Tax-free First Nations store decried in Regina

[Liberalman]

Tax-free First Nations store decried in Regina

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2009/11/12/sk-urban-reserves-taxes.html

The Saskatchewan branch of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation have lost lost their minds, it must be the frigid temperatures in Regina.

They are complaining that people are not having to pay more tax when they are in the First Nations.

They are saying that people should pay more taxes.

 

[taxslave]

Other than it creates an unbalanced playing field I have no problem with the poor buying cancer sticks at a reduced price. They neglected to mention the other part of the story. Band members do not pay income tax when they work for a reserve based business, nor do those businesses pay income tax. And that is truly discrimination.

 

[Ron in Regina]

The Map from Google is out of date, but it will provide some context
to the Opening Post article with respect to the location of the two
businesses in question.

One can sell it's merchandise (Gasoline, Tobacco, etc...) cheaper
retail than the other one can purchase them at wholesale. The one
business has to deal with people that are reselling products in his
own parking lot that're purchased at the other store for less than
he's able to purchase them himself wholesale.

I can understand both sides of the issue....doesn't mean it's not
ugly....

 

[AnnaG]

There are quite a few "general stores" in BC I've seen that sell stuff (gas, smokes, milk, etc) a lot cheaper than stores off-rez. But still the other stores manage to hang on.

 

[Ron in Regina]

This is a block & a half apart....with open space between them. Oh well....:-|

 

[#juan]

I don't understand the reasoning for this store even existing. If it is hurting normal(tax paying)stores then it is wrong. Why do we keep baby sitting and pampering one group over other Canadians. Taxes are what is paying the seven or eight billion a year it costs the federal government to support first nations. If we want to generate more jealousy and general bad feelings, open more of these stupid stores.

 

[CDNBear]

I don't understand the reasoning for this store even existing. If it is hurting normal(tax paying)stores then it is wrong. Why do we keep baby sitting and pampering one group over other Canadians. Taxes are what is paying the seven or eight billion a year it costs the federal government to support first nations. If we want to generate more jealousy and general bad feelings, open more of these stupid stores.

Honour isn't in your vocabulary is it juan?

 

[#juan]

Honour isn't in your vocabulary is it juan?

For God's sake, what has this to do with honour. It is a poorly thought out government subsidised scam that generates it's own black market in the parking lot.

 

[CDNBear]

For God's sake, what has this to do with honour. It is a poorly thought out government subsidised scam that generates it's own black market in the parking lot.

It has everything to do with "honour".

When the Treaties favoured Non Natives, they were quite alright, in fact I would go so far as to say, if they still favoured the Non Natives, they would be still OK, with people like you.

But fortunately they don't favour just 'you' anymore.

Us Natives have figured out how to use the systems put in place by 'you' to fill our pockets. After years, no, decades, er, centuries of subjugation, prejudice and abuse, we're holding the not so sh!tty end of the stick. Get over it already.

Suck it up buttercup, we aren't going back to the way things were. Even though people like you would love it no other way.

Now, honour the Treaties, or get off our land.

 

[Cliffy]

Hi CDNBear. Nice to see you back in usual form. Give 'em hell.

 

[CDNBear]

Hi CDNBear. Nice to see you back in usual form. Give 'em hell.

Thanx Cliffy, how's trix?

 

[Cliffy]

Thanx Cliffy, how's trix?

Had Thanksgiving with the hereditary chief of the Sinixt - venison pot roast he cooked himself, Mmmmm Yummy!

Had a fellow in town the other day with a massive moose head sitting on top of his tool box in the back of his pickup. Didn't see the carcass though. Looked like a trophy kill. Probably left the meat out in the forest. Would have liked to mount him on the hood of his own truck.

 

[CDNBear]

Had Thanksgiving with the hereditary chief of the Sinixt - venison pot roast he cooked himself, Mmmmm Yummy!

