Morning Buzz: April Fool's Your Taxes Are Going Up! Wait A Minute...

April Fool’s day has come and passed and although Vancouver got fooled by yours truly (Sorry, but if it comforts you shoppers both Nordstrom and Victoria Secret are in talks to come to Vancouver in a big way, that is no joke, I promise) and Google, it seems the biggest joke of all isn’t a joke at all. Yesterday the B.C. government announced the following tax changes.

2% increase in the gas tax to help pay for the Evergreen Line. The increase is expected to generate $32-$45 million annually. Can we please get the NEVERGREEN Line just built already so we could focus on other more important transit projects like the UBC/Broadway corridor line and more bus service south of the Fraser!
Hydro rates will increase by 7%.
Ferry fares will increase 4%. $2 for a car and an extra $0.50 for walk-ons.
Transit fares in Victoria will increase by 3% for fare cards.

Don’t worry there is some good news as well for B.C. taxpayers as well.

The B.C. new housing HST rebate threshold increases to $850,000. Why didn’t they do this in the first place instead of repealing the tax?

The government could have waited to announced this today. Making this announcement on April Fool’s is just plain mean.

Taxes are inevitable and necessary to pay for things like the $700 million road/rails plan. However, I just wish the government was more efficient.