Disaster & Emergency Planning: What is the BC Government Doing to Prepare?

That old saying a picture is worth a thousand words is so apt.

When looking at the images of the devastation from Hurricane Ike and from the earthquake in China I think that while Campbell and his flunkies & MLA's, all with their shiny, dazzling raises have all this time on their hands (where a fall session in the BC Legislature should have been) that the people of BC have a right to have our government provide us with a written and detailed emergency plan should we experience some sort of devastating natural disaster, or, man-made event.

Our provincial Powers That Be have not seen fit to be able to remotely keep to any responsible schedule for seismic upgrading of our children's schools, in a region that falls on a major earthquake fault line and which has seen earthquake and tsumani activities in the past.

Province dragging its feet on seismic upgrades for schools, says NDP
Last Updated: Wednesday, September 3, 2008 | 7:32 PM ET
CBC News

Of the hundreds of schools targeted for upgrades, 80 were deemed high risk and declared a priority. The deadline to upgrade those schools was 2008.

"We're standing here today with less than a fifth of those schools being completed," she said. "This is a government and a premier who has not a thought about finding a 43 per cent [pay] increase for his ministers, but he can't find the money to fast-track seismic upgrading."

Seismic upgrades in the province need to be fast tracked, according to Tracy Monk with Families for School Seismic Safety, the group that lobbied the government for a comprehensive upgrading strategy.

Monk said international disasters such as the massive earthquake in China this summer should act as an impetus for faster change in B.C.

Shirley Bond responds on seismic upgrading at B.C. schools

Education Minister Shirley Bond speaking on Sep 6, 2008

... there was a magnitude 4.9 quake west of Vancouver Island at about 4:30 a.m. Saturday. It was the second tremor of that size in the past day in the area — which had been relatively quiet after a cluster of similar quakes last week.

Three years ago, our government announced a $1.5-billion, 15-year commitment to seismically upgrade British Columbia's public schools. We remain committed to that plan, easily the most comprehensive by any government in this province's history.

To date, we have finished upgrades at 25 schools. Work at 27 more is underway. Seismic upgrades have been approved at another 22 schools. We have invested nearly $400 million to date and we are making steady progress on our long-range plan to make B.C. schools safer. This is on top of the 67 new and replacement schools that we've built since 2001 that are modern, safe, seismically sound buildings.

Saturday September 13, 2008.

Vancouver Sun database shows many schools awaiting seismic repairs

Of the nearly 300 schools in B.C. considered to be at highest risk in the event of an earthquake, only 14 have had repairs completed. At 18 high-risk structures, upgrades are underway, and the rest of the 300 schools are waiting for their turns.

Database: How safe is your child's school

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If the non-mainstream media is to be believed, in addition to our impending global economic nuclear meltdown (thanks to our irresponsible, reckless and greedy neighbours to the South) we here in North America are close to being subjected to some new, domestic and cataclysmic events, which we can't fully conceive of. There are lots of speculations on what they will be, but that's all they are thus far.

As we can see, the Republicans, in the decrepit and pitiable visage of John McCain, are already carrying out their machinations to prevent the American election from taking place. I've been reading the chatter about these pending events for months now, but seeing it play out now in the mainstream media brings it to the surface in a way that is difficult to ignore. Indeed, what the alternative media, who are being mercilessly being attacked and taken down by operatives, report is that there is going to be a massive domestic 9/11 type event that will enable the Bush regime (and those behind him) to suspend the American presidential election, declare martial law and ensure that the Bush regime remains in power. Sound far fetched, watch this video from a recent Daily Show with Jon Stewart and ask whether it is outside of the realm of possibilities of a government that that is trillions of dollars in debt, with no idea where all the $$$ has gone.

See Jon Stewart clips: 08/09/23 - Clip 1, Clip 2 & 3 (with Bill Clinton)

Marcy Kaptur: A truly inspiring and courageous voice in the darkness of the United States:

VIDEO: Marcy Kaptur - an Ohio congresswoman puts a beatdown on Bush Bailout

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If this all seems farfetched and unrealistic, far away from the concerns and issues of us here in BC, ask yourself these question:

Do the actions of Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals come across as someone, or a party, that is concerned with getting voted in again?

Is there something that Campbell knows that we don't?

Is there some reason why we have no idea what emergency and disaster plans OUR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT has made to decrease injuries and fatalities for our citizens in the case of emergency?