Northwest

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Tuesday, July 1, 2008 British Columbia phasing new new carbon tax of 29 cents per gallon of gas Associated Press VANCOUVER, B.C. — A new carbon tax on gasoline rapidly generated plenty of heat among summer visitors and British Columbia residents alike at filling stations today. The plan is being phased in over five years to help drivers to understand the cost associated with generating greenhouse gases. At present dollar exchange rates it starts at about nine cents a gallon, rising to 29 cents a gallon by 2012. In Vancouver, customers at gas stations were pumped about the plan, many of them unhappily. Stephanie Bincinto, who recently moved to the province from Quebec for her job as a flight attendant, said the high price of gasoline convinced her to use taxicabs rather than buy a new car. “It sucks,” she said, pumping regular gas costing roughly $5.80 U.S. a gallon into a rental truck she was using for the move. “I was looking to buy a new one, but now with the price of gas I’m not interested. “It’s too much with gas and insurance so, no, for me it’s not worth it.” Bincinto said she figures the rising price of fuel could ultimately put her out of work. “Eventually it’s going to affect my job because of the fueling of the planes,” she said. “I’ll probably get laid off, so that’s not good at all. Hopefully it’ll go down.” Filling up at a West End gas station, Dan Bonello said he’d just moved from Sydney, Australia, and bought his brother’s truck to move to Whistler. He said although he was used to high gas prices back home, the increase still hurts. “People are struggling to pay rent and everything’s inflating every year, so petrol’s just another thing that digs into your allowance,” he said. British Columbians already were paying a 14-cen-a gallon gas tax for transportation projects. The carbon tax has been touted as revenue neutral. It is expected to bring in more than $1 billion in revenue to be offset by income and business tax breaks. All residents of the province were also expected to receive a $100 Climate Action Dividend in checks that were mailed in June. The one-time payments were meant to encourage residents of the province to make environmentally friendly lifestyle changes. Nonetheless, opposition to the tax was heard throughout the province. Jeff Payne, general manager for the gas cooperative in the Okanagan Valley community of Armstrong, said most customers at his station are upset with the tax because they have few alternatives to get around. “I’d say a large percentage (of people here) use their own vehicle,” he said. “They’re angered because most of the public transit money goes to (other regions).” He called public transit in area “pathetic,” saying it only runs about four times a day and at inconvenient hours. “There’s older vehicles up here and they’re driving great distances, so we need public transit.” British Columbia’s New Democratic Party has started an “Axe the Tax” campaign. Leader Carole James said the tax is unfair because it doesn’t apply to big industrial polluters and polls show most citizens oppose it. Not everyone at the pump Tuesday was opposed, however. Paul Brighton, filling up a vehicle he rented for the day, says it’s too expensive to own a car. “Take the bus, buy a moped or something,” he said.

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