Catch up time.

And I don't mean on your chips.I mean like your past catching up with you.
In the latest revelations of past doings going awry, the present BC Hydro chief questions the ability of the utility to support the IPPs and their high priced electricity. We have all suspected that these Independent Power Projects built on our rivers by foreigners would only siphon off dollars from BC Hydro. Those dollars of course belonging to you and me.

When Premier Gordon Campbell started these IPPs by handing out licences to entrepreneurs to build dams and power stations on our smaller rivers, many people questioned why BC Hyrdo didn't do it themselves if that power was needed. What would have been the reason to allow strangers into OUR environment to build high profit making power stations while ignoring other issues.
Some could only see the reason as personal gain.

Why would you sell off the production of power when we already had the crown jewel of public utilities in BC Hydro? Some of these IPPs paid a pittance for the licence. Well, at least on the surface. It was even suggested there might have been a secret side payment to those who could make these easy money schemes happen! If you were granted a licence to print money at the cost of the BC taxpayer, a million in cash slipped quietly as 'tip' money into an offshore bank account was little to pay when you would, in the future, be charging BC Hydro way above the going price for he power your IPP would be producing.
What a sweetheart deal!

Now even the CEO of BC Hydro is questioning those deals. Forced by the government to buy power at a premium price when BC Hydro doen't even need it, Putting our public corporation at the brink of bankruptcy because of it. What could be the next result of this grand scam? Perhaps the handing over of BC Hydro to foreign interests?

All that this deception on the BC taxpayers will result in is to dig deeper into our pockets while a certain few make billions on the scheme. And was that the plan all along when the BC Liberals, all quiet and looking the other way, allowed the premier of our once proud province to sell us out completely? Wasn't that the BC Rail result too? Are we on the same level as some hapless middle African country being exploited by a greedy dictatorial leader who runs off to the South of France with his unctuous money later. In this case the UK.
Seems that way.

Christy Clark will probably do her usual, "We don't like it but we can't do anything about it, they have contracts," rote comment.
Wasn't Mz Clark there when Gordon tore up legal union contracts?
Wouldn't it guarantee her re-election if she promised to expose the corruption in the BC Rail sale? And return it to its rightful owners? We the people of BC. Couldn't she tear up David Hahn's obscene contract and fire him too? Couldn`t she exproprate those IPPs operating with impunity on OUR rivers?

Yes, imagine the fallout. Lawsuits by the bushel. If I was premier I would simply say the sale of BC Rail was obtained through illegal means, therefore it is illegal and negated. I would challenge David Hahn to go after us in the courts, reminding him that he had a sunken BC Ferry on his watch, at the same time promising that he will be in for a 20 year ordeal. And those IPPs? I would suggest that the first one to come foreward with information of corruption on the part of anyone within the BC Government would get to keep their IPP, and make their profits. The rest would come under BC Hydro care and control.

But that's not going to happen. Is it? Simplistic. We can't. That's the operative word with BC Liberals. These current MLAs voted 84% to back Gordon Campbell the week before he stepped down in shame. How's that for an approval rating. Scoundrels backing a rogue. Circle the wagons, zip the lips.
Same old same old over there in Victoria, picking at the taxpayer's bones and what WE all owned as part of a thriving British Columbia.

One can only hope that this trail of corruption and disregard for the people of BC catches up with the perpetrators. Heavy on the word traitors.

No, that is not ketchup up on my chips, it's blood.

.

Governments of BC

In August 1952, WAC Bennett was elected the premier of the province. He began a process of instilling pride into our people through his actions on our behalf. We were naive but emerging into a new world. Among the things he did was to take over the Pacific Great Eastern Railroad and change it into BC Rail. It was now to be used for opening up of our vast interior and to provide service to the small communities full of vibrant and hard working people. Bennett took over the BC Electric Company and formed BC Hydro. They built dams for power and controlled the expansion of our great land for the potential of British Columbians! We had BC built ferries and once had more ships than the Canadian Navy! We were moving ahead into a brave new world run by competent industrious BC born and raised people.

