Good Government: M.I.A. in BC

While the world is dumbstruck (emphasis on the first syllable) by MJ's passing (RIP to him & Farrah), issues of so much more importance scarcely rate mention, or notice by many. You know, pesky things like democracy, good government, and our dwindling rights to know what the HELL this abysmal BC Liberal government has been up to with our resources, our assets and our legacy to our children and future generations.

I've posted by comments below, just in case they don't get posted, sadly "real" journalists continue to censor and not post my comments, the irony of which is not missed by me, or my readers it would seem.

Don’t Let “LOST” E-Mails Scandal Drop

Harvey Oberfeld, June 26th, 2009.

Thanks for this story Harvey, it demonstrates yet again why bloggers, or citizen journalists, are crucial at this stage in our history.

It's pretty clear we're living in a rogue state in BC. In some ways, we now put banana republics to shame. It is no coincidence that our government, law enforcement and the judiciary in BC have been so compromised over the last 8 years and perhaps more. As you mention, citizens used to be able to count on the media (to some extent and much greater than now) to act in the public's interest, we know that this is not encouraged and perhaps even discouraged by the neoCon corporate leaders of major media empires. That too is strategic.

It's important for the public to understand the chill of what happens within the current BC government. There isn't a doubt in my mind someone, somewhere within government questioned the destruction of these e-mails. There are still ethical public servants with integrity. However, once determined to be a whistleblower, or at least someone who knows too much and has one of those nasty things, such as a moral compass and that is shown to those above them, their fates are sealed.

If the public only knew how many people have been set up, bullied, harassed and removed from government in these last years most civilized people would not believe that these things actually happen. But they do.

This government has perfected a viciousness in going after their own and ensuring a pervasive culture of fear for those who witness the attacks and removal of their colleagues that would make the Sopranos proud. It's that chill that ensures others will blindly and silently carry on with their work. They've seen the harm done to employees and their families. They've been culling the herds for many years now and promoting those who will act with no question and little care for the harm done to their underlings, or the public good.

I think it would definitely in the public's interest for an injunction to be filed against the transfer of BC lands to CN on July 14th 2009. This is absolutely involved in the Sale of BC Rail, the raid of the Legislature and since that is all before the courts, an injunction must be filed. If, as suggested, the Opposition is aware of this, why have they not acted in the interests of the citizens of BC? It's an important question and one that deserves an answer and/or a law suit filed in the next 2 weeks. BC will be watching what the NDP does.

I see the opportunity for many public interest groups working together to slow this down, or stop it. Once the land transfer occurs, the citizens of BC will never get these prime lands back. It also begs the question, why do we, as the taxpayers of BC, have no full accounting of all of the lands the BC Liberal government has transferred to CN through the sale of BC rail? Isn't it time we had that full accounting as well as the rest of the lands promised? Who will step forward to lead this call and act in the public's interest?

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B.C. Railgate “crisis” offers opportunity, according to information-watchdog group

Matthew Burrows. Georgia Straight. June 25, 2009.

Darrell Evans, executive director of the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association.

Evans spoke to the Straight from his Vancouver office a day after he announced that BC-FIPA had asked B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner David Loukidelis to investigate the destruction of years of B.C. cabinet e-mails pertaining to the sale of B.C. Rail.

“If I could write a constitution, I would say citizens have a right to know the facts upon which their decision-making about the future of the society and the democratic process are going to be based,” Evans said. “Because otherwise you have an insane society—a society that is working on part of the truth or none of the truth. We are in a struggle with getting closer to the truth in society.”

Premier Gordon Campbell said "all of what I've tried to do in public life is about children." This, in response to questions about his administration's commitment to protecting and improving the lives of the province's most vulnerable children.

The best of intentions
Sean Holman, Public Eye Online. January 26, 2009

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Yes, Mr. Campbell, you ooze concern for BC's most vulnerable children. What does it say about a Premier who won't even go talk to the province's Representative for Children & Youth and the Opposition critic about coming up with solutions for BC's horrific record on leading Canada in child poverty for 6 years in a row!!!

Of the many things I hoped BC might lead on, I never in my worst nightmares thought we would deprive so many children of the basic necessities of life. An entire generation under this government has been raised in a substandard way. We all share in the shame and disgrace of that but no more than Mr. Campbell himself. Not knowing about a problem, hey, maybe that can be a mistake, or an oversight. But knowing about a massive problem and choosing NOT to do anything about it, especially when it concerns our children - that is, in it's essence, evil.

Those who do evil and those who stand by and watch evil done are one in the same. This neglect and these human rights abuses will be visited upon all of us in massive public disorder and many other dark things in the years to come. Mark those words. Mark these ones as well - this Campbell BC neo-Liberal administration is socially and politically constructing the biggest and deepest poverty in the history of BC. Massive social disorder and dislocation is being seen all over BC. It is not a coincidence.

