It seems to be that the whole idea of this crucial HST vote, is one of confusion and disinformation. Why couldn't the question have been simple?
'Do you want the HST' - - - Yes. No.
We have instead, 'Do you want to extinguish the HST?' Like it was on fire or something. Both sides are vitriolic about their concerns.
The Liberal government which has implemented the new tax, without consultation to the taxpayers, and some say even lying about it before they brought it in, is FOR the HST. It will be great for BC they tell us. So far, in my unprofessional polls, I have found no human who thinks it would be great for them. Instead, we have a grass roots movement who is still seething at the Liberals (and Gordon Campbell) for their sneakiness. [indeed, people are incensed about his appointment as High Commissioner]
So the people seem overwhelmingly against the HST.
The government's position is that business in BC will have huge benefits and those benefits will be passed down to consumers in lower prices. Some housewives, struggling with prices, think that even if there was a 10% reduction in prices it would only get them even to the point they were before the HST! Not likely though, is it?
What many say happens with the change to the HST tax is that those businesses save money on accounting by having to account and submit only one tax to the Federal government instead of two, one to the Feds and one to the Provincial government.
Most consumers seem to scoff at the idea that business savings will result in lower prices. Show me, they are asking. I suppose the ultimate benefit might be to shareholders of large companies in increased stock values and dividends. But how many hard working people does that actually help?
The government is trying to sell the HST as a tax cut. The tax WAS 12% and they are lowering it to 10%, hence their rationale. Yet they are omitting the fact that the former PST had hundreds of items that were completely exempt from tax. So instead of a tax cut, it seems to many that something that WAS tax free, now is taxable at 10% (12%) How is that a tax cut even by the current Liberal figuring? It is a huge tax increase!
This is my simple figuring = Hundreds of items previous to HST were ONLY taxed as GST@ 5%. NO PST. Now these items are HST @12%. = 140% INCREASE in the tax!
And this so called tax cut? The 10% they are yelling about does not take place for three YEARS! The tax is 12% now. (They conveniently forget that in their advertising) And will be gradually scaled down to the 10%. Which brings up a further point of contention among many taxpayers: The fact that the Provincial government, Premier Christy Clark, ASKED the Feds to reduce the tax, and are boasting about them allowing it.
If the former tax in BC, the PST, (Provincial Sales Tax) was controlled and administered by we the people of BC, and the NEW tax, the HST, is administered by the Federal government, why would we choose to lose control of that tax base to the Feds? And do we believe that anything as political as this would be done fairly and for the people? Are we losing sovereignty to the Federal Government of the day?
The Federal Conservatives lost seats in Quebec in the last Canada election. Do we think that they won't be siphoning huge funds into that province for future votes? Do we want those funds to come from our taxes re the federally controlled HST?
Many say that a tax of about 2 billion dollars was transferred from corporations to taxpayers in BC. (8 billion in Ontario) We are to receive 1.6 billion from the feds to implement it. So how do we pay back that money if we choose to repeal it? The feds have hardly paid anything yet, only a few million dollars. And the NEW tax on items untaxed before has filled the coffers already. So the hit will not be huge.
This IS a crucial vote. It is a choice of whether you choose to help British Columbia businesses by allowing the HST, (and you always have to consider these days, how many big corporations in BC are foreign owned) to hopefully get some kind of benefit up the road, or whether you reprimand the Liberal government for sneaky doings against the people. It is the Liberals mess, let them show us how smart they are by figuring out something else. There are also many respected organizations disputing the true benefits to British Columbians emerging lately.
It IS confusing and full of misinformation and disinformation. Do you want to extinguish the HST? Or do you want to believe the Liberals, keep the HST as a tax cut that doesn't go from zero to 12%, but in three years will go from zero to 10%.
Some tax cut.
I want to extinguish the politicians and start over again.
I can't trust these ones.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a bit extra for all you untrusters - - -
You open your HST vote package - 3 portions inside.
So first you do your address and signature envelope. Putting in your name, signature and birth date etc.
Then you make your vote on the paper, and insert that paper into the SECRECY envelope. Sealing the envelope.
Now, you take the vote envelope AND your personal envelope, and ALSO place it into the secrecy envelope. So your 'anonymous' vote and the information of who made that anonymous vote are nestled cosily together in the SAME envelope! How's that for secrecy? Then you put that envelope into the Elections BC envelope and send it off. Confidant that no one would ever open BOTH envelopes and compare them to see exactly WHO voted for WHAT. Sure.
And of course you licked the envelopes shut, all three of them, didn't you? Carefully leaving your DNA on all three.
Big Brother knows which way you voted.
Sorry.
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Friday, 3 June 2011
Blair Lekstrom - MLA again
We love stuff like this:
June 11, 2010 - Blair Lekstrom - you'd almost believe he had integrity
"I was elected to represent the people of Peace River South and I have always committed to working with and for my constituents. I believe that my first priority as an elected official is to the people that elect me and then to the political party I represent. It is clear to me that the residents of Peace River South are opposed to the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) and are unhappy with the way in which our government moved forward with this policy ...
