[BC] GOOD NEWS on Performance Royalties

[Barry Mishkind]

At 03:19 PM 6/3/2009, JIM GRAHAM wrote:
>These facts should CLEARLY show why a performance tax is nothing 
>more than an effort to create a new revenue stream for them, and 
>should NOT be instituted.  What a contradiction!

         The point is that this is EXACTLY what governments on
         all levels are doing today, seeing new revenue streams.
         Locally, in order to cover a huge deficit, the city council
         is adding 2% more to utility and phone bills and wants
         another $1 per night bed tax, although the current one
         is among the highest around.

         There is never an attempt to reduce the "entitlement" load
         of generous pensions and medical care. There is an
         underlying reason: the pols will do anything to avoid
         conflict with the unions - including giving away your
         grandchildrens' assets.

         With the "performance tax" .. it is as Jim says, an attempt
         to generate a new revenue stream without changing
         any of the existing framework. In a world where pols
         and lawyers (pols) control so much of business, the
         pressure to "get more" is always there.

         What I would predict with the performance tax is that
         it will come to nothing this year. But the lawyers and
         "advocacy groups" have learned to keep at it, year
         after year, until they prevail ... then move on to the
         next item on the agenda.  For broadcasters, it will
         probably be more "citizen access" to the airwaves.

         ... NOTE:  replies to this that focus solely on partisan
         politics will be shunted to the Alternate Frequency.

         b