tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post915119106743242182..comments2024-03-28T04:04:03.006-07:00Comments on Paying attention: Middle class losing ground in B.C.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-49132268138240373232008-05-12T16:46:00.000-07:002008-05-12T16:46:00.000-07:00Does no one pay attention to these political creep...Does no one pay attention to these political creeps. After living through 10 years of that NDP imposed train wreak in the 90's, me being a person who believes in capatalism voted for the Liberals. Does anyone remember what they were offering? A 25% reduction in taxes for the bottom 2 income groups, and they said they couldn't offer more untill they had seen the books. Then on election night they gave the top income group a 25% tax reduction (which amounted to more than the other 2 groups combined). Then their first acts as government was to raise the pst and all the service charges on the people who could least afford it. I remember how deafing the silence was from the upper middle class public sector unions and the overpaid media types was!!! Then the government went on to give the public sector unions big raises and a billon dollar signing bonus. But thats not the kicker, they also gave these union 300 million out of any future surplus (after 150mil) in 2010. Do you people have any idea at some of the perks these public sector unions get, take a look a the nurses union contract (ie, 166% for ever dollar they contribute to pensions, 100% topped up EI for maternaty leave, instead of the measly $125 a week for jury duty, they get full pay and the list goes on and on). So your government is great for the ps and the rich, but it obvious they have contempt for the average worker.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-14208268484807064032008-05-08T09:47:00.000-07:002008-05-08T09:47:00.000-07:00I think you're right, Paul, about the foreign work...I think you're right, Paul, about the foreign workers issue reflecting who and what really matters to our governments. The reality is and always has been that in an unregulated environment, wealthy investors and employers control the capital that gets parties elected or keeps them forever on the opposition benches.<BR/><BR/>Since the mid-1980s, they have relied on Reagan/ Thatchery theories about a rising tide floating all ships to convince voters to support deregulation policies that favour wealthy investors and employers. As it becomes increasingly clear that this hasn't worked, they will have to come up with a new con, rely on reduced transparency or up the propaganda level to cover up/ downplay/ muddy the waters.<BR/><BR/>It is therefore also telling that the Campbell government's reaction to all the recent bad news is to move to drastically restrict third party spending during next year's elections to muzzle citizens' groups, while doing absolutely nothing to restrict the corporate capital they will be relying on to try to persuade enough people that despite everything, it's still in our interest to re-elect them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-20023533013184640952008-05-07T15:02:00.000-07:002008-05-07T15:02:00.000-07:00"Campbell's response also noted, correctly, that t...<I>"Campbell's response also noted, correctly, that tax cuts since 2001 have increased after-tax income for most British Columbians."</I><BR/><BR/>Don't forget the silent tax hikes: user & other fees. Also, let us not forget the cost of living has gone through the roof. The BC Liberal Finance Minister does not seem to appreciate that the cost of housing is at an all time high across the province. <BR/><BR/>'Real' disposable income is down.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com