Dear Editor
Re: Budget criticism misses the mark, Inbox, Burnaby NOW, March 1.
I always enjoy reading Mr. Ishak’s letters. Just to set the record straight, I am supportive of balanced budgets, but I am critical of how the Liberals do it. We are in a housing affordability crisis, and no one feels it more than renters, many of whom have household incomes that cannot qualify for the Liberals’ $703-million mortgage helper program. Liberal exemptions to the property transfer tax only apply to newly built homes, so families wanting to buy older homes priced below $750,000 don’t qualify. Clearly these measures are designed to buy votes from those already capable of buying homes rather than to keep working families out of poverty.
To balance their budget, the government is selling off “surplus” hydro, transit and housing land to their developer friends, rather than preserve this land for future affordable housing. These sell-offs are extremely shortsighted and unsustainable.
The government is also giving away more than $40 million to buy your next electric car, while at the same time keeping welfare rates at 2007 levels. Arguably, most people that cannot qualify for a mortgage are not going to benefit from an electric car rebate.
Our issue is that this government’s priorities are not set by the needs of British Columbians or with the long-term picture in mind. They are set by its donor friends in the real estate industry, the New Car Dealers of British Columbia, Big Pharma, resource giants and others.
Meanwhile, the B.C. NDP, if elected, will tax and spend similarly. The only difference is that the subsidies and breaks will largely go to its donor friends. The big money will continue to flow to the powers that be, and the average person will continue to struggle along.
Balance the budget, but do it fairly and equitably.
Rick McGowan, Burnaby
