The interior and northern sections of British Columbia need more control over the billions of dollars they generate for the province in order to build more sustainable communities, according to an editorial today in Opinion 250.
Unlike rural Oregon and Washington, which get more state funding than they contribute in taxes, the B.C. regions have little sway over the revenue they generate, which keeps the province afloat, according to the article. The forestry industry alone contributes C$5.4 billion a year to the provincial government, it says. The province has funds for the 2010 Olympics, new ferries and other programs but needed to privatitze the extensive B.C. Rail operation and hasn't paid enough attention to stabilizing rural communities.