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Liberal has conservative roots

Mark Ziebarth, who announced his candidacy for the B.C. Liberals, was previously involved in Summerland's municipal elections

It is always interesting to see new people jumping into the political arena. We sometimes get fed up with the same old politicians and political parties feeding on the public trough, with most of them in there just long enough to collect a pension and getting the connections needed to find a secure sinecure, so it’s good to see some new faces.

A while back, Mark Ziebarth, the new B.C. Liberal wannabe, referred to me as a socialist, and again as “Comrade,” suggesting that I might even be a communist. Actually, that may not be too far from an accurate description, as I do believe in the equality of individuals, and the basic principle of Marx’s’ philosophy, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”

According to the article in the Summerland Review, Ziebarth described himself as “a fiscal and financial conservative.” Which is odd in that he wants to run for the Liberal Party. However, to be sure what he meant, I looked up the meaning of “fiscal conservatism.” Basically it is a “…policy that advocates avoiding deficit spending. Fiscal conservatives often consider reduction of overall government spending and national debt as well as ensuring a balanced budget.” (Wikipedia)

Sounds good, but what happens when you put it into practice. The idea was promoted by Ronald Reagan in the U.S. During his tenure, income tax rates of the top personal tax bracket (that’s the one per cent which we hear so much about) was reduced from 70 per cent to 28 per cent in seven years, while payroll taxes were increased for the lower third of the workers. The most famous of the American “fiscal conservatives” (read Republicans), George Bush, accounted for the largest increase in federal debt of any other president in U.S. history. In fact, during his tenure, he accumulated a debt of $5 trillion — not exactly a conservative number.

Not much was written about who Mark Ziebarth was before he became a Canadian. You might recall that, as an American citizen, he jumped into Summerland’s mayor and council elections a few years ago, playing a little game of hide and seek with the citizens while advertising anonymously to elect certain individuals. His background in the States included a stint with the Republican (uh, Mitt Romney?) Heritage Foundation, where he was probably indoctrinated with his present fiscal conservative spirit.

Good luck to you, Mr. Ziebarth. May the best candidate win.

Frank Martens

 

Summerland