Personally, I’m sick of getting taxed to death in this country, and not just the proposed HST.

Here’s an example of what I mean. Let’s say you’re in business and you make $100,000.00 in a year with no expenses. Right off the top you lose 50% to income tax (which means that for 6 months of the year, you’ve been working for Revenue Canada). After that, add in all the consumption taxes (of which I believe there are roughly 165 of them) and you lose as much as another 25-30% to those taxes. This was before Campbell’s hated Carbon tax. And now we’re getting even more tax. The bottom line is that is unsustainable. The government is putting us in the poorhouse. And for what? It’s not worth it. I’m amazed there hasn’t been a tax revolt yet.

Additionally to the immediate concerns for citizens, are the ‘ripple effects. Butchart Gardens is on record as saying they may have to close. If that happens, thousands will lose jobs, directly and indirectly. Butchart is a massive operation –gardeners, landscapers, foodservices, gift shop employees, etc — and because they are a WORLD CLASS attraction, we may lose the Cruise Ships coming to victoria. I recall seeing something like a million dollars into the economy every time a ship docks.

That will ripple out to all the shops/attractions in Victoria, resulting in more economic devastation.

..and what about cross border shopping? small business along the border will die, as people drive 40 minutes to save 7% on big ticket items, or hop the blackball ferry to the states to shope there…

perhaps this should be called the Hindsight is 20-20 sales tax.

Almost every day their is another cut to health services, To social services, sports funding, etc, the list goes on and on with our provincial government trying to justify the cuts with the old mantra of “we will come out of this much stronger” The provincial goverment might, but you can bet the general public and small businesses will be badly hurt. Premier Campbell is on his way out and I will bet that he will slip queitly out of the political picture after the winter olympics in 2010 and BEFORE the TRUE cost of the games becomes public knowledge.
The true cost to the individual and small business in just now becoming known and it is not a pretty picture. Big business in largley silent because they stand to benefit from HST. I have yet to hear of one large corp. say that they will pass on any savings they get to the buying public. News papers and the media are big business and some are trying to minimize the growth of the fight against the HST. The Vancouver sun published two articals by jounalists critizing Vander Zalms iniative but did not say a word about the rallies held throughout the province on Sept. 19th. One radio station reported that that there was about 1 to 2 thousand people at the rally, Mr. Vander Zalm was able to meet with the station and they did admit they they were wrong in their count. The TRUE figure was between 4 and 5 thousand in Vancouver.Throughout the province it was around 7 to 8 thouaand. Most jounalists are saying that the initiative will die out when people realize how hard it will bre to collect the required number of signature but I think that they are underestimating the anger of the people and will be surprised at the results. It is imperative that we DO NOT loose the momentum we have gained. An e-mail to the premier and his MLA’s every once in a while will let them know that we have not gone away. Nothing is more troubling to an MLA than waiting for the other SHOE to drop. KEEP ON KICKING BUTT!!!!!

We won’t lose momentum. Phase 2 is just about to start.

I am a disabled woman and cant make my bills now 10thousand dollars I owe personal to visa because I dont get enough to eat every month I am -100 dollars befor food now I will owe my little rest of my life in more hell because I cant afford to live ant more how many people will committ suicide the next year was the first thing on my mind as any one on disability in Vancouver will be home less or near in the next year pray for us all