I have a freezer full of venison now. Although we had the traditional Turkey for Thanksgiving, last Sunday dinner was SCB's famous peppered venison served over egg noodles. Beats store bought meat any day.

Had a fellow in town the other day with a massive moose head sitting on top of his tool box in the back of his pickup. Didn't see the carcass though. Looked like a trophy kill. Probably left the meat out in the forest. Would have liked to mount him on the hood of his own truck.

I know the feeling, I bagged my first trophy Buck this year.

 

[#juan]

It has everything to do with "honour".

When the Treaties favoured Non Natives, they were quite alright, in fact I would go so far as to say, if they still favoured the Non Natives, they would be still OK, with people like you.

But fortunately they don't favour just 'you' anymore.

Us Natives have figured out how to use the systems put in place by 'you' to fill our pockets. After years, no, decades, er, centuries of subjugation, prejudice and abuse, we're holding the not so sh!tty end of the stick. Get over it already.

Suck it up buttercup, we aren't going back to the way things were. Even though people like you would love it no other way.

Now, honour the Treaties, or get off our land.

Bear. You are dreaming. I have no doubt that some will fill their pockets with the operation of this crappy little black market store but your nonsense about years of subjugation is bs. In my lifetime we have spent billions every year to support natives. Davis Inlet is a good example of Canada throwing money at first nation whims.
"Get off your land"? In B.C. natives claim about a hundred and fifteen percent of all the land in B.C.. The tribes don't own the whole province and never will. I don't deny that injustice happened. Not all but some Europeans came to this country to escape injustice in Europe. The natives thought that just because they were here first, they owned the country. In Europe wars were fought to establish borders and boundaries. The biggest, and most important fight we had over land in B.C. was probably with the Americans.
As far as that little store is concerned, it will probably be closed, and it should be closed.

 

[CDNBear]

Bear. You are dreaming. I have no doubt that some will fill their pockets with the operation of this crappy little black market store but your nonsense about years of subjugation is bs.

The very fact that you say that, only strengthens my opinion that your grasp of history is either willfully flawed or you haven't the capacity to be objective. Either way, it says volumes about you.

In my lifetime we have spent billions every year to support natives.

First off, the bulk of that goes to a bloated bureaucracy, secondly, what's left is called rent, get over it.

I've proven time and time again, that we do not recieve tons of money every year. In fact, as it stands, we as a collective people recieve less in funds, then you or any other citizen not living on a rez, via your local services.

Collectively, we recieve about $4,500CDN annually, per person, total. That's healthcare, fire, policing, roads, utilities, etc.

You, yourself use more then that in 6 months.

Davis Inlet is a good example of Canada throwing money at first nation whims.

And so by this myopic view, you will tar the lot of us? How broad minded of you.:roll:

"Get off your land"? In B.C. natives claim about a hundred and fifteen percent of all the land in B.C..

A quandary no doubt lost upon you. Seeing as the many Nations that inhabited the area, oft fought over fluid territorial boundaries, long before the Europeans landed, it would be reasonable to assume that a people divided purposefully, would cling to said beliefs.

The tribes don't own the whole province and never will. I don't deny that injustice happened. Not all but some Europeans came to this country to escape injustice in Europe. The natives thought that just because they were here first, they owned the country. In Europe wars were fought to establish borders and boundaries. The biggest, and most important fight we had over land in B.C. was probably with the Americans.

That's right, because the Crown chose to negotiate Treaties with the first inhabitants. An honourable ideal, if not flawed by mans greed, need to exploit and by racial bigotry.

As far as that little store is concerned, it will probably be closed, and it should be closed.

I actually agree.

It's the tone and rhetoric of your usual BS that I take issue with.

 

[JLM]

Other than it creates an unbalanced playing field I have no problem with the poor buying cancer sticks at a reduced price. They neglected to mention the other part of the story. Band members do not pay income tax when they work for a reserve based business, nor do those businesses pay income tax. And that is truly discrimination.

