Low turnout at HST public forum in Vancouver
 

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Is the battle against the HST faltering? Thursday night’s public forum urging people to speak out against the tax was not as well attended as organizers might have hoped.

Roughly 60 people showed up to the meeting which was hosted by five NDP MLAs, but over half the room was empty, leaving some wondering whether outrage over the HST is settling down. Despite the low turn out, some people are still adamantly opposed.

One psychotherapist tells News1130 tells she has been absorbing taxes so far, but fears she won't be able to any longer. "I'm dealing with people who have been tortured, hurt, raped, whatever. The fact is I just simply cannot take money from them to give to the government."

Among the opponents was the vice president of the Canadian Food and Restaurant Association, who calls the HST a slap in the face to an industry that employs more people than forestry, fishing and mining combined

hahahaha
that feels like .. having a birthday party and no one shows up

isn't our participation on RS good enough?

I wasn't even aware of it

they forgot balloons, every party needs balloons, even if its the new democratic party

if this was europe, people would be throwing rocks through buildings right now.

pussy vancouverites.

its going to happen regardless, so we just gotta take it up the ass

Surrrreeeee... you do realise HST is nothing compared with VAT etc in most European countries right? 25% and up? We didn't see any rocks then.

I think the problem is that the forum was run by five NDP MLA's.

The Liberals could raise taxes to 50% and I still wouldn't support any agenda of the NDP.

Kev

big surprise. people talk big but when it comes to actually doing something...

They didn't advertise well enough about there being a public forum about the issue.




you do realize he was referring to the fact that if there's a public issue that the citizenry is adamantly against they don't just bitch at home or behind a computer desk, they actually go out and stir shit up so that the governing bodies realize "oh shit we might have to rethink this" instead of here where the government just says "fuck em"

People didnt show up because even if they did, the hst is coming either way so no point. We're gettin fucked and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it :)

BC ppl all talk and no action...

thats why i stated in those thread before .." i dont care about HST"
they just gonna rammed it down our throats ...

Yes they may employ more people but they pay less then 25% what an entry level job would in those industries. I never hear about protests when a restaurant closes but try closing a mill in a small town and the town is basically shutdown. I support anything that shifts the large unfair tax burden natural resource industries have to pay here in BC. All the good jobs are leaving and all that's left is low paying, mind numbing service jobs.

This

Yep, everyone bitches and complains. But when it comes down to it they just bend over and take it up the ass

Errr those riots is not directly caused by taxes.. it was caused by unemployment and kids who had nothing better to do. The demographic is different. I highly doubt you will see 40+ white collar guys or 50 year old C9s rioting in downtown Vancouver.

However in North America, the anarchists are more tightly monitored / controlled by the state.

The broad majority of the people in EU arent' very happy with the European Union either.. AND their gov say "fuck em" just as much (if not more).

It is very hard to compare a restaurant with a mill.. especially in Vancouver where we have the highest restaurant turnover on the continent. Vast majority of restaurants have a shorter life span than a mill.. not to mention up front investment.

Actually it was a precursor to government scandels and mishandling of money and the lack of public jobs and higher taxation.

if there was a forum held against the HST, i certainly didnt hear about it. NDP fail at announcing it to the public.

Doesnt matter.
Get over it.
No public form meeting is going to change anything.

Embrace the HST... you have no choice.