New BC Political Discussion - POST BC Election 2017

[fredinno]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Furthermore, hydroelectric power is extremely cost-effective to operate and facilities have long service lives, both of which are attractive to BC Hydro as an operator, not just a power purchaser.

With that said, the cost of Site C is truly remarkable compared to the amount of power it will produce. 680MW, if that's accurate, honestly isn't very much production capacity for a facility allegedly to exceed $10B in capital costs. [Edit: the Site C website says that dam will produce about 1,100MW and the estimated construction cost was $7.9B($2011)]

Site C is a new dam being built in an enviro-hippy, non-French part of Canada, in the 21st Century.

I'm surprised it's actually going forwards.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by misher

Explain the small business tax reduction from 2.5% to 2% in the 2019 budget announcement even though the tax has been 2% since 2017? The smell of shit is strong with this one.

http://www.summit107.com/news/east-k...from-2-5-to-2/



https://www.bcndp.ca/latest/budget-m...-jamess-speech

One, this has nothing to do with residential taxes. Two, "retroactive" means "in effect to this date" - the tax cut applies to the last seven-ish months after the budget was passed. Three, the 2019 speech, as mentioned just reminds everybody that they cut taxes a few years ago. Four, linking every anti-NDP article just because it's anti-NDP reduces your argument's strength down to the level of a Thanks Obama meme.

[misher]

Today's the last day of the FBT Summary Trial...will be interesting to see what happens http://www.branchmacmaster.com/forei...-property-tax/

Nice to see that the wheels of our legal system took over 2 years...and once the summary trial ends and if it succeeds it can then to to certification for a class action and more trial...I wonder how much we will be on the hook for once we eventually lose as most legal professionals have agreed we will.

[whatnext]

Andrew Wilkinson continues his Marie Antoinette impersonation, follwoing up his tales of wacky times as a starving renter with this:

Tone deaf? BC Liberal leader tweets about 'brokenhearted' cabin owners

After coming under fire and being called “out of touch” last week for referring to renting as “a wacky time “ and a “fun part of growing up,” BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson appeared to fan those flames with a tweet that took aim at BC’s new speculation tax.

“John Horgan and the NDP are ignoring brokenhearted families who have had cabins for decades,” he wrote. “Their unfair #speculationtax means these families may lose those special homes...

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/andr...in-owners-2019

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Andrew Wilkinson continues his Marie Antoinette impersonation, follwoing up his tales of wacky times as a starving renter with this:

Tone deaf? BC Liberal leader tweets about 'brokenhearted' cabin owners

After coming under fire and being called “out of touch” last week for referring to renting as “a wacky time “ and a “fun part of growing up,” BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson appeared to fan those flames with a tweet that took aim at BC’s new speculation tax.

“John Horgan and the NDP are ignoring brokenhearted families who have had cabins for decades,” he wrote. “Their unfair #speculationtax means these families may lose those special homes...

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/andr...in-owners-2019

I'm starting to think he's just not the brightest guy around.

[misher]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

I'm starting to think he's just not the brightest guy around.

He's an old man wondering wtf is up with this twitter crap?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

I'm starting to think he's just not the brightest guy around.

The Tyee nailed it, he's Mr. Burns from the Simpsons:

“It’s a little rich to call me elitist.” Good one! Puns are funny. But quick, who said it?

The villainous tycoon on The Simpsons comedy show, Mr. Burns?

Or Andrew Wilkinson, the silver-maned lawyer and doctor who leads the BC Liberals and represents one of the province’s wealthiest ridings?

Whenever an election rounds into view, a favourite question pollsters ask prospective voters to answer is: “Candidate (fill in the blank) cares about people like me. Yes or no?” Andrew Wilkinson has had 13 months as leader of the BC Liberals to burnish his appeal. But how to burnish a man so Mr. Burns-ish?

Last Wednesday, social media blew up in derisive disbelief after Wilkinson, speaking in the Legislature amidst a rental crisis, called paying rent “a rite of passage.” Heck, for him, renting “was challenging at times, but it was fun. It was part of growing up and getting better. We’ve all done it. It’s kind of a wacky time of life, but it can be really enjoyable.”

On Twitter, #wackytime trended as renter nation rose up.

