Skip to content

Cross border shoppers let our society down

The vast majority of British Columbians save nothing by cross border shopping.
12120058_web1_Letters-logo-2-660x440

Cross border shoppers let our society down

Inveterate correspondent Joe Sawchuk once again has managed to find a problem and blame the government for it, and as usual he has used doubtful statistics to make his case.

In this particular case Mr. Sawchuk accuses our elected representatives of driving shoppers below the border because of the “sin tax” placed on alcohol, tobacco and gasoline, and quotes the prices of various commodities above and below the 49th parallel to make his case for abolishing those excise duties.

His argument fails on two counts. The first is the cost of travel to the various places of purchase which, when added to the cost of the purchased items generally increases the total expense to equivalence. The vast majority of British Columbians save nothing by cross border shopping. The second is basic citizenship. As Cecil Bennett once told me, “You vote every time you pull out your wallet.”

Shopping in your own community supports local business, which employs local people who pay local taxes. These people’s contribution to our public tax base help pay for the schools we learn in, the hospitals we are born in and the firefighters and police who stand between us and catastrophe. Every cross border shopper is making the choice to short change his or her community. Even those of us who drive to Duncan or further to buy something available in Lake Cowichan are letting our society down.

“And besides,” Mr. Bennett continued, “The closer to home you spend your dollar the better chance it has to come back.” If a busy man like Cecil Bennett could go to the trouble of walking past Eaton’s to buy his hardware from a local store I would suggest that the rest of us should follow his example. It’s been 60 years since we had that conversation but I have never forgotten. The best leadership is by example.

Mr. Sawchuk, on the other hand, would simply remove those taxes because some manage to evade them. Will he then be willing to find the Emergency Room closed when he needs it because nurses do not work for free? I think not. Assuming he survived the disappointment there would be a flaming letter to the editor demanding an explanation and, no doubt, blaming the wrong people.

David Lowther

Mesachie Lake