The sad truth is that NO ONE will begin working towards ending the cycle of addiction until they hit their bottom ... wherever it may lie.

The necessities for a Crack Addict

Did you happen to see this headline in the Vancouver Province yesterday (December 29, 2011)?   Free crack pipes now distributed in Vancouver as part of health strategy

The story began by saying:

… Crack addicts in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside have started receiving free crack pipes as part of a Vancouver Coastal Health Authority harm reduction strategy aimed at curbing the spread of disease…

I’d don’t know about you, but that immediately prompted me to ask, and wonder, about this:

Do these addicts sign a waiver resolving the Health Authority for any responsibility should they overdose using supplies provided by the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority? I’m no lawyer, but it seems to me they have put themselves in a VERY vulnerable position should a family member decide to sue the health authority for having played a role in the death of a family member.

They did of course wrap up the news story with what seemed to be an obligatory quote / question from the other side – that was David Brener from the Drug Prevention Network.  Here is what he had to say:

… the B.C.-based director of the Drug Prevention Network of Canada offered a far less optimistic opinion.  “Programs like this ignore the problems of addiction,” said David Brener. “All this does is aid and abet. What we should do is put that same amount of money into treatment and prevention. Because treatment and prevention work.”

I will be blunt and direct; in my personal opinion there is NO SUCH THING AS HARM REDUCTION!

Now there is a credible choice -- what a great Christmas present!

I recent days and weeks, I have written a couple of pieces, regarding recent polls showing the growing strength of the BC Conservative Party.  I for one have been delighted to see the continuing momentum, as more and more people look to see what alternative there is to the BC Liberals and the New Democrats.

A few people have emailed, and sent me a few notes, regarding what is happening politically, and so I thought I would share a few of them with you.  The first is from former Reform MP Jim Hart who said:

The recent pre-Christmas poll has indicated continued growth for the BC Conservative Party. It has also clearly shown declining support for both the Liberals and the NDP.

As indicated by this poll the Liberals use of attack ads against BC Conservative Leader, John Cummins has been a dismal failure. In fact, the strategy has had the opposite effect, boosting the support of the BC Conservative Party and leader John Cummins.

The other major issue exposed in this poll is that support for the NDP is declining.

Both BC Liberals and the NDP policies have proven detrimental to BC’s economy, and this history has buttressed the BC Conservative case that British Columbians have no appetite for either of these parties tax and spend policies.

BC Conservatives are offering tax RELIEF by conducting a complete review of taxes, licenses, fees and permits within 18 months of becoming government this will result in a prioritized list of taxes to be removed, reduced and amended.

It is time to support a party that will bring conservative values to the BC Legislature.

Jim Hart, Former MP 1993-2000

Resident of Vernon, BC

I’m not trying to be a smart a_ _ , but how do you justify the idea that BC’s New Democrats are the tax and spend party??

Christy Clark arrived back on the political scene a little more than a year ago with a catchy slogan of "Families First?”.   

Let me ask you, are you feeling the glow and warmth of that??  Is the outcome of that “slogan” resonating in a positive way for you?  Somehow I think not!

Here is just one more example of how important BC families are to the Christy Clark Liberal government in British Columbia.

From the Canadian Taxpayers Federation comes a reminder that, "BC Families Face $84 Medical Services Premium Tax Increase"

On December 31, 2009, B.C. families paid $108 a month in MSP tax. That increased to $114 on January 1, 2010, and again to $121 on January 1, 2011. This year’s additional hike means families have seen their MSP tax bills go up 18.5 per cent in two years.

“Families and seniors are already finding it difficult to keep up with rate increases at BC Hydro, ICBC, BC Ferries and tax hikes at the gas pump,” said Bateman. “These MSP, CPP and EI increases are yet more weight added to the tax burden.”

Again, it is ONLY $84 ... but we do have to include that with all the other taxes that have gone up, in the past 9 months or so, since Christy Clark became premier. And as the story says, that includes increases to BC Hydro, BC Ferries, ICBC, the carbon tax ... etc, etc.

