Re: Merchants make push to shop local (News, April 25)
The benefits to our economy to shop local are described very well in this story. Money spent in B.C. is often spent a second time in B.C., as well as generate taxes from the activity.
I hope the group has tried to explain this to our premier.
Her praise of the decision by Translink to buy a third seabus offshore because it “saved” us $4 million is a perfect example of why she needs to hear from us.
The bid by a Dutch company to build in India was $21 million. The local bid was about $25 million.
The provincial government is so focussed on the $4 million saving that it completely overlooked the fact that a huge portion of the $25 million would have come back to government as income taxes from the shipyard workers, and that the spending of those paycheques would generate even more revenue. The $21 million is simply gone.
The decision by B.C. Ferries to build in Germany was driven by similar flawed thinking.
Rein Nienaber
Victoria