My decision to resign from Cabinet and the BC Liberal Caucus was very difficult, but I fundamentally disagree with the direction our government is headed ... When I was elected, I promised myself, my family and my constituents that I would not change who I am to do this job, and I have reached a point where my beliefs and values no longer align with my government.
Wow, personal standards. Only one in that mess of Liberals over there.
But wait, that was then, this is now - here we are in 2011 and what is this?
The all new, June 2011 subservient version of Blair Lekstrom -
"I made a commitment when I took my oath of office. I think I can better serve the people of B.C. and my constituents if I'm going to stay in cabinet, if I'm going to stay in government," he said, acknowledging a tradition that would have likely seen him have to resign from cabinet in order to vote against his government.
Hmm. I guess integrity is buttered on the other side of the bread.
Who wins? Lekstrom gets his pay and personal power over beliefs and values.
Who loses? The people of Peace River who elected him. Nice that Blair Lekstrom's stars all align with his government this year. Threats of losing your job will do that to a man.
Of course, no one is explaining WHY an MLA would lose his job over representing his people's wishes. Isn't that exactly against why we elect someone in the first place? Is this democracy or dictatorship?
In contemporary usage, dictatorship refers to an autocratic form of absolute rule by leadership unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors within the state.
Well yes, that is Christy Clark's Liberalism defined perfectly.
June 11, 2010 - Blair Lekstrom - you'd almost believe he had integrity
"I was elected to represent the people of Peace River South and I have always committed to working with and for my constituents. I believe that my first priority as an elected official is to the people that elect me and then to the political party I represent. It is clear to me that the residents of Peace River South are opposed to the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) and are unhappy with the way in which our government moved forward with this policy ...
My decision to resign from Cabinet and the BC Liberal Caucus was very difficult, but I fundamentally disagree with the direction our government is headed ... When I was elected, I promised myself, my family and my constituents that I would not change who I am to do this job, and I have reached a point where my beliefs and values no longer align with my government.
Wow, personal standards. Only one in that mess of Liberals over there.
But wait, that was then, this is now - here we are in 2011 and what is this?
The all new, June 2011 subservient version of Blair Lekstrom -
"I made a commitment when I took my oath of office. I think I can better serve the people of B.C. and my constituents if I'm going to stay in cabinet, if I'm going to stay in government," he said, acknowledging a tradition that would have likely seen him have to resign from cabinet in order to vote against his government.
Hmm. I guess integrity is buttered on the other side of the bread.
Who wins? Lekstrom gets his pay and personal power over beliefs and values.
Who loses? The people of Peace River who elected him. Nice that Blair Lekstrom's stars all align with his government this year. Threats of losing your job will do that to a man.
Of course, no one is explaining WHY an MLA would lose his job over representing his people's wishes. Isn't that exactly against why we elect someone in the first place? Is this democracy or dictatorship?
In contemporary usage, dictatorship refers to an autocratic form of absolute rule by leadership unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors within the state.
Well yes, that is Christy Clark's Liberalism defined perfectly.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
The BC NOT Liberals
The BC Liberals are tired of being BC Liberals.
They are seeking a new name. They don't want to be associated with the Liberal party anymore. They want something catchy and new that will fool you into believing they are not the same old faces that pulled all those tricks and cheats on you. They want to present new images. Too many old scandals. Too many suspicions. Too many bad memories. Too many unanswered questions. Maybe too many crooks. And they don't want you to see those same old faces of deception that you're so familiar with.
The new name is up for grabs. There must be thousands of potentials. This could actually be fun. Thinking up new names for scoundrels.
Why our new Premier wants to divorce her party name to seem to separate from Federal Liberals is her reasoning, and anyone's guess, while she stacks her backroom deck with many former federal Liberals. A paradox there.
But we think it is probably because of the procession of discredited Federal Liberals; Chretien, who said he would rescind the GST. And Paul Martin known as Mr Dithers. And Stephane Dione, supposedly a brilliant man who was plain stupid in politics and presentation. Michael Ignatieff, who seems to have accepted the coup de grace, if not actually administering it. Yes the word Liberal definitely has the odor of a cadaver.
Well, no wonder she wants her own name, the tainting of the Liberal name is complete within the latest Federal election. Demoralizing. So Premier Clark will bring in the brain trust of those guys to be her confidants. Confusing isn't it?
Some might say arrogant.
Some would even suggest that the tainting of the Provincial Liberal party is also almost complete.
All that is needed is a Provincial election.
I heard they put out a call for more paper bags.
Try the Unknown Comic, somehow that fits.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Trust issues
So Christy Clark squeezed herself into the Premier's chair in BC.
Quite remarkable actually. Considering her silence on the BC Rail issue. Yes, it seems that is still an issue except for many of the people of Point Grey, who probably never took a train into BC's interior in their lives. Maybe they are just Palm Springs people. I don't know.
