HST debate?

     Well, everyone seems to be for or against it, don't they? Corporations for, people against. Is it a debate or a concentrated effort on one side?

I have not heard anyone make this point yet: The HST replaces the GST (federal tax) and the PST (provincial tax) and so will be totally controlled by the federal government in Ottawa!

Before the HST we could change our PST as a province before. So in good times, we could lower the PST if we liked. And yes increase it if we needed to build a bridge to Vancouver Island, for instance. PST money goes into provincial coffers.

However, with the HST, it will be taken and administered by Ottawa, and when was the last time you felt that Ottawa gave British Columbia a break, say over Quebec?

With the HST we lose control of a tax of our own people here in BC, and relinquish the ability to look after a huge proportion of tax money that will now go to Ottawa instead of Victoria. Sort of a reverse Robin Hood syndrome, steal from the poor and give to the rich, but then that's what taxing is all about anyway, isn't it.

I suppose if you are in favour of British Columbians paying for Quebec's arena in hopes of getting an NHL franchise that will be okay. But I would rather have the ability to spend BC taxpayers money on things for British Columbians.

In my mind, the HST represents a huge tax windfall for those forlorn foghorns in parliament to use. They get enough GST now. And remember way back when and Jean Chretien saying he would cancel the GST? Like you can believe any of these bleating tricksters?

The last anti-HST spike in my mind is because so many big corporations are now telling us, the people paying this tax, how good it is for us. Whenever big business works that hard to tell you something is good for you, beware!

I am against the HST and will vote that way if given the chance. I will always put British Columbians first.