Letters

Eunice Parker, Coquitlam alderman,
Writes: What’s in store for municipalities? I
believe we are at a crossroads. We can take
the line of least resistance and adopt all the
New measures the provincial government
Suggests in its new Bills 21 to 25 the “Pro-
vincial Municipal Parntership Acts” or we
Can oppose these giveaways and try to pro-
tect the people in our municpality with
Tational administration.

Through the new legislation, which
Municipalities are invited to endorse whole-
heartedly and participate in, we can then
Srant new industries exemptions of 50 per
cent of their property taxes, 50 per cent of
their education taxes and a reduction or
elimination of business licence fees. Furth-
€tmore, the province will give these new

Usinesses a generous reduction in their
electricity rates.

_ Victoria says, “Homeowners won’t face

igher taxes to compensate for the loss of

Uusines property taxes — the government
will pick up the tab from general revenue.”
Is this the same General Revenue who can’t
Taise welfare rates to even the poverty level,
the same one that can’t fund education,
health care or job creation programs? Come
©n now, hardly anyone over the age of three
believes in the tooth fairy. If business and
industry are going to be relieved of taxes, if
‘ Tesources are getting a big write-off then
Who will pay? This tax break will bea gift to
business from our pockets.

The complete elimination of machinery
and equipment tax (for education purposes)
Means a loss of $358 million alone over the
Next three years, and the virtual abandon-
ment of the democratic demand that this

RANKIN
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Barristers & Solicitors
4th Floor, 195 Alexander St.
Vancouver, B.C. V6A 1N8

682-2781

Offers a broad range of
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to business’

EUNICE PARKER. ..‘’municipalities at a crossroads.”’

tax be extended for municipal purposes
which would provide millions in funds for
general revenue. Add the phasing out of
corporation capital tax means a loss of $33
million by 1986/87 and $144 million less in
property taxes for school purposes.

The province forecasts the deficit this
year to be $1 billion. (It turned out to be
$300 million more than predicted last
year.) In 1979 there was a surplus of $542
million and today we “enjoy” a total pro-
vincial debt of $17 billion with interest
payments of $1 million every single day to
service the debt.

Defying all logic, Finance Minister Hugh
Curtis applauded his government in the
budget speech and said “the success of our
restraint program is bringing our deficit
under control.” Incredible!

The cuts in social services, education and
health alone will mean a loss of thousands
of existing jobs and the savaging of an edu-
cation and health care system that has been
a point of some pride for British Columbi-
ans.

If this tax break is extended to business
and industry — who do you think will pick
up the burden? And with no guarantee that
it will create a single new job. What it is
likely to create is a competition among
municipal governments as to who can give
the most and the fastest.

Special economic zones are another pro-
ject the government is anxious to set up, all
in the name of job creation and competition

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on the world market. In the U.S. there are
104 of these zones. Of these only 20 per cent
are operational and about 30 per cent of the
space avilable is utilized. they employ a total
of 14,000 people in the whole United States,
an infintesimal number of jobs in relation to
the U.S. work force. Special economic
zones are in operation in many parts of the
world, and their presence has not brought
great benefits to working people. Electron-
ics and garment manufacturers are domi-
nant features in many of them.

The Yearbook of Labor Statistics 1981
shows average hourly wages for 1980 in
economic zones:

Garment

Electronics Industry
Korea 91 ay)
Malaysia 42 n/a
Singapore 90 80
Japan 5.97 3.56
US. 6.96 4.57

That is hardly a testimonial to prosperity
for workers. Other statistics show the
shameful lack of benefits, job protection
and safety in these low-paid job ghettos.
Not only do these industries get away with a
tax holiday, the low incomes of workers do
not generate tax on their income and the
low level consumer purchasing power does
not create a greater demand for goods and
services.

Municipalities are already in a real bind,
trying to keep pace with growing needs,
rising inflation, cuts in provincial grants and
reduced work forces. The “partnership”
will inevitably lead to a sharply increased
municipal tax on homeowners who will be
called upon to foot the bill and provide the
additional servicing for these industries as
well.

7}
You are invited to an evening of film and update reportsin |

SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE |
OF SOUTH AFRICA
Sunday, April 21, 1985, 7:30 p.m.

Auditorium, King Edward Campus, VCC
1155 East Broadway

SPEAKER: a representative of the African National Congress
FILMS: “You Have Struck a Rock” — focuses on the role of

women in the fight against the pass laws and other repressive
conditions under apartheid.

. , “Generations of Resistance” — chronicles
i the history of the peoples struggle |
against racism in South Africa |
from the founding of the ANC |
in 1906 through to the |
Soweto massacre |
and present day

ADMISSION: $3.50

All proceeds to:
South African
Solidarity

Classified
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Phone 254-9836. Office hours 9:30-12 noon;
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HALLS FOR RENT

RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME — Available for
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Bookstore
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Marxism & the Oppression
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Unitary Theory
Lise Vogel $12.95
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PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 3, 1985 e 11