FOR British Columbia Provincial Political Party
4BC is the only Party that is FOR BC
FOR British Columbia Provincial Political Party
4BC is the only Party that is FOR BC
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FIND THE CAUSE BEFORE YOU APPLY THE CURE
The People of British Columbia Want to Understand Where Money is Spent & Want Government Programs to Benefit the People.
Ideas below, reflect your voice.
Why FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY?
It seems like most programs are created like new subsidies to programs that do not function properly. Like pots under a leak, we keep adding more pots instead of fixing the source of the leak. 4BC is tired of more programs where people need to fit many requirements that offer more denials than benefits. 4BC plans to find out where the money is really going. We are looking at a complete financial audit. An audit that will be published to the people. The people of BC have the right to know where every penny is spent. Once we know where the money is going, then we can start making changes that benefit British Columbia:
(Welfare, Student Aid Loans, Disability Assistance)
If we can see where the money is spent, we can alter programs to function to benefit individuals in BC.
There can be more funds in the pockets of the people, if the people were supported with 'automatic' benefits to public education and various income assistance programs that are relied upon by those most in need.
Funding provided for monthly expenses do not cover the needs of an individual or family. This must change. By having a full review/revision of the programs, and consultation with recipients, we can recalculate budgets to fix the source of the disparity. 4BC believes that Families and Individuals need more funds to meet the actual costs of living--no more 30 year old budgets that do not represent today's economy.
Day Care or
STAY CARE?
4BC Believes Families Should Decide
If They Want to Stay Home with
their Child.
Funds allocated for
'day care' should be allocated to the parent who has decided to stay home or a
family relative who would like to. Why should
families be dissected to meet government programs? Programs should meet the needs of the family,
not the other way around. Day Care is
not for every family, not everyone works daytime--many overnight workers do not
need daycare and the added costs of attending day care are always out of
pocket: lunches, transportation, pro-d
days cost more, fees at day cares for missed or late arrivals. Not to mention that families are missing out
on valuable time together. Our time with
our children is important, it should be valued.
Families should be benefited with choice and funds to stay home.
4BC believes that we can assist all students/families to remove this burden by providing all your child needs in their school day. 4BC would like school bus rides to and from school should be a normal part of our education system. Why not consider School Buses that run on electricity? or what about those h20 buses (why were those put out of business?) We want to make life easier for families. Education is a right, it should be accessible, without cost to the family. The sense of community begins with inclusion and public benefits that all British Columbia residents can depend on.
4BC would like to see Options in Education
4BC would like to see more programs like The Flexible Studies Program at Reynolds High School, offered to all BC Students in the Public School System, a program that is designed with students. This way access to education can become something we can achieve anywhere we are by developing new on-line courses and integrating course work with community involvement. By becoming active in education, our students will be confident to learn and share what they know. Changes like these will give students opportunities to succeed by developing their curriculum and schedules with instructors, this will change the way education is offered in future years.
Changes need to begin today, so we can develop new pilot education programs like The Flexible Studies Program. Students have different needs, we need to alter the way programs operate to benefit students. If education was accessible with transportation, lunches and snacks automatically provided, and courses designed for student involvement--we will see families with more money in their pockets (no need to pack a lunch, or pay for transportation) and options for education!
4BC is FOR BC HOMES
Homelessness
is prevalent, we only have to
open our eyes and look around our streets. Many families post ads
asking for landlords to accept them, we see folks offering their
services as personal subsidies to afford their rent. Certainly this
reality is a
sure sign that something about residential properties needs to change,
now.
4BC is not going to ignore the fact that current systems that manage tenancies across British Columbia requires immediate change. Currently the RTB are overwhelmed with applications for tenant resolution processes--this current system is inadequate to deal with today's issues. 4BC has heard the voices of tenants and concerns of landlords and have come up with a few ideas that might help both parties:
Regulate Residential Rental Properties by coordinating resources between the Residential Tenancy Branch and Municipal Authorities to Enforce Tenancy Act Regulations. Homes are a basic human need, they should be priority for BC Families, Residents. Municipalities must coordinate resources to ensure RTB Orders are adhered to. This may begin with coordinating a list of rental properties and communicating with RTB to determine the state of rental properties, and to also discover areas of rental properties that need attention and review.
4BC would move toward changing the way the Residential Tenancy Branch Operates by Coordinating Resources with Municipal Authorities to enhance the way rental properties are managed, and how information is shared within the RTB and Municipal Authorities. 4BC suggests the creation of a database for rental properties that become rental histories that follow the property after they change ownership. When new applications are received for Dispute Resolution, a cross reference will be made to see if previous tenants or previous landlords reported the same issues brought forth in a dispute. This would help the RTB and Municipal authorities identify recurring safety or property issues, or recurring 'unconscionable landlords' (especially if they are issues of safety or the material terms of a rental). 4BC will move for additions to the Residential Tenancy Act to protect Tenants from 'unconscionable' Landlords with repeated offenses of the RTA by introducing penalties and bans placed upon offending Landlords, and, changing the format of procedure for move-out inspections.
