Finance spokesperson Roy Schneider:
playing with tax numbers and wishfull thinking

Nipawin - September 2, 2000 - by: Mario deSantis
   

lies over lies

I remember when Premier Roy Romanow charged the ex-provincial tories of not being
able to add up numbers and stated how his government was charismatic, compassionate,
and fiscally responsible. At Ensign, we have found Premier Romanow and his
government to be phony leaders in Phonyland(1). Therefore, we must keep up with
our work of documenting the corrupted behaviour of our present leadership, and
highlight their relentless approach to always change numbers to their favour, to always
play good psychology versus working for needed fundamental changes, to always put
a smile on their plastic faces rather than feeling embarrassed for their mistakes, to
always look at our societal concerns for making a fast buck. In few words, this
administration is cumulating lies over lies and it is resembling an ever inflating
balloon ready to blow up at any time.

 

 

very smart

Today, let's talk about adding up numbers at Minister Eric Cline's Finance
Department, and pay attention to the recent eloquent statements made by
spokesperson Roy Schneider. We must understand that our finance people
are very smart; however, we must also know that being very smart and playing
with numbers is not the same as working for the people.

 

 

provincial accounting system

I just wanted to provide this premise, so that, you reader can make up your own
mind on the behaviour of our Finance people. As I was mentioning, these people
are very smart, they fool you with an array of numbers coming out of their ears,
so what is important in evaluating these people is to pay attention to the way they
talk, and not to their abilities to fool you with numbers and to divert the subject
matter. These people have the ability to talk for ever and saying nothing, and this
is why they maintain a provincial accounting system which is not comprehensive,
and this is why they shuffle money from one source of a crown corporation to
another agency or to general revenues, and this is why they have discretional
reserves or shock absorbers for diluting the money trail.

 

 

no one has
run with the money

These people are very smart, the only problem with them is that they mix up so
many numbers that they can't recognize anymore one number from another, which
is which. And this is occurring in more than one governmental department. For
example, when Minister of Health Pat Atkinson was asked what happened to the
$51 million overrun for the closure of the Plains Health Centre, she had no more
number to play with and she said "no one has run with the money(2)." Whenever
there are no more numbers to play with, the "no one has run with the money"
becomes the final answer of our millionaires in our government. And these
governmental people don't need to play 'Millionaires', they just serve themselves.

 

 

extra $46 million

In the last provincial budget, Honourable Eric Cline boasted tax reforms which
will make Saskatchewan more competitive with Alberta. He stated that in a span
of a year Sales Tax Reform will provide additional taxes in the amount of $142.7
million(3). However, in the three months beginning with April 1, 2000, the
government collected an extra $46 million in taxes compared to the same period
last year. By the end of the fiscal year, it is reasonable to expect that the total extra
taxes would be in the amount of $184 million (46*4=184), that is they will be in
excess of $41.3 million (184-142.7=41.3) of the governmental estimate.

 

 

tax grab

Therefore, there is evidence that the Tax reforms are nothing else but an immediate
tax grab for this government. But Finance spokesperson Roy Schneider is standing
by the tax savings promise and said that he has departmental numbers which
"were not included in the Spring budget because it would have made the document too long... It's in the background briefing papers. It isn't in the public document itself. We show the end result, we don't really show how we got there(4)."
Mr. Roy Schneider is another governmental laugh, and I may mention something
else as an additional evidence that this tax reform is another tax grab by this
government: starting July 1, 2000, Sales Tax Reform will be expanded to include
legal, accounting, architectural, consulting and engineering services; building
services; advertising services; and Employment services.

 

 

inflated
balloon

Playing with tax numbers and wishful thinking is not working anymore Mr. Schneider,
get real and stop being an inflated balloon, you may blow up out of your own puffing air.
   
------------References/endnotes:
   
  General reference: articles by Mario deSantis http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/authors/desantisNG.html
   

1.
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Honourable Janice MacKinnon and her rolling economy in Phonyland, by Mario deSantis, May 8, 2000
   

2.
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The closure of the Plains Health Centre: The $50 million overrun and the gimmick of saving money in health care, by Mario deSantis, December 19, 1999
   

3.
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-
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A PLAN FOR GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY: PERSONAL TAX REFORM IN SASKATCHEWAN, by Taxation and Intergovernmental Affairs Branch, Saskatchewan Department of Finance, section: "Saskatchewan's Tax Reform Will Be Affordable", page 18, March 29, 2000 http://www.gov.sk.ca/finance/budget/budget00/brochure.pdf
   

4.
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Tax numbers don't add up, CBC Saskatchewan, http://www.sask.cbc.ca Web Posted | Aug 30 2000 12:15 PM EDT