Then came Dave Barrett in 1972. They said he was a strident voice, too much union, but on the eve of his election, he gave a totally controlled and rational speech to the electorate.  No shouting, just a soft dialogue in his dark blue suit while calming the fears of business. He started ICBC and brought in agricultural land control. 

William Bennett took over. Engineering the province to more prosperity. He brought Expo 86, the party of a lifetime and the spotlight on the people, resources and grandeur of BC. Tourism flourished. The Coquihalla highway further opened up a fast track to the interior.

Then Bill Vander Zalm, the Dutchman was all smiles and fun. But earlier had stopped the bickering over rapid transit and said, 'Enough talk, we're going with Skytrain', our present system. 

Rita Johnson was next, who was honest but the people were ready again for change.

The dynamic Mike Harcourt stepped into the breech. Ran a logical and prosperous government and showed that he could deal with anyone. He contributed again to the continuing prosperity of British Columbia. The title of his book, City Making in Paradise, tells something of his respect for our province.


Followed by Glen Clark, the bright new star. Remember he tried to stop the Americans from testing their torpedoes in OUR waters? And the feds told him to go to hell! He also brought lawsuits against cigarette companies who were partly responsible for the huge costs against our health care plan. And Clark at least attempted to build his ferries here in BC shipyards.

Then Dan Miller, the hard working guy who talked common language and made good sense in BC. Miller's short term became much like the Rita Johnson's short term.

Ujjal Dosanje, our premier of East Indian heritage who proved you could come to BC and contribute no matter where you came from. Dosanje brought in balanced budget legislation.

Every single one of these former premiers of BC, in spite of their vastly diverse philosophies, and yes, in spite of their problems, and in spite of not being perfect, had one glorious thing in common: They all worked for the benefit of British Columbians! They were trusted with the caretaking of our grand province, they moved us forward and we remained proud of ourselves for all those years.
Some believe it was the restless media that started their collective downfall, often making the simplest mistakes look like serious transgressions, and steering the public from the real issues. 

Well you all know what happened next. Gordon Campbell and his Liberals emerged, took control of BC and started the plundering of our country. We lost OUR railroad in a scandalous action still being unraveled.
BC Hydro which had been trusted all those years to do right for us was now run by foreigners. It seems that Gordon Campbell had no trust in BC people. And the IPP Run of the River contracts went out to more foreigners to rape our rivers while undermining BC Hydro, the once jewel of BC utilities.
Our natural salmon fishery is declining to the point of collapse while our government defends the foreign owned fish farms. We send millions to other countries to build ferries while our own workers go hungry. Campbell even tried to shut down the independent voice of the Georgia Straight and the Knowledge Network! He tore up legitimate union contracts.
And how has BC fared under the Liberals? We are in serious moral decline because the people who control our province have no loyalty or respect for British Columbians. They are here for the big money.
The working people are struggling with providing the necessities for their families. Homelessness is becoming out of control. 

Gordon Campbell, and now Christy Clark, have implemented a sea change in BC. Under the pretense of entering a global economy, while many British Columbians believe we have entered a far more dangerous era where personal greed is the raison d'être of the government. And now the media is mainly controlled by the Premier's office, and says not a word about court cases against them, a corruption becoming rampant, sneaky nefarious dealings with far off people and businesses with no real interest in BC except money right now. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Isn't it time we rejected this attitude from our elected Liberals and our unelected Premier and threw them out? It is time we quit tolerating them explaining why things are good for us when we all know those things are only good for them and their friends.
If you still trust these crooks, you haven't been here very long to realize the pride we once had that British Columbians could control their own fate and could do it better than anyone else!
That was a great feeling then.
We need to take back our province and tell the politicians what to do.
Anything but Liberals.
Anything.