Monday, August 31, 2009
Forgot your economic Boom Mr. Premier?
And you Gordon Campbell had 7 years of unprecedented worldwide economic boom.
That was the thought that crossed my mind as I watched Gordon Campbell as he sought to misdirect attention from his governments glaring economic errors and mismanagement by calling up the ghost of NDP governments past.
Of course, given the performance of the Liberal government during its two terms in office, it is hardly surprising that Mr. Campbell does not want voters to examine this record of ineffectiveness; preferring to run against an insubstantial bogeyman conjured out of shadowy memories of NDP governments past.
Seven years of worldwide economic boom during which Mr Campbell and his Liberals managed to increased the numbers of homeless; increased the numbers of those living in poverty; maintained BC’s damning distinction of having more children living in poverty six years in a row; increased the numbers of full time working poor who cannot afford to live in the city’s they work in.
When the Liberals became the government BC had the highest minimum wage; BC now has the lowest minimum wage in Canada and the highest cost of living.
The wealthy however made out like bandits thanks to Mr. Campbell whose government oversaw a transfer of wealth to the wealthy from all other British Columbians as Mr. Campbell decreased progressive taxes and replaced them with regressive taxes.
Mr. Campbell and his merry band of Liberals: Robbing from the poor to give to the rich.
Mr. Campbell has overseen the continued deterioration, begun under the NDP, of the public school system. Universities in BC are forced to test incoming high school graduates to see what level of remedial classes are required to bring students up to an acceptable level of competency.
And in an apparent attempt to ensure the continuation of the Liberal government the Liberals have acted to maximize the number of BC voters who lack the literacy skills to read and understand the government’s actions and the actual state the province is in by attacking Public Libraries by withholding funding.
In keeping with their less government ideology the Liberals have turned the BC medical system into a bureaucratic quagmire into which billions of dollars, along with a growing list of medical services, have disappear. Mr. Campbell’s “leadership” has resulted in a medical delivery system that is unsustainable and that, without raising billions in new tax dollars to feed its voracious appetite, will be forced to continue to shed programs and services to balance its budgets.
Massive cost overruns (the convention centre); going with the flashy and most expensive options rather than the most cost effective (Sky Train rather than light rail); decisions made on ideology rather than the best long term interests of the province (sale of BC Rail); salary levels in government and government corporations that are overly generous and out of line with results achieved by those receiving these extravagant wages – at the same time the government strives to hold down wage levels for working BC citizens.
Given the lack of integrity and judgement repeatedly demonstrated by Mr. Campbell’s Liberal government it is hardly surprising that the government is focused on serving the needs of those who have, will or could contribute to their winning re-election, rather than the needs of those British Columbians who truly need help just to survive.
If they cannot contribute to the Liberals continuing in power, why should the Liberal Party make any effort to understand the reality of life in BC, not only for the addicted, mentally ill, homeless and poor BC citizens, but for the increasing numbers of citizens who are scrambling to avoid joining the ranks of homeless and poor?
Be very clear – when Mr. Campbell says we do not have the funds or cannot afford to address the social issues and ills in BC what he is truly saying is that these are not a priority for him; unlike his own salary and gold-plated retirement plan.
Ironically, despite Mr. Campbell’s finger pointing, the NDP government left the province’s finances in better shape heading into the last economic downturn than the Liberal government left the province’s finances heading into the current economic downturn.
The true irony and insult to integrity is that Mr. Campbell and the Liberals began their government complaining about the NDP withholding information and misleading voters about the true state of affairs in BC. The outpouring of bad news since the recent provincial election shows that when it comes to withholding information and misleading voters the difference between Mr. Campbell’s government and the NDP is that the Liberals covered-up well enough to get re-elected.
And isn’t that the hallmark of a successful politician theses days?
That was the thought that crossed my mind as I watched Gordon Campbell as he sought to misdirect attention from his governments glaring economic errors and mismanagement by calling up the ghost of NDP governments past.
Of course, given the performance of the Liberal government during its two terms in office, it is hardly surprising that Mr. Campbell does not want voters to examine this record of ineffectiveness; preferring to run against an insubstantial bogeyman conjured out of shadowy memories of NDP governments past.
Seven years of worldwide economic boom during which Mr Campbell and his Liberals managed to increased the numbers of homeless; increased the numbers of those living in poverty; maintained BC’s damning distinction of having more children living in poverty six years in a row; increased the numbers of full time working poor who cannot afford to live in the city’s they work in.
When the Liberals became the government BC had the highest minimum wage; BC now has the lowest minimum wage in Canada and the highest cost of living.
