Just to clarify my point, the HST in principal is a brilliant idea. Any time you can streamline the tax collecting and remitting process for a business of any size, dollars and time will be saved. But that is only one small aspect of the HST, the one that Liberals and many uninformed voters are focusing on.

That, you see, is the harmonizing part... but what about the 20 per cent of goods and services that were never subjected to the PST? That is a seven per cent tax grab for an amazing amount of goods and services that were previously only charged just five per cent. So really this is the Harmonized Added Tax Event, or HATE.

For all of those businesses that have now "flipped" flip away, you likely didn't have to increase your prices by seven per cent, and you most certainly enjoy the new streamlined tax remittance process.

So really, as I have said so many times before, the solution is very, very simple. Keep the HST, allow all of these businesses large and small to continue to save time and money by harmonizing their tax remittance.

But get rid of the additional seven per cent of tax on that 20 per cent of goods and services and allow all of the effected business' to lower their prices by that seven per cent and go back to collecting just the five per cent of GST that we always had.

Why, I ask, why one single Liberal Party member hasn't explained to the electorate that this is not a viable solution... because it is, that's why. Who knows, should you consider this option you might even be able to salvage what is left of your political careers.

But, of course, there is no tax revenue for the province under that plan and, better yet, it makes sense, that's why it will never happen.

BRENT ARASON

Casey's Caffeine

Kamloops