Editor: Re: Selling HST to the 鈥榤e鈥� generation (B.C. Views, The Times, June 3).

From 鈥榤y鈥� perspective, Tom Fletcher omitted some key points.

The main stumbling block is the way the government brought it to life. Lies and deceit. This 鈥渞evenue neutral鈥� tax is going to be a boost of $1 billion for the year to government coffers. This is taxpayers鈥� money, as was as the $1.6 billion from the federal government.

The governments of this country have it backwards when they think they can just up the ante when they need more revenue to cover their outlandish spending. They should be looking at reducing expenditures, instead of increasing the taxes.

Heaven help us if this HST boondoggle gets the NDP elected next time out. I think the populace has to vote yes in the referendum to show government that we have been pushed far enough.

If, as Fletcher suggests, haircuts and restaraunt meals stay taxed if we go back to the PST, that might cause a bigger kerfuffle that this one.

Jim Anderson,

Victoria