🚀 go-pugleaf

Tom Ruta wrote:
> 
> I thought (esp.) the rural Canucks would appreciate this one
> as might any other non-resident rural land owners.
> 
> We live full time in one province but have a rural place in
> another province (British Columbia).  Last weekend, a public
> referendum was held to decide upon a parcel tax to allow
> natural gas service.  It was voted down by FOUR STINKING
> VOTES!  Given that natural gas is way cheaper, it surprises
> me somewhat, but that is human nature.
> 
> What _DID_ surprise me, though, is that non-residents of the
> province, despite paying taxes HIGHER than local full time
> residents (they get grants to offset taxes - depends on age,
> etc.) simply CANNNOT vote in  _any_ BC provincial elections
> or referenda of any kind.  In other words, I pay full taxes
> but cannot vote on _anything_ involving my property.
> 
> Hardly sounds fair - does it?
> 

Sorry, I don't see it.  Yes, it sucks to not have a vote in a
jurisdiction where you pay taxes, but, at least in North America, the
tradition and/or law is that you can only register to vote at your
primary residence.  You don't get to vote in two places.  It's the same
way everywhere.   

Yes, taxation without representation sucks.  But people in your
situation aren't the only ones living with it. Whenever I travel, I pay
taxes in the jurisdiction where I go (usually taxes aimed at tourists),
but that doesn't give me the right to vote there (which is why rental
car and hotel taxes are so popular with local voters :).   It's just a
fact that paying taxes doesn't give you the right to vote -- plenty of
tax-paying resident aliens here in the USA can attest to that
unfortunate fact.  Even paying higher taxes doesn't give you the right
to vote.  Back to the resident aliens example, many of them don't get
the same deductions citizens get (e.g., can't deduct dependents that
aren't citizens of or living in the USA), but they still can't vote
here. 

My family owns a second house in rural area.  True, we can't vote
there.  And true, our property tax appraisal is inflated and when we
tried to appeal it they laughed us out of there.  But that's the way it
is -- we vote where our primary residence is, only.  It's just a cost of
having a second home. 

Mike

-- 
"Why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets?"