Letters, Dec. 21, 2019: The tale of two cities' tax increases
Credit to Author: Stephen Snelgrove| Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2019 02:00:39 +0000
As the city of Vancouver struggles with unacceptable tax increases, it is worth taking a look at Canada’s largest city, Toronto.
Toronto’s mayor, John Tory, has reportedly held the line on proposed tax increases for that city. Under his latest proposal the levy will be one per cent for 2020 and thereafter 1.5 per cent until 2025 for a cumulative total of 10.5 per cent. Less than inflation.
Researchers at Ryerson’s Institute of Municipal Finance and Governance highlight the importance of three principles: First, that municipal taxes reflect the cost of services; second, property taxes must be “fair and reasonable”; and third, “property taxes are not supposed to be redistributive.”
Fast forward to Vancouver where Mayor Kennedy Stewart proposed a one-year hike of over nine per cent. Council has now decided upon seven per cent. Regardless, does this reflect the costs of necessary services or are these reflective of ‘shadow services’ — an illusory wish list of provisions that overlap with provincial and federal jurisdictions?
These hikes will make housing all the more unaffordable and negatively impact businesses already in precarious positions. Homeowners and businesses are only a captive market until they choose to vote with their feet.
John Tory and his council have chosen prudence over hubris; Vancouver’s council the reverse.
Let’s hope that clearer minds will ultimately prevail.
John T. Pierce, Vancouver
LifeLabs claims that information security is a responsibility they “take … very seriously.”
Yet a quick look at their website shows executives responsible for business development and executives responsible for managing their money but no executives responsible for protecting patient data. And they suffer one of the larger breaches of personal data in Canada. Surprise. Surprise. Surprise.
When are companies going to actually do something about protecting our data, rather than brushing us off with platitudes?
George Pajari, West Vancouver
However sensitive the data compromised by hackers, LifeLabs has increased everyone’s risk by paying them a ransom.
We cannot expect people to believe that crime does not pay as long as some make payments to criminals.
Greg DePaco, New Westminster
My vehicle was subject to a hit and run. As I went through the process of reporting and making a claim I was made aware there are two classes of body shops. ‘Trusted partner’ body shops are trusted by ICBC to supply estimates. If you wish to go to any other body shop then you must have the estimate performed by an ICBC claims centre.
Not knowing the process, I first went to a ‘trusted partner’ and got an estimate of $1,341.
When I contacted ICBC to check the status of my claim and advise them I was going to a different body shop, I was told that I must get another estimate from the ICBC Claims centre. I then took my vehicle to an ICBC Claims centre where my damage was estimated at $895.
So who is getting ripped off here? Are the ‘trusted partners’ ripping off our beloved ICBC? Or is ICBC, in a frantic effort to stop the bleeding, shortchanging me on my repairs?
Rob Irving, Chilliwack
re: Caring Company Committed To Helping Others, Dec. 16
It’s gratifying to see that London Drugs cares about people by giving some of the less fortunate ones Christmas presents.
I just wish they hadn’t bullied the College of Pharmacists of B.C. into allowing them to continue selling tobacco products — B.C. is the only jurisdiction in all of Canada that allows stores that fill prescriptions to sell tobacco products — and carry on addicting and killing people.
Is it possible to be a sympathetic bully?
Jerry Steinberg, Surrey
Credit card companies and financial institutions can immediately replace a stolen card with a new number. So why does the federal government continue to insist they will not replace lost or stolen social insurance numbers?
Once someone receives a new number they are protected. Anyone caught using a cancelled social insurance number will hopefully be charged and go to jail. It will not be difficult to notify companies of the change.
Doreen Box, North Vancouver
Letters to the editor should be sent to sunletters@vancouversun.com.
CLICK HERE to report a typo.
Is there more to this story? We’d like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Email vantips@postmedia.com.