So, Campbell River, how does it feel to be screwed?
First of all, get your filthy minds out of the gutter because I’m referring to “screwed over.” You know, that phrase, so eloquently uttered by our mayor.
Yes, our new mayor, the Left Coast version of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford: big, burly, and not afraid to shoot from the lip and ask questions later.
In a tantrum not seen or heard in council chambers since former Mayor Ken Forde (RIP) found a fly doing the backstroke in his water glass, our current mayor let his beady-eyed enemies have it after losing out on the budget vote.
“Taxpayers are being screwed!” he bellowed.
Really? And all this time I thought we were being screwed over by the oil companies.
To put matters into perspective, Mayor Walter Jakeway’s rant was over the proposed tax hike which will amount to $136 a year for the average home owner. That works out to 37 cents a day, give or take a hay penny.
While driving down Island last week, I also had a mild rant after seeing the price of gasoline in Duncan: $1.25.9 a litre. In Campbell River I filled up at $1.39.9 a litre.
The difference, I figure, was $8.40 which means that after 16 fill-ups in Campbell River, I will have paid the equivalent of the proposed tax increase. Let me add that I fill up the truck about once a week, so that calculates out to $436.80 a year.
That’s a whole lot more than the proposed tax increase, but I don’t see Mayor Jakeway getting hot under the collar about oil companies. I don’t even hear him bellowing why Duncan drivers should get such a sweet break at the pumps.
I also figure Campbell River taxpayers are getting a lot more for their money than they’re getting from the oil companies. You would think that by charging a extra $8.40 for every fill-up, the oily fat cats should be able to pay someone, ANYONE, to clean the stinking bathrooms!
Let me also add that Campbell River is far cleaner than any gas station john.
However, some people don’t see it that way. They think the folks at city hall have nothing better to do than gouge the taxpayer in order to hire more grape peelers.
Instead of looking around at the blue ocean, snow-capped peaks, towering evergreens, and friendly pink faces saying “hello” to you on our clean streets, they choose to see everything they perceive as wrong in our city. And instead of giving thanks for living in this blessed country, they choose to nitpick about how much better it really should be.
That’s always a sign that when people have it so good, their “only recourse” is to bitch. I think they should take up their tax complaints with the Syrians and Libyans.
paulr@campbellrivermirror.com