Bill Tieleman shows us how, "How BC Rail Was Made to Disappear"

Bill Tieleman continues to ask questions the Gordon Campbell, and now Christy Clark, BC Liberals refuse to answer. Despite what she thinks, the stench of BC Rail WILL NOT go away.

Today Bill presents an update on the "Basi-Virk 8th Anniversary" 


Click HERE to read, " ... a different view of BC Legislature Raid - how to hide the obvious in making BC Rail disappear ..."

EDITORIAL SAYS, "... the B.C. Liberal Party looks a lot like the Socreds of days gone by ..."

There's an interesting editorial in today's edition of Kamloops This Week.  It says in part;

"... there is a seismic shift occurring that may result in a transformation every bit as significant as 1991, when the mighty Social Credit Party collapsed ... the BC Liberal Party looks a lot like the Socreds of days gone by ... whatever the reasons — poor policy decisions, hubris, a failure to listen to the people — the Liberals are well on their way to ceding the non-NDP vote to the upstart B.C. Conservative Party, just as two decades ago the Social Credit Party ceded that same vote to the upstart B.C. Liberal Party ..."

Click HERE to read the full opinion piece

Given the date of 1991, noted in the editorial, I went back for a quick refresher on that election ... here is what happened to the BC Social Credit Party

Seats held at dissolution:  47

Number of candidate seeking election: 74

Number of candidates elected:  7

THIS WEEK IN BC POLITICS — the final one for 2011

The year end with news we may now be paying
HST, on our bills and purchases, for well into 2013

As we go into the last week of the year, we have one more opportunity to review and look overt the stories that made the news this week.  Next week, on Conservative Thoughts, I will be taking a break so that’s it until 2012 … except for me to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas … and a safe and Happy New Year.

Now … here are the stories that made the news this week -- each headline is linked to the full original story.

When compared with the rest of the country, this province's development pales

… politically embarrassing … the lack-lustre performance can't be excused by noting that Campbell had nasty little (or maybe not so little) recessions at the beginning and the end of his term, because so did all the other provinces that B.C. is being compared to … further such embarrassment is a key factor in why Clark decided not long after she took over from Campbell to pull the plug on the board … it's not just one province's performance that is being measured - it's all the others' as well …

Taxpayers still on the hook months after deputy fired

Jordan Bateman, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said du Toit's severance deal defies common sense. "This is another ridiculous payout from government to senior staff.  We've seen these over and over again this year."  … living allowance always troubled the federation.  "I mean, it's not like she was a pauper in the first place.  She was pulling down significant amounts of money in salary." …

BC Conservative Party leader John Cummins believes many Liberals are feeling alienated by party shift

"We're not in this to come second," Cummins said. "We are in this to win. I think this is a small 'c' conservative neck of the woods, and I think that given that we really are the only small 'c' conservative party in British Columbia, our platform will certainly resonate with the folks here."

They would have heard plenty of reasons for the ongoing growth of the party

A news story yesterday (Poll sends Clark a sharp warning) in the Times Colonist newspaper stated:

The rise of the Conservatives is a significant factor. But it has more to do with dissatisfaction with the Liberals than with any policy put forward by Conservative leader John Cummins. We have not heard enough from Cummins to judge his party's potential or readiness.

And they were very much right in saying:

A political poll is only a snapshot of voters' opinions at a certain time. And polls taken 17 months before an election should be viewed with skepticism, because much can change in far less time.

That said; this is the fifth straight poll that has shown the BC Conservative Party rising in popularity with British Columbians all across the province.

I think it's a shame that the writer(s) of this editorial must not have attended either / both the gathering of BC Conservatives this Spring in Surrey where John Cummins was elected party leader --- or the AGM this Fall in Nanaimo.

 

Looking back at the year 2011 – Conservative Thoughts – the Top 10

As I mentioned yesterday, since I began the Conservative Thoughts blog I have written and posted just under 350 articles.  I recently looked to see which ones had interested readers the most this year, and yesterday I posted the ones from #20 to #11 that had most interested you.

Today we’re counting down the stories and articles from ten to #1.  Following each of the headings, which have links to the full story, I will include a brief paragraph or two on what the story was about.

