Today I
invite you to take a trip with me in the history of BC politics. I invite you to guess which BC Provincial
political party, waiting to become the next government, said the following:
- we believe that government is
making life tougher instead of better for the average BC family
- while households scrimp, save,
and cut back on essentials, the one expense they cannot control or escaper is
government taxes. The main reason
British Columbians are working harder and falling behind is the constant and
rapid rise in taxes
- while everyone is paying higher
taxes, the return to taxpayers on the things that matter most is declining
- the major problems facing this
province all have one key element in common -- they are being created by our government
- British Columbians need a
government that will base its decisions on common-sense principles and live
within its means
- the sacrifices made to get our
financial house in order must not be sabotaged by future increases in
government spending
- by shifting funds on and off the
books, the _??? __ government has shown how the existing system can be
manipulated
-
__ ??? ___ believes that governments closest to the people serve them
best. __ ??? __ will return resources and responsibilities to local government,
advancing our spirit of community and raising our quality of life
- the best way to change
government is to open it up and bring its many functions closer to the people
it servers. __ ??? __ believes that the
closer decision-making is to the people, the more likely it is that good ideas
will be put to work.
While
these statements of belief go back nearly two decades I ask you ... "Is
life any different for you now, than it was then?"
Is
government still making life tougher?
Are they continuing to raise fees and taxes that we are obligated to pay? Are they
doing any better with government spending?
Are we getting more services ... seeing more front-line workers ... seeing less
wait times for Emergency Room services?
Why are our seniors, that helped build this province, paying a higher and
higher percentage, from their meager retirement funds, for shelter, health
needs, and other necessities?
How about
returning government closer to the people it serves? For example, government fired the local
'elected' Boards that ran our hospitals ... are they still being overseen by government
appointed individuals? Where is the
decision making process for local health care in Kamloops made?
Is
government any more open? Are the front
line services and function closer to the people they serve ... hospitals ...
courthouses ... schools in rural communities?
The words
noted above in italics, were spoken by the BC Liberals prior to the election of
1996. They were words of chastising the
NDP government which was in power -- they were words that offered new hope.
Nearly two decades later, rather seeing things better for ourselves -- our
parents -- our children -- and our grandchildren, we still have less and less services
... a Liberal government that has run budget deficits for more times that not
... and that has just like the NDP before them, doubled the debt.
YES ... perhaps taxes have gone down, however government has more than made up
for it by nickel and diming us with increased fee for everything the possibly
can -- including health care cost through increased Medical Service Plan (MSP) rates.
AND ... and a Pphoney green carbon tax that hit those who live in the interior and north
for not just fuel to run our vehicles ... but also basic necessities like home
heating fuel, our groceries, and even the clothes we wear! A carbon tax that also took valuable
resources away from schools and hospitals, and did NOTHING to protect the environment!
Government
has pillaged BC Hydro and ICBC for billions of dollars, which have disappeared
into a bottomless spending pit. Meantime
we continue to be hit with large increases to ICBC rates, and Hydro costs.
An
environment of entitlement has been allowed to come in to being -- one where
the heads of government crown corporations, and agencies, feel they are able to
give them selves huge increases in pay and benefits.
My
friends ... WE ARE NOT better off than we were twenty years ago -- we continue to be worse
off!
The BC
Liberal Party under Christy Clark now seems to be relaxed when it comes to the
BC Conservative Party nipping at there heels.
Take heed -- and take warning -- we as BC Conservatives will rebuild
under new leadership.
AND ... we
will challenge YOU to an accounting for why you have left us, our children, and
our grandchildren on the hook for debt that has continued to skyrocket at a completely
unsustainable rate.
You won
election by default this year; be forwarned ... it's NOT going to happen again.
I'm Alan Forseth
in Kamloops,
with the thoughts of one conservative.
