AN OPEN LETTER TO BILL BARRISOFF REGARDING TAXATION
Dear Honourable Bill Barisoff,
I would like to raise my concern about the exceptionally high taxation in B.C. on the current Property Transfer Tax (PTT), as it is 222 per cent more than the average Canadian homeowner pays elsewhere.
This taxation has not changed in essence since its introduction in 1987 when the median home price in B.C. hovered around the $100,000 mark and the PTT was considered a luxury tax.
In 2007 our median house price was around $350,000 so I feel there should be an adjustment to reflect our increase in house prices.
Considering our stagnant real estate market and the eroded affordability of homes in B.C., your proactive attention to this issue is urgently needed.
As our voice in the Legislative Assembly, I implore you to take action on our behalf.
Payam Sanai,rnOsoyoos
OSOYOOS TIMES-November 12, 2008-
WHY WE REMEMBER
Editor:
Remembrance Day!
When war came, Canadians volunteered readily to serve their country as champions of liberty.
They came from farms, from small towns and large cities across the country, riding high on the initial wave of indignation, excitement and patriotism.
For the men and women who rallied to support their nation's cause, the threats of war seemed far away and unreal.
In the fall of 1914 as the first contingent of Canadians left the shelter of the St. Lawrence for the open Atlantic, some of the realities came into focus…. had they really stopped to count the cost?
How could they have known that four long years of death and destruction awaited them?
With every battle, extremes of temperature, mud, mutilation, mind-numbing fatigue, fear and death were daily realities for over 1,500,000 Canadian men and women.
WW I – In 1914 Canada's population was just over 3 million, mostly women and children.
Of those who volunteered 60,000 were killed and 120,000 were wounded.
This we should remember.
WW II – 1939 again Canadians flocked to enlist.
For almost six years, Canadians fought valiantly on battlefronts around the world.
More than 1,000,000 men and women enlisted in the army, navy and air force.
When the war ended, more than 45,000 had given their lives.
Korean War “ Nearly 27,000 Canadians served in this war with 516 of them losing their lives.
The Gospel of Saint John says, Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
If this is true than we had best remember the price our friends paid.
We dare not forget, for the price of our freedom and liberty is too awesome, the cost too great!
For all of these conflicts fought in far-off lands, there is much to remember.
Foremost are the people, the men and women who served wherever they were needed.
They faced difficult situations bravely and brought honour to themselves, to their loved ones and to their country; they were ordinary Canadians who made extraordinary sacrifices.
Yes we stop to remember today – the horror of war – but I believe it only proper that in our daily living we remember their willingness to purchase our freedom with their lives and futures!
I pray that we honour the veterans by being living memorials of their great sacrifice.
Pastor Ed Brouwer,
The Gathering Place,
Osoyoos
OSOYOOS TIMES-November 12, 2008
ECONOMIC SUPPORT FOR B.C. HOMEOWNERS, SENIORS AND FAMILIES
By Gordon CampbellrnPremier of British Columbia
Across British Columbia, people are feeling the impact of the global economic slowdown.
If you own stocks or RRSPs, you've probably been watching the markets closely with concern.
British Columbia is being directly impacted by events beyond our control, but there are measures government is taking to support seniors, homeowners and families.
It's important British Columbians know what options are available to help them.
To help homeowners, we're creating a new, temporary property tax deferral program for all homeowners with at least 15 per cent equity in their homes.
People experiencing financial difficulty can defer their property tax payments for each of the next two years.
They do not have to pay the deferred taxes until they sell their home, unless they choose to pay it back sooner.
This will allow people experiencing significant financial difficulty to save some money, protect their single-biggest investment “ their home “ and pay their property taxes when they find their financial footing again.
To combat widely-fluctuating property values, we're locking in homeowners' property tax assessments at 2007 levels.
It means that values that were assessed at times of record high levels in summer 2008 won't be used as the baseline for paying taxes on homes that have dropped in market value in recent months.
Many British Columbians use RRSPs to plan a secure future for themselves and their families. For a lot of people those RRSPs have taken a significant hit in recent months.
Right now, under federal law, people who turn 71 are forced to convert those RRSPs into Registered Retirement Income Funds (RIFs) and draw them down.
At the upcoming First Ministers' meeting, I will ask that a special national meeting on RRSPs and RIFs be convened to review and amend the federal law so people are not forced to convert their RRSPs at age 71.
People should be allowed to cash in their RRSP portfolios when it makes financial sense for them, not when the government tells them to.
Our government will also act to protect RRSPs invested with banks from creditors, just as they are protected now with insurance companies.
These initiatives build on other measures we are taking such as speeding up personal income tax reductions and business tax reductions, as well as fast-tracking building projects to keep B.C.'s construction industry working.
These are unprecedented times in the world-wide financial sector.
