High taxes is what got the state into this mess, nobody wants to do business there anymore and moved to Arizona and elsewhere with more business friendly climate and the state has seen a huge drop in tax revenue because of this.

I did deal with the issue of domestic utility costs in later posts. I agree that these are the most concerning increases, especially for families with low incomes. The HST tax credit should compensate the lowest income families for these costs, but I have still to see the details of the credit.

This is a reality that I am sure is in the forefront of the government's mind. Business is mobile these days. If you don't have a competitive business tax structure you lose the businesses and the wealth and the jobs they create, so you lose the tax revenue you need to fund the social programs we all want.

The hotel room tax will be replaced by HST so the cost of hotel rooms will go down (a bit).

Do yo actually think that will happen or will they use it to inflate thier margins? I think it will bring a lot of uncertainty next year with the Olympics gone. Perhaps I am being pesermistic but my gut feeling thinks is going to be a tough few years.

I can rember staying at the Chateau (we only paid $99 for the room) in Whistler for Canada day and the area around the immediate vicinty was deserted.

The Americans think BC is expensive and so will the people from Alberta which is not good news. Time will tell.

Biggest issue keeping the Americans away is the stronger Canadian dollar, makes travel to Canada less appealing.

Through the end of May 2009 metro Vancouver tourisim is down 8.6% when compared to the same period in 2008.

Canadian's making trips to Vancouver is also down 8.6% over 2008.

25% less visitors from Japan.
54% less visitors from Malaysia
24% less from Netherlands
24% less from S. Korea

Those were the largest overall declines.

YVR has seen 6.45 million passengers through May 2009, 800,000 less when compared to 2008 or 11% decline.

Tourisim Vancouver which relies on revenue from hotel tax has seen its revenue drop 20%.

http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/V...582/story.html

........so add HST to that and a strong Canadian $$$$ due to rebound in oil prices and interest rates - sounds like a recipe for disaster????

And our biggest trading partner in an even bigger mess! Things are getting ugly. Of course real estate will go up and up in value .....

[QUOTE=Jsmth321;7849412]Biggest issue keeping the Americans away is the stronger Canadian dollar, makes travel to Canada less appealing.



And the protectionist attitudes of the US requiring passports which has resulted in Canada following suit and also requiring US visitors having passports. Only around 20 percent of Americans own a passport.

[QUOTE=dboy;7852086] Its up to about 30% now, but several states and provinces have enhanced ID's/drivers licenses that can be used in leiu of a passport.

[QUOTE=Jsmth321;7852103] It has always amazed me how the rest of the world is getting smaller but the US is hell-bent on building a wall around itself. I hate how they make you feel that they are doing you a favor letting you in when you go down there. Canada and the US should have a way better relationship than they do.