIMMICK MISLEADS BRITISH COLUMBIANS FURTHER

    The following came to me via e-mail and deserves printing here.
     
    VICTORIA – The latest attempt by the B.C. Liberals to buy votes ahead of the HST referendum is just further smoke and mirrors, say the New Democrats.

    “The B.C. Liberals aren’t telling you that the HST, at whatever rate, means families pay more for countless items previously exempt from the PST,” said New Democrat finance critic Bruce Ralston. “Their claim that it’s a choice between 10 and 12 per cent is absolute fabrication and a deliberate misrepresentation of what the HST vote is all about.

    “The truth is voters will be voting to get rid of the B.C. Liberals’ 12-per-cent HST in favour of going back to a fairer system where items such as prepared food, nutritional supplements, basic telephone and cable services and countless other items would only be taxed with a five-per-cent GST.”

    Ralston said Adrian Dix and the New Democrats have championed the fight against the HST deception for B.C. families, and people are tired of being deceived by the B.C. Liberals.

    “This latest gimmick is just more of the same. The B.C. Liberals are also trying to tell you that the average family only pays $350 more per year under the HST but they don’t tell you that they count one person as a family, artificially deflating the true numbers,”  said Ralston. “The truth is a two-income-earning family with both members making $50,000 each – the average B.C. salary – will pay over $1,000 more per year under the HST.

    “And that doesn’t even include the increase to big-ticket items such as a new house, renovations or a new roof for your home.”

    Ralston noted that Premier Clark’s latest gimmick contradicts her earlier promise, and in her own words is an attempt to buy votes.

    In March, just two months ago, Premier Clark said, "We aren't going to be talking about trying to reduce it by a point or two before the referendum. I mean, I think people will see that as buying them with their own money.”

    “No one believes anything the B.C. Liberals say anymore, especially when it comes to the HST,” said Ralston. “Families know they pay more under the HST, and no amount of tinkering by the B.C. Liberals will change that.

    “The only way to fix this B.C. Liberal mess is to vote yes to ending the HST, then vote them out of office in the next election.”


    5/17/2011

    Christy Thinks She Can Solve The HST Mess

         Well Ms. Clark I have news for you. I would possibly be able to believe that you could do that if it were not for a few bumps in your road.

         The major problem you have as I see it is that you refuse to repeal the legislation. And that is precisely what the people want. We don't want this tax shift onto our backs. We want it gone. Your government has lied to us from the getgo. The government has said prices will go down. Lie number one. They have said unemployment will be reduced because of this money grab. Lie number two. They have said the province will have to repay the 1.6 billion. Lie number three. They have said that it will attract investment. Show me the proof of that. You have said it is revenue neutral, the biggest lie of all.

          The next problem you have is a finance minister that alludes in the press that he won't remove the PST on restaurants. All he is doing is inflaming the masses and alienating the restauranteurs from the rest of the business community. He makes crass statements and I believe he either doesn't have a grasp of the situation, or he is being deliberately provocative. Most likely the former.

         And your blatant spinning of the situation doesn't fool anyone. It's not that you rolled out this money grab wrongly, it's that you steamrolled it out at all. We don't want it.

         Every time your government opens their mouth on this situation you just keep putting your foot in it. You are fighting tooth and nail to placate the already under taxed big business in this province and the people see this sham for what it is. More money in the pockets of the rich at the expense of the poor.And done without the consent of the poor I might add.

         All the stall tactics in the world will not help you. And that is just what you are doing. Stalling. You are trying to move this as close to the next election as you can. And as I see it right now you know the people will reject the act. So your other option is to hold an election before the referendum. How are you going to run your campaign? By ignoring the voters town hall meetings? By keeping silent on this issue? By professing doom and gloom if it is repealed. Give us a break.

         Well, we're as mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore.

         Save us the 6 million of our tax dollars that you plan to spend on your propaganda. Stop the lies. Remove the legislation.

         

        

    5/16/2011

    Liberals Are Still Playing With Our Lives


    Chrisy Clark and her Finance Minister are still playing the game. I ask how anyone in their right mind can trust these big business shills.

    The following arrived in my e-mail from Fight HST. And it pissed me off so much I am seriously considering restarting the Recall Campaign in the Cariboo Chilcotin. So if there is anyone in the Cariboo Chilcotin who would act as a Financial Officer please get hold of me here. We will be doing things much differently this time.One step at a time.

