Hello

The sun has been shining for a day or two now.

Yeah!

How Many Ways Can I say, "NO?"

Could ex-Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan be the next governor-general?

This is the question asked in a Province headline this morning.

Let me give you the answer.

Nononononononononoohgodpleasenononononosayitisn'tsonononononoabsolutelynot.

Sullivan is a mean-spirited, self-serving deceitful unworthy candidate.

On the other hand...

A good way to keep him from his many pet projects...hm...

A Trucker Writes...

David, I drive a truck for a living. I own the truck and I am faced with a variety of challenges.

Ive been doing this since 1973. For all of the 70s and most of the 80s trucking seemed invisible on our roads. Then we deregulated. All of the major trucking companies went out of business. CP Transport, Johnston Terminals, Alltrans, Motorways the list goes on and on.

The days of a driver starting out in a small truck and slowly moving up to a semi with 600plus horsepower and pulling up to 60,000 plus kgs ended.Today if you can afford about $2500 you've got a class one license. A truck can be had for next to nothing because they have become worthless due to incredible competition. Trucks are now very visible. They are often found on their sides ,in ditches , and crashed all over the interior of BC.
The
Federal minister of immigration was on TV and he said that Canada needed to fill thousands of unskilled positions. The next phrase out of his mouth almost made me sick. "Yes we need thousands of truck drivers"
Hes right , anyone that wants to drive a truck can and if a lack of training, a lack of inspectors happens to cost a few lives , SO BE IT!. Dead farm workers are a cost of doing business. Dead and injured people on our roads and highways are a cost of cheap groceries. Cheap building materials , cheap you name it.

We have a third world work force and a third world mentality. Its what the country wants. CHEAP labor.

Its not just trucking . Next time you get on a plane think about the stiff competition that airlines face. Think how they have had to cut costs. Lay off mechanics. Increase time between scheduled maintenance. Keep older planes in the air longer. Yes its just a cost of doing business.

Spent 3 Hours Alone in a Hotel Room with BB KIng - but that's another story

Life Under the Big Top

Yesterday, I wrote in this space about the Narcissistic Sociopath Couple of the Decade.

Today they are front-pagers across the land.

The charges and allegations and rumours are all busily swirling about.

The basic notion seems to be that Helena and Rahim - no doubt on their way to their own highly popular reality TV show - like to use what used to be her office to get biz for him.

All of which would just be amusing nonsense and not much different from watching animals in a zoo throw veggies at one another, were it for one fact and one consideration.

The fact: Ottawa, with a full agenda on its plate, has effectively ground to a halt. Surrounded by scandal, the PM will be unable to do much else for the next few days.

Lovely.

The consideration: This idiocy is the tip of what iceberg?

Yes, Helena and Rahim are uniquely challenged, but with so many free-loaders on Parliament Hill, one has to ask, "How many others are handing out Blackberrys on street corners? How many others are charging handbags and sports warm-up suits as political expenses? How many others routinely promise or have their spouses promise special access to the Mint?"

What ever happened to the quaint notion of "public service?"

When did this get replaced with Let's Bleed All We Can out of this Circus While the Bleeding's Good?

Maybe it was always thus.

Maybe we've been duped by the rare and occasional Good Member of Parliament in to thinking that that was the norm.

Now, back to Helena and Rahim!

On today's show, Helena buys a poodle and writes it off as a campaign expense for "security," and Rahim takes a number of foreign dignitaries to lunch where he shows them photos of himself lounging poolside with the Prime Minister recently.

Nice Run

Kash Heed has done the right thing in stepping down as BC Solicitor-General while the RCMP check out alleged violations of the election Act in Heed's campaign office.

He was a good cop and we will hope that he is cleared and he can get back to work.

But this is not a good run for Mr. Campbell's picks for the office over recent years.

Mr. Heed is the third consecutive B.C. solicitor general forced out of office due to legal matters.

