To the editor:
You have printed innumerable letters, editorials and given a guest spot to Bill Vander Zalm all opposing the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).
Let me give you another perspective.
Too many people believe the HST is an extra tax on everything. In fact, approximately 85 per cent of everything we buy had both Good and Services (GST) and Provincial Sales Tax (PST) on them already - 12 per cent. The amount of tax has not changed.
By combining them, we have a more efficient system, which saves our tax money on administration, and by 2014 the tax will have reduced from 12 to 10 per cent, and everyone will benefit on most of what they buy.
Items such as gasoline have only five per cent HST; the same as the previous five per cent GST and that is not going to change.
The seven per cent increase (not 12 per cent increase) on the few goods and services affected is offset by the HST credits, which are paid out to all lower income British Columbians.
For a single person earning $20,000 a year, this amounts to $230 a year - $3,285 of spending just on things not previously subject to PST. Those are basically luxury items, and services such as renovations.
If you are not a lower-income person, you can well afford a small increase in consumption tax on items, such as restaurant meals.
My husband and I are low-income residents of this area. We really have not noticed any difference in our monthly expenses (and we watch them very carefully) as a result of the HST, but we have noticed a very useful increase in the HST cheques, which we will be receiving for the next year.
My advice to everyone in 100 Mile and area is vote to keep the HST, vote "no."
Brenda Beebe
Gateway