Here we go …

#10 Three points made by the BC Liberal Party are a beautiful display of spin-doctoring  … we begin with a story from early Fall … September 15th

… I have a HUGE smile on my face however because if the BC Liberals have already started this, they are obviously scared of what a common sense campaign of people powered policy is going to do to their "Top Down" style of government. Their first three points are a beautiful display of spin-doctoring starting with the pension issue …

#9 BC Conservatives will not be splitting the vote --- the BC Liberals are driving their supporters away … from May 30^th

… today I was puzzled but what appeared to be an acceptance of the Liberal mantra that that BC Conservatives are going to ‘split the vote’ … if you listen to Christy Clark and her Liberal MLA’s, it seems that their only reason for being, and why people should support them, is because ... “We’re not the NDP” … once believed in government reform by the grassroots … and that accountability, honesty, and responsibility to the voters was paramount …

Looking back at the year – Conservative Thoughts from 2011

I began this blog in late November of 2010 – so Conservative Thoughts has been online line for nearly 14^th months.  In that time I have written and posted just under three hundred and fifty (347) stories and opinion pieces.  My hope is during that time there have been many, or even just a few, that have made you stop and think about where our political process has been … where it is now … and where it can and should be in the future.

I consider myself to be a small ‘c’ conservative, and as I have always be clear about, I am a member of the BC Conservative Party.  What I write and think comes from that background, but the thoughts, ideas, and questions I post are my own.

So, back to those 347 opinion pieces I have written and posted … I wondered which ones struck the biggest note with those who read them. 

Today I will post the most read ones from 11 to 20 … and then tomorrow will be the ones counting down from ten to #1.  Following each of the headings, which have links to the full story, I will include a brief paragraph or two on what the story was about.

Let’s begin …

BC Conservatives move into a tie with the Liberals

We now know the reason why the BC Liberals have a gain begun their mantra of a vote for the BC Conservatives is a vote for the NDP.  We have now had 5 straight polls showing the BC Conservative Party growing in strength, and we are now at 23% ...

The BC Liberals have nothing to offer British Columbians except for ever increasing taxes and fees ... big payoffs to government executives in crown corporations as well as BC Ferries and BC Hydro ... and big phoney "Green" cheques to outfits like Encana while schools and hospitals do with out.

We have NOT had government accountability --- nor have we had a government that is responsive to the people of this province.

I encourage you to read Doug Ward's story in the Vancouver Sun ..."New poll shows NDP in lead in B.C. with Conservatives surging into tie with BC Liberals"

Here is a brief comment from his story:

“The problem for the B.C. Liberals is that they are in the middle and they bleed both ways,” said the pollster.

“They are pinned down on both sides. We saw that happen to the federal Liberals in the recent election.”

 The Forum Research poll also found strong discontent with Clark herself. Fewer than one in three voters approve of Clark’s job performance. Twenty-nine per cent of British Columbians approve of Clark compared to 45 per cent who disapprove and 27 per cent with no opinion.

Again Kevin, why is it I should be supporting the BC Liberals in the next provincial election?

Kamloops South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger

Late yesterday afternoon I wrote a blog story after hearing my Kamloops South Thompson MLA, Kevin Krueger, on CHNL radio.  The story was entitled, "Tax and spend BC Liberals WILL NOT win the next election".

Since it was posted I have received a number of replies ... here are just three of them:

... perhaps Kevin forgot that his party got elected by first "splitting the vote" with the Socred’s. Remember them, Kevin? I do...and I foresee the exact same thing happening to the Liberals.

… John Les also was absent from a cabinet post for a long time with a cloud hanging over him ...

… you want a part of the liberal record??? Check this out;  Where the money really goes - ICBC top 50 employees - their annual salaries for 2010.

Tax and spend BC Liberals WILL NOT win the next election -- regardless of whether BC Conservatives run candidates

Kamloops South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger was heard this afternoon (December 19^th) stating a Conservative vote in the next election is a vote for an NDP government.  He said we should look at the record of the BC Liberal government.

