How Can Anyone In Their Right Mind Think the BC Liberals Deserve Another Term?
There’s no belaboring the point: the current provincial government is deserving of the most striking boot to the derriere and into the gutter.
Although, I would argue that they’d be right at home in such a destination, considering how they’d be among friends.
I have been observing politics and politicians from inside and outside the box, for over thirty years. I’ve never encountered a government more wrong for the people of this province than the BC Liberals. That they have anyone left willing to back them and a few prominent members of the media still prepared to provide absolutely ridiculous excuses for them–or worse yet, blatantly, BIASEDLY promote their interests, is the kind of abominable mind funk I’d expect from someone who’d spent successive nights in an ‘Occupy’ tent with the flap closed.
I won’t belabor yet another point by delving into the past ten years. It’d be overwhelming for anyone as the material is so much and the omissions (read: willful ignorance) by the media so gaping a hole in the soul of this province, that I’ll simply give you the last few months and with a heaping apology in advance.
Rate hikes, photo ops (a given) and lies.
How does the BC Liberal Party honestly expect not to break up? Where is the conscience of their caucus? Surely, they didn’t get into government just for themselves?
Or did they?
How can they not expect to fall even deeper in opinion polls?
BC Ferries, BC Hydro and now ICBC are all increasing their rates. The Finance Minister, Kevin Falcon, continues to manufacture ways to avoid telling us that there is no way his government can possibly balance the budget in the next two years. It just won’t happen and he knows it. Why he continues to prolong the agony (and thus make citizens angrier when the truth does come out) is beyond me.
The ferry corporation has been mismanaged by a close friend of Gordon Campbell and a golfing buddy of Global TV‘s Victoria Bureau Chief Keith Baldrey. David Hahn has received massive compensation for running the not-so-private ferries in this province.
The end result is that, once again, when a major BC corporation can’t manage its affairs, YOU get the shaft.
BC Hydro is no different. Overloaded with long-time BC Liberal cronies in almost every senior position–including their Board, hydro fees, too, are up.
Now ICBC tells of how, they as well, will be fleecing the same people that always get pinched when a government and its crown companies are woefully adrift: YOU!
If I fail to make my mortgage payments, what happens to my home in short order? If you can’t pay your credit card minimum next month, who bails you out should you wish to avoid the scissor method? If the bank is fed up with waiting on you to pay your small business loan off, who loses?
Time and again, we were told by this government over the last decade that THEY were the best stewards of the economy over the NDP and now Conservatives, but time and again, they’ve proved how for anyone other than their biggest donors and cronies, they’re an unmitigated disaster as custodians of the provincial purse.
A whole series of ‘FastCat’ fiascos would be preferable to the teeming slew of scandals and resulting fiscal mess these rogues have spawned.
When you or I fail, it’s our fault. When the BC Liberals fail, it’s everybody else, ANYONE else, that’s to blame.
I didn’t like the BC NDP of the 90s. They made massive mistakes and committed to horrendous failures. They shuttered businesses and collapsed the resource sectors of this province like never before. Yes, they delivered a massive surplus, but at whose expense? Balance is everything.
So, when the BC Liberals took over, I expected that they would make a difference and understand that delicate balance. Well, not a chance. While they made some mistakes in the first term, it was their only moderately good run–which they’ve since been living off. The rest of their term swung the pendulum in the exact opposite direction of the former NDP government.
Extremes never work, history teaches us–but that didn’t matter to Gordon Campbell, and less so now to Christy Clark.
When you can’t learn from the past, you’re future is doomed.
Look at the latest announcement by Minister Mary Polak about “treaties” with so-called ‘First Nations’. Heralded by Premier Christy Clark as “key to our new relationship” (I bet they hear that previously coined phrase in London all the time) she is undeniably perpetuating the precise Gordon Campbell scam that bought him the shameless photo ops in feathered headdress. Instead of getting real treaties accomplished that could reverse generational abuses and failures in the necessary and important native aboriginal community, Ms. Clark, like her predecessor, is bribing chiefs with enrichment schemes that include scams such as ‘Rape of River’ (IPP) technology and associated codswallop.
How does this help a native aboriginal boy graduate from high school and have a chance for a better life? Where will a teenage native aboriginal girl seek refuge not to be ‘picktoned’? What intra-community service will a native couple rely on to ensure their at-risk children will stay away from lives addicted to marijuana or cocaine?
What a completely detestable sham! Yet the summarily lazy media describe it as “innovative” and the energy as “clean.”
Amazing, no?
Yet, the biggest problem in this general scenario, that remains, isn’t how the BC Liberals have lost all moral authority to govern and don’t deserve to be re-elected (both are obvious). It’s that there is currently no viable, serious, ready-for-prime time alternative for a majority of British Columbians, who clearly don’t feel comfortable with the government and could never accept the NDP.
With the BC Conservatives viral navel-gazing and missed opportunities in the last few weeks to capitalize on government sleaze and lies, Christy Clark can still smile.
For her, tis the season to stay the course: Photo ops, shameless, absurd messaging, hiding from BC Rail/ Basi-Virk and when in doubt, lying.
All on your dime.
I saw that Christy is off to Ottawa to “negotiate” how to “pay back” the “$1.6 billion” that was part of Gordo’s HST scheme. Got a cold shiver over that one.
D’ya think maybe we could leave her there as part of the package?
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No one would take her!
Do you see the way the national press treats Premier Redford? They look at Christy Clark like she’s a joke.
The reality is she is simply playing games on the HST. Meanwhile, she’s stalling BC’s economy by taking so long. The excuse that they can’t to any quicker is bupkis. I speak to Ottawa every week. On a number of items, they’re still waiting on the BC Govt.
