[On July 14] the Citizen threw its support behind the yes vote through a biased editorial with tired arguments from the recall campaign days.
The article adds nothing to informed debate, and hopefully is just as successful as their support for the failed Kin 4 campaign. With both sides now armed by taxpayer dollars we are into a campaign that is akin to a practice run for a provincial election rather than an attempt to find an efficient and effective tax mechanism.
Some objectivity would be a far more worthwhile editorial contribution.
Put aside the politically motivated fear based arguments of the yes side and the politically motivated new look reincarnation of the no side. Look at the big picture - things have changed - Gordon Campbell is gone and Steven Harper has a majority.
There has been $30 to $40 billion in stimulus spending handed out and we as taxpayers will be the ones that repay that debt. Steven Harper has already begun cutting back the civil service and transfer payments to provinces will be next.
This how Paul Martin dealt with the national deficit and it is how Steven Harper will deal with it.
We now have the opportunity to choose how we pay that debt - but not if. That we will pay is a given - whether it goes through industry on its way to us or takes a direct route.
Stimulus spending was a good investment as Canada and BC are both in good standing economically, in a very delicate global situation. As a society we are fortunate to be in a position to recover - many jurisdictions are not.
If one accepts the premise that in the longer term tax policies, either directly or indirectly, will cost taxpayers a similar amount then we are really deciding how we want to pay.
On this point the HST clearly comes out ahead. First, we are paying one bureaucracy to handle taxation rather than two. Second, value added tax is the preferred tax system for most of the industrialized world for an economic reason.
Third, this approach provides some taxpayer choice which direct taxes such as income and property taxes do not.
If you are still angry about the initial rollout of the HST and vote yes as the Citizen has suggested, you could be shooting yourself in the foot.
Have a look at the big picture.
Jim Burbee
Prince George