In little more than one week Kamloops South Thompson Liberal MLA Kevin has asked the people of British Columbian to look at their record, as has Chilliwack Liberal MLA John Les, who you may recall served as Parliamentary Secretary for HST Information to the Minister of Finance.

John Les had this to say regarding NDP leader Adrian Dix:

"He's talking about a much bigger government and a lot more government spending … he has just three choices: Higher taxes, or deeper deficits, or both.  British Columbians deserve to know exactly what he would do and how he would pay for it.  But he is being very, very, very vague."

Finance Minster Kevin Falcon (L) and Kamloops
South Thompson Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger

As I mentioned not too many days ago, here are some NOT SO VERY VAGUE words that John Les, Kevin Kruger, and our BC Liberal government may not wish to be reminded about:

... increases every year on the Carbon Tax

... increased costs for drivers licenses 

... increased costs due to HST 

... increased ferry costs 

... increased Hydro costs 

... increased parking fees at hospitals 

... increased green taxes and fees 

... increased probate fees 

... the soon to be increases on auto insurance from ICBC

... increased MSP payments 

… exorbitant salaries, payments, bonuses, and payouts to executives (directly or indirectly) on the government payroll at Community Living BC, BC Ferries, and BC Hydro.

That’s the SHORT list … don’t forget our every increasing debt which is now approaching $60 BILLION dollars --- and also Finance Minister Kevin Falcon who has now had to admit, for 2 consecutive quarters, that government debt will increase dramatically.

I would like to say thanks to two MLA's who have I believe worked hard to 'represent' their constituents

As we head towards what I believe to be one of the one of the greatest celebrations of the year ... Christmas ... things are getting a little more hectic on the home front ... with the regular everyday meetings and activities ... holiday get-togethers ... and with practices and rehearsals for the Christmas eve service at the church our family attends.

Holiday lights of the BC Legislature -- November 2011

That means the blog will take a bit of a hit over the next two weeks at least ... and it means I'll be posting bits and pieces of things that catch my eye, and maybe with a brief comment our two.

I have now been writing and posting the Conservative Thoughts blog for over a year.  

It has most time been a labour of love, but truthfully at other times it has frustrated me as I have looked at how our political system operates, and the blind loyalty it often demands.

As you all know I am a member of the BC Conservative party ... and I am also a representative for the riding's in the Kamloops area.  That does not mean however I cannot see the good in others (and the bright spots) within BC political system.  

BC POLITICS … the week that just was

Christmas is fast approaching … but before it does, I will still have one more week, maybe two, of political stories that made the news in BC.  Let’s jump right in starting with more news of John Martins bid to be the BC Conservative candidate in Chilliwack Hope …

Good to see John Martin running (Letter to Editor)

… one only has to view … the Legislature to become repulsed with this Christy Clark government (I believe that the recent decision of Barry Penner, who has a reputable reputation, acknowledged by all parties, was his intent to distance himself from it and resign). There is light in this sordid tunnel of two traditional parties each …  involved in corruption, dishonesty, lack of integrity  … arrogance and denial

Justice system’s weak third leg

Auditor General John Doyle released his latest report on corrections … You have likely heard about the overflowing B.C. jail system, where even segregation inmates are now being doubled up … as Doyle’s report sets out, nine out of 10 convicted adult offenders aren’t in custody. They’re on house arrest or probation, many with court-ordered conditions to report their whereabouts, stay away from their victims, stay sober and complete various rehabilitation programs … many are violent … currently 24,000 of them, an all-time high … an increase of 28 per cent in the past six years.

Conservative leader calls for sped-up review process on Enbridge pipeline

… recommends that only Canadians should be allowed to testify at those hearings, not outside interest groups.  "Canadians should be heard, but these hearings cannot go on indefinitely. Most importantly no one group or community should have a veto on the development of a project that is so important to British Columbia … stated he appreciates the concerns of local communities, and that stringent regulations must be in place to ensure the project “is done in an environmentally safe and secure manner … blasts the provincial Liberal government for not making its support of the project clear ...

How do we live our life, based on the risks that are presented to us?

