Editor: Well here we are again, dealing with the HST. I don鈥檛 know about you, but I鈥檝e already said no to the HST 鈥� as did over 700,000 people in the province who signed the Anti-HST petition in 2010. They didn鈥檛 want it either.

Now, as if that never happened, we鈥檝e all received the 鈥淗ST Referendum Voters Guide.鈥�   It contains statements which imply that we鈥檒l completely ruin our future as a province if we don鈥檛 accept the HST.

Please be very certain 鈥� the most important result of keeping the HST is that you will pay tax on products and services. Forever.  And so will your children. As long as there鈥檚 an HST in the province of British Columbia,  anyone who needs a product or service in this province will be paying tax on both: products and services. It鈥檚 like having a provincial GST.

It doesn鈥檛 matter if the premier lowers the HST to 10 per cent or any per cent. Instead of paying tax on only the products you buy,  you will pay that tax on your residential phone line; the Internet; the plumber,  electrician, or carpenter. You will pay when you park your car; go to a movie; golf; ski; camp at a campsite; travel by air, rail and bus; go out for a meal; get a massage; get a haircut; buy vitamins; newspapers; bikes or get your shoes repaired.

You鈥檒l be paying that tax on just about every aspect of your life. Do you want to do that?

When you get that referendum ballot which asks this question: 鈥淎re you in favour of extinguishing the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) and reinstating the PST (Provincial Sales Tax) in conjunction with the GST (Goods and Services Tax),鈥� circle the 鈥榶es鈥�. Scratch out the 鈥榥o鈥� and do whatever you need to do to say yes, we want to go back to the PST/GST we had before July 1, 2010.

It鈥檚 that simple.  And it鈥檚 up to you 鈥� literally.

Annette Gallatin,

Trail