John Les resigned in 2008 amid disclosures he was caught in an RCMP investigation over land deals while he was mayor of the Fraser Valley city of Chilliwack. John van Dongen quit in April, 2009, over the disclosure that speeding tickets had cost him his drivers’ license.

You probably don't want to ask Gord's advice on which pony to back in the third at Belmont next week.

This is a Rogue & Obscene Government

It doesn't matter that three women died.

It doesn't matter that the seats in the van, designed to carry 15 passengers, had been ripped out and replaced with wooden benches or that here were 17 farm workers in the van that morning.

None of this matters to Gordon Campbell.

He is too occupied waving flags and building concrete monuments to himself.

Instead, he sends poor defenseless Labour Minister, Murray Coell to talk trash like, "Farm workers are definitely safer."

These people are shameless.

The simple unarguable fact is that inspections of these continuing death traps are down, way down.

Coell's cruel deceitful twist?

Fewer inspections are required because the rate of compliance has improved.

Not true.

A completely verifiable falsehood.

When asked about the coroner's recommendations, Coell said his government has not rejected those recommendations, but is still considering them.

"Considering?"

These real human beings who were going to work at 6 am to feed themselves and their families and were being treated like slave labour in some banana republic fourth world garbage can of a country were killed THREE YEARS AGO, Murray.

Considering?

That's the Honorable One, Hisself, smiling at you in the top corner.

Cash & Miscarry

Say...

You might want to start carrying a lot of cash with you the next time you venture down to the BC Ferry terminal in your neck of the woods.

Seems the high-priced talent from the New York airline business who now runs our system, David Hahn, (Well, when I say "our" maybe this is wishful thinking at best...) can't quite get a handle on securing our credit card information.

Seems that if you make a few transactions with BC Ferries, like say paying for your car and you and your partner and then splurging on a burger and fries and a coke and maybe a newspaper and a book of crossword puzzles, why then pretty soon there are about 3,000 unprotected pieces of secret information about your credit card roaming around out there in cyberspace where any average crook can hack and use, hack and use.

Gary Mason, as he often does, has all the rich comic details today.

But, as he reassuringly points out, no sweat.

Everything will be tickettiboo by...well, say, by October or November.

Meantime, kids - carry cash.

My Liberties, Not Yours

On Tuesday, I wrote in this space about the Firehall Art Controversy. (Artful Dodges.)

Today we offer - with thanks to our buddy Al Arsenault, long time Vancouver Police Man and film maker with Odd Squad - these two examples of art that were not in the quiet confines of a fire hall, but plastered on every thing that could stand and that were peculiarly not objected to by the BC Civil Liberties.

Funny how that works...

Say It Isn't So

The Donner Prize is given every year for best new book on Canadian public policy.

On the list this year is "Who Owns the Arctic?: Understanding Sovereignty Disputes in the North," by Michael Byers.

Byers is a friend whose work I admire, so I pleased to see him on the list.

Way beyond not pleased is how I might describe my reaction to another possible winner.

Actually being considered by the Donner jury - and thus disqualifying themselves from the world of common sense, let alone an understanding of public policy - is a fake non-book allegedly written by Larry Campbell, Neil Boyd and Lori Culbert.

This piece, which to date has sold about seven deserving copies, is called "A Thousand Dreams: Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and the Fight for its Future."

Even the title is a deceit.

The book, written by Sun reporter Culbert, is really all about that great contribution to humanity, the Insite safe injection site.

This drivel - an attempt to legitimize and enshrine truly bad public policy in Christmas wrapping - may or may not win the prestigious award for which it is so inappropriately nominated.

But you can be assured of finding bent and broken copies in remainder bins at bargain prices soon.

As for Campbell and Boyd, they are - praise the Lord - safely tucked away in Really Big Institutions (the Senate and SFU) where they can do the least public harm.

Who? Yah, Who?

