The future of the Sterile Insect Release Program (SIR) in the Okanagan, British Columbia. The tax funded SIR program and its codling moth rearing facility in Osoyoos and administration in Vernon, is reaching the sunset for its mandate in 2005, to an estimated total cost of approximately $50 million. SIR facilitates tax transfers into local economies in Osoyoos and in Vernon where the Northern Okanagan Regional District does the administration and elsewhere where the program operates. If they haven’t already, the area MP, MLA, Councilors and Regional Directors should prepare for being put under pressure to support further tax funding to SIR, from SIR staff who want to keep their jobs and other interest groups that benefit from the tax

Is the municipal taxation system a systemic issue that hampers development of more diversified sustainable regional economies, in the Okanagan and across the country? In short, one dangerous characteristic of systemic issues in an economy is society’s lack of understanding of the issues; therefore, society adapts to the symptoms and lives with the problems. Society will first react when systemic issues adversely affect a large group of people. Then often, the symptoms are treated rather than the underlying systemic causes that, unnoticed, are allowed to repeatedly escalate into worsening adversity. Is the municipal taxation system a systemic issue? Consider that the municipality’s main revenue sources and transfers from government are entirely allied to land and real estate development, and not