Category Archives: The Issues

Federal, Media

Another Big Business Bailout

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Obviously Canadians are wrong in thinking the role of the CRTC is to support Canadian radio and television, protect the interests of Canadians and to make decisions that benefit Canadian viewers and listeners?

But then, how were Canadians to know the CRTC’s role had changed to protecting the interests and survival of the broadcast media conglomerates until the commission’s actions revealed this change? Actions that continue the deterioration of Canadian television and the destruction of the local in local television.

The CRTC imposed a new tax on Canadians in order to fund a bailout of large corporate media conglomerates, saving them from their own bad management decisions; decisions that had the conglomerates failing to make payments on (some) loans and teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

Apparently the media conglomerates slick advertising campaign to have the CRTC impose a new tax on Canadians and bail out the conglomerates was successful.

A campaign that a federal government that was protecting Canadian citizens, rather than the interests of big corporate media, would have charged the media conglomerates with misleading advertising for running.

The failure of the federal government to protect Canadians from this deceptive campaign and the decision to impose a new media tax on Canadian consumers to bail out the media conglomerates is hardly surprising, given the Conservative governments record of making decisions favouring big business and the wealthy, over the needs of average, hardworking Canadians.

After all, would it be reasonable to expect the Conservatives to resist the lure of the media access and gentle treatment on issues and Conservative government actions, merely to act in the best interests of Canadians and Canada?

Evidently the Conservatives found the expectation that they act in the best interests of Canada and Canadians unreasonable; choosing to act instead in the best interests of the media conglomerates.

The Conservative decision to force Canadians to bail out the corporate media conglomerates demonstrates that the Conservatives are capitalists only when it suits them or benefits big business, the wealthy or the Conservative Party.

When letting the marketplace decide the fate of the media conglomerates would result in the bankruptcy of the media conglomerates and thus return control and ownership of local media outlets to local interests, suddenly the Conservatives are all for government intervention in the marketplace.

What is the next step for these market interventionist, interfere in the marketplace Conservatives? A tax on the internet to bail out the media conglomerates print assets?

If, as I do, you support local media and media freedom then contact you local MP and the leaders of all the federal political parties to tell them this support of the interests of the big media conglomerates over the interests of Canadians and Canada is unacceptable.

Tell them that this market intervention to bail out the media conglomerates is unacceptable.

Tell them you support true local television, radio and newspapers; that you are well aware that media conglomerate ownership of local media does not qualify as local media, is detrimental to the health of local media and the health and diversity of media in Canada as a whole.

Tell them: I support local television; I do not support bailing out media conglomerates.

Tell them: I strongly oppose forcing Canadians to bail out the media conglomerates, rescuing them from their own bad business decisions. Particularly in light of the media conglomerates blatantly deceptive ‘Save local television’ campaign, the goal of which was clearly the imposition of a tax on cable customers and the use of the revenue from such a tax to bail out the media conglomerates.

Tell them to let the marketplace decide the fate, the existence or non-existence, of the media conglomerates.

Tell the federal Conservatives that the federal government is suppose to be looking after the interests of Canadians and Canada, not the best interests of the Conservative’s media sycophants.

Provincial

Forgot the economic boom Mr. Premier?

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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?

Municipal, Snafu

Lavish $alaries Unearned, Undeserved

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So one day the mayor, city council and city staff woke up and realized that there were roads in Abbotsford and, Gasp!, these roads need maintenance?

Was council and staff’s apparent sudden awareness that Abbotsford has roads needing maintenance so unsettling and bewildering that they had to hire EBA Consulting to tell them that a) Abbotsford’s roads were in terrible condition and b) Abbotsford needed to spend more money on maintenance?

Was hiring a consulting firm to tell them what any citizen who drives in Abbotsford could have told them just council squandering taxpayer’s money, that is to say business as usual for council?

Or was hiring EBA Consulting an attempt to cover up council and staff’s culpability for the sad and dangerous state of Abbotsford’s roads: “It’s so easy for councils to get into postponing roads as a way to balance budgets” he (Mayor Peary) said; and to help sell the gas tax so that council can bamboozle and victimize citizens once more by covering up the true state of affairs in Abbotsford to protect their jobs: “There would be outrage and all of us (at city hall) would soon be seeking other daytime jobs,’ predicted the mayor. “Nine percent isn’t going to fly.”?

And just how much did the city pay to be enlightened to the fact that the roads in Abbotsford need more maintenance?

Just as an aside: if 1% = $860,000 then $5,000,000 ≈ 6% and $6,000,000 ≈ 7%, not 5%. But then what is a few hundred thousand dollars here or there to council?

The citizens of Abbotsford were assured by city council and staff, when asked about the city’s infrastructure such as roads, water, and waste treatment during the Plan A debate, that council and staff were on top of the infrastructure needs of Abbotsford and that everything was fine with the city’s infrastructure – then and into the future.