Yep, there's two ways of thinking when it comes to this sort of thing involving First Nations and I suppose we'll never agree on who's right or wrong. Personally I wouldn't mind seeing a situation where we are all Canadians with the same benefits and responsibilities. How can we even the score for past wrongs when none of the people who were wronged are here any more?

 

[#juan]

Collectively, we recieve about $4,500CDN annually, per person, total. That's healthcare, fire, policing, roads, utilities, etc.

You use yourself use more then that in 6 months.

Nonsense. I pay for my own health insurance. Any money I get from the government in pensions etc., I put money I earned into. I worked and paid taxes for forty odd years. The biggest part of my pension is my savings.

 

[CDNBear]

Yep, there's two ways of thinking when it comes to this sort of thing involving First Nations and I suppose we'll never agree on who's right or wrong. Personally I wouldn't mind seeing a situation where we are all Canadians with the same benefits and responsibilities. How can we even the score for past wrongs when none of the people who were wronged are here any more?

This isn't about past wrongs JLM.

This is about the tides being turned, those who don't want to see us getting ours, bleat rhetoric about we are all Canadians, we should all be equal.

We are all equal.

Yes, Natives are enjoying a certain freedom in certain areas and they are certainly getting away with murder in other areas. But this is PC atonement, I can't support it, but no one should sit by and watch it bashed with racially charged rhetoric and bigotry.

Loopholes have been used for decades to take advantage of us, now we've figured out how to use those same loopholes. Suddenly Treaties aren't something worth honouring. Suddenly we're the bad guys...again. Once we were scalp hungry savages, portrayed as such by Hollywood, perpetuated by young white males in countless yards around the continent. The term Indian giver was coined on our backs. When we didn't get what was promised, we took back what was ours. Propaganda served to blacken our image and nothing more.

Now we're experiencing the same propaganda all over again.

Not highlighted by the news, are countless Native success stories, Doctors, lawyers, Businessmen and women. Truly beneficial additions to the Nation as a whole.

No, those with and axe to grind and an agenda, would rather the populace focus on the supposed self imposed racial divide, the criminality, the sloth and waste, all without the benefit of constructive criticism.

This isn't about past wrongs and inequality, this is about the turning of the tides, and those some see as there lessors, stepping out from under a dark shadow and getting something more for themselves. Supposedly earned or granted by right of Treaty, it makes no difference, the hate will always be there. Bigotry knows no bounds or moral code.

 

[Cliffy]

It would be nice if we could wipe the slate clean and have a fresh start but like treaty negotiations, there seems to be no political will to set things straight in the present. BC Liberals are so busy giving away all our resources to out of province corporations and their friends that they have been dragging their butts since in office.

If you have ever been to treaty negotiation meetings, you would see what a joke the process is. The government is hell bent on dragging out the process for as long as possible. It is like they are hoping that nothing will be left to negotiate after their feeding frenzy is over. BC forests are decimated, the fisheries almost non existent and now with the IPPs, there is not a drop of water left that is not under corporate control.

How can we right the wrongs of the past while we are still in the process of wronging the original peoples.

 

[CDNBear]

Nonsense.

Of course it's "Nonsense" to you juan, you wouldn't have it any other way.

I pay for my own health insurance.

You don't use the publicly funded system? To which I will agree you partially fund, but do not, have not, paid enough into to cover the costs of service you have received. You use the roads? Are you claiming you paid for the full cost?

Any money I get from the government in pensions etc., I put money I earned into.

Are you claiming you will receive only the money you put in, in return now? I think not. You will easily draw a greater amount then you contributed. It is I and every other still working Canadian, that will cover the excess you draw now.

I worked and paid taxes for forty odd years.

You don't honestly believe that you have used only what you contributed do you?

The biggest part of my pension is my savings.

Good for you. It's lucky thing you weren't born on some rez in the middle of nowhere, where education, job training and skill development was limited then eh? You lucky duck you! See I can use rhetoric to juan.