It’s spring time in Vancouver – warmer weather, the Sun Run, the Canucks’ annual clinching of the Northwest division, and the usual whinging of Canuck fans about how unprepared the team is for the playoffs. Let’s keep the traditions going with another edition of the CTF Monday Morning Quarterback – five things we’re pondering in the B.C. office this week.

1. TransLink is up to its old tricks, ensuring the comfort of its fatcat bureaucrats on our dime. This time, it’s 300,000 free cups of coffee for their head office staff. From the Province:

The raw amount of commodities called for is stunning. Providers will deliver more than 5,000 pounds of coffee per year; 500 million grams of sugar; 52,000 bags of Orange Pekoe and 8,000 bags of herbal tea; 125,000 stir sticks; 3,500 litres of milk, and about 300,000 creamers.

The contractor will supply and deliver equipment including brewers and thermal carafes to TransLink’s four head offices and maintain the equipment, the documents say, for a multi-year contract expected to start in June.

Among other terms, the documents say “the contractor should provide tastings, at their own cost,” and “other related beverage services, as required, by TransLink.”

The bid document does not list guidelines for the expected value of contracts, but an industry source told The Province: “This is going to be a good contract for someone. That’s a lot of money for TransLink to pay, for a luxury.”

The coffee company owner interviewed by The Province, who did not want his identity revealed for business reasons, almost spit out his java when told of TransLink’s demand for 5,000 pounds of medium and dark roast coffee, with 30 pounds of Decaf thrown in.

This kind of waste should undermine the public’s confidence (if they have any left) in why TransLink needs more of our tax money. Of course, the usual apologists will disagree, but taxpayers know this isn’t right.

Speaking of TransLink, it seems they can’t keep their fare boxes running properly either.

2. The NDP are counting on a $200 million boost from raising income taxes on people making more than $150,000. The Liberals opened the door to this increase, but a researcher told the Vancouver Sun it’s unlikely the treasury will ever see that much new income:

High personal tax rates encourage rich people to, on one hand, work less and, on the other, use more aggressive taxplanning techniques — switching sources of income, manipulating the timing or the location of large transactions, use offshore trusts, and so on.

“The proposed 2.1 percentage point tax rate increase will result in taxpayers reporting approximately 2.7 per cent less taxable income, costing the B. C. economy $ 670 million in 2014 and $ 710 million in 2015,” he wrote.

3. Those of us who live in B.C. know all too well the ridiculousness of the Pacific Carbon Trust, but these carbon scheme failings aren’t limited to B.C. The carbon-trading market in Europe has collapsed—again.

4. Our op/ed on UVic’s bloated payroll caused quite a stir, including this CUPE president’s response. Talk about your head in the sand: he blames the provincial government for “slash[ing] university funding.” Um, the government’s cut to UVic this year: $400,000. The budget deficit brought on by poor management and overpaying labour: $4 million. Your numbers don’t square, brother.

5. Finally, in case you missed it, I was a guest on Voice of B.C. this week with Vaughn Palmer and the CCPA’s Seth Klein. You can watch the show here:

Voice of BC - Tax Policy in BC from Voice of BC on Vimeo.