Bill Vander Zalm’s citizen’s initiative against the proposed Harmonised Sales Tax (HST) is going to be kicking into high gear in the new year. The HST would merge the federal GST with the provincial PST, resulting in a 12% tax that applies to hundreds of items that are currently PST-exempt. There will be efforts in every riding in the province, including our riding of “Juan de Fuca”.
I am opposed to the HST because it would remove tax exemptions currently enjoyed by positive things in society (bicycles, energy efficient technologies, etc.), and I plan to be involved in the fight against it. Inside Langford could create an HST section for this issue, similar to our “ALR”, “Reader News”, and “Langford Community Calendar” sections to act as a hub for information on local efforts to fight the HST. Alternately, I could create a separate HST-only website, or even do both. What do Inside Langford readers think of these suggestions? Below is a poll asking this very question (please note that multiple answers are allowed, if you agree with more than one response, plus there’s the ability to add your own response if none of the responses is your preferred choice):
Thank you to everyone who offers their opinion.
Those wishing to provide more information may email me at: steven.hurdle@gmail.com. While email is preferred, if you’re unable to email me you may call me at 250-885-0717.
I’ve linked in the past to other news sources in Langford (such as the City of Langford website, the sometimes satirical and sometimes serious WTF Langford blog, I have linked to Vibrant Victoria articles, and readers have submitted several of their own via Inside Langford’s Reader News. Here’s another one that’s proving to be a great resource for those interested in local food security and other agricultural and green issues.
GreenLangford.ca is about agriculture, food security, and eco-tourism, and has as its byline “A Vision For Langford: food security / eco-food tourism”. As I write this, the main page has a lot of information for people interested in the ten proposed exclusions (removals) of land from the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) in Langford, including information on what to do if you want to leave last-minute input in the process before the final decision is made by the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) Dec. 17-18th. If you want to read more about Langford’s Agricultural Strategy, created by Langford at the suggestion of the ALC after the recent exclusion process began, Green Langford has it nicely formatted under “Agricultural Strategy” on the right sidebar of the site.
While residents in Victoria gear up for an alternate approval process to oppose the replacement of the Blue Bridge, residents of Florence Lake, a very small area of Langford, are facing the same process to oppose the disposition of two portions of parkland. However the process used by both Councils is markedly different.
There are six public meetings at Langford City Hall this week, more than I recall seeing in my time as a council watcher. Every regularly-scheduled committee is represented (they are usually spread over four weeks, not all in one week), plus a Special Meeting of Council. The agendas are temporarily available on the City of Langford website, and permanently available on Inside Langford’s Files box (at the bottom of the left sidebar). Below are the committees, dates and times, and the file names for the agendas in the Files box.
PROTECTIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING
Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. 09-12-14 Protective Services agenda.pdf
PLANNING, ZONING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE
Monday, December 14th, 2009, 7:00 pm 09-12-14 PZ&A agenda part 1.pdf
09-12-14 PZ&A agenda part 2.pdf
SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNCIL
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 @ 4:30 p.m. 09-12-15 Special Council Meeting agenda.pdf
ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE COMMITTEE
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 @ 4:45 p.m. 09-12-15 Admin & Finance agenda.pdf
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. 09-12-15 Transportation & Public Works agenda part 1.pdf
09-12-15 Transportation & Public Works agenda part 2.pdf
PARKS, RECREATION, CULTURE AND BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE MEETING
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. 09-12-16 PRCBC agenda.pdf
It’s been two weeks since we’ve had a Council or committee meeting in Langford City Hall, but Monday’s meeting has a jam-packed agenda including four public hearings and a 275 page agenda. The agendas are temporarily available on the City of Langfod website, and permanently available here on Inside Langford in our FILES area (available at the bottom of the left sidebar).