Children shouldn't have to fight so hard just to survive and why would our Premier want them too?

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Premier Gordon Campbell spurns call for talks on growing B.C. child poverty

By Lindsay Kines,

Times Colonist

June 24, 2009 6:11 AM

Premier Gordon Campbell has rejected calls by the province's child rep for a joint leaders' meeting to deal with worsening levels of child poverty.

Campbell said Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond should take her concerns to the all-party legislative committee devoted to child and youth issues.

"I think the whole point is not to politicize these things," he told reporters on his way into a Liberal caucus meeting yesterday. "We are the political leaders. I think there is a legislative committee that the child rep reports to, and I think it's appropriate for her to do that."

Turpel-Lafond, who is an independent officer of the legislature, said earlier this month that she hoped to organize a meeting with Campbell and NDP Leader Carole James to discuss the "declining situation" for B.C.'s children.

B.C. has the highest child-poverty rate in the country, and the number of two-parent families on welfare jumped 77 per cent from April 2008 to this year. "The premier and the Opposition leader need to sit down "Are we addressing it? Are we doing enough? Can we do more and work more collaboratively on it?"

James agreed to the meeting and called for a poverty-reduction plan with clear goals and timelines. "From my perspective, any opportunity to have a conversation about how we can address this, and how we can do things differently, I think is a plus," she said.

lkines@tc.canwest.com

© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

Tragic consequences

Robert Matas, June 20, 2009. Globe & Mail.
Felicia Wale, whose son died earlier this month in government care, can't understand why the state has taken away her children.

• Toddler's death to come under scrutiny
• What the numbers say
• Rural child placement a dilemma

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Liberals heading back into 2001-style change, cuts
Paul Willcocks, Paying attention

Gordon Campbell's Clock

Taking a wee break but couldn't resist this one:

A man died and went to Heaven.

As he stood in front of the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him.

He asked, 'What are all those clocks?'

St. Peter answered, 'These are Lie-Clocks.

Everyone on earth has a Lie-Clock. Every time you lie, the hands on your clock move.

'Oh', said the man. 'Whose clock is that?'

'That's Mother Teresa's', replied St. Peter..'The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie.'

'Incredible', said the man. 'And whose clock is that one?'

St. Peter responded, 'that's Abraham Lincoln's clock: the hands have moved twice, telling us that Abraham told only two lies in his entire life.'

'Where's Gordon Campbells clock?' Asked the man.

St Peter replied, Jesus has it in his office. He uses it as a ceiling fan.

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Government Revenue Falls
David Schreck, June 3 , 2009.

BC Ran a $1.4 Billion Deficit
StatsCan ties 2009 shortfall to rising expenses. Couldn't Libs see it coming?
By Andrew MacLeod. 17 Jun 2009. TheTyee.ca

BC Liberals Win Child Poverty Record 6 Years in a Row

Is this really what we all hoped and dreamed for on behalf of BC's children? I can only assume it is, since so few people actually cared enough to bother to get out and vote on this issue - child poverty and deprivation, and so many others that are relevant to our province's social health & well-being.

First Call: BC Child & Youth Advocacy Coalition

Press Release: Child Poverty Rate Drops Significantly, But BC Still Worst of Any Province

I've begun posting comments I make on "journalist" websites because interestingly enough, my comments are often being censored and not posted by these "professional" writers.

Comments from:

B.C. worst for child poverty for sixth year

Paul Willcocks, Paying Attention. June 05, 2009.

I have to agree with Anonymous 7:27 AM above and maybe even go one step further. After ensuring a third BC Liberal majority, either by voting for them, or not voting at all, we can only be left with the reality that a majority of BC's citizens approve of and encourage the poverty of a generation of BC's children. This will come home to roost on all of us.

I know I've done my part to get the word out about this government's harm to our children & youth. I've taken direct action to raise awareness of the deprivation and how the Campbell government for the last 6 years has ensured, through their social policy decisions, that thousands of children in BC have been deprived of the necessities of life. That is not just a violation of the many human rights Conventions Canada has signed, but also a Criminal Code of Canada offense.

The heart of a government can be seen in how it treats it's most vulnerable - it's children, it's seniors, it's disabled. That BC Liberal heart is stone cold and a dead, blacked lump. And it can only be said that this is true for those who voted to continue a legacy of poverty and deprivation for our own people, those who needed the rest of us to speak for them and their needs.

Ye shall reap, what ye have sown, while our children suffer each and every day. We should be ashamed of ourselves in BC. But it's not too late, all of us could make a difference in our communities if we cared enough to do so.