The impacts will be significant and far-reaching.
That's why it's critical that B.C. continues to show economic leadership for the country and why we're taking the necessary steps now to ensure B.C.'s families, communities and economy emerge even stronger than before.
OSOYOOS TIMES-November 12, 2008
PLENTY OF HERITAGE IN TOWN IF YOU LOOK
Editor:
I can agree with Mayor Slater that just because a building is old does not make it a heritage building.
But I cannot agree with the observation attributed to him where he questions the very existence of any heritage buildings.
To merit heritage recognition a building or site needs to have played a significant role in the early development of a community.
All the other communities which have taken steps to preserve historical buildings cannot be wrong.
The sites which have been suggested have historical significance in the early stages of the growth of Osoyoos.
Surely the home of Judge Haynes built in the early 1880s, which served as a customs house, was the site of the first commercial orchard here and subsequently was occupied by several of our early pioneers, has a place in our history.
Surely the coming of the railroad played a major role in the early development of Osoyoos and the present Yacht Club building which was the railroad station merits historical consideration.
Surely the present Art Gallery building which was built as a Provincial Police headquarters deserves a place in our history.
And surely one of our early schools, and one with a colourful history, may be worth preserving.
Sorry, I do not see major re-development of a structure into something entirely different as heritage preservation.
For example, to tear down the Gallery building and build something else there loses any heritage value.
To leave it in place with its basic structural form intact retains its historical significance.
It seems Mayor Slater and I have different objectives.
He looks for reasons to avoid saving our few remaining historical sites; I seek justification and support for doing so.
It is relatively easy to get support for the concept that the preservation of heritage sites in the community is important; it is another matter to get something done about it.
Tony Brummet,rnOsoyoos
OSOYOOS TIMES-November 12, 2008
BEWARE CANDIDATES WITH DEVELOPMENT TIES
Editor:
For sale?
We finally have confirmation from the horse's mouth!
At the recent (mayoral) candidates meeting, Mr. Scheffler stated that he was financially involved with the developers of the Willow Beach property.
This was the chair of the Oxbow Society speaking, after we all lost a big chunk of pristine wetlands and one of Eike's oxbows to a now inescapable development the size of a small town.
Scheffler had an integral part in the completion of all this and now he follows it up by declaring his support for additional use of land for his next development on the same Willow Beach property, could it just be on additional wetlands?
In a press release from Scheffler just last week in the Osoyoos Times, under Item 4, he wishes to investigate together with the Willow Beach proponents a joint aquatic/recreational/exercise centre in the same area.
Quote: Think of the fabulous opportunities for young families and seniors alike!
(Seniors and young families from Osoyoos?)
Quote: For the young people, the developer is already investigating a natural fishing hole!
(Give me a break¦ three big scoops of a bulldozer?)
Remember this one: After serious deliberation, I (Eike Scheffler) came to the conclusion more could be accomplished as mayor than as regional director!
Repeating my own Oct. 15 statements in the Times: In Osoyoos council we need sincere people; NO opportunists with developer connections, who are flip-flopping between Willow Beach¦ and Anarchist Mountain projects while filling their pockets with consulting fees.
Please vote on Nov. 15. THINK once, THINK twice, don't throw the dice!
Art G. Molenkamp,rnOsoyoos
OSOYOOS TIMES-November 12, 2008
SOME OLIVER RESIDENTS BEHIND EIKE SCHEFFLER
Open letter to all Greater Osoyoos area residents.
From your friends and neighbours in rural Oliver.
Several of us tried for several weeks recently to persuade Mr. Eike Scheffler, the former RDOS Director from Osoyoos, to become our candidate, representing the concerned citizens of rural area C, in the upcoming elections in the Regional District.
He has campaigned tirelessly for many years on behalf of all of us to clean up our waterways and Osoyoos Lake.
He has spoken out and actively and passionately represented us in this Lower Okanagan Region at the Okanagan Basin Water Board and the International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control.
He envisioned and organized the Oxbows Restoration Program and raised most of the funds single-handedly to start this initiative.
Eike has lectured to many groups about the value of our water-based economy and remaining river oxbows, presented convincing arguments to the International Joint Commission to put water quality issues front and centre on the international table, this being the highest priority for our lake's future and the Zosel Dam Orders coming up.
We know that when he again sits at the Regional and Okanagan Basin Water Boards he will speak out forcefully on all our behalf and represent all the South Okanagan citizens, be they rural or town.
He can do this all from the Mayor's chair in Osoyoos.
We urge the voters of Osoyoos to support and vote for this experienced man with solid vision for preserving the future of Osoyoos and the whole Valley.
Concerned Citizens of Area C, South Okanagan,rnChairman William Guenther, of rural Oliver
OSOYOOS TIMES-November 12, 2008