    Finance Minister Kevin Falcon won’t rule out adding PST to previously untaxed items like restaurant meals if HST is extinguished
    Vancouver – (Monday, May 16, 2011) – In a stunning revelation, Finance Minister Kevin Falcon has admitted he may break faith with BC voters in the HST Referendum if they vote “Yes” against his wishes and extinguish the tax, says Fight HST Leader Bill Vander Zalm.
    Vander Zalm says Falcon admitted last week in the BC Legislature he may expand the PST to a number of goods and services that were previously exempted, such as restaurant meals, if British Columbians vote to repeal the HST in the Referendum.
    “That is a total betrayal of what the whole HST citizens Initiative petition and Referendum are about and he knows it. More than 700,000 people signed our Initiative because they wanted to return to the PST and GST exactly as they were before the HST. The proposed legislation attached to our Initiative petition specifically laid this out as what we intended.”
    “Furthermore, when the question for the Referendum was drafted by Acting Chief Electoral Officer Craig James, he clarified to us that it means to restore the PST and GST to their previous status with the same exemptions,” said Vander Zalm.
    Following is the email response from CEO James in answer to our concerns about the Referendum question meaning to include the previous exemptions for PST:
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "James, Craig EBC:EX" <Craig.James@elections.bc.ca>
    To: "Chris Delaney" <chris@chrisdelaney.com>; "Boegman, Anton EBC:EX" <Anton.Boegman@elections.bc.ca>
    Cc: "Bill Vander Zalm" <billvanderzalm@dccnet.com>
    Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 11:11 AM
    Subject: RE: Draft HST Referendum Question - Changes Need to Be Made
    Chris -
    The dictionary meaning of "reinstate" is to restore to a former position. I therefore don't see anything "implicit" in the question and thus no reason for the concern you have raised.
    Sincerely,
    Craig James
    “The Referendum is a legally binding process. The Finance Minister cannot change the meaning of it at his own discretion. If Mr. Falcon does not heed the result of the Referendum he will be breaking the law,” Vander Zalm charged.
    Vander Zalm says the HST mistakes that cost both Gordon Campbell and Colin Hansen their jobs as premier and finance minister are now being repeated by Premier Christy Clark and Falcon. “The names and the faces have changed, but the lying hasn’t. These people are pathological. Every time I think I have never seen anything like it before, they top themselves. It is the height of arrogance and lawlessness for Kevin Falcon to tell people he will decide what the Referendum means. It’s unbelievable!”
    Vander Zalm says his group will consider a legal challenge if the government breaks the law by not following the Referendum results.
    Vander Zalm said an editorial in Friday’s Victoria Times-Colonist newspaper should serve as a warning to the government:
    “Falcon won't say whether the government would impose the PST on restaurants if the HST is rejected by voters,” the editorial read. “The HST initiative petition certainly called for the restoration of the tax and exemptions. The government claimed [it was] willing to accept the referendum results as binding. If that commitment is not to be honoured, then voters -and the affected businesses -have every right to know.”
    Vander Zalm called on the pro-HST business lobby group the Smart Tax Alliance to tell voters if it supports Falcon’s position that even a “Yes” vote to extinguish the HST will not bind him from removing the tax on restaurant food and other items previously PST exempt.
    “If the Smart Tax Alliance is actually smart they will immediately tell Minister Falcon he is wrong and they profoundly disagree with his statements,” Vander Zalm said.
    “What is the point of having a referendum if you won’t regard the result if it doesn't go your way? How can anyone align themselves with people like this?” Vander Zalm asked.

    Just in case anyone is wondering, we have the numbers here to recall. What we didn't have was a firm commitment  from people. This time we get firm numbers first. This is possibly the only riding that could have succeeded but for a few glitches that were crucial to the campaign.

    If Fight HST wishes to back us  that would be a good thing. We hope they will. Financing will be crucial.

    5/05/2011

    HST Town Hall Is A Sham

     My phone rang last night. It hardly ever rings at night.
      The government  wanted me to participate in the biggest spin on the HST to date. According to them the audience was massive. Over 26,000 people online in the Interior (I still choose to use Interior over Campbells' rebranding us the hinterlands.)

      I sat through their automated instructions and then it started to get real phony. They asked an automated question about how I would like to redistribute the hords of money they were getting from us. Should they use it for things like Health, Education, Blah blah blah? The whole question misses the point. They assume by asking it that (a) we actually want to be ripped off or; (b) they are not going to get rid of it. Or (c) both of the above They did not give us an answer of "none of the above". And the framing of the question and answers tells me only one thing. They can take this back to the public saying that we want the HST and we want the money to go to specific social programs.

      As I type this I am sitting here wondering how god damn stupid do they think we are? They must be looking at some odds and are thinking they may have enough people out there to believe this crap. 