But we have a new Premier who seems to be hoping the people of BC will forget Gordon Campbell, and indeed that she was even part of his government.
We have noticed that most of the radio talk shows, both of our so called newspapers, TV News hours and many other media outlets are pretending the issues with the Liberal government are over. They poopoo any talk of the past with scolding comments of 'moving on'.
Well the news outlets want fresh news, and we don't have a real investigative reporter anywhere within our news media system. Sorry, but I am old, I remember Jack Webster and Simma Holt.
Mz Clark is working hard to convey an image of newness in her new (old) government. She and her shopworn colleagues are putting themselves forward as the new Liberals, even though the faces remain etched on the bathroom walls of deceit.
You see, that IS the issue. Only one Liberal has stepped away in shame. All the others pretend they had nothing to do with the actions under Campbell. These are the same people who voted 84% support of him one week before he stepped down in humiliation.
So Christy Clarke is asking us to trust her. That she will look out for us. Save our families. Guard our future. Yet too many questions remain. Most of them embarrassing. And too many more are emerging. There are way too many doubts about how well we really are.
The HST is great for British Columbians. That line has been heralded for months, yet a new report claims otherwise. That it will hurt us. Us people. Yes we know it will be good for companies. They will save millions in accounting costs. I would like to see a list of the larger corporations operating in BC, just to see ownership and where they send THEIR profits. Whenever a big business tells me something is good for me, I am naturally suspect that it is exactly the opposite!
Our new Premier has effectively shut down all discussion about BC Rail. In spite of her suspected involvement in the scandal. In spite of her government paying the guilty parties six million dollar lawyers' fees! Can we trust a premier with this kind of evasiveness? Do we just let a massive deception like this melt away? Do we let them get away with their scam?
Clark refused to attend any all candidates' meetings during her short run up to the by election. Was she afraid of prickly questions? Or was it just plain arrogance? Learned from following the attitude of her mentor, Gordon Campbell?
We know nothing of her plans for Run-of-River Private Power Projects, even though information is surfacing that they will hurt the BC economy in favour of foreign profits.
And we wonder what she is planning for BC Hydro, the jewel of BC utilities?
We know nothing about her stance on the foreign owned fish farms and the Liberal denial that they could be destroying our natural sockeye salmon fishery. Once one of the wonders of the world! Do we allow a resource to perish in favour of foreign profits?
It was the attitude of the Liberals toward the people of BC that brought them down in my mind. Sending 430 million dollars to German families to build our BC Ferries instead of using our own competent shipbuilders was yet another slap in our faces. Those Germans bought fridges and stoves and cars and holidays for their families, spent their money in German communities while British Columbians were left wondering.
There are so many questions that no one will answer. If a government evades a confrontation with the electorate, the voters have no choice but to assume the worst. That is human nature. Especially if you have a history of deception, arrogance and scandal. Her stealthy handlers successfully kept her away from any uncontrolled contact with an inquiring public. From anyone who might inadvertently ask an embarrassing question.
Christy Clark will probably spend a ton of OUR money on trying to get us to buy into the HST. They she will go into a general election, hoping for redemption for her party.
My only point about the HST over the former PST, is that we in this province control a PST. Provincial Sales Tax. With the HST we simply send all the money to Ottawa. And you know from the last federal election result that most of that money will be funnelled into Quebec. I would chose to have our sovereignty intact and not relinquish a power we desperately need to keep the hard earned tax money of BCers remaining in OUR province.
I am not against Liberals at all. This argument would be the same regardless of what party had been in power. But I do believe we need to throw out these people, simply to force them to start afresh. We need to give someone else a chance, yes, even the NDP, or Conservatives or BC First if it falls to them. Then the Liberals can come back as truly fresh faces and try to win us all over again.
But for now, I have seen nothing in these same old Liberals that warrants my vote. I simply don't believe anything they say. It's a trust issue.
The washroom graffiti needs a good scrubbing.
And some politicians need their mouths washed out with soap.
Quite remarkable actually. Considering her silence on the BC Rail issue. Yes, it seems that is still an issue except for many of the people of Point Grey, who probably never took a train into BC's interior in their lives. Maybe they are just Palm Springs people. I don't know.
But we have a new Premier who seems to be hoping the people of BC will forget Gordon Campbell, and indeed that she was even part of his government.
We have noticed that most of the radio talk shows, both of our so called newspapers, TV News hours and many other media outlets are pretending the issues with the Liberal government are over. They poopoo any talk of the past with scolding comments of 'moving on'.
Well the news outlets want fresh news, and we don't have a real investigative reporter anywhere within our news media system. Sorry, but I am old, I remember Jack Webster and Simma Holt.
Mz Clark is working hard to convey an image of newness in her new (old) government. She and her shopworn colleagues are putting themselves forward as the new Liberals, even though the faces remain etched on the bathroom walls of deceit.
You see, that IS the issue. Only one Liberal has stepped away in shame. All the others pretend they had nothing to do with the actions under Campbell. These are the same people who voted 84% support of him one week before he stepped down in humiliation.