Stay tuned.
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I saw Redford on Mansbridge One-on-One. Knowledge of issues? Absolutely. Would I agree with her on everything? Of course not.
No comparison with Christy at all though. Redford was impressive.
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Agreed. I met her years ago through Joe Clark. She’s a very impressive woman.
Unlike Christy, whose entire existence is based on fluff.
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But just like Christie she came to power in a questionable way
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Not quite. No stole PIN numbers and pretended nothing happened.
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Stole PIN numbers. Figures. Christy was playing games even when she sought the nomination in Port Moody in 1996. A procedural barrier from her competitor candidate (who over time turned out to be a real dunce in politics) was thrown up becuase there were too many people from one address coming to that nomination meeting. Drove the party nuts I was told quite awhile ago.
But heard that Falcon’s campaign were bringing in people’s PIN numbers with the instruction for the Falconators to vote the wishes of the PIN number holder on the member voter’s behalf (i.e. some obtuse proxy voting, which is also a no-no in that context, so there was potential for hanky pank goin’ on on that side of the campaign.
Wonder what creativities DeJong cooked up in his?
That plus the NDP were busy drawing and quartering themselves at the same time.
Add in now the Provincial Tories figure they have someone much better than Cummins to run in Chilliwack and Port Moody. Something odd there.
Ain’t politics fun to watch? More fun than a 0-5 stretch of Lions football
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Falcon’s campaign lost the leadership, Christy didn’t win it.
They knew what was going on and did nothing to stop it. Such was their arrogance.
As for de Jong, he went to his constituency association and PERSONALLY demanded $40,000 from the constituency funds for his campaign. The man is a political douchebag. Is it any wonder he’s the closest to Christy?!?!
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Technically can’t do that. (but he did anyway). Constituency Funds are just that, Constituency Funds. For the riding and the riding campaign only. I’d tell him to piss off and would go to the media if I were there.
(and yes I have said “no” on a few occaisions that pissed off a few political types, but I didn’t give a shit. If they did something to me, I’d tell them I want my $10 membership back).
Now that that $40,000 is pissed away, how is the riding going to reconcile a balance on the lost money? The BC Liberals skim off way too much on their rake of fundraising done by the ridings.
and yes; CHristy didn’t win it, Falcon lost. and lost big time. Too many errors, and too many stupid things happened at the same time. Add in too many stupid people who figure they know everything.
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Precisely.
As for deJong, meathead didn’t get his way.
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As someone who worked on Falcon’s campaign, I can attest to that. We did a lot of PIN number voting for people under the assumption that’s the way they wanted to vote. Also, people called us because their PIN number wouldn’t work and we did the voting online for them.
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Which under such an INCREDIBLY STUPID system, is expected.
But STEALING PINs is quite another.
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And something tells me, we will be hearing more on this in the near future
The whole Liberal leadership contest sounds like it was a gong show…..
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It was a complete joke.
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What scares me is that Elections BC is considering some trial runs using online voting, which I assume was suggested to them by the current party in power. Can you imagine the skulduggery that would be perpetrated upon the citizens of BC.
Woe is us!
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They certainly don’t deserve another term..They didn’t deserve the last two, and the results of their first election were more deserved by the NDP than by the Liberals.
My issues on the list
1) BCHydro accounting…see Vaughn P today in the Sun. Excellent column
2) Blocking John doyle investigating Basi-Virk
3) Boss Power…$30 mil of our money to cover a Ministerial ass and giving the pink slip to a civil servant who was worth the title (Sweeney tossed overboard for doing his job).
So many more, but those are, as you say, the recent ones.
Incidentally, Doyle and the NDP members return my inquiries on these issues. Why do cabinet members (excuse the pun), not respond?
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Are you surprised?
I’m not. Great comment.
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To figure out why Kevin Falcon will not admit reality on the budget, you have to ask yourself “As finance minister, what does Kevin Falcon value most”? “What is, simultaneously, his greatest attack and defense”?
I read the Baldrey column as well. Truly the worst case of lopsided opinion in memory. A government hasn’t won a by-election in 20 years, except the one John Cummin’s was principled enough to stay on the sidelines for, otherwise Christy’s career would be over. Keith has manufactured this into a positive case scenario for a reeling government. It is without doubt, disgusting cheer leading from a man who claims to be unbiased. He is getting worse, he is showing his hand, he is desperate to maintain the status quo.
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What amazes me about Keith is that he is such a good guy and intelligent too, but this last column deserved a thorough beating all on it’s own but I’m feeling charitable this week and am generally in a good mood. What possessed to write such complete crap is beyond comprehension. Not only it didn’t make sense but he obviously has lost his ability to remain even moderately impartial.
Baldrey is T.I.T.S. (Totally In the Tank for Snooki)…
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You are on fire today with the laughy quips, AGT! Hilarious. The image you painted in your first paragraph of someone being caught in an Occupy tent all nit with the flap down was classic, and I actually stopped reading for a moment just to thoroughly enjoy the chuckle. Thanks. And now a funny/apropos new acronym that says it all (T.I.T.S); priceless.
In times like these, humor gets us through and often underscores valuable lessons. These particular liberals deserve much worse than simply being turfed. Whatever happened to fiduciary recklessness and malfeasance being considered criminal behavior, akin to fraud?
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It’s in the BC Liberal handbook!
Yeah, T.I.T.S. I love that two…I mean, er, well, you know what I mean…
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Alex, the great part about you is that you always make a clean breast of the subject.
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I’m a cunning linguist.
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And a master debater…….?
ba da bing, ba da boom….
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A septic tank?
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B.C. needs very talented and ethical people to govern the Province in the age of incredible regional, provincial, national, and interntional complexites. Where are they?