Let’s make decisions on whether to proceed, or not proceed, based on real facts.

I was asked the following question by someone yesterday:

One wonders how members of the North Coast fishing industry feel about John Cummins championing a program that would see regular traffic of crude-oil supertankers through their fishing grounds.

I can't claim to know the mind and thoughts of John Cummins, or fishermen on the North Coast, for that matter.  

I don’t speak for the BC Conservative Party … I’m a member just like any other … although I do hold a position as a representative for the party in the Kamloops area.  That’s just my way of saying I think like a small “c” conservative – and what I write are my own thoughts.  So here we go … in answer to that question.

I have said on many occasions that the prosperity, and well-being, of British Columbia depends on the high paying wealth generating resource based jobs (on the land and in the water).

That said … I am NOT in favor of resource development for the sake of $$ … nor am I in favor of NO development because there may be the slightest possible chance of an environmental accident.

Every day our own life is a series of possibilities that rank from a high probability --- to little or no chance of ever possibly happening.  So what do we do about the ones with little or no chance, and how do we live our life based on the risks that are presented to us?

Should we simply stay in bed because we MAY be hit by a bus?

Should we never leave the house because there is a chance we could be hit by lightning?

Should we not drive our car because we may get in an accident -- or cause one ourselves?

Me and my 1986 Yamaha 750 Maxim "X"

I ride a motorcycle for about 8 months of the year – I love the feeling I have when I do. 

I am a careful rider, however those driving cars can at times be distracted and not pay close attention (or see) people riding motorcycle’s.  That is why we have a greater chance of being rear-ended … or hit by someone making a left turn in front of us. 

Do I stop riding my motorcycle because of that?

Real people are involved. Real solutions are needed … not just more talk.

Past and Present ... the First Nations people
of British Columbia.  What is their future?

Type in the search term “first nations reserve problems” with Google, and immediately there are literally hundreds of thousands of results that come up.   

Titles of websites, news stories, studies, editorial commentaries and more … and they include these words and headlines …

• Urban First Nations Population Also Struggle With Poverty, Illness, and Hunger …
• MD says First Nations must find ways to curb alcohol use …
• First Nations water problems persist …
• Improving education on reserves …
• Suicide among Canada’s First Nation population …  
• First Nations on reserve have a rate of diabetes three to five times higher …
• First Nations struggling with governance problems …  
• The need to deal with the problems of on-reserve housing has been well documented 
• Sending cash to reserves no solution for deep-rooted problems …
• An Indian Industry has emerged amid the wreckage of many Canadian reserves …

And the Canadian Mental Health Association has these damming words to say:

Misleading the public isn't the same as lying … but it sure comes close

BC New Democratic Party leader Adrian Dix

"I'm going to be bold," he (Adrian Dix) told the NDP convention in Vancouver.  "But I'm going to be modest in my agenda, recognizing that we cannot accomplish everything in the first term of government."

Vancouver Province opinion writer, Michael Smyth, called that ...  “confident, or overconfident”.   

Smyth then went on to say that, “… before Dix starts campaigning for a second term in office, he's under increasing pressure to say what he would do in the first one, and how he would pay for it. How much would that cost? He didn't say, though he repeated a promise to hike corporate taxes to help pay for it.”

Many of them are among the creative ways MPs have found to accuse their opponents of lying

Apparently there are 106 things that MP’s cannot say in our Canadian Parliament … that information from iPolitics, by way of my nephew Steve. 

According to the Speaker’s office, Beauchesne’s Rules & Forms of the House of Commons of Canada, 6th edition (1989) contains the most recent summary of insults, insinuations, epithets and allegations that have been made in Parliament over the years and ruled to be “unparliamentarily language” – a list that runs more than four pages.

Many of them, such as “deliberately misstated the truth” or “intentional deceit” are among the creative ways MPs have found to accuse their opponents of lying. Others, such as “inspired by forty-rod whiskey” or “dim-witted saboteur” are rather biting observations on the character of other MPs.

In the end, though, it is up to the Speaker to decide whether language used in the House is “temperate and worthy of the place in which it is spoken” so a word that is acceptable in one context may not be in another.