This is How They Spend Your Money

Did you know that Parliament’s Board of Internal Economy, which governs the use of all wireless devices, allows every MP to dispense four of those devices to whomever they see fit?

And that many, many, many MPs give one to their spouse.

The MP in this case is Helena Guergis, Minister of State for the Status of Women.

Make that former Minister, etc.

Because as of a few hours ago, she has resigned.

The lovely spouse/louse in this case id Guergis husband Rahim Jaffer, the former MP who was recently charged with drunk riving and cocaine possession.

Seems Mr. J. liked to use his wife's parliamentary issued Blackberry to phone and text potential business associates while pleading contracts for new deals.

That would be one of the Blackberry's that you and I pay for in taxes.

Sidebar question before we proceed:

Why does anyone need four or more cell phones?

Why should the hard-pressed to meet monthly responsibilities Canadian taxpayer pay for anything like this?

To continue...

Now, Mr. Jaffer has been asked to take the Conservative party logo off his website as he no longer has anything to do with the Conservative party...anything that is other than calling everyone he knows and playing on the fact that he once met someone and once had dinner with someone and therefore can get you almost anything you want from his Friends in government.

Let me be clear.

I detest Jaffer from another movie.

Some years ago, when I was doing a nightly talk show on a local radio station, Jaffer had agreed to a telephone interview from Edmonton with one of my day-time colleagues.

The interview happened as planned.

The only problem was that the man having the conversation with our broadcaster was not Jaffer, but some bum-boy assistant who was posing as Jaffer.

Jaffer's excuse for this deranged subterfuge?

He was busy and thought he'd just let his assistant pretend to be him.

Whatsa problem?

How sociopathic is that?

In all my years of broadcasting, in all my years of drinking milkshakes, playing street hockey, reading books, traveling in Europe and cooking dinners, I have never heard of such a thing before or since.

This deeply creepy man was elected to Parliament.

The day after he was not elected to Parliament, he married Guergis, who today resigned.

These two are the poster children for everything that is self-absorbed and narcissistic and wrong with Life on Earth as We Know It.

I will run for Parliament in the next election. You can pretend to be me. I will give you Blackberry's. We will all have dinner with the Prime Minister. Canada is good. Oh, yes.

What a Deal!

I am selling my house.

One potential buyer left with this pithy comment, "Too many trees!"

Oh?

You know how many trees I have in my yard?

Exactly one.

Of course, you can always choose to pay a few million for a 600 square foot glass box on the 32nd floor of some coke-dealing day care centre in the downtown core.

Deep Stink

I am not a lobbyist.

I just call Ministers of the government on their cell phones and threaten them.

My calls go like this:

"If you don't do what we want, we won't build what you want. So there."

Thus goes the saga of poor little picked on Ricky Turner.

Turner is, among other things the head of ICBC.

On behalf of Paragon Development Ltd. he phoned Tourism Minister Kevin Krueger and warned him that if the province didn't build that retractable roof for BC Place, well, his company may just not be inclined to build a very big or very nice casino/hotel complex next door.

Maybe just a few slots and a 10-room cabin style motel.

Now what this good and honorable non-lobbyist is talking about here, folks, is that the provincial government spend HALF A BILLION TAX DOLLARS on a fancy new roof for the football slash car show slash boat show field.

In other words...

A private businessman - who just happens conveniently to have very deep government connections - tells the government if you want a good casino and hotel downtown from us, you'll just have to spend HALF A BILLION PUBLIC DOLLARS.

OK?

Now why is anyone getting his sweats in a knot and calling this routine way of doing business here lobbying or undue influence or any other nasty things like that?

Why?

Now, the nasty old NDP have raised questions and asked the official watchdog to see if anything untoward has been going on here.

Those spoilsports!

Troublemakers!

Always causing a ruckus when we're just trying to get things done around here.

By the way...

I'd like to phone the honorable minister and talk to him about a few of my pet ideas.

But I seem to have misplaced his cell number...

Rick?

