BC Govt / ICBC gasoline Rebate??

[Steve G.]

  Just wondering if it will be a rebate on each insurance policy, or on each drivers license?
 
  BTW, April 1st, I renew my personal boycott on gas stations, with resultant highest surcharge taxes in the Western Hemisphere, on all SW BC stations, as the US border opens up without Chinese bat flu testing requirements.

[Bucko]

  Just wondering if it will be a rebate on each insurance policy, or on each drivers license?
 
  BTW, April 1st, I renew my personal boycott on gas stations, with resultant highest surcharge taxes in the Western Hemisphere, on all SW BC stations, as the US border opens up without Chinese bat flu testing requirements.

Point Roberts has been open for business without testing since Nov.

[hardrockminer]

I'm wondering if the reason it's an ICBC rebate is to keep it off government books.

[Galactica]

My understanding is that this rebate has absolutely nothing to do with the price of gasoline or the I creasing cost of living.  Although the government is going to great lengths to spin it that way. 

This rebate is at the end of ICBC’s fiscal year end.  With something like a $3 billion dollar surplus, they really had no choice but to rebate some of it.  Now, about $1 billion of that was profit off of investments.  This rebate amounts to only something like $395 million.  We can probably except yearly rebates going forward, with big surpluses predicted for the foreseeable future, unless ICBC adjusts premiums

 But let’s be clear, the provincial government is taking great pains to spin an ICBC rebate as gasoline price relief.

[Steve G.]

  Just wondering if it will be a rebate on each insurance policy, or on each drivers license?
 
  BTW, April 1st, I renew my personal boycott on gas stations, with resultant highest surcharge taxes in the Western Hemisphere, on all SW BC stations, as the US border opens up without Chinese bat flu testing requirements.

Point Roberts has been open for business without testing since Nov.

  That is true. However one must weight the financial offset of driving to Pt. Robert’s, when you don’t live in the south west corner of “the big smoke”.
    Plus, PT. Robert’s fuel pricing suffers a bit as the transport tankers must drive from Cherry Point to P.R. To deliver the product.

[Steve G.]

My understanding is that this rebate has absolutely nothing to do with the price of gasoline or the I creasing cost of living.  Although the government is going to great lengths to spin it that way. 

This rebate is at the end of ICBC’s fiscal year end.  With something like a $3 billion dollar surplus, they really had no choice but to rebate some of it.  Now, about $1 billion of that was profit off of investments.  This rebate amounts to only something like $395 million.  We can probably except yearly rebates going forward, with big surpluses predicted for the foreseeable future, unless ICBC adjusts premiums

 But let’s be clear, the provincial government is taking great pains to spin an ICBC rebate as gasoline price relief.

  This payoff is purely a political spin payoff. No surprises of course, we are talking government 2022.

[kilowop]

Simply a BRIBE, with what is actually your own money they took from you in the various taxes, many of them hidden.  Cynical ain't I?

[Steve G.]

 

  I don’t consider facts to be cynical Ron.

[Runningdog]

It's nice to get a bit of a "rebate on overpriced fuel".   Wonder how much we'll get on the second month of this program?

[Steve G.]

BTW, Tesla owners also get this gasoline rebate.

[Bucko]

    Plus, PT. Robert’s fuel pricing suffers a bit as the transport tankers must drive from Cherry Point to P.R. To deliver the product.

Yes.  I've found that Point Roberts fuel prices are generally a fixed number of cents below Tsawwassen prices regardless of the price difference elsewhere across the border (they do seem to be quite a bit lower than Tsawwassen prices the last time I was down though - at one point is was more than $0.50/liter less - probably in an attempt to encourage business to return).  For me, PR is where I have all my US purchased shipped so cheaper fuel while I'm there picking up packages is just a bonus.

[Steve G.]

    Plus, PT. Robert’s fuel pricing suffers a bit as the transport tankers must drive from Cherry Point to P.R. To deliver the product.

Yes.  I've found that Point Roberts fuel prices are generally a fixed number of cents below Tsawwassen prices regardless of the price difference elsewhere across the border (they do seem to be quite a bit lower than Tsawwassen prices the last time I was down though - at one point is was more than $0.50/liter less - probably in an attempt to encourage business to return).  For me, PR is where I have all my US purchased shipped so cheaper fuel while I'm there picking up packages is just a bonus.

  Indeed, my U.S. mail address is at Sumas, with generally cheaper prices parallel with “usually” cheaper prices outside of Translink tax region, east of Lefrvere Rd.
 Lately however, fuel prices in Abby have only been .05$ less than full tax area west of Aldergrove. This pisses me off. In my own very subtle way, I will avoid fuel purchase in Canada, yet because fuel purchase in NW Washington state still means I’m buying Alberta sourced product, in contributing to royalties collected by the communist federal govt.
 Current gasoline cost in Sumas, $1.41cdn.

[rz5mark]

Have we all not become chronic bitchers when we use the perspective of what is happening in other parts of the world? I'm quite happy I live in Canada and especially B.C.

Low hanging fruit is everywhere...

[Steve G.]

  I’ve been a taxpayer since 1976. That gives me a right to bitch about government waste and mismanagement. And heavy handedness. And hypocrisy.

  And if I’m told I bitch too much, I bitch 8 times harder. And louder.  And if nobody bitches, then stuff happens, like heavy handedness towards neighbourhood countries. So I bitch. I cover for the sheep that never say anything.

[rz5mark]

I worked with a guy from Austria named Willi many years ago. I got tired of the "Well back in Europe". I asked him if he had any offers on his very nice house. He said "no, why ?" I said "well you're moving" "back to Europe aren't you?" That shut him up.