The wealthy however made out like bandits thanks to Mr. Campbell whose government oversaw a transfer of wealth to the wealthy from all other British Columbians as Mr. Campbell decreased progressive taxes and replaced them with regressive taxes.
Mr. Campbell and his merry band of Liberals: Robbing from the poor to give to the rich.
Mr. Campbell has overseen the continued deterioration, begun under the NDP, of the public school system. Universities in BC are forced to test incoming high school graduates to see what level of remedial classes are required to bring students up to an acceptable level of competency.
And in an apparent attempt to ensure the continuation of the Liberal government the Liberals have acted to maximize the number of BC voters who lack the literacy skills to read and understand the government’s actions and the actual state the province is in by attacking Public Libraries by withholding funding.
In keeping with their less government ideology the Liberals have turned the BC medical system into a bureaucratic quagmire into which billions of dollars, along with a growing list of medical services, have disappear. Mr. Campbell’s “leadership” has resulted in a medical delivery system that is unsustainable and that, without raising billions in new tax dollars to feed its voracious appetite, will be forced to continue to shed programs and services to balance its budgets.
Massive cost overruns (the convention centre); going with the flashy and most expensive options rather than the most cost effective (Sky Train rather than light rail); decisions made on ideology rather than the best long term interests of the province (sale of BC Rail); salary levels in government and government corporations that are overly generous and out of line with results achieved by those receiving these extravagant wages – at the same time the government strives to hold down wage levels for working BC citizens.
Given the lack of integrity and judgement repeatedly demonstrated by Mr. Campbell’s Liberal government it is hardly surprising that the government is focused on serving the needs of those who have, will or could contribute to their winning re-election, rather than the needs of those British Columbians who truly need help just to survive.
If they cannot contribute to the Liberals continuing in power, why should the Liberal Party make any effort to understand the reality of life in BC, not only for the addicted, mentally ill, homeless and poor BC citizens, but for the increasing numbers of citizens who are scrambling to avoid joining the ranks of homeless and poor?
Be very clear – when Mr. Campbell says we do not have the funds or cannot afford to address the social issues and ills in BC what he is truly saying is that these are not a priority for him; unlike his own salary and gold-plated retirement plan.
Ironically, despite Mr. Campbell’s finger pointing, the NDP government left the province’s finances in better shape heading into the last economic downturn than the Liberal government left the province’s finances heading into the current economic downturn.
The true irony and insult to integrity is that Mr. Campbell and the Liberals began their government complaining about the NDP withholding information and misleading voters about the true state of affairs in BC. The outpouring of bad news since the recent provincial election shows that when it comes to withholding information and misleading voters the difference between Mr. Campbell’s government and the NDP is that the Liberals covered-up well enough to get re-elected.
And isn’t that the hallmark of a successful politician theses days?
Monday, August 24, 2009
Politicians Lie? Shocking!
Why is anyone surprised that politicians would lie, withhold information or release information when it is most favourable to the politicians?
After all that is how the voting public has trained them to behave.
When you punish those of integrity - who tell the truth, want to address important issues, are solution oriented acknowledging that solutions are not going to be neat, tidy or free, are interested in the wellbeing of all Canadians and in bringing change; then have the audacity to insist on talking about these things when Canadians want to hear everything is wonderful and it is easy, simple and inexpensive to fix problems – by refusing to listen or think about what they are saying and refusing to vote for those of integrity because they insist on telling the voting public the truth, is it any wonder that people of integrity cease seeking office?
When you reward those who tell the public what it wants to hear no matter what the reality of the situation is; listen to their fear-mongering tales of boogeyman; accept unquestioningly financial statements and claims that if applied to your personal finances would have you homeless and on the street; accept unquestioningly statements that cannot stand up to event the most elementary logic or reason; insist that problems have easy, neat, tidy and fast answers; claim that everything is wonderful and there is not need for change; pit citizen against citizen for personal and political advantage – voting for them simply because they tell the voting public what it wants to hear, is it any wonder that politicians lie, withhold information or release it when it is to their advantage?
“What is the primary purpose of a political leader? To build a majority. If voters care about parking lots, then talk about parking lots.” Newt Gingrich
When the public votes only for those who tell them what they want to hear and about parking lots, refusing to listen to, consider or vote for those who insist on addressing issues, how can they be surprised that they end up without people of integrity in government and with a legislature populated with those who will lie and tell them whatever they want to hear in order to win?
If citizens want people of integrity in government then they have to convince people of integrity that they are ready to listen, to think about and to engage in discussion of important issues – even if they would rather not hear about issues, about making choices and change.
