Keeping it Real…

     Absolutely brilliant! The B.C. government has come up with an ingenious plan that will bring smiles to the faces of the public, votes to the Liberals in the May 2009 election ..all of it paid for by the taxpayers’ own money.  Absolutely brilliant!

     In June, the cheques will be in the mail … $100 to EVERY man, woman and even every child in the province.  Imagine how happy families of four or five will be: $400 or $500 CASH “from the government” just in time for summer vacation.

     No matter that it will come right out of our own pockets … from increased (yet again!!) taxes on gasoline, heating oil, propane, diesel and natural gas that will actually TRIPLE by 2012; from the budget surplus (ie past over-taxation) and, no doubt, other fees and service increases the government will announce in the coming year.  Along with a pending 25% increase in BC Hydro rates!

      And isn’t in interesting how so many of the complacent BC media and the radio pundits have deliberately or lazily declined to zero in on this beautiful bribery tactic … choosing instead to buy … and sell … the government’s line: that all this will help the environment. If it does, it won’t impact nearly as much as if the government used the extra tax revenue raised to actually attack environmental problems with energy-saving concrete programs or improving public transit to the level that would actually attract drivers out of their cars.  Instead the government will just return the money in pre-election bribes … almost all of which will be used on additional consumer spending that will likely further harm, not help the environment. 

      So I laughed as soon as I heard Minister of Finance Carol Taylor promise every cent of the extra carbon tax collected will be returned to the voters, oops, I mean the public.  Huh?? The government taketh and then giveth back … and will actually look good to many for doing that. Let’s face it, bribery works!

    Ask the federal Conservatives or Liberals …  they each have a long history of doing just that;  both are well versed in the art of buying votes by announcing well-timed federal spending bribes … especially in Quebec and the Maritimes. In fact, this bribery,  or attempts at it by funding projects, takes place in every province before every election.  But seldom does it come in the way of a direct payout … CASH … for your vote.  Maybe it should come in a plain brown envelope! 

      But it’s the Liberals who WILL have the last laugh. Just watch how happy everyone is in June when the cash starts flowing … voters bribed with their own money.    LOL!

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