The recent BC Liberal budget is disgusting. While there have been no tax increases to the wealthy individuals and the multi-billion dollar corporations, a flat tax levied on medical premiums hurts the working people far more than the wealthy class.
The increase of 20 cents an hour to the minimum wage in September still keeps BC in 12th position out of the 10 provinces and three territories. A person working full time on minimum wage earns approximately $1,600 a month. With rent costing as much as 50 percent of take-home pay, there’s not much left over for all the other necessities of life. An immediate increase to the minimum wage of $15 an hour would certainly help working people to slightly improve their standard of living.
According to the budget, by 2018, health care spending will decline and over the same period, so will expenditures on education.
Meanwhile, billions of dollars will be spent on the unnecessary Site C hydro dam and the government plans to set aside $100 million dollars for a BC Prosperity Fund.
Prosperity is definitely not in the cards for the average citizen in this province.
Bob Abrahams, Nelson
