🚀 go-pugleaf

Tom Ruta wrote:
> 
> "Richard K. Downer" <richard.k.downer@boeing.com> wrote:
> 
> ...
> >> 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?
> >
> >I think it's quite fair to only allow people to vote in one location.
> 
> Why is that fair?  I pay taxes (more - up to three times the
> "locals").  Are you suggesting then that I need only pay
> taxes in one location?  Besides, keep reading - I address
> your point further on.

I'm saying that each person gets one vote. You cannot (or at least I
don't believe you should be able to) buy votes by paying taxes in
multiple jurisdictions.
> 
[snip]
> 
> What I, and any reasonably rational and fair and democratic
> individual  might also think is that "taxation without
> representation" is fascist.

And I, and any resonably rational and fair and democratic individual
might also think, is that buying votes is elitist at best.

> 
> >Choosing where you will vote is just another
> >"cost" of your second home; if you can't afford every aspect of owning
> >it, you should sell it.
> 
> Huh?  Due to hard work (and not handouts) I _can_ afford it.
> <I only wish I was a "rich kid"...>

Apparantly not, if you're not willing to pay the price of not voting
everywhere you happen to own property. What about corporations -- they
own property, they pay taxes, yet they don't get a vote. Do you think
any legal entity that owns property should get a vote just for owning
property?

> 
>  But do you realize that non-local residents to an area in
> BC _can_ vote (non-resident elector clause in the current
> Municipal Act)?  WHat that means is that a full time BC
> resident DOES have the right to vote in two places.

I did not know that. If true, then BC has some screwy rules and I can
understand why you're upset. So, does this allow BC residents to vote
mulitple times in national elections, too? Provincial elections? If they
only allow this multiple voting in local elections, how does each
jurisdiction know which votes to count and which to ignore? Are there
multiple ballots? If so, how do they know which ballot to give you
(local only vs. local & national)? It seems like such an administrative
nightmare that I don't see why they'd do it, unless the people demanded
it in a referendum, and I find that hard to believe since this would be
seen by many as another perk for the rich. I'd be curious to learn more
about this...

> 
> So basically the BC government says we'll take your
> non-resident money but if as you reside SOMEWHERE in the
> province you can tell your neighbour what to do.
> 
> Tom

I'm sorry, but I don't follow that. Are you saying that if your primary
residence is in BC then you can also vote in other BC elections, but if
your primary residence is outside BC then you cannot vote in any BC
elections? You're right, that doesn't seem fair; but as I say, allowing
multiple votes at all doesn't seem fair to me.
-- 
Rick Downer
BCAG I/S, Renton
richard.k.downer@boeing.com

These opinions are not mine, they're Boeing's. Boeing paid me while I 
opined them, so Boeing owns them. But Boeing might not agree with them.