So Christy Clarke is asking us to trust her. That she will look out for us. Save our families. Guard our future. Yet too many questions remain. Most of them embarrassing. And too many more are emerging. There are way too many doubts about how well we really are.
The HST is great for British Columbians. That line has been heralded for months, yet a new report claims otherwise. That it will hurt us. Us people. Yes we know it will be good for companies. They will save millions in accounting costs. I would like to see a list of the larger corporations operating in BC, just to see ownership and where they send THEIR profits. Whenever a big business tells me something is good for me, I am naturally suspect that it is exactly the opposite!
Our new Premier has effectively shut down all discussion about BC Rail. In spite of her suspected involvement in the scandal. In spite of her government paying the guilty parties six million dollar lawyers' fees! Can we trust a premier with this kind of evasiveness? Do we just let a massive deception like this melt away? Do we let them get away with their scam?
Clark refused to attend any all candidates' meetings during her short run up to the by election. Was she afraid of prickly questions? Or was it just plain arrogance? Learned from following the attitude of her mentor, Gordon Campbell?
We know nothing of her plans for Run-of-River Private Power Projects, even though information is surfacing that they will hurt the BC economy in favour of foreign profits.
And we wonder what she is planning for BC Hydro, the jewel of BC utilities?
We know nothing about her stance on the foreign owned fish farms and the Liberal denial that they could be destroying our natural sockeye salmon fishery. Once one of the wonders of the world! Do we allow a resource to perish in favour of foreign profits?
It was the attitude of the Liberals toward the people of BC that brought them down in my mind. Sending 430 million dollars to German families to build our BC Ferries instead of using our own competent shipbuilders was yet another slap in our faces. Those Germans bought fridges and stoves and cars and holidays for their families, spent their money in German communities while British Columbians were left wondering.
There are so many questions that no one will answer. If a government evades a confrontation with the electorate, the voters have no choice but to assume the worst. That is human nature. Especially if you have a history of deception, arrogance and scandal. Her stealthy handlers successfully kept her away from any uncontrolled contact with an inquiring public. From anyone who might inadvertently ask an embarrassing question.
Christy Clark will probably spend a ton of OUR money on trying to get us to buy into the HST. They she will go into a general election, hoping for redemption for her party.
My only point about the HST over the former PST, is that we in this province control a PST. Provincial Sales Tax. With the HST we simply send all the money to Ottawa. And you know from the last federal election result that most of that money will be funnelled into Quebec. I would chose to have our sovereignty intact and not relinquish a power we desperately need to keep the hard earned tax money of BCers remaining in OUR province.
I am not against Liberals at all. This argument would be the same regardless of what party had been in power. But I do believe we need to throw out these people, simply to force them to start afresh. We need to give someone else a chance, yes, even the NDP, or Conservatives or BC First if it falls to them. Then the Liberals can come back as truly fresh faces and try to win us all over again.
But for now, I have seen nothing in these same old Liberals that warrants my vote. I simply don't believe anything they say. It's a trust issue.
The washroom graffiti needs a good scrubbing.
And some politicians need their mouths washed out with soap.
Saturday, 23 April 2011
A concerned citizen's letter re BC Hydro
published in the April 15 edition of the Campbell River Courier-Islander.
"Now there's a profundity! Merely a month on the job and Hon. Rich Coleman is qualified to single-handedly determine the engineering, safety, and financial merits of BC Hydro projects. Does he think that Hydro would be proposing the project if it didn't need to be done? Some sort of a 'make work' project perhaps? In your article Mr. Coleman goes on to say "...But we also need to minimize costs and take care about the burden we're placing on families ... you also have to figure out how you an bring your costs in and cash-flow it through so that your rates will be kept down..."
To ensure that Mr. Coleman's prerequisites can be met, he has struck a panel of 'senior officials' to examine Hydro's financial performance, its operating and capital requirements, the reliability of its forecasting systems, administrative expenses, procurement processes, cost containment strategies, and opportunities for savings.
As a retired BC Hydro manager with 36 years service I feel both compelled and qualified to comment. The underlying implication of Mr. Coleman's comments and actions is that BC Hydro is inept and that somehow by the end of June his panel of 'senior officials' is going to identify the various errors of Hydro's ways and get them on track towards providing low cost, reliable, clean hydroelectric energy for the citizens and industry of British Columbia.
Whoa! Reality check!
The facts of the matter are that BC Hydro, through the watchful eye of the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) and the incredible foresight of the W.A.C. Bennett government has been providing the lowest cost, reliable, green, 100% renewable electrical energy in North America to the citizens and industry of B.C for the past 50 years. >
And, just as importantly, they would still be doing so if the provincial government (yes, the same Liberal government that Mr. Coleman is and has been a Minister for) had not decided to use (or more accurately abuse) BC Hydro as an enormous "cash cow" and steal hundreds of millions of dollars from them per year in "dividend payments" to the "shareholder" (the government on behalf of British Columbians).