The current line-up of the BC LIberals contains very few, if any. The current line-up of the BC NDP offers no more, and arguably even less. The BC Conservatives are doing their best to not attract anyone of such talent and moral character.
Alex, it may well be that in the 2013 Provincial election one may have to vote for the party whose elected members will do the least harm.
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Precisely.
If John Cummins thinks his Reform Party crew are going to form Govt, he’s delusional. They’ve missed golden opportunities in the last few days and I know of people who were going to vote for them but instead have decided to vote for the NDP in protest.
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Alex, anyone who would vote NDP as a protest is either a socialist of a masochist, or just plain stupid. I know that sounds doctrinaire, but it is better than no doctrine at all, which pretty much describes the secular left.
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I’m not so sure, Sir Lawrence. I’m not so sure…
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Alex I can sum up our problem: it’s called entitlement. For some reason entitlement has become the driving force behind government, big business, big unions and the occupiers who want someone else to pay for their housing, education, dope and so on. We have lost the work, community, family and ethical morals that Canada was built on. I’m afraid until such time as we regain those basic principles we are doomed.
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I’m not so sure either. I am of reasonable intelligence…as are quite a few people in this great province of ours. There are some good people in the NDP that can spell “balance”…..this time around I’ve placed my bet that there are just enough of them to make a pretty good go of it. There doesn’t have to be too many Horgans in the crowd to influence things in a positive and common sense manner….no time left to dilly dally…..IPP contracts are under pressure to get closed as we speak….soon there will be nothing left of our province to influence from either the left or the right.
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You raise a good point.
BC’s in sure trouble.
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I’m assuming here that we will not mind our sons and daughters being told that they must always question their sexuality, and be open to all forms of, what was once known as perversions. That the government does have the right, under the “Infant’s Act” to rush your 14 year old daughter off for an abortion without informing yourself, either prior to, or after the fact? (I must admit however, that this is quite all right with the present government too, though I’m unsure of who brought it in) I trust too that you are willing to cede your children, at an ever earlier age, to the care of unknown “educators” (who most definitely have an agenda, which is a bit more than improving the numeracy and literacy of their charges) and who will try to convince you that they know what is best for your children. You are to just go on working and paying taxes and agreeing to all their union demands.
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Oh Dear God, spare us….Larry, what are you going on about now?! None of what you’ve written is either plausible or in some cases possible.
Honestly….
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Really? Oh well then; the Infant Act is just a figment of my imagination? Might make good reading some night Alex! However a FOI request would be useless because we, the lower classes are not allowed that kind of info. But it is clear in the legislation what powers they have over our children.
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Geezus Murphy. I read the damn thing Larry and I found that you were describing an EXTREME case.
If the child’s life is in jeopardy or the pregnancy would prove traumatic and she wants an abortion, she should be able to have one in a safe environment.
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You know that I agree with most of what you’ve written and that I believe your voice on political matters is relevant and important.
I do take issue that you, like many big C conservatives, love to promote criminality of marijuana and use false statements to back up your wrong minded drug strategy. In your mind, everyone who uses marijuana is a moron. This attitude sadly undermines your integrity.
Marijuana is not “addictive”. This is an undeniable, irrefutable and proven fact.
Keep up the great work on your blog and I’ll keep distributing your link to many, many people.
Thank you.
James
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1) I’m not a big ‘C’ conservative.
2) I’ve interviewed over 200 addicts in various stages of recovery. Every single last one of them attested to the “addictive” quality of marijuana. There are as many studies to prove this as well. In addition, at least half consider it a gateway drug. Even if the affects are psychologically addicting, the result is the same.
3) I don’t believe that everyone who uses marijuana is a moron. I think they’re morons when they use marijuana. There is a difference.
4) I know that you enjoy grass, and that’s just fine. I get it.
Please stick to the topic. Thanks pal.
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Those who say that marijuana is not addictive seem to be incapable of quitting. If it is so bloody easy, then quit, think of all the time and money wasted making yourself, (as you yourselves describe it) – wasted?
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I had heard that alcohol is addictive also, makes people angry enough to fight and in some cases even kill another human being. This last weekend in Victoria. Hell alcohol even has an opposing force – MADD.
Lots of things are addictive – everything in moderation.
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Does that include crack cocaine and child pornography? I understand (only too well) the problems with alcohol use, or rather abuse. But the image put forward by pot-heads is that their particular habit is beneficial to civilization, and if we were all smoking it, the world would be total bliss.
Yeah right, and nothing would ever get done. If legalized will it be as controlled as cigarette smoking presently is? Will the police enforce my right not to inhale the fattie being smoked by the guy on the balcony below me? Somehow, I think not! Let’s not encourage yet another prop for our inadequacies.
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I’ve yet to meet a pothead who wasn’t “addicted”.
These same people couldn’t go three hours without “smoking a bowl to unwind” and get angry when you call them on it.
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Love it. One thing I could never understand was how potheads can handle the goddamned f@&king smell!!!!!!!! Ugh! It’s just disgusting. When I was covering the occutards I almost gagged, the crap was so strong.
Geezus…
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Haha, same here. The smell of pot smoke, quite frankly, makes me want to spew. Same goes for cigarette smoke or the worst… coffee/smoke breath.
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No, for me, pot smoke is the bloody limit. It just reeks like hell.
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I hear ya on Premier Cute Canute.
As far as you blasting Mary Polak, not taking the bait.
I doubt seriously the BCNDP are any better.
I doubt seriously as you yourself exposed the BC Cons can honestly be competent and trusted.
This is what happens where there is only one competent – I will NOT use the word quality – governing party.
This is also what happens when corporations get too cozy with the government.
