With the BC Provincial election looming mid-May, I ask myself, what do I want in a political party?
Social Policy
Reform of the provincial welfare system needs the first major overhaul in 40+ years. Start with the able-bodied who are on the system anywhere in BC. If they do not prove that they have applied for any type of work they qualify for their cheques are stopped until they apply for at least two jobs per week somewhere in BC. There are hundreds of good paying jobs that go begging in the North that are not being filled, and hundreds of able-bodied workers who choose to sit at home and wait for ‘payday’ – the last Wednesday of the month.
Make getting off welfare worthwhile. Currently recipients are deduced dollar for dollar when they earn money so unless the single recipient is earning $700/month there is no financial advantage to getting off welfare as they receive the same funds whether they work or not. This can be resolved by allowing recipients to keep 30% of the net funds they earn until they earn enough to be off the system entirely.
Drug testing needs to be undertaken upon application for welfare, and randomly thereafter: those currently on welfare will be tested randomly starting 01 June 2013. Any signs of illicit drugs or alcohol are an indication that they are receiving excessive funds, so the cost of the drug test is to be deduced fro the welfare cheque, and the benefit is halved for the next three months with subsequent positive tests seeing the welfare funding eliminated completely for a period of two years. The savings alone will cover the costs of the drug tests.
Business
Government has to get out of the business of being in business. Sell off all of the Government businesses and Crown Corporations to private industry. Liquor stores, BC Ferries, BC Hydro, Highway building/maintenance, and BC Place (PavCo) come immediately to mind. The government needs to reduce their employee bloat and only employ those who are working for the betterment of the society as a whole, or areas into where private industry will not venture (Government taxation at all levels, public education, health care, etc.)
Accounting and Accountability
All accounting for all areas of government must follow the same policies and procedures afforded by a GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Practices) determined by the Auditor General. Each MLA and every person working on behalf of the public needs to be held to a higher standard of fiscal accountability – accountability that can be easily understood by the average person who has graduated Grade 12. Hiding behind technicalities, lack of receipts for payments, junkets and jaunts that have no outcomes all have to stop for ALL government employees and elected officials.
The job of every government employee is to ensure that every BC citizen also has meaningful employment. Economists tell us that 95% employment is an indication of a healthy economy. Taking that into consideration, if the employment rate is below 95%, then that is the amount of pay elected officials need to accept – e.g. If the employment rate is 90%, then government employees will only receive 90% of their annual wages. If employment reaches 95%, then they get the additional 5% as a bonus and get full pay.
Economic Development
Enough studies have been done already – no need for further research to develop renewable resources for the economic growth of BC.
Instead of reforestation of clear-cut, modify the pulp/paper plants to use hemp for making paper products (NB: Every copy of the 1775 US Constitution is written on hemp paper). The plant can replenish itself in two years (vs. 30years for pine) and therefore a renewable natural resource putting people to work. That which is not used for paper products can be used to make clothing.
Solar powered buildings, malls, villages and towns are a reality in Europe. Why not here? Consider that every mall parking lot could be covered in solar panels – more than enough to power the entire mall and sell back to the electricity grid (currently being done in Germany). This would leave more power for BC Hydro to use and sell offshore (i.e. to California).
Solar/battery powered cars are getting close to reality for cities like Vancouver and Victoria, but little is being done at a provincial level to encourage the building of car plants in the province to capture this market.
Labour Costs
It is well known that approximately 50% of the operational costs of most businesses are labour costs. Likewise there are a number of areas where the Government still needs to keep providing services to the general public (Health Care, Education, etc.) after selling off the ‘businesses’ where threats of labour unrest is apparent every year or two.
My ideal government would look at settling the disputes that are controlled by government treasury by signing off on 10 – 15 year contracts, with all of the COLA clauses built in dependent upon inflation over that period of time and build in the foreseeable demands of the unions. Everybody needs to understand the cost of public services therefore there needs be a new “Provincial Union Tax” of 1% - 5% to cover these costs so that our hospitals, schools, and government services remain open and functioning.
Income tax
The provincial part of income tax needs to be shifted to allow for additional lower income people to keep a little more of the funds they earn. Shift the sliding incremental scale so that the first level of tax is not payable until a person earns $21,330 per annum will allow those earning minimum wages an increase in net pay without forcing employers to pay them more per hour, therefore keeping the business overhead steady. BC political leaders need to inform Canada of this change and lobby for the tax exempt amount at the federal level to match the $21,330 instead of the current $9,800.
More people with more disposable income without raising prices will see more purchases being made, driving the economy in a very positive way.
Transit Options
Transit options are only available to larger metropolitan areas such as the GVRD, Lower Mainland, Victoria, Kelowna, and to a limited extent, Prince George and Kamloops. These areas have transit options available to them that all of the other areas of the province do not enjoy, yet we can see that 80% of the population driving on the freeway into Vancouver only have one person in the vehicle. Granted, for a few, they require their vehicle for multiple trips within the city on any given day, but for the vast majority, they drive, park, work, and drive home.
Fuel taxation increasing by 30% in areas that have public transit options will help pay for the province’s portion of the transit costs.
Health Anomalies
It has always surprised me that grocery stores and pharmacies which offer positive health benefits, also sell tobacco products. A Provincial government could enact a health measure that would see tobacco products only available in outlets do not sell nutrition or medical supplies.
These are just a few of the concepts off the top of my head this blustery Saturday afternoon.