The fact is that the government saw Hydro's large cash flows and capital and operational program funds as huge cash reserves that they could 'better use' to fund other government programs for which funding would otherwise have to be reduced or taxes would otherwise have to be increased. Our 'diligent' premier and his cabinet simply didn't care that their 'rob Peter to pay Paul' actions would require Hydro to cut and/or seriously curtail their requisite system operations and capital programs.
In fact, to add insult to injury, the Liberal government under Premier Gordon Campbell forced BC Hydro to take on billions of dollars in additional debt in the form of long term (30 -- 40 year) 'use or pay' contracts with private run-of-river and wind power developers. Furthermore, the contracted energy costs are two to three times higher than current electrical energy value.
So, back to Mr. Coleman's quandary. What will his panel of experts determine? What can we do to ensure that the citizens and industry of British Columbia are getting the best bang for their energy dollar?
How can we be sure that Hydro and its villainous team of engineers and technicians isn't out to screw us? Well, I would like to humbly suggest the following solutions: Get your grubby government hands out of BC Hydro's pockets. For the past 50 years the citizens and industry of British Columbia have enjoyed 'real' dividends from BC Hydro in the form of the lowest cost, clean, reliable electrical energy in North America (possibly the world). This didn't happen by accident and it certainly isn't indicative of a poorly run energy corporation.
Let BC Hydro work to its mandate and let BCUC do its job of overseeing Hydro's operations.
Make the government the 'fall guy' rather than BC Hydro and explain why Hydro is in the mess it's in. The government created the mess so they should at least have the intestinal fortitude and integrity to admit it.
Unfortunately we are all going to have to pay to get ourselves out of this mess but at least we should know the real cause so that future generations don't repeat this sham.
M.J. (Marv) Everett, Retired,
Campbell River
There are many people in British Columbia who harbor suspicions about the motives of the current Liberal government to undermine the work of BC Hydro in the first place, and the reasons for private power Run of the River projects.
Some believe that, (using the BC Rail trial jargon) that 'Tips' might have been provided to certain officials. Most of these power projects have a limited liability to even provide power for the people of BC and after their initial contracts run out, said to be for only five years, they are free to use the resources of BC rivers for their power to supply out of country electricity, to California air conditioners and Nevada neon etc without having to provide one milliwatt to British Columbians!
BC Hydro has, as Mr. Everett said, been trusted for fifty years by British Columbians, to look after OUR needs, and he is careful to acknowledge the foresight of WAC Bennett to build this into the corporation. Alas, governments with benefits for BCers in mind are sadly gone.
We notice Mr. Colman's clever use of Christy Clark's new election buzzword, 'families', and we wonder how many journals, radio, newspapers, TV stations and other media will bring up even ONE question in the coming provincial election to a Liberal candidate regarding the destruction of the jewel of Crown Corporations in BC and it's effect on the families of British Columbians?
"Now there's a profundity! Merely a month on the job and Hon. Rich Coleman is qualified to single-handedly determine the engineering, safety, and financial merits of BC Hydro projects. Does he think that Hydro would be proposing the project if it didn't need to be done? Some sort of a 'make work' project perhaps? In your article Mr. Coleman goes on to say "...But we also need to minimize costs and take care about the burden we're placing on families ... you also have to figure out how you an bring your costs in and cash-flow it through so that your rates will be kept down..."
To ensure that Mr. Coleman's prerequisites can be met, he has struck a panel of 'senior officials' to examine Hydro's financial performance, its operating and capital requirements, the reliability of its forecasting systems, administrative expenses, procurement processes, cost containment strategies, and opportunities for savings.
As a retired BC Hydro manager with 36 years service I feel both compelled and qualified to comment. The underlying implication of Mr. Coleman's comments and actions is that BC Hydro is inept and that somehow by the end of June his panel of 'senior officials' is going to identify the various errors of Hydro's ways and get them on track towards providing low cost, reliable, clean hydroelectric energy for the citizens and industry of British Columbia.
Whoa! Reality check!
The facts of the matter are that BC Hydro, through the watchful eye of the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) and the incredible foresight of the W.A.C. Bennett government has been providing the lowest cost, reliable, green, 100% renewable electrical energy in North America to the citizens and industry of B.C for the past 50 years. >
And, just as importantly, they would still be doing so if the provincial government (yes, the same Liberal government that Mr. Coleman is and has been a Minister for) had not decided to use (or more accurately abuse) BC Hydro as an enormous "cash cow" and steal hundreds of millions of dollars from them per year in "dividend payments" to the "shareholder" (the government on behalf of British Columbians).
The fact is that the government saw Hydro's large cash flows and capital and operational program funds as huge cash reserves that they could 'better use' to fund other government programs for which funding would otherwise have to be reduced or taxes would otherwise have to be increased. Our 'diligent' premier and his cabinet simply didn't care that their 'rob Peter to pay Paul' actions would require Hydro to cut and/or seriously curtail their requisite system operations and capital programs.