At least Alise Mills is calling out the BC Lib gov’t on Vancouver CBC and on C-FAX today in the 10:00 half hour. I understand her fans put up a special effect-laden YouTube about it: http://youtu.be/Sxfip-hyULc
Look, I’m going to defend the BCLibs. But only so far… CLBC needs to be fixed. The BCLibPIN scandal needs to be dealt with. Another Core Services Review needs to be done with an eye to cutting administrative costs and wish lists as was done in 2001-2002. A bit more aggression would also be a good idea.
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Just the pin scandal should make you stop supporting them, you obviously have no understanding of the pain this party is causing in many peoples every day life !!!!, what’s wrong with your head !!!
And YES, at this point in the game the NDP would be BETTER !!!
He’ll, even mr Peanut would do a better job.
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Oh please Alexander… the BCLibs aren’t exactly parading on civil liberties the way the BCNDP have.
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Really ??, What about CLBC Joe ???, what if it was your family member being shuffled around ????, this is peoples lives !!!, they already have knocks against them in life , now we make it worse !!!, what the he’ll is wrong with you ????
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Actually, I just had one of those ‘oops’ moments.
I intended on including the ridiculous comments of Stephanie Cadieux and Denise ‘Farrah’ Turner, in illustrating how horrible the Govt has been on this file as well, but I left it on the cutting room floor if you will.
Terrible record indeed. This Govt is indefensible.
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Joe,
Could you provide some specifics? I don’t recall the BCNDP parading on civil liberties.
Granted, my memory isn’t what it used to be, but the BC Liberals contempt for accountability and democracy over the past decade, and their furtive belief that they are above the law are forever etched in my mind.
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The Cute Canute grand royale disaster on the CLBC file is why I gave up being a cheerleader for Christy Clark.
The BCNDP are the people not just responsible for the PacifiCatastrophe, but also for giving Gordon Campbell a have-not, high tax province to bail out, which he did. Confederation and I daresay the American economy + the Commie Chinese (1) would not survive such an event again, period. After all, the BCNDP opposed the carbon tax and have been caught red-handed violating social media privacy.
As far as the BC Conservatives, they just can hand the election over to Dix and his socialist backroom. Better to support the free enterprise team… and then gum up the works to force them into supply & confidence deals with independent MLAs.
Finally, I agree and I have said this to all who suffer through my commentary: The BCLibs must answer for CLBC, period. I have never strayed from that, nor will I.
–FOOTNOTE–
(1) As long as there is a democratic China in Taiwan, going to remind people of the difference.
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Don’t ya just love when Liberal apologists bring up the banal PacificCat boondoggle – again ‘n’ again ‘n’ again…
Yawwwwnnnnnnnnn.
It’s almost 2012 and a lot of boondoggles have been perpetrated over the past decade to debunk the myth that the BC Liberals are good stewards of OUR money, OUR resources, and OUR environment.
If Glen Clark so much as farted in public it was front ‘n’ centre in the news papers for weeks. Campbell ‘n’ HypoChristy Clark on the other hand get a free ride from the same news papers their their malfeasance, duplicity and blatant disregard for democracy.
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Another superb comment.
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Should have read:
If Glen Clark so much as farted in public it was front ‘n’ centre in the news papers for weeks. Campbell ‘n’ HypoChristy Clark on the other hand get a free ride from the same news papers despite their malfeasance, duplicity and blatant disregard for democracy.
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Sorry pal, I missed it and your email somehow ended up in my SPAM folder. Weird. Oh well.
Very best to you.
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Alex just yesterday Ipsos. sent out a survey on the Governments Provincial and Federal. I would be interest to see the findings. I too listen to Clark on VOBC, for about ten minutes. then fully full of the B.S coming out of her mouth I turned it off.
I wonder what happened to the Millions of dollars the Liberal took out of ICBC. not that it matters really as I still get a raise in my insurance.
But I have to say that I am impressed with Dix, Alwas calm and collected. a refreshing change from the B>S. spinning Liberals. I thought that when Dix took over the NDP it was going to be the end of the world, just a exaggeration, But I am starting to quite like him. Cheers
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Where would one find Baldrey’s column? I haven’t got my Bullshit quota for the day. Thanks and Cheers
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Buddy, I linked to it in the body of my text!!!
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“I didn’t like the BC NDP of the 90s. They made massive mistakes and committed to horrendous failures. They shuttered businesses and collapsed the resource sectors of this province like never before.”
Is there reason to think today’s crop of NDP’ers are any different,especially considering their Leader,the ’90′s Dipper, Dix.
With Horgan or Farnworth as NDP boss,I, a small-c conservative, would have considered voting NDP, but not with Dix.
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Yes, quite right.
Farnworth or Horgan would have been superb, that why I endorsed Horgan. Both are friends, but I just didn’t like some of Mike’s backers.
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Alex, even with BC Rail, Bc Ferries and ICBC, nothing thus far is as devastating as how BC hydro is being dessimated and at the same time groomed for privatization. Whilst pretending cutbacks in staff and spending to try and bring down debt they are wasting one billion plus on a meter program no one wants and for which there is no need other than an enticement to private corporate purchase.
We are the suckers paying dearly to ready BC Hydro for quick sale and another robbery to the tax payer.
Never a word from media, no consultation with the public and not under the scrutiny of the Utility Commission this will be by far the most damaging act yet implemented by this Government and one from which we will never recover!
Don
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It’s true that BC Hydro is bigger than the others, money-wise, but the BC Rail scandal represents the single greatest fraud perpetrated on an unassuming BC public–ever!
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I think their biggest fraud will be the introduction of internet voting in the next election. It worked for Crusty and they are going to try it again.