Then they have to be willing to vote for them.
There is a joke that goes: Stop repeat offenders. Don’t re-elect them.
If citizens want honour and integrity in those in elected office they have to vote for people of honour and integrity.
Understand that if you elect people of honour and integrity they are not going to lie to you and tell you what you want to hear, they are going to tell you what is and what you need to hear about, think about and decide about.
After all that is how the voting public has trained them to behave.
When you punish those of integrity - who tell the truth, want to address important issues, are solution oriented acknowledging that solutions are not going to be neat, tidy or free, are interested in the wellbeing of all Canadians and in bringing change; then have the audacity to insist on talking about these things when Canadians want to hear everything is wonderful and it is easy, simple and inexpensive to fix problems – by refusing to listen or think about what they are saying and refusing to vote for those of integrity because they insist on telling the voting public the truth, is it any wonder that people of integrity cease seeking office?
When you reward those who tell the public what it wants to hear no matter what the reality of the situation is; listen to their fear-mongering tales of boogeyman; accept unquestioningly financial statements and claims that if applied to your personal finances would have you homeless and on the street; accept unquestioningly statements that cannot stand up to event the most elementary logic or reason; insist that problems have easy, neat, tidy and fast answers; claim that everything is wonderful and there is not need for change; pit citizen against citizen for personal and political advantage – voting for them simply because they tell the voting public what it wants to hear, is it any wonder that politicians lie, withhold information or release it when it is to their advantage?
“What is the primary purpose of a political leader? To build a majority. If voters care about parking lots, then talk about parking lots.” Newt Gingrich
When the public votes only for those who tell them what they want to hear and about parking lots, refusing to listen to, consider or vote for those who insist on addressing issues, how can they be surprised that they end up without people of integrity in government and with a legislature populated with those who will lie and tell them whatever they want to hear in order to win?
If citizens want people of integrity in government then they have to convince people of integrity that they are ready to listen, to think about and to engage in discussion of important issues – even if they would rather not hear about issues, about making choices and change.
Then they have to be willing to vote for them.
There is a joke that goes: Stop repeat offenders. Don’t re-elect them.
If citizens want honour and integrity in those in elected office they have to vote for people of honour and integrity.
Understand that if you elect people of honour and integrity they are not going to lie to you and tell you what you want to hear, they are going to tell you what is and what you need to hear about, think about and decide about.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Homelessness can kill you.
The death of an ex-member of homeless community while riding his bike to work reminds us how fragile life is. He had been hit by cars while riding his bike many times and if he could not walk away from all of them, he at least survived these earlier encounters with Abbotsford drivers.
Cycling in Abbotsford you almost feel that there must be some kind of secret contest being held by drivers where they score points hitting cyclists (or pedestrians).
The tally of scrapes, bruises, torn muscles, concussions, broken arms, legs and collarbones would fill volumes. Since bicycles are the major form of transportation for the homeless, marginalized and poor this group suffers most from Abbotsford drivers.
When the immutable laws of probability catch up with the cyclists and a cyclist dies it is usually a member of the homeless, marginalized and poor who is sacrificed to chance.
People think about winter weather killing members of the homeless community but the truth is that it is the summer, especially hot summer, weather that is a greater threat to life. It was luck that some homeless I know told me about someone needing help during the last day of the oppressive hot spell. I was able to get him onto his unsteady feet and into the cool conditioned air. After keeping his water glass filled for over three hours his colour improved, his temperature cooled down and he perked up enough to eat some salted crackers, have some more water and get some sleep.
This experience is made more sobering by the news reports of Curtis Brick’s death from heat in Vancouver.
But it is health care that kills the most. Not strictly as a result of medical personnel’s attitudes (although attitude does kill some) but from the reality that being homeless makes it hard to take good care of your health. Currently someone I know lies in a coma as a result of infection.
Infection nearly killed me while homeless. If it had not been for the kindness of a fellow Alanon member giving me a bed to stay in and a good supper every day so I could make the three weeks of twice daily, 3 hour intravenous antibiotic treatments I would have been another homeless victim, dead of unnatural ‘natural causes’.
As a modern society we have forgotten the death toll infections of various types inflicted on the human race in times past.
Fire, pneumonia … the list of ways that homelessness can kill you goes on and on and ….
So the next time you hear some loudmouth talking about the easy life the homeless have and how everyone should have that wonderful an easy life, know they are only demonstrating their ignorance of the harsh reality of a life of homelessness.
Homelessness can kill you and is a curse I would wish on none … well except politicians and loudmouths who could greatly use just such a reality check.
