COPE candidates call for
three-point tax reform plan

The Committee of -Pro-
gressive Electors charged last
week that the NPA-dominated
City Council has refused to do
anything to correct the tax and
assessment scandal in Van-
couver which has resulted in a 50
percent increase in taxes for the
average homeowner over the
past five years.

At a meeting of campaign
workers held in COPE’s officies
last Monday night, aldermanic

candidates Harry Rankin,,

ALD. HARRY RANKIN

BRUCE YORKE

PAUL SABATINO

George McKnight, of the Port
Alberni local of the [WA and an
alderman in that city, wants the
B.C. Federation of Labor to
take an active interest in
matters of taxation, assessment
and all matters which affect the
livelihood of workers.

Pointing out that the Council of
Forest Industries is set up to
protect the economic interests of
Companies at the civic level,
McKnight says workers must
havea body to research and
analyze taxation in the same
way, and to give leadership on
those questions.

Sgt fj

‘own briefs...

Bruce Yorke, Ron Gomez, Paul
Sabatino and Muriel Panda
announced a three point tax
reform program which would
result both in lower taxes for
homeowners and tenants, while
at the same time providing
ample funds for improving
services. The three points are:

1. Increased provincial gov-
ernment grants for school and
general purposes, from 24
percent to 80 percent of the cost
of the former and from $25 to $50
per capita for the latter.

2. A graduated business tax
ranging from 6 percent to 20
percent on the larger firms.

3. Assessment of commercial
and industrial properties at true
market values.

Bruce Yorke, a professional
economist and spokesman for
the COPE aldermanic candi-
dates, said the recent provincial
government order (supported
by the NPA) that no individual
tax assessment could be
increased in 1971 by more than
10% was ‘‘a clever scheme
designed to give reductions to
the large commercial property
owners in the city with home-
owners footing the bill.”’

“Tt is the big commercial
property owners whose market

RON GOMEZ

MURIELPANDIA .

Headed by Ald. Harry Rankin, above are the five COPE aldermanic
candidates who last week called for a drastic overhaul of the city’s tax
Policies to lift the loads off homeowners and tenants.

Ald. George McKnight calls on labor
to take active part in civic affairs

“I would propose the Federa-
tion set up (a department)
staffed by capable people,
conduct studies on municipal
financing, assessments,
taxation and other related
matters on a year round basis,
with particular reference to
various laws and acts which
govern these matters. The
Federation could then counter
the policies advanced by such
employer-sponsored groups as
the C.F.I. and put forward our
to protect and
advance our interests...”

The alderman, in a newsletter

values are increased beyond 10
percent by rezoning decisions,
not the small homeowners,’
said the COPE spokesman.

“The individual home owner’s
tax does not depend on his tax
assessment alone. Two other
factors have to be taken into
account — the total revenue to be
raised, and the total assessed
value of all properties (homes,
commercial & industrial) in the
city,

“In 1970 the average assessed
value for commercial
properties rose 17.4 percent, con-
siderably above the 10% limit,
while the average increase for
homes was below the 10 percent
limit, namely 8.1 percent.”

‘Hence the effect of the 10
percent limitation would be to
substantially reduce the total
assessed value of all properties
and thereby shift a greater tax
load to homeowners.

“For instance, if the Bennett-
NPA order had gone into effect
in 1970 instead of 1971, average
homeowner taxes would have
gone up $22 from this factor
alone, in addition to the $21 that
they actually did go up— ora 15
percent increase in _ taxes
altogether.”

The COPE spokesman also
charged the present assessment
system undervalues
commercial and industrial
properties and that the NPA
controlled council and its
appointed officials do everything
they can to perpetuate the
inequalities.