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Other than getting up off one’s arse and going to the voting booth, NOTHING else should be allowed.
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We must now understand that the entire tenure of the BC Liberals while in office has been that of a massive Ponzi scheme and now, as with all Ponzi schemes, it is collapsing due to lack of taxpayer’s money to keep it afloat. When the money stops, the Ponzi scheme folds like an old deck chair.
It seems all those connected to the BC Liberals have done quite well, but the great unwashed have been taken to the cleaners. As a business owner in the bad old 90′s, I made a good living, but when Gordo assumed office, business went South.
Now, premier photo-op must pay the piper and with her connections to many of the nefarious actions of the BC Liberals, it seems the Liberals will lose the next election and if John Cummins proves his salt, the BC Liberals maybe reduced to a rump of two seats, as were the NDP just over a decade ago.
On a slightly different note, if I hear Bill Boring again utter the words “Fast Ferry”, I think I will do myself a nasty.
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What an absolutely brilliant analogy!
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Unless something unexpected comes along the prognosis is that the NDP are going to walk home in the ninth inning. We can only speculate about how many Liberals will be left sitting in Opposition.
I suggest now is the time to start developing a strategy for influencing what kind of NDP government we are going to have.
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what would BC have looked like if we did not get the olympics, no masive spending by the federal, provincial or local governemnts.
Governements would not have paid bonuses to there business buddies to the tune of millions of dollars.
The fiscal books would be colored in black ink because we would not have had masive spending which creates debt.
This provincial government spent our grand childrens money because they defered much of the costs of P3′s to future generations by paying things back after 40 years…good work Gordo.
Why do special interest folks bitch and complain when unions support a political candidate or contribute to a cause? but say nothing when there business buddies contribute massive amounts of money to the BC Lieberal party for a kick back? is that the cost of doing business in BC?
The B.C. Lieberal party are nothing more than ex-socreds raiding political parties. Alex your right, the Lieberals will go down to defeat but will re emerge as the conservative party.
Alex, good work, MSM is still drinking the grape cool-aid
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Thank you, but what a bloody brilliant comment you wrote here!
I have said till I’m blue in the face, that the BC Liberals are still playing the great Olympic costs shell game. No question in my mind.
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I noted the Aquilini family, big Liberal contributors over the last few years, have give zero in 2011, according to Elections BC. Two possibilities exist, one being that they don’t like what they see in Premier Photo-Op.
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Actually, they gave significantly to her leadership campaign.
Peter Wall hit up every single one of his development friends and contractors. He’s her contact in the business community.
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The Thought of The Day
“Minority. Government. Needed.”
BC Liberals… Kaput!
NDP… Mammoth!
Conservatives… Afoot!
Me? … IMHO a LOL Samoth!
Same problem here in the liddl’ BC like in the bigga’ USA. Two parties. Democracy my arse. One party more than a socialist society.
We need a strong third or fourth party to enter the satge and start making noises, kick butts around and put some sense into this crooks.
Majority NDP, brrr… Frightening. No different than the BC Liberals in some respects. Longer they stay in power more corrupt they become. Screw the ‘give them another chance’ routine or ‘they need to finish what they started’ crap, political parties and leaders must be changed like diapers, and for the very same reasons.
The best indication of you get for electing the same clowns over and over:
BC – the Province with the highest child poverty in Canada!
Vancouver- the most expensive Real Estate in Canada, and on this note, the old/same/new Council just approved the casino expansion thingy.
I am selling T-shirts;
ICH BIN EIN STUPIDER!
Who wants one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGjfzu3Gz20
We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy… Ra Ta Ra Ta Ra!
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Hysterical!
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How come when I write my comment the area is this big and when it’s posted is like this ?
Naah! 
Anyhoo…
This “The best indication of you get for electing the same clowns over and over:”
supposed to be:
“The best indication you get from electing the same clowns over and over:”
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LOL!
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great column
my question where is the opposition,
trying to find what the bc conservative party stands for is like trying to find waldo.
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You owe me for the dry cleaning of polyester Fred Asher suit.
I wet myself laughing. Waldo…BRILLIANT!
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You know, the other day there was some joking about Fred Asher suits, and made me chuckle a bit too. But then I was reminded of a pleasant, good old Vancouver memory. Back in the day (the 60′s and 70′s) Fred Asher was the sponsor of All Star Wrestling on Saturday mornings. Ron Morrier was always decked out in Freds latest fashion styles. Who can forget Don Leo (the Mormon Giant) Jonathan, Gene Kiniski, Bulldog Brown, Mr X, Dutch Savage, Andre the Giant, etc? If I were king for a day, I’d hit a reset button, and teleport us all back to happier, friendlier times. I know this is off topic, but you did mention Fred Asher
and he was probably a Conservative too.
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You’re the champ! LOVE IT! My Grandpa used to take me to All-Star and years later I met Gene Kiniski again when I tried to buy the Breakers in Point Roberts from him and his son Nick. I took along the picture of me sitting on Dutch Savage’s knee, holding his coal miner’s glove (remember those matches?!). Seated next to me in the picture was Gene. So we took another picture, this time of me and him holding the original picture, some thirty plus years later.
The deal didn’t work out (they were asking too much money) but it sure was great heading down there and hooking up again.
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we had just got our first TV at the time….I remember the Old Dutch Windmill potato chip ads….turns out Andre the Giant used to hang out at with a good friend’s uncle back in East Van, too bad I didn’t know that at the time!….off topic? Not really….we are being driven to hit that reset button. Somehow the moral authority you speak of was more achievable…we want it back. ….(those trips to The Breakers on Sundays were morally correct…weren’t they?)