@realTrevDev
Follow Follow @realTrevDev
More Trev Retweeted Justin McElroy
Reminds me of when I had to choose to pay rent over food and redeem "Shoppers Drug Mart" points just to get ramen and nuts to hold me over. Wacky! Wild! Fun! I was never late with rent, but those were the thinnest 6 years of my life! #WackyTime #bcpoli @Wilkinson4BC


https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2019/03/0...son-Mr-Warmth/

[Tetsuo]

Wacky Wilkinson !

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

I'm starting to think he's just not the brightest guy around.

No, he is - what he's doing is virtue signalling to the one percenters who want to keep all of their vacation homes without paying EHT on them. They'll vote Liberal.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

No, he is - what he's doing is virtue signalling to the one percenters who want to keep all of their vacation homes without paying EHT on them. They'll vote Liberal.

No, an effective politician can achieve this without alienating the rest. He won't get enough votes from just the 1%, a failing tactic.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

No, an effective politician can achieve this without alienating the rest. He won't get enough votes from just the 1%, a failing tactic.

True. On second thought, he really IS a douche.

[misher]

NDP getting a bit slammed over spec taxing cabins without utility services inaccessible except by boat and arguing that the Owners should try to rent them...got to laugh at this.

https://theprovince.com/opinion/colu...3-2992f19a47f3

Opposition leader Andrew Wilkinson set the tone by quoting something Finance Minister Carole James said last year: “People in smaller communities, those with cottages, will not pay this tax.”

Sy Rodgers, 67, is a retired salesman. He and his wife own a lot in Belcarra that is deemed water-access only and without potable water and or sewer connection.

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by misher

NDP getting a bit slammed over spec taxing cabins without utility services inaccessible except by boat and arguing that the Owners should try to rent them...got to laugh at this.

https://theprovince.com/opinion/colu...3-2992f19a47f3

Andrew Wilkinson is doubling down on his Marie Antoinette, I see.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Andrew Wilkinson is doubling down on his Marie Antoinette, I see.

Oh the humanity, won't somebody think of the welfare of those carrying the burden of second homes in bucolic out of the way settings!

Forget those greedy single moms who worry about getting renovicted, Wilkinson has his finger on the pulse of those who really need our help and sympathy.

[misher]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Oh the humanity, won't somebody think of the welfare of those carrying the burden of second homes in bucolic out of the way settings!

Forget those greedy single moms who worry about getting renovicted, Wilkinson has his finger on the pulse of those who really need our help and sympathy.

So your argument is that there are worse issues so we should ignore the small ones we create?

Or that it’s ok to try to force people whose places are only accessible by water to rent?

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by misher

So your argument is that there are worse issues so we should ignore the small ones we create?

Or that it’s ok to try to force people whose places are only accessible by water to rent?

We aren't forcing them to do anything other than pay $4k in tax.

Land value is over $1M. It may be water accessible only, but the market says it's extremely valuable.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by misher

Or that it’s ok to try to force people whose places are only accessible by water to rent?

There's your answer. If they can afford a remote cabin and the boat to reach it, the tax shouldn't hurt them much; if the tax does hurt them much, they should consider downsizing.

My sympathies to Belcher and his extended family, but it's pretty hard for the middle class to own vacation homes anyway.

[s211]

On an unrelated note, I'm having great laugh at Horgan's flip-flop on daylight savings. Wasn't it just last November that he said there was no demand for it, and so it wasn't on his list? Now he's acting like he's leading the west coast charge for daylight savings?

[misher]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

There's your answer. If they can afford a remote cabin and the boat to reach it, the tax shouldn't hurt them much; if the tax does hurt them much, they should consider downsizing.

My sympathies to Belcher and his extended family, but it's pretty hard for the middle class to own vacation homes anyway.

I guess there's a disconnect here. I feel that its wrong to force Canadians to sell for little to no benefit. You feel that if it doesn't hurt them much it shouldn't matter. Difference of opinion I guess? So there can be no meeting of the minds.

[GMD]

Originally Posted by s211

On an unrelated note, I'm having great laugh at Horgan's flip-flop on daylight savings. Wasn't it just last November that he said there was no demand for it, and so it wasn't on his list? Now he's acting like he's leading the west coast charge for daylight savings?

Well, to be fair, at the time in November he said that the west coast U.S. states weren't interested, but since then they seem to have decided they are interested in changing after all, so circumstances have changed a bit.

But I don't care much if people flip-flop as long as they eventually do the right thing, which in this case means getting rid of the stupid and ridiculous time changes.