In fact, to add insult to injury, the Liberal government under Premier Gordon Campbell forced BC Hydro to take on billions of dollars in additional debt in the form of long term (30 -- 40 year) 'use or pay' contracts with private run-of-river and wind power developers. Furthermore, the contracted energy costs are two to three times higher than current electrical energy value.
So, back to Mr. Coleman's quandary. What will his panel of experts determine? What can we do to ensure that the citizens and industry of British Columbia are getting the best bang for their energy dollar?
How can we be sure that Hydro and its villainous team of engineers and technicians isn't out to screw us? Well, I would like to humbly suggest the following solutions: Get your grubby government hands out of BC Hydro's pockets. For the past 50 years the citizens and industry of British Columbia have enjoyed 'real' dividends from BC Hydro in the form of the lowest cost, clean, reliable electrical energy in North America (possibly the world). This didn't happen by accident and it certainly isn't indicative of a poorly run energy corporation.
Let BC Hydro work to its mandate and let BCUC do its job of overseeing Hydro's operations.
Make the government the 'fall guy' rather than BC Hydro and explain why Hydro is in the mess it's in. The government created the mess so they should at least have the intestinal fortitude and integrity to admit it.
Unfortunately we are all going to have to pay to get ourselves out of this mess but at least we should know the real cause so that future generations don't repeat this sham.
M.J. (Marv) Everett, Retired,
Campbell River
(bolds are mine)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------There are many people in British Columbia who harbor suspicions about the motives of the current Liberal government to undermine the work of BC Hydro in the first place, and the reasons for private power Run of the River projects.
Some believe that, (using the BC Rail trial jargon) that 'Tips' might have been provided to certain officials. Most of these power projects have a limited liability to even provide power for the people of BC and after their initial contracts run out, said to be for only five years, they are free to use the resources of BC rivers for their power to supply out of country electricity, to California air conditioners and Nevada neon etc without having to provide one milliwatt to British Columbians!
BC Hydro has, as Mr. Everett said, been trusted for fifty years by British Columbians, to look after OUR needs, and he is careful to acknowledge the foresight of WAC Bennett to build this into the corporation. Alas, governments with benefits for BCers in mind are sadly gone.
We notice Mr. Colman's clever use of Christy Clark's new election buzzword, 'families', and we wonder how many journals, radio, newspapers, TV stations and other media will bring up even ONE question in the coming provincial election to a Liberal candidate regarding the destruction of the jewel of Crown Corporations in BC and it's effect on the families of British Columbians?
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Elections, Polls and Lying
The Feds have started their election campaign. May second. The three amigos, Harper, Ignatief and Layton are all about to pretend to suck up to us. Each to blatantly lie about what their government will do for us. Prosperity and success are just around the corner, they'll say with a straight face, get those other people out and our people in! The people I know are worried about what the government will do TO them.
The polls will be polling right left and center. With all the politicians grouping themselves into that center. Man on the street polls. Web polls, shopping mall polls, telephone polls, newspaper polls, tabloid polls. Exit polls, entrance polls. Bar polls. Man on the toilet polls. All purporting to ask questions about your political intentions and print results honestly about who YOU want to govern you and your family. Be aware that veracity is not on the federal political comprehension list.
There'll be Ipsos polls, Compas, Gallup, Nanos, Polara polls etc etc ad nauseum. And by the time anyone in the West turns on the TV election night, without counting a single vote, you'll hear someone like Bill Good in his stentorian voice simply TELL you who your government is. Isn't that speshul?
It's the polls that irritate me. They ask you all these questions and we are supposed to answer candidly to some stranger with a clip board. I would sooner answer to a guy with a bicycle clip on his pantleg and an arrow through his head.
So I have promised myself I will lie to each and every one of them. Of course I will watch poll results previous to my being asked. If the Liberals are leading in my area, then I will be voting for NDP or Conservatives. No question asked of me will receive an honest answer. If it looks like a landslide for the Conservatives I will leap on that bandwagon and lie like hell about voting for them.
You see, if we ALL lie to these pollsters, the effects of polling become irrelevant. No one will believe the results because they might have forecast a landslide win by the Reform party and the Marijuana party snuck in somehow! A gleeful result, get some potting soil!
So the guy approaches you on the street and asks if you will be voting in this election? You say Yes, I will. And who for? You say, (randomly) the NDP. Conservatives, Liberals, the Bloc even! (That ultimate lie is to make Quebeckers think someone outside of the 'nation' of Quebec likes them) Saying you will vote for the obscure parties will be fun for you too. Here you have lots of choices among the oddballs and their silly promises: You could validate them by lying about your vote and INvalidate other polling results. What fun ...
The Abolitionist Party - Whatever they are abolitioning.
Animal Alliance Party - Become a dog and vote for more soft watery food.
The Atlantica Party - They just might find Atlantis with taxpayer money!
Bloc Quebecois - Bloc this, bloc that, bloc anything that doesn't give money to Quebec.