      So I listened through four people who had questions to ask. It struck me that these were not spontaneous but possibly prepared questions. The reason I say this is because I had a million questions to ask and couldn't narrow it down to one only.

      At any rate the answers were bogus. The are obviously framed as an election answer and scare tactics.

      The liberal government keeps referring to a question of how we are going to pay back the 1.6 billion bribe they got from Harper.

      First of all it's not our bloody problem. It's theirs. My answer is to set a special tax on big business who are benefiting from this and pay it back.

      Secondly $235 Million was seed money. A gift. Or as I call it, a bribe from the Federal Government to accept this deal. A deal by the way which was only accepted after the Liberal government mismanaged our economy. And don't give me any of this bullshit about how they were surprised about a recession. They saw it coming just as the rest of the world did. But they needed to get elected at all costs and I allege they did it with a lie.

      I finally hung up, yelling some of my choicest words into the phone, when it was mentioned very vaguely that the Federal Government would set the tax rates. 

      And that to me is the biggest problem other than it's a tax shift from the rich to the poor. If Harper wants more money then he will raise the HST rate. Don't think for one minute that when he says he will raise the GST that is true. As it stands we in BC do not have GST or PST. It's HST period. And the Liberals, nor any future government, having given away our right within the province to set our own provincial taxes can't even protest.

    Then thre is this from the CBC
     
     
    By CBC News
    CBC News
    An independent government report on the HST has concluded the majority of British Columbians are paying more at the cash register since the introduction of the HST, but low income families are actually paying less. But the report says that while many British Columbians are paying more tax now, rolling...
    Click here to view this content.
    Following is an added comment by a friend who sent me the CBC report:
     The independent report was developed by the Liberal government appointed committee. The report acknowledges that the HST is a taxation shift from business to the consumer that is not revenue neutral as claimed and will only increase in the taxes collected from the consumer as time passes.
    And then my comment:
    The report also uses unproven statements and gives us words such as "likely" to possibly scare us into thinking that we have a problem in cancelling this money grab. As I said at the beginning it is not our problem, it's the problem for the liberal party of BC. 

    UPDATE: for a good review on the Dinning Report with a link see our friend Gran G at  The Straight Goods

    5/04/2011

    Olympic Green Buses Turning Dirty? Oil Spill In The Peace Country?

    In talking with an acquaintance recently they informed me that those Olympic Green Buses used during the the Olympics, the ones that burn Hydrogen Gas, have ALL been sent to the US for a refit.

    A refit that will convert them from Clean Hydrogen Gas to Dirty Diesel Fuel.

    I am still trying to get more info on this possible travesty. I can find no public information on this situation, and if I do I will report it here.
    Also this just in.....An anonymous user reported at The Straight Goods that CBC was reporting on an OIL SPILL in the Peace Country. I am watching the news right now and can not find anything on this.
    MORE TO FOLLOW

    Followup:
     
     
    Rainbow Incident Information Page

    On this page you will find a description of the Rainbow pipeline system, the incident that was confirmed on 4/29/11, media statements and remediation efforts.  Plains is under no obligation to keep this website updated; however, we will attempt to update this page as the situation merits.

    Description of Rainbow Pipeline SystemPlains Midstream Canada, ULC is the 100% owner and operator of the Rainbow system, which consists of a 480-mile, 20-inch to 24-inch mainline crude oil pipeline extending from the Norman Wells Pipeline located in Zama, Alberta to Edmonton, Alberta and 114 miles of gathering pipelines. The system has a throughput capacity of approximately 220,000 barrels per day and transported approximately 187,000 barrels per day during 2010.

    Description of the incident/initial responseAt approximately 7:30 a.m. (Mountain time) on April 29, 2011 we confirmed a release of crude oil along a remote section of the Rainbow pipeline, in the Evi area, located east of Peace River, AB. 

    We have initiated our emergency response procedures. Valves in the pipeline have been closed, isolating the damaged area of the pipeline. Southbound flows from Nipisi remain in service. 
    Environmental assessment staff, spill response specialists, and monitoring equipment are being mobilized. Our crews are working to contain the spill, minimize its impact, and begin clean-up efforts. 

