LIZ ON TRANSIT & THINGS...

21 April 2008

Hi, David:

Before you leave for some of my old stamping grounds --

Malcolm Johnston raised an issue I don't think I've 'discussed' with you - the matter of the $1.2 Billion-plus budget overrun on the Canada Line. (Sometimes I get fed up with 'playing the same old vinyl' over and over again.)

During the NDP decade, particularly the Glen-Clark-as-premier days, the media quite rightly made a daily-nightly feast out of the fast-ferry project. As you know, the project ended up as a $456-million project for three ships we could not use in BC waters - albeit the union-built ships were extremely well-built.

So - can you tell me why it is that not one journalist in the mainstream media has raised the subject of today's $1.2-billion+ budget overrun on the Canada Line - an overrun 2.75 times the size of the fast-ferries budget? The Convention Centre mess and the mouldy skating oval roof takes the total to over $2 billion - and that's just the things we actually know about.

Plus - The Canada Line overrun that does not include a single penny to reimburse the small-business owners that CLCo has bankrupted on Cambie Street?

Plus - The Canada Line overrun was required, despite the fact that the 'scope' of the main project has been reduced, because City of Vancouver taxpayers are on the hook for one of the stations, on top of the original budget.

Plus - We still do not know what will be the costs for Ken Dobell's "smart" but not yet working turnstiles.

Great we can "offload all the risk to the Private Partners" isn't it? Oh, and that reminds me - why is the media not curious enough to ask whether Partnerships BC director, Colin Dobell is related to Ken Dobell?

Auditor-General John Doyle sure has enough to keep his office going full-tilt for a decade!

But, in the meantime, I repeat - where is Canwest? Where is Corus?

I'll give you a hint - at least part of the answer can be found in Issue #73 of Adbuster's magazine, The Death of Canadian Journalism, http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/73/The_Death_of_Canadian_Journalism.html

A different Take on Our Daily News

Here is a thorough and astonishing take on the state of journalism in Vanocouver.

No need for me to summarize; just read it here and now.

Arm-Chairing the Universe

Well, thank goodness.

At last, Roger Federer has come to his sense and listened to my advice.

All year I've been muttering that he should get a coach so that he can win more Grand Slams.

And, now he's gone me one better.

Not only did he get a coach, but he got Jose Higueras, a clay court specialist, and immediately, it payed off.

Federer won the Estoril Open on clay in Portugal this weekend, and heads now to Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg before tackling Roland Garros where Rafael Nadal has won the final..is it 3 or 4 years straight? - now.

Now if only Tiger will listen to me about his swing....

Get out

A Billion Dollars for the Canadian military in Afghanistan?

Get out.

Last Wednesday night, Langara College had a debate on this very subject at the Main Library Downtown.

The room was packed and many were from Aghanistan.

They all said the same thing.

Get out.

Corrections Canada - A Truly Scary Criminal

Corrections Canada has much to answer for.

But it will never be held accountable for its consistently dreadful managment of its repsonsibilities.

A dangerous offender, killer and rapist has now escaped and is on the lam.

He walked away from Ferndale MINIMUM SECURITY prison.

HELLO!!!

What was this man doing in a MINIMUM SECURITY prison?

Did someone with their wooly-headed social worker vest on decide that Blane was now a nice guy?

Now, Corrections Canada is preparing for No Smoking in prisons, even outdoors. Good luck.

I have a suggestion.

Just let all the smokers in the prisons stand outside the main gates. I'm sure that'll be ok....

Farm Workers Have Long Been Abandoned

Farm workers can get in line behind children, the elderly, addicts and the homeless when it comes to attention and cocern in this province.

This is a Power Province and our Premier has his own addiction - power. he is interested in powerful men, men who make the earth move with ther money. Builders and buyers.

Immigrant, elderly, women farm workers, up at 4, at work at 6, 17 to a rickety van with no seat belts, this is supposed to be os some interest to Mr. Raise-a-Reader, Mr. Children's Hospital Foundation?

Where is the foto-op?

In the Vaisakhi Parade, he can play Mr. Dress Up.

But for the farm workers, he would actually have to enact legislation that protects these poor souls and then spend public money on inspectors that police the laws.

Remember that 3 days after the highway "accident" (waiting to happen) last year, the same farm was sheparding the same workers in the same dangerous way into crowded vans.

Nothing changes when nobody cares.

And nobody cares when political advantage is the sole motivator.

I must Listen to this CD about once a Week - MIles