“Homeowners and tenants
paid $33.5 millions in property
taxes in 1969 while business and
commercial concerns paid only

$27.9.millions. A conservative 16 -

percent upward revaluation of
commercial and industrial
properties would result in an
average $37.72 drop in taxes paid
by Vancouver’s 81,375 home
owners.” sph ee ad

““A glaring example of the
inequalities involved is the
assessed value of the Four
Seasons & Bayshore Inn property
at the entrance to Stanley Park.
Competent professional men
have stated that the property is
worth $19.0 millions instead of
the assessed value of $5.7
millions. On the basis of a true
valuation, the Four Seasons
property would have. to pay
$601,160 more in taxes. This one
situation by itself, if corrected,
would mean a drop in taxes for
the homeowner of $7.39.

“It is time the real issues in
the campaign be debated,
namely the tax scandal in Van-
couver, rather than the law and
order smokescreen,” said the
COPE candidates.

distributed to delegates at the
B.C. Federation of Labor’s
annual convention in the
Bayshore Inn, said the Federa-
tion is the larges: organization
in B.C. and represents many
thousands of workers, yet very
few trade unionists sit on
municipal councils.

By adopting an active program
for betterment of conditions at
the civic level, McKnight said
labor could make great progress
from which all of the people of
B.C. would benefit.

“Dummy, of course he was inciting students to violence —
he is one of our undercover agents!”

Youth must play role
in changing Canada

By LORI GORDON

Youth must play an active role
in the struggles for a Socialist
Canada, said Liz Hill, executive
secretary of the Youth Com-
munist League speaking on
Tuesday night, Nov. 3, ata
public meeting in the Fisher-
man’s Hall.

Her stay in Vancouver was
part of her tour of the various
YCL centres across Canada.

Speaking on our ‘‘Society in
Crisis,’ she explained that in the
present situation of énflation,
increasing unemployment and
poverty, the housing shortage,
and growing problems in health
and education, the youth are
most affected.

Because of the job shortage,
and because young people are
the last hired and first fired,
they cannot gain the working
experience necessary to qualify
for unemployment insurance.
Therefore, government figures
do not include the majority of
young people who could very
well double the unemployment
percentage in Canada. i

Meanwhile, she said, jobless
youth cannot complete their
education, nor live a decent,
productive existence. The
Young Communist leader added
that many unemployed youth
have been offered jobs by the
government, in military
research and services. However,
this provides neither a
worthwhile part in the building
of Canadian society nor a mean-
ingful future.

Although the government
continually tries to put the
burden of the problems facing
our society on the backs of the
working class, the present
condition of our country is a
reflection of the general crisis of
the capitalist world. The road to
change this situation lies in Cana-
dian unity, not terrorism.

Liz urged young people not to be
confused and led astray by the
ultra-left, but rather to become
involved in the working class’s
immediate struggles for an

independent Canada and for the

development of our natural
resources for Canadians.

Two other positive spheresjof ;

struggle, which should also

concern young Canadians, are
the creation of new jobs by the
construction of much needed
low-cost housing, and an east-
west power grid. Money to
finance these projects could
easily be taken from a cut-down
in the defense budget.

Liz Hill expressed her hope
that the ‘‘Young Worker,’ by
answering many questions
concerning young people, and by
publicizing Young Communist
policies, will draw many more
Canadian youth into the fight for
a better Canada. So far, a few
thousand copies of the. ‘‘Young
Worker’”’ have been distributed
across the country and the re-
sponse has been excellent.

Vietnam Aid
Leaves City’

On Tuesday, November 3, the
27th consignment of aid to the,
children of Vietnam left
Vancouver on the Soviet S.S.
‘‘Alisher Navoi’’.

The 11 crates contained bed
covers and garments, 200 pounds
of Vitamin ‘d’ powder, surgical
and school supplies, knitting
wool, clothing fabric, medical
books and miscellaneous
articles. The total value of the
shipment is $4,870.00.

During the past three years,
Canadian Aid for Vietnam
Civilians has contributed
$28,000.00 towards artificial
limbs for amputees under fifteen
years of age, and is in direct
contact with prosthetic
manufacturing and fitting
centres in Vietnam.

Untold numbers of crippled
children are without artificial
limbs, and C.A.V.C.’s Children’s
Committee will continue its
campaign to raise funds for this
urgent cause.

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1970—PAGE 3 _