Well by now you are probably wondering what those words are.  Wonder no more as they follow below.  As you read them, note the ones I have highlighted with italics --- those are one that I believe may be applicable to ‘some’ who hold elected office here in British Columbia.

That’s kind of like saying, "You should be grateful, I could have punched you in the nose, but I didn't."

The BC Government Newsroom released a story, on Sunday December 11^th, which was headlined; New residential care rates benefit low-income seniors

In this story they said that, “About a quarter of seniors in residential care in B.C. will now receive up to an additional $600 a year.”

The story continued that this was taking place as the result of “… the Province increasing the minimum monthly disposal income amount for residential care clients to accommodate a federal government supplement top-up of $50 … raising the minimum amount will allow low-income seniors to keep the new federal Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) increase … “

There was more to the story, but that is the real meat of it.  I have to say however, I honestly was confused about what exactly it was they were trying to say.  So I posed a question to others and asked:

Can someone correct me on this if I'm wrong?  I think what I read is that the "federal" government gave seniors an increase on pensions --- and Christy Clark's BC Liberals are trying to take credit because they didn't take it away by increasing "provincial taxes / fees"?

A friend (who would be knowledgeable in financial matters) responded fairly quickly by saying:

All other parties seem to me to have fostered “prostitution politics”

I got a reply back this morning about my post on Christy Clark’s Year-End Video.  At first the response I received made me laugh … a bit.   

That laugh however soon turned to sadness … but that then turned to hope.  Here is what a Richard, who is a new member of the BC Conservative Party, had to say:

Thanks Alan … I hope smaller government and reduced government spending will be the top priority of the BC Conservative party. All other parties seem to me to have fostered “prostitution politics” with deficit spending and huge government debt the result … Richard

I took a moment to look up the definitions of two words that Richard used … ‘prostitution’ and ‘politics’.  There are of course the basic definitions we would all be familiar with, however here are the two which I chose to use.

CHRISTY CLARK … open government gives us a sense of confidence that government is “working for us” rather than doing something “to us”

As part of her commitment to open government, Premier Christy Clark released a year-end video detailing the challenges, and successes, of the past year and a look at the year ahead. 

In her video, there were many things she covered and mentioned, beginning with “Open Government”.  Premiere Clark said there has been a lot of change in Victoria, in making government more open.  She went on to say that we will see more of it, as the changes hit, and as they start to be felt in communities around the province.

I guess the openness in communities must be the information community newspapers are releasing about persons charged with criminal offenses getting turned loose because of a shortage of court resources to have their trials proceed.   If not, maybe its news about the tens of thousands of dollars that schools and hospitals in our communities are having to pay to the Pacific Carbon Trust, so they can issue cheques to folks like Encana??

I wonder how that fits with another comment she made?   She said that open government gives us a sense of confidence that government is “working for us” rather than, "doing something to us”.

Protecting the environment, and sustainability, is more than simply siding with foreign funded so-called environmental protection groups

The Vancouver Sun had a story on the weekend’s anniversary celebrations for the NDP … and the plan’s Adrian Dix has to win the next election.   That aside, one of the things that stood out for me was the following comment he made:

“The differences on key issues of sustainability between ourselves and the [B.C.] Liberal Party and the [B.C.] Conservative Party have never been greater and the public perception that we’re different has never been less,” he told the convention.

“We have to change that by campaigning around issues of the environment and putting them in the context of jobs.”

Historic Wallachin Bridge over
the South Thompson River

Well there is more – MUCH MORE in fact -- to protecting the environment and to sustainability.  And what it does not mean is mean simply siding with foreign funded so-called environmental protection groups … funded by the likes of the Getty’s and Rockefellers. 

And as far as BC Conservative Party policy on the environment AND jobs; it just happens to actually be, in all probability, the most balanced of all parties in the province.

I’m a BC Conservative ... I believe in the protection of the environment that I live in … and why wouldn’t I?? 

I want it for selfish reasons of my own!  Those being my own enjoyment … that of my children … and my grand-children as well!