    Plains has contacted appropriate regulatory agencies, as well as local municipal government officials.
    Updates (In reverse Chronological Order)
    12:30 p.m. MST -- Thursday, May 5th

    We have recovered approximately 300 m3 (~1900 bbls) of the oil.  (approximately 7% of estimated spill volume).   Recovery efforts continue 24 hrs per day. 
    8:00 a.m. MST -- Thursday, May 5th
    Physical pipeline repairs have been completed.  We are awaiting regulatory approval to restart the line.  The oil has been contained and recovery efforts are ongoing. 
    1:00 a.m. MST -- Wednesday, May 4th

    The pipeline has been excavated and examined by the Alberta authorities.  Based on this inspection and the recently interpreted results of
    pipeline integrity tool runs, it appears this is a singular failure and not a systemic problem.  Plains is working to repair the line and bring it into service as quickly as possible. 
    11:30 p.m. MST -- Tuesday, May 3rd
    Plains Midstream Canada (PMC) is fully engaged in an aggressive response to a pipeline spill in northern Alberta on the company’s Rainbow Pipeline.  The oil is physically contained within a 0.8 kilometers (half a mile) by 50 meter (150 feet) area.

    Facts about the emergency response:

    • Since day one, PMC has engaged in a 24-hour response effort. 
    • PMC Sr. Management was involved from the onset and arrived on the scene within 12 hrs to lead the response effort.
    • The spill site is located in a very remote and densely forested area, requiring a substantial construction effort in connection with oil recovery efforts.
    • Two roads were built through the forest so workers and equipment could be transported to the north and south ends of the spill site.
    • PMC secured 1400 wooden mats (“rig matting”) from across Alberta to build temporary wooden access roads over the soft muskeg conditions.
    • Approximately 100 response personnel are currently on the scene and involved in recovery and remediation operations. 
    • Specialty all-terrain heavy equipment were on site since day two, including 10 amphibious track-mounted vehicles for transporting workers and material. 
    • Three transfer stations with tanks and trucking facilities have been constructed to facilitate the transfer of collected oil and servicing of vehicles.
    • Electrical generators are on site and 25 lighting plants are being used so work can continue through the night.
    • 46 pieces of heavy equipment have been brought to the site to support the cleanup.
    “We have a full complement of specialists at the scene,” stated Roy Lamoreaux, Director Investor Relations.  “We have secured all necessary people and equipment for our response and cleanup effort."
    “The oil is in place, and we expect to retrieve a substantial portion of this spill with our recovery equipment.  A remediation program will follow the cleanup, which will include removal and replacement of contaminated soil and replanting vegetation on the affected area,” said Lamoreaux.  
    PMC is working closely with a number of regulatory agencies including Alberta Environment and the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board “ERCB,” and providing reports to other government agencies involved in the spill. 

    1:30 p.m. MST -- Tuesday, May 3rd
    Recovery:
    - 3 skimmers are now deployed on site (up from 2);
    - Another 2 skimmers are on site and will be established to increase collection rate;
    - Oil collection and removal continues.
     
    Repair:
    - 1st stopple fitting installed and plug set isolating the rupture from the north side further isolating the rupture from the north;
    - 2nd stopple fitting welded, plug to be set Tuesday further isolating the rupture from the south;
    - Replacement pipe has been hydrotested.   
    - 3rd party lab has been appointed and protocols established for analysis of failed pipe section (to be sent to lab post inspection by ERCB);
    - Target to have physical line repair completed by end of this week;
    - Actual restart timing contingent on regulatory approval.
    Other:
    -
    Investigation into cause continues.


    5:40 a.m. MST – Monday, May 2nd
     -- Oil recovery operation continued through the night.

     -- Product collected on site and shipments to Nipisi commenced at 2:50 a.m. (ahead of the 4:00 a.m. target).
    9:30 p.m. MST – Sunday, May 1st 
    --Approximately 100 response personnel on site.

    -- Road access with rig matting is complete at South entrance to spill site. (The spill site is located in a wet/muddy and wooded environment, which has required substantial
        work to provide vehicle access.  Work required to provide access includes: clearing trees and building a road of timber “rig matting” so rubber-tired vehicles can travel on the 
        newly matted roads);

    -- Oil skimmers have been established and oil collection has commenced;

    -- Plains Midstream Canada's Nipisi terminal (south of affected area) configured to accept delivery of skim oil;

    -- Continuing to place matting to establish road access to the repair site and north end of the spill;
    4:20 p.m. MST -- Saturday, April 30th   

    -- Remediation efforts are ongoing and active 24 hrs per day.  The following resources have been deployed to assist in the remediation efforts:

    - 63 response personnel are now on site, another 41 are enroute or on standby nearby;

    - 46 pieces of equipment are on site including: vehicles, generator sets, office trailers, spill response trailers, medial aid equipment, etc.;


    10:50 a.m. MST -- Saturday, April 30th
    -- Approximately 50% of the daily volumes handled by Rainbow (movements from Nipisi south to Edmonton) are unaffected.