Christian Heritage Party - A vote for them might bring protest from Shinto Priests.
Communist Party - Well isn't China doing ok? They OWN the US now, you know.
Freedom Party - Is there something paradoxical in that name?
Libertarian Party - I read de Sades book, Justine was a Libertine.
NeoRhino Party - It's time we changed from those old leather rhinos anyway.
Parti Populaire des Putes - Yes, I know what it says in French.
Work Less Party - Take the whole election day off.
These are only a few choices of where to actually place your vote in the silence and secrecy of the polling booth. And actually voting for any one of these will probably result in the same outcome of who will be governing you in the next few years anyway.
You see? Your vote will probably have little effect on the way your life will progress after May second,
Lie to them all, they're going to lie to us.
If it is a sunny day I might just head for the beach instead.
Isn't that what I said?
The polls will be polling right left and center. With all the politicians grouping themselves into that center. Man on the street polls. Web polls, shopping mall polls, telephone polls, newspaper polls, tabloid polls. Exit polls, entrance polls. Bar polls. Man on the toilet polls. All purporting to ask questions about your political intentions and print results honestly about who YOU want to govern you and your family. Be aware that veracity is not on the federal political comprehension list.
There'll be Ipsos polls, Compas, Gallup, Nanos, Polara polls etc etc ad nauseum. And by the time anyone in the West turns on the TV election night, without counting a single vote, you'll hear someone like Bill Good in his stentorian voice simply TELL you who your government is. Isn't that speshul?
It's the polls that irritate me. They ask you all these questions and we are supposed to answer candidly to some stranger with a clip board. I would sooner answer to a guy with a bicycle clip on his pantleg and an arrow through his head.
So I have promised myself I will lie to each and every one of them. Of course I will watch poll results previous to my being asked. If the Liberals are leading in my area, then I will be voting for NDP or Conservatives. No question asked of me will receive an honest answer. If it looks like a landslide for the Conservatives I will leap on that bandwagon and lie like hell about voting for them.
You see, if we ALL lie to these pollsters, the effects of polling become irrelevant. No one will believe the results because they might have forecast a landslide win by the Reform party and the Marijuana party snuck in somehow! A gleeful result, get some potting soil!
So the guy approaches you on the street and asks if you will be voting in this election? You say Yes, I will. And who for? You say, (randomly) the NDP. Conservatives, Liberals, the Bloc even! (That ultimate lie is to make Quebeckers think someone outside of the 'nation' of Quebec likes them) Saying you will vote for the obscure parties will be fun for you too. Here you have lots of choices among the oddballs and their silly promises: You could validate them by lying about your vote and INvalidate other polling results. What fun ...
The Abolitionist Party - Whatever they are abolitioning.
Animal Alliance Party - Become a dog and vote for more soft watery food.
The Atlantica Party - They just might find Atlantis with taxpayer money!
Bloc Quebecois - Bloc this, bloc that, bloc anything that doesn't give money to Quebec.
Christian Heritage Party - A vote for them might bring protest from Shinto Priests.
Communist Party - Well isn't China doing ok? They OWN the US now, you know.
Freedom Party - Is there something paradoxical in that name?
Libertarian Party - I read de Sades book, Justine was a Libertine.
NeoRhino Party - It's time we changed from those old leather rhinos anyway.
Parti Populaire des Putes - Yes, I know what it says in French.
Work Less Party - Take the whole election day off.
These are only a few choices of where to actually place your vote in the silence and secrecy of the polling booth. And actually voting for any one of these will probably result in the same outcome of who will be governing you in the next few years anyway.
You see? Your vote will probably have little effect on the way your life will progress after May second,
Lie to them all, they're going to lie to us.
If it is a sunny day I might just head for the beach instead.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
addenda: Mar 30 - You saw it here yesterday and now a late news item today, already all around the blogisphere, a developing scandal - 'CBC caught promoting a rigged Compas poll! CBC has no explanation for why no matter which button the user always clicked, the "answer" always came out as "Liberal"!
Something is amiss with the CBC and the 'Compass' and that it is not to be trusted.' Isn't that what I said?
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Our new Premier
Christy Clark has been sworn in to be the new Liberal leader and Premier of British Columbia. She named her new cabinet and continued with her specious comments on listening to the people. Hmm. However listening seems to have certain exceptions; like any talk about BC Rail and the six million dollar hush money.
No need to list her cabinet choices right now, they are the same old cadre of conniving characters that you know from the last movie. Still wearing the black hats too.
So it seems to me, that Christy is embarking on a new path under a cloud of suspicion. You know how these things go, when there are so many questions without answers, the people begin to speculate and make up their own. But this has been going on for years. Seven years. The conclusions, however ridiculous, have been made, rehashed, revisited and readorned into the general belief that Christy Clark, once Deputy Premier, had inside knowledge of what was going on with the corrupted sale of BC Rail. The people surrounding her then, and even now during her campaign run for this esteemed office, were under that grey cloud of suspicion then and still are. The only difference to many is that the cloud has become black.
