tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post5491292350573502608..comments2024-01-08T21:00:24.932-08:00Comments on The Straight Goods: Another Thorny Throne SpeechGrant Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944976348166120530noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-4678561146166994032010-02-12T07:06:59.458-08:002010-02-12T07:06:59.458-08:00Dianne Watts left translink (agenda) to play with ...Dianne Watts left translink (agenda) to play with the big boys and will do as she's told if and when she decides to run as premier. Interesting to see how this is playing and going to play out. Time will tell. <br />CurtAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-60012819176328181262010-02-11T08:33:32.060-08:002010-02-11T08:33:32.060-08:00Ahhhhhhh...I see our favorite pot stirrer is back,...Ahhhhhhh...I see our favorite pot stirrer is back, just in time for the games. LOL!<br /><br />Listening to the "throne" speech gave me the urge to flush. I don't think I'm wrong when I say it could be one of the longest, hottest summers on record. And I'm not talking about the forest fire season - for which they've budgeted a paltry 52 million...after spending 400 million last year! But, that's for another day. <br /><br />They really ought to be slapped awake... .Leahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-90804700386383582162010-02-11T07:26:51.377-08:002010-02-11T07:26:51.377-08:00You bet Campbell is going to "bring in new le...You bet Campbell is going to "bring in new legislation with regards to municipal taxes", he has to, because TransLink is going bankrupt! The RAV/Canada line charade is costing the taxpayer big money.<br /><br />Even though TransLink is boasting about high ridership on the RAV/Canada Line(135,000 last Friday if you believe them), most of the ridership comes from very cheap tickets, such as the U-Pass. Langara, UBC and SFU have students have U-Passes and when riding the new RAV/Canada line are paying 25 cent fares compared with $5 from South Delta/Surrey; $3.25 from the Richmond and a whopping $8.25 from the airport.<br /><br />TransLink is only reporting gross ridership only and that is only a guesstimate and doesn't apportion fares between busses and metro (80% of SkyTrain's ridership first take a bus to the metro and 90% of RAV's ridership take at least one bus on their transit journey!)<br /><br />So if one apportions fares, RAV's revenue could be 1/2 to 1/3 of the fare paid, depending on the number of transfers, with the other portion(s) going to bus or SeaBus.<br /><br />As you can see, TransLink is robbing the bus system of revenue to pay for their three cherished metro lines, which is one of the main reasons TransLink teeters on bankruptcy.<br /><br />SkyTrain and RAV financing is a grand transit Ponzi scheme!<br /><br />Campbell (and his good buddy Dobel) desperately want the UBC SkyTrain subway under Broadway or the "Legacy Line" before he leaves office.<br /><br />To do so he has to raise the funds as there isn't the ridership for a subway P-3. And by the way, the Canada Line P-3 is in shambles with the BC Liberals close to bailing them out! (those damn cheap fares again!)<br /><br />Welcome back, you were missed. Was it a long row to Vancouver?Evil Eyenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-47825397038186820142010-02-10T21:50:03.264-08:002010-02-10T21:50:03.264-08:00Vaughn Palmer did an article last week citing your...Vaughn Palmer did an article last week citing your assertion that the HST will have a negative impact on the government's coffers because of the ever increasing exemptions they are doling out.<br /><br />My guess is that they will just slash more programmes and raise a bunch of user fees again. Also where are they putting the so-called revenue neutral carbon tax? When the rate went up last summer, I don't remember any announcements of them increasing carbon tax rebates for the lower income types. And I believe it is going up again this year.<br /><br />One place I can almost guarantee the won't try and save money on, and that is the size of the PAB. There may not be enough money for core services, but they can always find enough coin to keep the spindoctors intact. Talk about priorities.<br /><br />CamCrankypantsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-23820868474712077682010-02-10T20:37:44.651-08:002010-02-10T20:37:44.651-08:00Excellent summary Crankypants...I never thought of...Excellent summary Crankypants...I never thought of that but...<br /><br />But I did hear the part about "looking" at tax structures in towns for industry..Makes perfect sense, increase rural homeowner`s taxes by 30% to 60% then allow these same homeowners to put their taxes off???<br /><br />Yup,that`s definately gordon Campbell`s playbook..promise a pig in a poke and giveth a tax hike..