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Yeah, when I had my ’96 Custom Softail, hitting The Breakers was the best ride in the world. I did it often.
Yes, having the govts moral authority upped in those days was much easier indeed….
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Speaking of All Star Wresting, and Bulldog Brown anf Fred Asher.
“Men, get an extra suit for an extra dollar at Brtoadway Credit Clothiers, 40 short paces west of Main.”
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Love it! Remember it well! And I can still hum the Harry Hammer and Woodwards themes!!!
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Harry Hammer ran for the BC Liberals in South Vancouver. Think it was 1983 or somthing.
Woodwards.. Loved those food floors. Best peanut butter anywhere.
Went to Woodwards for practicually everything. Good quality merchanise, not the cheap crap you can get at Wally Mart that falls apart like a Century 21 blazer.
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Good point although, JIF remains my favorite peanut butter. Can’t get it anywhere anymore except Zellers.
Or Bellingham CostCo.
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I read the Baldrey piece and this in the same day:
http://thecanadian.org/k2/item/1181-free-speech-censorship-ryerson-journalism-go-f#k-itself-rafe-mair
The man speaks Bibles full of truth.
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It does.
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“Now ICBC tells of how, they as well, will be fleecing the same people that always get pinched when a government and its crown companies are woefully adrift: YOU!” Ag T
I’ve probably got this all wrong, what with my ever increasing cynical view of government, but it seems to me that the ICBC brass have recognized that the books have taken on a certain shade of red. Oh oh! Performance bonuses in jeopardy? Better hike the rates. That looks better. Look how well we’ve performed. It’s bonus time again! A Shell Busey moment to be sure — It’s Just that Easy!
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ICBC is the most corrupt Crown in the province, and that’s saying something! Tom Fletcher in the Burnaby NewsLeader says it all when he notes that, “new administrative penalties for drinking and driving … have kept routine impaired cases out of court.” That folks, is because most lawyers won’t take the cases on, as they can’t be won. He goes on to say “Police have the authority to impound vehicles and impose heavy fines on the spot, when drivers fail a roadside breath test or even blow in the “warn” range of 0.05 to 0.08%.”, and that this is being challenged as an infringement of the right to go to court and try various drunk-driving defences, and that a judge will soon decide if the hazards of drunk-driving justify such onerous infringements.
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The 4% increase is bullshit. Year after year, ICBC tells us how wonderfully their portfolio is performing. This week, we learn the BC Gov isn’t going to be able to balance the budget as quickly as earlier forecast. A day passes, ICBC rolls out a 4% (where do these numbers come from?) increase, ostensibly due to an increase in claims? Really? Didn’t the police recently exclaim that accidents involving impaired drivers has dropped by 40%?? Didn’t we just get through one of the mildest winters on record? Surely a milder winter results in fewer claims? There is no doubt in my mind that the ‘transfer’ payments to the Gov will rise substantially thanks to this increase. Lets call this what it really is, a tax increase.
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You know, my Dad hasn’t been well lately and I went by to see him the other day. He’d imported some fish from the old country and invited me to stay for dinner, so I did. When Global’s six o’clock ‘News Hour’ came on the top story was ICBC’s rate hike.
Without even thinking about it, I remarked out loud, “Sell a building for Christ’s sake.”
Dad, who is now a BC Conservative supporter replied, in a rare, super-candid moment, “Are you crazy my boy? It’s easier to go fuck the little guy. If the Govt treated me like that 53 years ago when I came to this country, you would be working as a janitor and I would still be washing dishes and cleaning toilets. The bastards, Christy and her friends really don’t give a shit about the working people. She pretends a lot.”
From the voice of experience…
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Not that there is anything wrong with cleaning toilets and sweeping floors! But Chris makes an excellent point. This is more about their bonuses and their known corruptions. If the new drinking and driving laws are saving all this money, why are they raising rates. If Cummins were to say that upon winning the election he would get rid of ICBC, he would be a shoe-in! By the way, all the best to your Papa.
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Thanks.
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Sorry to hear your Father isn’t feeling well Alex, hope he is feeling better soon..
George has a soft spot for Dads, tell him we wish him a speedy recovery
So he’s a Conservative now, wow that is interesting…you dad really does have it right..It really is easier to f**k the little guy…they can’t fight back. I believe that is why they call them bullies!
From the voice of experience…
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Thanks, I’ll let him know.
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It appears others like Chantal Hebert are willing to pick up where Mr Baldrey left off.
“Clark will face her first election test as premier within the next eighteen months. Polls suggest she needs all the help she can get from a friendly federal government if she is not to lose power to the NDP.”
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1095050–hebert-pm-could-use-premiers-like-christy-clark
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Chantal demonstrates that she doesn’t know the Prime Minister, Premier Clark or former premier Campbell.
A typical Eastern assessment.
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Meanwhile, back at the ranch
“B.C. Premier Christy Clark received a cool public response Wednesday to her pitch to reduce the $1.6 billion the province owes the federal government for killing the harmonized sales tax.”
Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/Ottawa+says+reducing+debt/5791354/story.html#ixzz1fFQpXql6
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Christy sees “benefits” in working together with the Feds and not “picking fights publicly.”
Tomorrow, I’m going to do a post just on this, to show you precisely just how much a scam artist Clark is. It’s almost beyond words
Here’s your teaser: after her Finance Minister quite correctly insisted, several times, that negotiations with the feds shouldn’t happen in public, she commits to te very thing she’s trying to egg te Feds into doing–disagreeing in public.
Christy has no shame whatsoever. She’s so pathetic. What’s more pathetic is that this should be obvious to the media, and NOT ONE of them will challenge her. NOT ONE.
Whores, all of them.
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Another excellent article.
