Tom Fletcher’s recent column “Why cut taxes for the rich?” is an insult to the working poor and those unfortunates that rely on food banks.
Fletcher’s usual stand is to support our right - leaning government no matter how corrupt and incompetent they appear. But Fletcher’s assertion that the wage gap between rich and poor has closed considerably in Canada as a result of our governments is pure spin for the benefit of the corporate/ political elite who are actively eroding our standard of living.
Indeed B.C. is ranked at the bottom of income growth - in fact wages have declined here as our political leaders have added new terms to describe our economy ie: Working poor and food bank. The average Canadian family spends more on taxes than food, shelter and clothing combined. The nickel and diming of taxpayers with continual increases in MSP costs, ICBC, Hydro etc. has taken food from the table of those most vulnerable.
Somehow Fletcher arrives at the conclusion that we have “Imaginary losses of low - income people. What is Fletcher thinking? He is a legislature reporter for goodness sake. Hasn’t he noticed there is a strong odor around the scandal in the Health Ministry where our government went to bat for Big Pharma and wrongfully fired employees in the Therapeutics Initiative who were finding problems with prescription drugs.
Or how about the massive campaign donations by the Mt. Polley mine group that seemed to enable very little government oversight to the point where our government won’t release inspection records.
What about that $750,000,0000 fine BC Hydro paid in California? Taxpayers are on the hook for whose mistake? There are scandals daily from this a government exhausted by scandal.
Fletcher’s time might be better spent casting an unbiased eye on our government rather than being a shill that helps cover their mistakes and misdeeds.
Ted Roberts
Sooke