The RIV and Provincial Inspection Process for Imported Cars

After importing your vehicle, you will need two inspections performed on it.  One is Federal (RIV) and one is the Provincial Safety Inspection. At the border, you completed the Form 1 which they submitted to RIV after you paid your fee.  You then have to wait for RIV to send you the RIV inspection form which identifies modification and inspection requirements specific to your vehicle.  Sometimes you have to wait a while, do not start making modifications to your vehicle until you receive this form, it will tell you what needs to be done.  Like I said before, it is usually ...

Importing a used or new car into Canada from the U.S.

Here is a big money saving tip, if you want to get ripped off.... I mean if you really want to get ripped off. Buy a car from a Canadian car dealer. Its no wonder that they are referred to as "stealerships" instead of dealerships because, literally; they earn a living off of screwing you. Canadian car dealers are importing cars by the semi-trailer, day after day. Why is that? Because the car and truck market in British Columbia is an inflated bubble, much like our real estate market. They buy cars in the ...

BC and HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) “Harmful Sales Tax”

Starting July 1, 2010, the residents of British Columbia will be paying 7% extra on food, bottled water, drinks, and a plethora of other things that were previously exempt from the PST (provincial sales tax). Historically, consumers pay a mandatory GST (Government Sales Tax) of currently 5%.  Certain items such as food, primarily the important one for low income families, were not taxed the extra 7% of the PST. The federal government is offering BC 1.5 billion dollars in an effort to implement the HST and streamline tax collection.  I support the fact that they want to eliminate a whole level ...

BC Place’s New $458-million Roof Disaster

The VANOC's black-hole sucks up another couple hundred million of taxpayers loonies despite the operating deficit and millions in construction over-runs to date. In direct correlation with VANOC's past behavior on project estimation, and the more recent trend in Vancouver's unabated spending habits, the supposed 150 million dollar price tag of a new roof rose 300 million to a fixed-price contract total of 458 million. 2010 will be an unprecedented tax year for Vancouverites as they prepare themselves for the upcoming HST and increased property taxes. But hey, we will have a retractable roof over GM place! In a city ...

Vancouver 2010 Residential Tax Increase

When does one step back and ask themselves, what benefit do I get with these increased taxes? The answer to today's question is none what so ever! Vancouver is now facing a 20-million dollar budget deficit coming into 2010. Over 150 layoffs to the city's workforce is expected, along with closure of the children's petting zoo at Stanley Park and the Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park. To cover the massive shortfall, the mayor of Vancouver's controversial 2010 budget proposes an increase in residential taxes to offset the impacts of the recession on Vancouver's business community. Ironically, ...

How America is funding terrorism

General Motors; on the road to its demise

Not surprisingly, on June 1st 2009, General Motors Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  It was only a month before that its smaller rival, Chrysler LLC did the same.  GM and Chrysler are two of the “Big Three” American car manufacturers, with Ford Motor Corp. being the third.  The outcome was inevitable.  GM has failed to turn a profit since 2005 and along with being overwhelmed with an enormous debt load; failed to sell enough products to pay for their obligations. This follows after the US government, under the Obama administration, gave GM Corp. 20 billion dollars of taxpayers’ money ...

North Korea at War

Background History: The Korean War was a direct result of a North Korean invasion of the South after attempts to reunify Korea under a central government failed.  Each side was supported by external powers and the conflict expanded, becoming a proxy war in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.   Chinese forces entered the war and allied with the North to repel the joint U.S. and South Korean counterattack. North Korea stated today that is was officially discarding the 1953 armistice agreement signed at the end of the 1950 to 1953 Korean War.  The Armistice is a signed ...

The Psychology of Lying

The fact is, lying is part of everyday human life; a condition of life. Newly dating couples lie to each other in about a third of their interactions. People tell lies to make one another feel better. All of us have lied to a friend at one point or another. Everyone can think of a lie that they told to make their friends feel better; it even might make you feel better. All of us have told lies to our parents, even at a young age. College students lie to their mom ...