<br /><br />Cranky, you might be interested in this...The finance department in Scampbell`s government is predicting a $400 million dollar shortfall in taxes year over year because of the HST...<br /><br />So not only are consumers(everyone) getting hit with a $2 billion dollar yearly tax hit, the Campbell government because of the few HST tax exemptions are going to lose $400 million....<br />So that begs the question, where is Gordon Campbell going to get that $400 million dollars back from?....<br /><br />Campbell will have to raise taxes on the public to make up for the revenue shortfall caused by raising the taxes on the public????<br /><br />Does that make any sense?<br /><br />Seriously, I honestly believe that Gordon Campbell must wake in the morning and think to himself...<br /><br />"I wonders if the public is going to haul me away to jail today"<br /><br />SheeshGrant Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-77920989785837315692010-02-10T20:09:43.920-08:002010-02-10T20:09:43.920-08:00There is another item in the toilet speech that ca...There is another item in the toilet speech that caught my eye. The Libs are going to bring in new legislation with regards to municipal taxes. When you add this little jewel with the squabble Catalyst Paper had with their respective municipalities, one can only surmise that Gordo will decree that more of the property tax burden be placed on the homeowners and obviously less on businesses. With the pending HST the citizens of BC are going to be smacked financially just a little harder while the big business types pocket a little more of our coin.<br /><br />This almost guaranteed raping of homeowners may have been the impetus for the proposed deferral plan. Even if I qualified, this deferral would be the last thing I would consider.<br /><br />The federal government has stated many times that Canadians are getting further and further into debt and what does Gordo do, come up with a scheme to assist people to sink further into the red. I guess we shouldn't be surprised as that is how his party has been running BC's finances since he took power in 2001!Crankypantsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-71898913281092287722010-02-10T14:59:17.300-08:002010-02-10T14:59:17.300-08:00I want to see video coverage of Grant being blocke...I want to see video coverage of Grant being blocked from disrupting the torch relay in his attempt to tackle Bill Good!!!<br /><br />That would be a YouTube hit!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-27298087365340801392010-02-10T14:52:37.548-08:002010-02-10T14:52:37.548-08:00Soooo glad you're back, we were worried now th...Soooo glad you're back, we were worried now that we live in a fascist province/country. Now it's back to reading you and making my day every day! Always have to know what the crime family is doing, even worry now what harm can come to you and all good citizens of the province/country. All those over abundance of spy planes flying overhead all day and night don't help make us feel any better either. Just more of Campbell's overkill and more millions/billions of our dollars. Have a good day, the next few weeks may be very interesting if the international/global media will run with all the news our government/media has cut us off from so they can operate in secret. Now I'll go back and read your blog...<br />Thanks for doing what you're doing. <br />Jeanjaydeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13897581398617875658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-38551847254207422332010-02-10T14:52:02.811-08:002010-02-10T14:52:02.811-08:00Yea I heard that too....More parental involvement,...Yea I heard that too....More parental involvement,public private partnerships in education..<br />Gordon Campbell wants to push private schools for the wealthy and a public school system run by volunteers.<br />The Campbell government is ready to collapse..Look for a quick resignation from Campbell right after the Spring Session.Grant Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944976348166120530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-36500309806053317022010-02-10T14:44:55.241-08:002010-02-10T14:44:55.241-08:00Thanks again Grant G. Glad you're okay. I al...Thanks again Grant G. Glad you're okay. I also heard privatizing the school system in this speech. Did you read that too?Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15049617811090781174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-82096382864459982652010-02-10T14:23:14.547-08:002010-02-10T14:23:14.547-08:00Keep up the good work... Some of us are listening....Keep up the good work... Some of us are listening.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com