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