Dear Editor:

Re: Human selfishness lies behind fight against HST, Letters to the editor, The Record, Sept. 1.

Letter writer Norman Ostonal laments against those of us who signed in support of the petition against the HST. He says: "It appalled me to witness educated people lapping up all the arguments put forth by the Zalm and his forces, ignoring the facts presented by the pros."

The only significant "fact" was: With an election way off in 2013, the petition approach for protest was the only vehicle, albeit a totally inadequate one, available to us to let the government feel our wrath.

No question that combining the PST and the GST into one makes eminent good sense: there's a cost saving to business by combining two taxes into one, it eliminates mountains of paperwork and requires only one tax calculation instead of two.

Unfortunately, the two senior levels of government wanted their cake and to eat it too. They couldn't resist turning it into an extra tax grab when the saw the opportunity.

Had they played fair, and reduced the combined tax to, say, 10 per cent instead of 12, to offset the extra items absorbed into the new HST, or simply agreed to continue to exempt items such as children's school supplies; restaurant meals, etc. (i.e. the items previously exempt under the old PST), there would have been no reason for protest.

I submit, had they used such an open and common sense approach before the last election, it would not have damaged their chance of re-election.

Having lived with the GST and PST for decades, we were obviously not opposed to the taxes themselves. We really do understand their need, Mr. Ostonal. It was your "pros" who messed things up.

Peter Marshall,

New Westminster