Dear Editor:
The best writers are those who write simply about the most complicated topics. The debates around the HST-GST/PST referendum could perhaps use such skills.
When we came to Canada more then 40 years ago, there were only three major taxes: income tax, property tax and PST. The life was good.
Government needs money from taxes. That is the fact. However bigger demand might sometimes mean unnecessary spending.
As to the referendum and all the talk about it: 1) There will be no extra cost for returning to GST/PST tax without introducing the HST. (Editor: But B.C. will need to repay $1.6-billion to the federal government.) 2) The argument of 10 per cent being less then 12 per cent is misleading. Ten per cent is the music of the future and there will be no exceptions; the PST was not applied to 70 items.
3) How have some of those published figures been calculated with such precision: for example, 24,000 new jobs created in a few years?
4) Taking something from you and giving back a rebate does not make much sense once the administration is taken into account.
This whole matter is in the veil of smoke and fog.
Vladimir Cicha North Vancouver
