Looking for relief from all those taxes
Hopefully if a change of government happens we can get rid of the speculation tax for B.C. residents.
Just retired this year and not able to afford my holiday home because of the speculation tax. Worked all my life to be able to enjoy a holiday retreat but now those dreams are crushed with this speculation tax.
I have no alternative but to sell in B.C. and buy a United States property or even a foreign property. I think that the wrong type of money is leaving B.C. as I can’t afford to invest in my own province.
It appears the government is always moving the goalposts so that hard working B.C. residents are finding it difficult to retire with any plan.
I’m self employed and took many risks with my capital in rebuilding many properties in B.C., but I’m going to move my money to a more favourable environment
Once this money is gone out of B.C., it would be difficult to bring it back. I’m not sure if this is a good long-term plan for the future of B.C.
Tax on top of tax: Spec tax, empty home tax, land transfer tax, provincial sales tax, goods and services tax, liquor tax, eco fee tax, tire tax, gas tax, income tax, capital gains tax, dividend tax. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Carlos Pasqua
Victoria
Borrowing won’t build sound security
Helping non-productive people by imposing hardships on contributing working people is always counter- productive.
Reality confronts left/progressive folks when they try to impose their visions for the future. Much of what is good in our world has come about by previous generations.
You cannot build sound security on borrowed monies. Vote wisely.
Patrick Skillings
Victoria
Furstenau deserves a spot in legislature
Many have noted that Green Leader Sonia Furstenau has demonstrated intelligent, research-based knowledge of our province, our economy and our climate during this election campaign.
As leader of the Green Party and candidate in Victoria-Beacon Hill, Sonia has consistently spoken with reason and civility, providing an articulate vision for the future that needs to be heard in the coming years.
It is imperative for all British Columbians that Sonia’s voice as leader be heard inside the legislature. The questions she can ask and the information she can bring forward as party leader require that she sit as an MLA.
Victoria-Beacon Hill, it all rests on your shoulders. You have a strong respected incumbent, but at this critical juncture, those who cannot ensure the Sonia has a seat in our legislature must rely on your votes to do this, for all of us.
Patricia Beatty-Guenter
Victoria
Weaver and Falcon support Conservatives
Andrew Weaver and Kevin Falcon, former respected leaders of the B.C. Greens and B.C. Liberals, surely know a lot about how the province should function.
Did you vote for either of them? Both are now voting Conservative. Will you follow their lead?
Dan Ogle
North Saanich
Minority governments do the best work
It’s election time and critical choices face voters. Issues of affordability, healthcare, homelessness, climate change and toxic drug supplies/fatalities are front and centre.
Of particular note this week is the call by Premier David Eby for Green voters to switch their support to his party in an effort to stay in power.
This is particularly repugnant given that Eby was the architect of the designed-to-fail referendum on electoral reform (which is still so desperately needed in this province).
Without major change in how our elections occur, we will continue to get the same old nonsense of the two largest parties continuing to trade places and undo each other’s work.
Apparently Eby doesn’t think we should vote for anybody but the NDP, who, he seems to think, should be the centre of the voters’ universe.
Well, the NDP do not deserve another term in government, but the citizens of B.C. do not deserve the proposed agenda of the B.C. Conservatives.
Conservative Leader John Rustad has called for a huge cuts to health-care spending, doesn’t understand climate change, stands by candidates who are far over the lunatic fringe and hasn’t provided a believable costed platform.
So, let’s not give the NDP a majority government, but instead elect enough Greens to hold the balance of power and keep a minority government in check.
History shows that minority governments have produced the best decisions and certainly decreased the arrogance of governments like the NDP and quickly pulled the plug on incompetent ones.
Mark Jeffers
Victoria
Divisive politics in this election
On several occasions, Premier David Eby has accused Conservative Leader John Rustad of importing “U.S. style” politics into Canada.
Yet Eby himself has consistently shown a lack of respect for the growing number of Conservative voters in British Columbia. He frequently labels his opposition’s supporters with inflammatory and divisive terms such as “far-right” and “anti-vaxxers” — even using such rhetoric during the leaders’ debate.
In contrast, I have not heard Rustad speak about NDP supporters in such a derogatory manner.
With polls showing the NDP and Conservatives running neck and neck, is it appropriate for a leader to disparage hundreds of thousands of British Columbians in this way?
Moreover, how can Eby accuse Rustad of fostering divisive politics when his own rhetoric deepens ideological divisions and fuels political tribalism?
Michael Lilly
Duncan
Service agencies could be merged
The possible shuttering of the Silver Threads facility reveals the necessity of the City of Victoria undertaking a full review of taxpayer subsidized community/recreation services and facilities (designed to meet the needs of a growing proportion of senior households).
According to the 2021 census, the 65-plus age cohort represents 23.2 per cent of Victoria’s population while those over 85 years of age represent 3.6 per cent of total population. Seniors represent 36% of the James Bay population, 32% in Rockland and 28% in Fairfield.
The city provides funding to three dedicated senior centres within close proximity to the downtown core: Silver Threads, James Bay New Horizons and Cook Street Activity Centre. A variety of senior activities and services are also available in eight community recreation centres in addition to funds supporting senior programs offered by the James Bay Community School and the James Bay Community Project.
What the recent Silver Threads article does not mention is why there is no consideration of a merger between the three senior centres or other senior non-profit groups to reduce significant administrative overhead and operational expenses, eliminate duplication of services, and provide flexible supports and services that meet independent and shut-in seniors’ needs.
In these financially pressing times, I believe it would be prudent for city staff and non-profit organizations to explore realistic options that address programs, services, and facilities truly needed to support modest-income seniors rather than simply allocating more tax money aimed at preserving the status quo.
Victoria Adams
Senior
Victoria
Will Canadians need a U.S. flag?
First Russia, then China and now India is mad at us. At this rate, Canadians travelling abroad will soon have to start pretending to be Americans.
Bill Gibson
Victoria
Promoting fear in the climate debate
Perhaps it’s time to acknowledge that many climate and environmental scientists such as Andrew Weaver and Greenpeace founding member Patrick Moore recognize the massive gap between the scientific consensus on climate and the public perception of a “climate emergency.”
Scientists do not attribute extreme weather, droughts, floods or wildfires to human emissions of CO2 and would require hundreds of more years of data to draw such conclusions. And yet climate activists, the UN, progressive politicians and the media continue to promote fear and disaster to shape public opinion.
This creates the crisis management opportunity government needs to enforce draconian measures costing trillions of dollars that have not and likely will never change the weather. In fact, the relentless efforts to eliminate fossil fuel use is a false cure that is worse than the disease.
The world relies on cheap and reliable energy for virtually everything that is produced and consumed. As stated by Bjorn Lomborg, the former director of Denmark’s Environmental Assessment Institute: “We need cheaper and more effective climate policies.”
Indeed, the trillions being spent on government subsidies and climate projects could be better used; to bring heating and air conditioning to where they would save lives, for forest management, hurricane and flood protection, farmland irrigation and tree- planting.
These measures would provide immediate and measurable benefits to people subjected to difficult climate conditions.
Fred Kardel
Nanaimo
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