But are all her cabinet people sworn to secrecy? Have they promised to keep these Liberal secrets? Do they all have skeletons in their closets too, precariously piled in there, hoping no one opens the door. Is there integrity somewhere or is it trumped by power? Seems to me the latter.
Christy said she wants to move on, but do the people of BC want to just go ahead and forget? Justice not only needs to be done, but has to be seen to be done. Would this rationale be good enough for the RCMP? Murderers go free because it would cost too much to nail them after seven years? How strong is the public's cry for satisfaction? Are the tools of Bill Good, Vaughn Palmer and Keith Baldrey enough to defray the public concern? They are already hard at work on the Liberal message convincing us that the Federal HST is good for us.
Does our new premier think we will simply accept her refusal to take responsibility for her government's actions on BC Rail and the ensuing lengthy trial? Does she believe she can simply carry on with Gordon Campbell's destruction of the province? There are already rumors that she intends to try to sell off our BC Ferries, AND the jewel of BC Utilities; BC Hydro.
Who knows what the deal was with BC Rail, OUR utility? Does she believe she can simply continue the rape of this province?
Of course she has no mandate yet from the people of BC, but how hard can it be? We are the dupes, Gordon got elected three times by fooling us. Or lying to us. And eventually cheating us out of our heritage. Christy could intend to continue Gordon Campbell's plan of bankrupting BC Hydro, for the good of Run of the River Private Power operators and then allowing nuclear power to move into this province. Many believe that is what Campbell was planning. Perhaps the fix is already in? Perhaps a payoff was already made? A 'TIP' in BC Rail trial jargon. Ask Christy, she probably knows. And she might know a lot more about 'tips' too. We the public are wondering who does know what deals have been made?
Well I am only questioning if the people of BC can still believe ANY Liberal in this province. This is no change, and we desperately need one, no matter who takes over the reigns of control, it could not be worse than what we have now, and what Christy Clark and her band of scoundrels are planning.
The whole trouble is, these people are simply untrustworthy, we cannot believe what they say. A cleansing readjustment is crucial in British Columbia.
Putting on a new white hat just won't do it. It's covering the same old black hat.
No need to list her cabinet choices right now, they are the same old cadre of conniving characters that you know from the last movie. Still wearing the black hats too.
So it seems to me, that Christy is embarking on a new path under a cloud of suspicion. You know how these things go, when there are so many questions without answers, the people begin to speculate and make up their own. But this has been going on for years. Seven years. The conclusions, however ridiculous, have been made, rehashed, revisited and readorned into the general belief that Christy Clark, once Deputy Premier, had inside knowledge of what was going on with the corrupted sale of BC Rail. The people surrounding her then, and even now during her campaign run for this esteemed office, were under that grey cloud of suspicion then and still are. The only difference to many is that the cloud has become black.
But are all her cabinet people sworn to secrecy? Have they promised to keep these Liberal secrets? Do they all have skeletons in their closets too, precariously piled in there, hoping no one opens the door. Is there integrity somewhere or is it trumped by power? Seems to me the latter.
Christy said she wants to move on, but do the people of BC want to just go ahead and forget? Justice not only needs to be done, but has to be seen to be done. Would this rationale be good enough for the RCMP? Murderers go free because it would cost too much to nail them after seven years? How strong is the public's cry for satisfaction? Are the tools of Bill Good, Vaughn Palmer and Keith Baldrey enough to defray the public concern? They are already hard at work on the Liberal message convincing us that the Federal HST is good for us.
Does our new premier think we will simply accept her refusal to take responsibility for her government's actions on BC Rail and the ensuing lengthy trial? Does she believe she can simply carry on with Gordon Campbell's destruction of the province? There are already rumors that she intends to try to sell off our BC Ferries, AND the jewel of BC Utilities; BC Hydro.
Who knows what the deal was with BC Rail, OUR utility? Does she believe she can simply continue the rape of this province?
Of course she has no mandate yet from the people of BC, but how hard can it be? We are the dupes, Gordon got elected three times by fooling us. Or lying to us. And eventually cheating us out of our heritage. Christy could intend to continue Gordon Campbell's plan of bankrupting BC Hydro, for the good of Run of the River Private Power operators and then allowing nuclear power to move into this province. Many believe that is what Campbell was planning. Perhaps the fix is already in? Perhaps a payoff was already made? A 'TIP' in BC Rail trial jargon. Ask Christy, she probably knows. And she might know a lot more about 'tips' too. We the public are wondering who does know what deals have been made?
Well I am only questioning if the people of BC can still believe ANY Liberal in this province. This is no change, and we desperately need one, no matter who takes over the reigns of control, it could not be worse than what we have now, and what Christy Clark and her band of scoundrels are planning.
The whole trouble is, these people are simply untrustworthy, we cannot believe what they say. A cleansing readjustment is crucial in British Columbia.
Putting on a new white hat just won't do it. It's covering the same old black hat.
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