Over the Edge September 8-22 By Hanna Petersen || News Editor It's been over two months since the introduction of the HST on July 1 and the controversy can be heard in conversations throughout homes, offices, checkout lines, and taxicabs across the province. British Columbia is a diverse place but over 700,000 people united in signing a petition to fight the unwanted tax. The number of people actively opposed to the tax is astonishing when compared the extremely low voter turnouts and the general political apathy across the country. The distaste for the HST _ is understandable as it combines the Provincial Sales Tax at 7% and the Government Sales tax at 5% totalling ina whopping 12% on most consumer goods and services. What’s more frustrating is the HST disproportionately impacts lower income learners while benefiting big business. While the province is grumbling about paying the increase in taxes, the Liberal government is enjoying the 1.6 billion dollars from Ottawa needed to harmonize the taxes. So the unprecedented outrage against the HST is understandable even commendable. However, the enormity of the political awareness and protest in the province- all over a tax percentage- is a little bittersweet. Sweet as it is a step forward for democracy. The passing of the Fight HST petition is also a remarkable achievement for the province. Bitter in that the HST petition marks the first and only time a petition has been passed since the law allowing such petitions was enacted in 1995 and_ it has taken this long for the province to unite and fight a political issue. The efforts of the British Columbians against the HST were almost halted as a conglomerate of B.C. business claimed the petition was invalid because the HST is federal land not subject to Provincial laws. Luckily, Supreme Court Judge Robert Bauman has allowed the petition to proceed. Premier Gordon Campbell has even acknowledged the democratic achievement of the Fight HST petition. This resurrection of democratic action is due to the act that people simply don’t want to pay more money for the things they need to buy. While the anti-HST movement builds steam and heats up the Provinces political landscape, the other issues in the provinces remain ignored. The HST petition has 700,000 signatures and has spawned protests and unprecedented activism yet the fact that B.C.’s child poverty rate has been the highest in Canada or seven years seems to be of little interest to As th e province goes full force against the HST, we’re left wondering, “what abou the other issues The Best Place on Earth Is the HST the only thing happening in BC right now? most British Columbians. There is also very little public outrage that British Columbia has the lowest minimum wage in Canada and no poverty reduction strategy. British Columbia has also seen outrageous government funding cuts this past year and B.C.’s public sector was already the smallest in Canada. The Provincial Government has cut funding to much needed seniors care programs, B.C. school sports programs, heath care programs, and funding for mental health and the disabled. Support for public services suffering under severe budget restrictions has not seen the same amount of public attention or media attention as the anti-HST movement. What makes the public support of the anti-HST movement so bittersweet is that many charities and organizations exist that desperately need that kind of public effort and support but are instead continually overlooked. Organizations like Canada Without Poverty, a_ charitable organizationthat promotes social security and fair wages for all Canadians, try to address the issues created by B.C.’s low minimum wage, While the ant-HST movement builds steam and heats up the provinces political landscap, the other issues in the province remain ignored. welfare rates, and lack of affordable housing. Budget cuts to essential social services results in a greater need for government and public support of not-for-profit organizations that often fill those gaps. Another serious issue that is continually ignored by British Columbians and the Provincial Government is the Downtown Eastside. The Downtown East side has been labelled the poorest neighbourhood in all of Canada. This isn’t surprising considering the levels of homelessness, drug use, and HIV/AIDS in this singular Vancouver neighbourhood alone. While most people have accepted that the Downtown Eastside is a bad neighbourhood, organizations like DERA (The Downtown Eastside’s Resident’s Association) have been working for years on improving the area. DERA fights to focus attention from the government, industry, and the public on addressing components of poverty and homelessness. If British Columbians could put the same amount of effort into fighting the HST into a wide range of issues that affect the province than BC might really become the best place on earth. What British Columbia can hope for from the anti-HST movement, is that the activism and democratic revival doesn’t end with the resolution of the HST petition, but that British Columbians continue to care about issues affecting their province. News Page 3 Tomorrow's Professionals Apply Today! Apply Online! 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January 7, 2011: Application deadine Cheers to the Tap: Bottled Water Free Orientation By Alexie Stephens || Contributer The Orientation 2010 coordinators are proud and excited to officially call Orientation 2010 a Bottled Water Free Event. In addition to a number of other green initiatives that the Orientation crew has taken, the main events of orientation did not serve bottled water. Hidden beneath convenience of bottled water are a number of health, social, economic and environmental issues. At Orientation, students used compostable cups, along with water pitchers and school water fountains. Students, new and old alike are encouraged to use reusable water bottles and refill with tap water, whenever it is available. Come up to the NUGSS office for a free water bottle made from recycled plastics! The plates and napkins used at Orientation were made of compostable materials. The compostable dishes went to a farm to be integrated into a compost/manure pile, and will have completely bio- degraded by next spring. Orientation 2010 was also a paperless event, with coordinators and contributors shying away from handouts whenever possible. Showcasing all of these green initiatives to students as soon as they are on campus sets a precedent for green behaviors from students for the remainder of the year, and encourages life-long green habits. UNBC, Canada’s Green University™, encourages all students, staff and faculty to take green initiatives and create life long green habits for the betterment of our world.