Dear Editor,

I respect Angie Quaale's opinion [Hotel tax used to draw in tourists, Jan. 10 Letters, Langley Advance] but I disagree with some of her points.

I understand that she feels a sense of entitlement to free advertising for which I am paying. Philosophically, I believe that all business people should pay for their own advertising.

I noticed that Tourism Langley is promoting her business, and even if she were paying Tourism Langley for that ad, it is being subsidized by tax dollars. I don't feel she is entitled to that subsidy.

We have run into this problem before. For example: Eugene Kwan of Domaine de Chaberton wrote a letter to Township council stating we were comparable to Scrooge because we opposed the hotel tax.

I assume he expected some free or subsidized advertising, as well.

I don't really blame anyone for thinking they have entitlement, but I do hold the Township and the province accountable for putting the community in this untenable situation.

Ms. Quaale makes the point that the tax is a "user tax."

It is a well known economic principle that the cost of a user tax is really paid in whole or in part by the supplier of the product or service, by way of lower prices. The consumer really is only concerned about the total price, including all taxes. This economic point was vigorously debated over the past year with respect to the HST.

I don't believe I am being unreasonable in asking Tourism Langley to provide me access to the minutes of their meetings. Just like Township council, their meetings should be advertised and open to everyone. The minutes of those meetings should be available for public scrutiny.

We need transparency from all levels of government; Tourism Langley is a quasi level of government.

A close look at the financial statements of Tourism Langley shows a 20.3 per cent decline in hotel revenue between 2008 and 2010. Remember 2010 was the year of the Olympics. There should have been a huge increase, at least in 2010.

In a presentation I made to Township Council in 2006, I warned council that we could see a 20 per cent decline in tourism. Sadly, my prediction was correct.

My suggestion to Township of Langley at this point is to privatize Tourism Langley. A private operator could do a much better job. The private operator would not receive any government subsidy.

End the tourism tax and end this ongoing debate. Businesses would then pay for advertising at Tourism Langley.

I have been running my own version of Tourism Langley since the mid-70's and will continue to do so. We operate trade shows (see www.cinderellabridalshow.ca), and every year we are in contact directly and indirectly with thousands of potential visitors.

This year alone, four million people will attend a wedding in B.C. That is the audience we seek out and deal with.

Ms. Quaale charges that people who drive a hard bargain are thieves. I really don't understand that point of view. I have never thought of bargain hunters in that way.

To the Mayor and Council, I would like to point out how policy can create negativity in the community that really is unnecessary.

The Constitution of Tourism Langley, which the Township endorsed on Oct. 19, 2007, included the following purposes:

Luckily, the constitution of Tourism Langley does provide for liquidation.

Perhaps the individuals who signed the constitution document would be interested in putting forward a purchase offer. They could turn it into a private marketing business.

A particularly nasty part of the tax for us is that we need to collect it from our guests, and the money is used to provide free promotion to B&B's that have less than four rooms and consequently are not obligated to collect the tax. That is unfair in the extreme.

I don't think that scenario would appeal to anyone in any business.

Sharon and I will continue to shop in Ms. Quaale's store. We did have a vigorous debate in our house over that. We like the feta she sells.

Wally Martin, Murrayville