Let’s forget about when Tax Freedom day is, and let’s instead ask, “Are we getting the best value for what we are currently providing to government?”

Today, John Rustad (BC Liberal MLA for Nechako Lakes) asked the following question on his Facebook page, “Is June 11th acceptable as tax freedom day?”

It’s a good question and, as of mid-morning, it has elicited a number of responses; here are two that I thought had some time put in to them:

What would the tax free day look like if we included a real debt repayment plan? Are we spending too much or taxing too little? Both answers require us to remember when we demand something from government. We all have to pay for it. If you fail to repair a road, the repair still needs to be made or you need to shut down the road.

Gentle reminder...Canada does NOT have free health care or free K-12 education. We all pay for it. And we pay a lot for it. The question is whether or not we get good value out of our health care system for what we put in? I'm not smart enough to know the answer to that question, but if Canadians are going to have a real discussion about how to pay for health care, we need to eliminate the misnomer of a "free" health care system from our culture.

Here is what I contributed to the conversation:

Tax freedom day should be whenever we have provided government, with the financial resources they need, to carefully and planfully provide the services we "need" not “would like” to have. 

Government must have the desire and fortitude to carefully ensure that we have the minimum numbers in bureaucracy and staff needed … that the services provided are really needed, and not an overlap of other government levels … that pay scales and benefits are no more than what is provided in the private sector.

Most people have no qualms about paying taxes (although we complain about paying them) – we just want to know that the money we are being asked to fork over is being well used.  Sadly, many of us do not feel that is happening.

ALSO … June 11^th was the ‘average’ for across Canada – I wonder what the actual date is here in BC?

I think the question, “Is June 11th acceptable as tax freedom day?”, is actually the wrong one to ask.  No day is going to be acceptable, if we do not know that government is being wise with the use of our money … and if they fail to keep in mind the faces of the people who have worked to provide it.

The bottom line is that money in the hands of government is not adding to the economic well-being of our province and country. 

The manufacturing sector, retail, tourism, housing, recreation … all rely on us having money to spend.  If we don’t have it, then those sectors will not be healthy, and cannot continue to add new jobs.

Without those jobs, government has a smaller pool of people and businesses to provide the revenues it needs, and as a result, each of us then ends up paying more in taxes and fees. 

With those jobs on the other hand, the economy is stronger, more people are working, and the resources government needs are more readily available.

Let’s forget about when Tax Freedom day is, and let’s instead ask, “Are we getting the best value for what we are currently providing to government?”

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of one conservative.  The floors open, what do you think?