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Thank you, Sir!
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Dragging their feet on the end of the HST is almost criminal.
The effect on the people involved in the housing industry is immeasurable.
People hate developers and realtors for good reasons, but remember, there are many good ones too, tarnished by the unscrupulous and incompetent. They are struggling thanks to the HST.
But remember everybody else in the housing industry affected by this, the framers, builders, roofers, painters, electricians, plumbers, financial people, furnishings, on and on it goes. From new housing to renovations, people are sitting on their wallets (rightly so) for the end of the HST, when they will pay only 5% rather than 12% on their purchase or reno.
A made in BC recession. Thanks Christy! and Falco!
Get people back to work, paying income taxes and PST, alleviating the deficit. Right now, it’s lose-lose, HST not bringing in the money, and income tax decline due to rising unemployment.
Brilliant, just brilliant.
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Indeed. Great comment.
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Alex i have a few friends who voted liberal. I asked them if they ever watched question period when the leg. was sitting, they said no After watching it with me they were so embarrassed and ashamed , they said they never knew how arrogant ,rude, and sarcastic the liberals were. Each one said they will NEVER vote for these sleazy pr@cks again. Shirly Bond and Falcon were the ones they were most ashamed of, i can’t blame them one bit.
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My two biggest horrors are what they’ve done to the healthcare system through all the privatization of hospital cleaning staff, and the environmental disaster called run of river.
Infection rates have had massive increases, linen cleaning is very suspect and the hospital cleanliness has gone down the tubes. RCH as an example is disgusting in many of the rooms, and especially the admitted waiting room. The critical care center for many health issues in the province and it’s no cleaner then a truck stop dive hotel. That’s not even touching the status of core healthcare services, which have been gutted over the years of excellent staff that had their will to stay destroyed.
Run of river and the treatment of our once crown jewel B.C. Hydro, I get so angry even thinking of the litany of travesties. People (MSM) like to pass this off as the eco-warriors being against corporations, what a complete joke. People also gloss over the fact this government took local zoning power away from the municipalities with the bill 30 amendment, another erosion of public rights.
Anyone voting for this group of clowns has no moral decency. I don’t care if you’re a hard right, center or left leaner – these people are habitual liars and have done more damage to this province then we’ll probably ever fully realize.
“The stewards of B.C. business and the economy” ……
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Superb comment.
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I heard Adrian Dix on CBC yesterday .. I heard that Kevin Falcon was on the day before that on a absolute deflecting rant. I guess Falcon spoke about shortfalls in some areas and how difficult it is going to be for the BC Libs to balance the budget, but as you mentioned, thinks it could still be possible .. but especially, in that interview and other times I have read or heard him lately (question period, etc) how everyone is to blame, we the public .. (so arrogant that he might as well call it total stupidity on our part) what a huge mistake, for voting against the HST .. that having to pay it back to Ottawa (and again that we’re to blame) is the biggest problem and setback for them.
I have to say that Dix was articulate and right on, and called him on it all, about where the fault really lies, and that’s squarely in the face of the BC Liberals.
Alex, is it that you don’t believe that the NDP have grown up and learned some things since the 90′s enough to govern? or that they haven’t shown what it takes period to govern yet .. of course, we know that if they are elected they will inherit a huge mess to deal with first.
I guess partly where I’m coming from is that I believe there are a few competent souls in the NDP, and I think you do also, certainly more competent than what the Liberals have been (other than, as you said, perhaps some good done in their first term). Just trying to understand this more?
One more thing to add to to BC Ferries, Hydro and ICBC rate hikes .. I know this is only a side note, not the same thing, but Shaw has become ridiculous .. I have the basic cable package and Internet – and yet another increase there just was, now – $92./mth (for basic).
Thanks ..
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They’re backroom worries me. The wizards behind the NDP area hard left.
They tossed Carole James like a rag doll and yet their numbers are no better and in fact with some constituencies, not as good as when she was leader.
Pathetic.
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That’s the major worry I have as a traditional center-left voter, there isn’t much choice other then the NDP. Seeing Moe Sihota back in that party, let alone as president, scares the hell out of me. Extremes of either spectrum do us all no good.
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Me too!
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Their backroom worries me too, Alex. They have a radical gender equity selection policy, something that will be enforced in my riding. That kind of discrimination turned me right off the BCNDP. My MLA, a pragmatic environmentalist, is a principled, decent and honourable representative. He is also an older white male who will not be running in the next election. Another white male, who has served the party well, cannot run. Instead a candidate who is female will be given consideration in what amounts to a quota system. Hence, the most qualified person will not necessarily be sitting in government. However, a person who satisfies a politically correct agenda will become my MLA if elected.
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And THAT is why the NDP are not ready for primetime, IMHO…
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Gosh, Golly, Gee Whiz, Batman…..is this really a quote from our esteemed preem? Y’a Know…..
“But having said that, gosh, you know, we had the HST in place for two-thirds of the agreed period and it’s pretty tough economic times, so we’re hoping that we can negotiate some agreement that will recognize those two facts,” she said.
I am embarrassed to be a BC’er.
Quick, to the Bat Pole…..
Er, I mean, the Bat “Poll.”
Biff, Pow, Sock…..
An election cannot come soon enough.
As always, nice work Alex….
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Thanks. From my Batcave to yours….
Christy Clark is the most embarrassing premier in our history–bar none.
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She’s even more embarrassing than Jean Chretien when he was PM…
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And that’s saying something!
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I believe the Preem was misquoted above. Instead of “having” she actually said “havin’” and “hoping” was “hopin’”. She is apparently dead set against pronouncin’ gees at the end of words, part of her folksy charm don’t ya know?