Fox in the Hen House

B.C. has the lowest per-capita spending on prescription drugs in Canada.

One of the main reasons for that is our independent drug review panel, which is recognized around the world as just about the best thing that could happen to a district trying to ensure that medications are real and effective and that they don't bankrupt the neighbourhood.

Now, the Liberal government is thinking about messing with that body by a) reducing the budget; and b) adding to it representatives of the drug industry.

This is exactly categorically who should NEVER be on such a panel.

Big Pharma, along with armaments, oil and illegal drugs is one of the grandest businesses in the world and one of the most corrupt.

The routine buying of favors and endorsements and opinions of doctors by drug manufacturers has been documented a thousand and one times.

Ditto the collusion between Big Pharma and drug stores, pharmacies and hospitals.

The Therapeutic Initiatives here in B.C. is a clean program that saves lives and money.

Why would Kevin Falcon want to spoil that?

One of my Sports Heroines

Best of the Bunch

Cut the Fat, Not the Programs

At the top of the local news are two announcements that add volumes to the picture of the provincial government and its priorities.

B.C. health authorities asked to slash $45-million from budget

Vancouver board to lay off dozens of staff, close school, drop 10 days

Both stories are worth a read.

Both stories should be balanced against recent news about Big New Casinos and Hotels, New Roof for the Stadium and all the other MONUMENTAL distractions in Gordo Land.

But let's focus on that first story, the one about Health Minister Kevin Falcon telling everyone to tighten their belts.

If only he had the faintest idea what he was talking about.

There is a new program here in this province that helps people with very difficult problems. I am being circumspect about this program because I admire their work and I don't want to cause them any more troubles than they already have. Now this program has been in business for decades in other jurisdictions, where they receive block funding for their excellent work. But, here in enlightened British Columbia, where we have all these munificent Health Authorities, every single person that enters this program for help is fought over by 14 different levels of government. Payments and authorities are delayed, beds are left empty and the suffering stay out on the street because of bureaucratic meddling of the worst and silliest kind. If Mr. Falcon would like to save money, I can show him how in three minutes. Not only would he save money, he'd get real work done and get real help to real people who need it. I'll tell you what I won't be doing the next few days. I won't be waiting by my phone holding my breath.

Sshhhh...we're Canadians, Part 9,876,243

Congratulations Canada!

We have come up with a new oxymoron - one that will rival even Liquor Control Board.

It is called The Afghanistan Public Interest Hearings.

The only problem - and the thing that qualifies this little side show for oxy status - is that these "Public Hearings" are being held in secret.

Not only have the media and the public (Remember them? Yech! Dirt under their fingernails, dontcha know?) been barred from these august proceedings, but the Military Police Complaints Commission hung a curtain, or veil, across the doors so that nobody could even glimpse the party inside.

Now let's focus on the 'reasoning' here.

It's an old familiar one.

It's the one that is always a give-away.

It always tells us that the stench of mendacity is high.

Here is comes...

NATIONAL SECURITY.

Whenever you hear that old saw being hauled out of the cupboard, head for the hills and grab the ammunition as you go.

The Globe editorial nails it today with their piece aptly titled

Public interest goes private

Read it and re-discover the people you have elected.

Odd Fact of the Day

More than 2,300 corner stores - six a day, or about 10 per cent of the total number of locations across Canada - closed last year, with contraband tobacco sales siphoning off more than $2.5-billion in sales and $260-million in profits during that time, according to a study released yesterday by the Canadian Convenience Stores Association.

Now, that's inconvenient.

It's also a prime example of The Law of Unintended Consequences.

The government in its endless wisdom keeps adding tax to the retail price of cigarettes.

The goal is twofold: Get more revenue and discourage smokers from smoking.

Ha!

Real result in the real world populated by ordinary folk?

The enormous rise of criminal enterprise, tax money being siphoned off into illegal activities and smokers smoking as much if not more than ever.

Brilliant!