Cycling in Abbotsford you almost feel that there must be some kind of secret contest being held by drivers where they score points hitting cyclists (or pedestrians).
The tally of scrapes, bruises, torn muscles, concussions, broken arms, legs and collarbones would fill volumes. Since bicycles are the major form of transportation for the homeless, marginalized and poor this group suffers most from Abbotsford drivers.
When the immutable laws of probability catch up with the cyclists and a cyclist dies it is usually a member of the homeless, marginalized and poor who is sacrificed to chance.
People think about winter weather killing members of the homeless community but the truth is that it is the summer, especially hot summer, weather that is a greater threat to life. It was luck that some homeless I know told me about someone needing help during the last day of the oppressive hot spell. I was able to get him onto his unsteady feet and into the cool conditioned air. After keeping his water glass filled for over three hours his colour improved, his temperature cooled down and he perked up enough to eat some salted crackers, have some more water and get some sleep.
This experience is made more sobering by the news reports of Curtis Brick’s death from heat in Vancouver.
But it is health care that kills the most. Not strictly as a result of medical personnel’s attitudes (although attitude does kill some) but from the reality that being homeless makes it hard to take good care of your health. Currently someone I know lies in a coma as a result of infection.
Infection nearly killed me while homeless. If it had not been for the kindness of a fellow Alanon member giving me a bed to stay in and a good supper every day so I could make the three weeks of twice daily, 3 hour intravenous antibiotic treatments I would have been another homeless victim, dead of unnatural ‘natural causes’.
As a modern society we have forgotten the death toll infections of various types inflicted on the human race in times past.
Fire, pneumonia … the list of ways that homelessness can kill you goes on and on and ….
So the next time you hear some loudmouth talking about the easy life the homeless have and how everyone should have that wonderful an easy life, know they are only demonstrating their ignorance of the harsh reality of a life of homelessness.
Homelessness can kill you and is a curse I would wish on none … well except politicians and loudmouths who could greatly use just such a reality check.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Mr. Nickel, Abbotsford is a disaster zone.
Abbotsford is short of water, our roads are falling apart, the city’s cup runneth over with sewage …
People are leaving for cities with lower municipal taxes, politicians have begun to speak of people losing their homes because of high property taxes but still want to pile $millions$ of new taxes on the beleaguered taxpayers …
The city built a Colosseum to entertain the masses while the City (figuratively speaking) burned around them …
Mr. Nickel, Abbotsford is a disaster zone.
It became a disaster zone because so many citizens didn’t want to be bothered by being involved in their city.
When even your fellow ‘everything is rosy’ city politicians finally see that the city is in, as Councillor Ross put it, “a desperate situation” Abbotsford is a disaster zone verging on catastrophe.
If you choose not to be involved in your city or its future that is your choice. If you do not like what you read on the opinion pages stop reading those pages. But please don’t whine about citizens who choose to be involved in their City and in the discussion of how we avoid becoming a catastrophe, cease to be a disaster zone and become a well managed city.
******************************
Enough of the whining
Published: August 11, 2009 2:00 AM
To the various contributors to the Abbotsford News letters page:
People are leaving for cities with lower municipal taxes, politicians have begun to speak of people losing their homes because of high property taxes but still want to pile $millions$ of new taxes on the beleaguered taxpayers …
The city built a Colosseum to entertain the masses while the City (figuratively speaking) burned around them …
Mr. Nickel, Abbotsford is a disaster zone.
It became a disaster zone because so many citizens didn’t want to be bothered by being involved in their city.
When even your fellow ‘everything is rosy’ city politicians finally see that the city is in, as Councillor Ross put it, “a desperate situation” Abbotsford is a disaster zone verging on catastrophe.
If you choose not to be involved in your city or its future that is your choice. If you do not like what you read on the opinion pages stop reading those pages. But please don’t whine about citizens who choose to be involved in their City and in the discussion of how we avoid becoming a catastrophe, cease to be a disaster zone and become a well managed city.
******************************
Enough of the whining
Published: August 11, 2009 2:00 AM
To the various contributors to the Abbotsford News letters page:
I’m just tired of the whining.
I know this is a forum to express personal views, but I think we need a little perspective.
We live in a fantastic city, in one of the richest provinces, in what is repeatedly voted the best country in the entire world, and yet to read these letters pages you would think Abbotsford was a disaster zone.
Wahh! My taxes are too high! Boo hoo! They’re building a condo in my quaint neighbourhood! Bike lanes are stupid! That big building will block the sun on my backyard! I can’t take a nap because the cannons are too loud!
