Straight showdown

Champions of the arts, the BC government just [sent a $1 million tax bill](http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_straight20031009)  to the [Georgia Straight,](http://www.straight.com/)  – arguably the best arts and entertainment newspaper in the world. The *Straight*  itself is also [covering the story.](http://www.straight.com/?defaultarticle=&defaultnode=40404&layout=227&pagefunction=Load%20Layout)  This is craziness on the part of the BC government. They’re obviously out to get the outspoken weekly. If the government had concerns about the tax status of the newspaper, there are far better ways of going about expressing them. 

The Straight is no stranger to controversy, however it has tended to be with the City of Vancouver, rather than the Province of BC. Perhaps it ought to be seen as a kind of compliment that they’re getting harassed by higher and higher levels of government. Today, BC – tomorrow the UN !