Further city council and staff assured citizens as part of the Plan A debate, that Abbotsford’s finances were in excellent shape; that Abbotsford could afford to spend the large sums of money involved on vanity projects without putting at risk the city’s infrastructure needs or the financial health of the city and taxpayers.

These assurances were reiterated during the November 2009 civic election.

Unfolding events since the election have revealed just how lacking in accuracy, reality and veracity such claims, statements and promises were.

If we need to find extra funds for road maintenance I suggest we start with the salaries of the mayor, city council and city staff since they are clearly not earning what they are paid. Indeed given what we are learning about the state of the city’s affairs they owe taxpayers a large reimbursement.

Might I suggest we also put an end to the wallet fattening exercise of paying an honorarium to councillors for every committee they sit on or chair? Perhaps if councillors were not so busy running from committee to committee, in order to maximize the amount of monies going into their pockets, they would have been a little more focused on taking care of the City of Abbotsford’s business.

Realistically it is no surprise that those responsible for this mess are hanging onto their jobs rather than acting with honour and integrity and resigning.

Given what they have wrought in Abbotsford and the financial burdens inflicted on the taxpayers of Abbotsford they are highly unlikely to find anyone foolish enough to hire and overpay them as events have exposed they are grossly overpaid by the City of Abbotsford.

Municipal, Snafu

They should be seeking other jobs …

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… but then who would hire them?

We now know the truth behind the proposed 2 cents a litre gas tax – it is all about allowing the mayor, city council and senior city staff to continue feasting at the city’s salary trough even though the state of Abbotsford’s roads demonstrates both incompetence and irresponsible behaviour.

“There would be outrage and all of us (at city hall) would soon be seeking other daytime jobs,’ predicted the mayor. “Nine percent isn’t going to fly.”

The gas tax is so the mayor, city council and city staff will be able to go with a deceptively lower property tax increase in next budget and thus keep stuffing their pockets with taxpayer dollars.

Why is the City of Abbotsford and its taxpayers facing this road fiasco?

“It’s so easy for councils to get into postponing roads as a way to balance budgets” he (Mayor Peary) said.

In other words the mayor and city council were focused not on what was needed for Abbotsford to thrive as a city, but on what would get them re-elected and allow them to continue to collect their salaries. Salaries that they clearly did not earn or deserve in light of their failure to take care of city business on behalf of the citizens of Abbotsford.

Given the behaviour of city council and city staff one cannot help but wonder if the reason for all this talk of roads and maintenance is because of council seeking some rational for their proposed gas tax?

Remember that there are numerous other financial issues and needs that the City of Abbotsford needs millions of dollars of increased revenue to cover or fund.

Regretfully it is clear that those responsible for the sad state of affairs and finances in our city, lack the honour and integrity to resign. Of course if they had honour and integrity Abbotsford would not be facing the critical situations it is.

For Your Information – Mayor Peary, city council and city staff: whether it is a gas tax or property tax it is coming out of taxpayer’s pockets.

It is clear that Abbotsford City Hall has failed, year after year, budget after budget, to act responsibly or with due care for the City of Abbotsford and its taxpayers. When the consequences of their irresponsible actions become unavoidable what is the response?

A proposed gas tax as they seek to avoid responsibility for their previous bad management by hiding the true magnitude of the tax raise needed, in order that they can continue to hold onto their jobs and collect their extravagant salaries. Salaries that the state of Abbotsford’s roads, other lacking infrastructure and finances demonstrate were neither earned nor deserved.

With a mayor, city council and city staff whose actions, over many years, are based on holding onto their jobs and collecting their unmerited salaries taxpayers can place no trust on any of their statements as to the true state the City of Abbotsford is in.

I will be writing to our local MLA’s and the Premier to urge them to say NO to the gas tax and force, at least in this matter, Abbotsford City Hall to answer in some small manner for their actions.

I will also be asking our MLA’s and the Premier, in light of the demonstrated fact that Abbotsford City Hall has been making decisions based not on what the City of Abbotsford needs but on what will allow them to hold onto their jobs and get re-elected and the reality that therefore citizens can place no faith in any statements or claims made as to the actual state of affairs for the City of Abbotsford, to have the Auditor General do a full examination of the financial records and the state of the City of Abbotsford.

It has become clear that this is the only way that the people paying the bills will find out how matters truly stand for the City of Abbotsford.

I urge all other citizens to write, fax, e-mail and call our MLA’s and the Premier to demand that they act responsibly and in the best interests of the citizens of Abbotsford by saying NO to the gas tax and having the Auditor General conduct an examination of the City of Abbotsford and report the true sate of affairs to the citizens of Abbotsford.

It is time to lift the veil of secrecy, open the closed doors and let the citizens of Abbotsford know accurately and truthfully what shape our City is in.

Federal, Issues, Municipal, Provincial

Politicians Lie? What a Shock!

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I'm Shocked!
I'm Shocked!

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.