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.”