I’m trying to imagine how embarrassing it would be if some of these letters somehow made it into the hands of refugees in the Gaza Strip or the terrorized citizens of the Eastern Congo.
We have better food, water, security, health care, freedom, than almost everybody else on the planet and yet all we do is write letters to complain.
Let’s sooner count our blessings than keep up this incessant record of wrongs.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Death of a Thousand Nicks.
The nickel-and-diming to death of citizens by Abbotsford’s city council has moved from finding as many new ways (new fees, increased fees, zealous bylaw ticketing, etc.) to shake citizens down for as much of their cash as possible - to trying to save money by applying the same principles of nickel-and-diming to expense reduction.
This expansion of city council’s nickel-and-dime behaviour was predictable given the financial bind council has put the City in and their refusal or inability to make prudent spending and spending reduction decisions.
Instead of council making sound, financially responsible decisions, council has chosen the nickel-and-dime the public to death approach.
As if closing the Abbotsford Recreation Center pool four hours early on BC Day to save four hours of staff wages was not penny-ante enough, the City compounded this conduct by failing to adequately warn people that ARC would be closing at 6 PM.
I have been swimming at the pools in Abbotsford for nigh on 20 years and the pools have always opened late on long-weekend Mondays and stayed open to their regular closing time.
Sometime between Saturday 10 PM and Monday 4 PM a small notice, hard to notice because it was tucked out of the way, appeared setting out the change in hours. I know that this notice was not there Saturday at 10 PM because several of the regulars I had warned about this change scoured the admission desk and could find no notice.
I could warn them only because staff had asked me if I was aware they were closing at six on Monday.
This lack of notice leaves those returning from long weekend travel (and Monday evenings on long weekends travellers fill the pool) or who attended agri-fair and who want to go to the pool to cool off and relax - to arrive at ARC to find the doors locked and the pool closed. Let us not forget (as the City did) the regulars who, not having been warned, will arrive and find the doors closed.
To save four hours of salaries. Well, four hours of salaries less the admission fees forgone; which on the last night of a hot summer long weekend are likely to exceed the salaries saved. Resulting in it having cost the City money (income) to “save” paying wages. A rather pyrrhic victory on the “saving money” front; but then pyrrhic victories on saving money are all too often business as usual for Abbotsford’s city council.
Council’s inadequacies have placed Abbotsford in a financial bind at a time when it is facing the need to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure to maintain the city’s liveability.
Citizens are not asking for brilliance, merely for competency.
Because unless we can manage to create a culture of competence at City Hall and on City Council we are in real danger of having Abbotsford become unliveable and/or the first Canadian city to go bankrupt.
This expansion of city council’s nickel-and-dime behaviour was predictable given the financial bind council has put the City in and their refusal or inability to make prudent spending and spending reduction decisions.
Instead of council making sound, financially responsible decisions, council has chosen the nickel-and-dime the public to death approach.
As if closing the Abbotsford Recreation Center pool four hours early on BC Day to save four hours of staff wages was not penny-ante enough, the City compounded this conduct by failing to adequately warn people that ARC would be closing at 6 PM.
I have been swimming at the pools in Abbotsford for nigh on 20 years and the pools have always opened late on long-weekend Mondays and stayed open to their regular closing time.
Sometime between Saturday 10 PM and Monday 4 PM a small notice, hard to notice because it was tucked out of the way, appeared setting out the change in hours. I know that this notice was not there Saturday at 10 PM because several of the regulars I had warned about this change scoured the admission desk and could find no notice.
I could warn them only because staff had asked me if I was aware they were closing at six on Monday.
This lack of notice leaves those returning from long weekend travel (and Monday evenings on long weekends travellers fill the pool) or who attended agri-fair and who want to go to the pool to cool off and relax - to arrive at ARC to find the doors locked and the pool closed. Let us not forget (as the City did) the regulars who, not having been warned, will arrive and find the doors closed.
To save four hours of salaries. Well, four hours of salaries less the admission fees forgone; which on the last night of a hot summer long weekend are likely to exceed the salaries saved. Resulting in it having cost the City money (income) to “save” paying wages. A rather pyrrhic victory on the “saving money” front; but then pyrrhic victories on saving money are all too often business as usual for Abbotsford’s city council.
Council’s inadequacies have placed Abbotsford in a financial bind at a time when it is facing the need to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure to maintain the city’s liveability.
Citizens are not asking for brilliance, merely for competency.
Because unless we can manage to create a culture of competence at City Hall and on City Council we are in real danger of having Abbotsford become unliveable and/or the first Canadian city to go bankrupt.