A Change that Restores the Dignity Renters Need & the Protection Landlords Want. Landlords can be certain their property meets Provincial and Municipal rental standards (Tenancy Act,Safety Acts, Building codes, etc.), an assurance Tenants can trust. The Provincial and Municipal Acts related to Properties or Tenancy should be used as a guide for processing applications. Instead of hearings immediately scheduled, meetings are made with recommendations to the proper authority to follow up. This way, the community becomes involved in the process of resolving disputes of rentals and property management. New procedures like this would eliminate doubt when it comes to determining what the property 'needs', and provides an accurate account of documenting what actually took place at each property. Hearing processes would be more geared toward legal disputes in small claims court as Arbitrators will no longer make decisions by themselves--a hearing will no longer be the end solution to dispute resolutions. Not every tenancy requires a hearing, rather, most issues brought forth require a group of people to attend immediate, physical matters at hand. Hearings discussing past events of two years ago no longer should be on stage for discussion.
Consider changing the
way funds are disbursed, instead of programs filled with administration, the
funds go directly to the families of BC.
This program could give BC families and individuals an opportunity for a living wage at current 'minimal wage' requirements.
If we had it our way, 4BC would like to see that all BC citizens (born in Canada that have a BC Birth Certificate and reside in BC) will receive a Guaranteed Income. This amount would be distributed on an individual basis. Yes, each eligible child in the family receives a payment. This is a 'lofty idea' we are told, we call it necessary. The needs of families have spoken, 4BC is here to say what Families want, that is: More funds to live.
Develop the HEMP INDUSTRY in British Columbia,
Legalize MARIJUANA,
&
Allow Smoke Lounges
There are a few differences between hemp and marijuana. The primary is the levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp is a surprisingly versatile plant for industry. It can be grown and made into a variety of items such as: Hemp CARS, HempCRETE (that does not mold or burn), is a bio-degradable replacement for plastics, oil, specialty foods, and many other uses we have not yet conceived of! Hemp has a low THC so if you smoke it you will be lucky if you can even feel anything. 4BC is for no more limits on how much hemp one can grow, it will be just another agricultural product. If you can grow canola, you can grow hemp. Farmers can start using it in their crop rotation.
Marijuana is a surprisingly versatile plant. It can be used
for recreation, it has medicinal qualities that ease pain, encourage appetite, or sleep. Marijuana is just a plant that has had a bad reputation for too long. It is 4BC's
position that Marijuana will be treated like alcohol. No need for
unnecessary membership cards or applications that require disclosure of
personal information. If you are old enough to buy alcohol (18, our
Platform for Age of Majority), you can buy Marijuana. You can grow it,
smoke it, buy it, and
transport it. Like alcohol: you have to
be 19 (18), you cannot smoke out in
public, you cannot drive while stoned, and you cannot give it to a
minor. On the business side, you still require the
licenses to grow, sell, distribute, import and export.
THE BUDDING BUSINESS OF GREEN
Why not allow people who have experience growing, selling and distributing Marijuana, continue? Since Marijuana will be Legal, conducting normal business becomes a business enterprise. Why should there be so much government influence in the 'trade' of Marijuana sales? We all know BC Bud has a Reputation for its quality--world renowned by satisfied customers. Taxation of this 'newly legalized industry' should be minimal, allowing this once 'black market' dominated economy to flourish the British Columbia Business Economy. A thriving Hemp and Marijuana business community not only provides thousands of *NEW Jobs*, it also boosts the tourism industry and local businesses by feeding, entertaining and housing guests year round. It seems foolish to exclude the marijuana industry from political discussions, or from the protection of over-taxation (SIN tax) just because it is a change to society that is difficult for 'old thinkers' to accept.
TAX TAX AND MORE TAX
It is said that in life there are two guarantees: death and taxes. They never did say anything about all the hidden taxes that drive us to an early death. It is amazing just how much is kept hidden from us. The information is out there, but it is not shared with the people. This has to stop.
Let us start with a voter from BC. Say they make $60,000 per year. According to BC tax rates they are taxed at 7.70% for 2016. Then they pay the Canadian Government 20.5%. After, they have to pay 5% for various goods and services to the Federal Government AND a Provincial Sales Tax on certain goods. How much one pays in PST will depend on what one is buying. Normally it is 7% but if one goes to buy some liquor it is 10%.
Let us look at the carbon tax in
BC. As all tax schemes it was sent to
increase over the years. Another tax for
the middle class. The government allows
low income earners to have a refundable climate action tax credit. Now the Federal Government is looking to put
forward a federal carbon tax. Do you
think you can afford it?
One cannot be taxed into prosperity.
Look at the gas tax. Another hidden in the overall cost. A set rate that the provincial government takes for “vehicle infrastructure.” Now Victoria Regional Transit Commission wants to increase it. They indicate that the increase will be put toward a better transit system and expansion.
You always hear that, the tax increase ‘x’ will improve program ‘y.’
We want to See where the funds are going, for real.BC Tax Rates
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/income-taxes/personal/tax-rates
BC PST Rates
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/sales-taxes/p
Low Income Climate Action Tax Credit
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/income-taxes/personal/credits/climate-action
Canadian Tax Rates
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html