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I know, it’s so pathetic. She’s tryin’ real hard pardner…
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Ok – I understand performance bonuses. But how would I divvy them out for government monopoly executives?
Why would I give performance bonuses, based on profit, to one of my employees, when all they would have to do is to charge me more? Does this make sense?
I want to pay less … does that make me a bad person?
We don’t need the best of the best of the best when the only solution that they can up with is to jack my rates … any NDPer can do that.
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On a nearby planet.
Pot Smoker 1: Hey man, I need my profit based bonus. I made some stupid investments … any idea on how I can still make my bonus?
Pot smoker 2: I got you covered man … I jacked everyone’s rate by $30. Pass the Cheetos.
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AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!
LOVED THAT ONE!
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Excellent post Alex! Spot on!! You forgot to mention WorkSafe BC aka WCB!! Scampbell made a mess of them. I’ve been dealing with these bozo’s for a few years and lets say the treatment I received was less than stellar. I’m just a blue collar guy, lost huge money in my rsp that my employer contibutes to while I work and when I asked if WorkSafe would give me any of the money they told me to ride it! Too bad I wasn’t Gordy or Snooki’s pal I could retire with a full pention. Keep up the good fight Alex!
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Will do.
They really are bozos. I have a friend that works for them and she’s pulling out her hair.
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Alex, Oracle Research polled 600 British Columbians and Clark and the Liberals fared just a bit better when it came to being trusted to tell the truth. Twenty-eight per cent felt they could count on Clark and the Liberals to be honest
TWENTY EIGHT percent!
Who are these people?
Do they dress themselves?
Do they drive an automobile?
Do they walk on their hind legs?
Does their IQ match their hat size?
Do they watch the Flintstones, and believe it to be a documentary?
They walk amongst us…………………….
Cheers
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Hard to believe there are still that many stupid people in this province.
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They must have called Josef and his family
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In the comments section, “Donald R” said something about a “Bat Pole” and Christy.
Bat Pole, huh?
Seems you can take a poll that kicks a bat out, but try as you might, it’s hard as hell to kick a bat off a pole!
With That in mind – she’s back – “Crispy Crotch” will be riding the stripper poles (up & down) on amateur night at The Fraser Arms, right after the next election?
Bring your auto-darkening welding helmet, or risk permanent intellectual blindness!
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Gary Mason finally takes a whack at Christy today, long overdue. Next up is a serious and much needed real estate correction which the lying bitch will have no control over but will be another excuse.
The sick part is this government is blaming falling commodity prices for the provinces downfall while they actually believed that all time high prices would stay forever ? Only a complete idiot would plan a province’s finances on record prices after going through the 2008 fiasco. Is there not one economist with a single brain cell advising these fools ? Apparently not.
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Mason didn’t take a whack at her. He wrote a sympathy piece because she’s in a tough spot with all the baggage. Mason totally failed to trace any of the baggage to herself….(BCTF relations soured by unconstitutional actions while she was minister – Yes I know..many think it’s more a two way street, but she was there at the start of the current problems.)
…..BCRail)..
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I disagree. For Gary, that was a pretty negative piece. He did indeed whack her. I didn’t read any sympathy in his column today. Not a bit. Plus, it was clear he was limited in space.
To trace her to everything is also superfluous. She’s dropped 28 points in personal popularity since becoming Premier. That’s a wallop and a half.
Be patient. Lots could happen…and it WILL….
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NDP no way, is the last NDP Premier still working for that big NDPer Jimmy Paterson.
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When I took a look at Baldrey’s article, I noticed this bit
(emphasis mine):
“The MLAs would have to be located in so-called “safe” Liberal seats (ASSUMING THERE ARE ANY OUT THERE) to provide the best chance of hanging onto the riding.
Looks like not even he’s buying into the party line…
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Yeah, on that line and then he makes some other preposterous claims.
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Christy Fluff
say no more
tis enough
Woe to us
Woe to them
that would
and woe to all
unless she fall
be chopped
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Very good!
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Keith is getting old. He has lost the old fire in the belly. He spent 10 years shmoozin with the people on the inside of the Campbell administration. He now has to re-build those relationships up again with this administration.
Keith doesn’t have any ability to dig for a story. He relies on relationships to siphon information together to “report” on issues. So Keith throws Christy Clark a bone with a cheer leading column or two. Christy’s people see that he is on board enough not to really hurt them so when they have information they want to go public, they give it to him first. He can appear to be politically savvy. They both win, unfortunately BC loses.
When people like you or Mike Smyth kick some ass, politicians take notice and cut you out of the loop. This leaves you to scrap it out to get to the truth. There is not many things that are more respectable in this business than a reporter that fights for a story. Not only do you have to fight the dishonest politicians, you have to fight people like Keith Baldrey that trade in information for an easy, albeit half assed truth.
There are some of us that see it for how it is.
Thanks for that man.
Sincerely.
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I wasn’t baiting you. Mary’s messaging was PATHETIC. Very disappointing.
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Fair enough sir.
As far as my tweets yesterday, I just meant to tweak you a bit. If I was trashing your blog sorry.
Keep firing. One of my new fans tweeted me that the BCLibs need to be torn down to the studs. I am at that point… The Premier Cute Canute Show is a dis-as-ter and leaving the best caucus member twist in the win in Kevin The Falcon.
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Fair enough sir.
As far as my tweets yesterday, I just meant to tweak you a bit. If I was trashing your blog sorry.
Keep firing. One of my new fans tweeted me that the BCLibs need to be torn down to the studs. I am at that point… The Premier Cute Canute Show is a dis-as-ter and leaving the best caucus member twist in the win in Kevin The Falcon.
Sorry, I didn’t hit reply.
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