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Goofy plan should go back to drawing board

Re: “Homeowners must apply for spec-tax exemptions,” Jan. 16. I can’t express strongly enough my opposition to and disgust with this latest addition to the speculation-tax fiasco.

Re: “Homeowners must apply for spec-tax exemptions,” Jan. 16.

I can’t express strongly enough my opposition to and disgust with this latest addition to the speculation-tax fiasco.

A week ago, I was at a public meeting and commended Premier John Horgan’s leadership and the government’s action through its re-entry into the West Coast fisheries arena, and I’ve been cautiously optimistic about other initiatives he and the government have undertaken. However, when the speculation tax and its ever-changing iterations were announced, I saw it as nothing more than a thinly disguised, targeted cash grab.

But this tax-exemption registration requirement wins the government stupidity contest hands down, not only for B.C. but for anything I’ve seen in Canadian politics. All the goodwill the government built up with this longtime B.C. and Canadian non-speculative homeowner went right out the window.

Since when did the solution to a minor problem require all citizens who own homes in the targeted areas to prove each year that they are not speculative pariahs who are driving up prices, and in so doing are preventing the less fortunate from acquiring reasonably priced housing? This needs to be handled on a case-by-case basis.

This goofy plan needs to be sent back to the drawing board. The plan needs to be stopped immediately or the government will pay for it dearly at the polls.

Tom Davis

Colwood