Well To Be Honest, Math Was Never One Of My Best Subjects In School ...

I get VERY tired about hearing how much independent schools are hurting the public school system, because they take financial resource away.

 

For those who have refused to believe this is untrue, or are being brainwashed by partisan comments from the BCTF and its partners, here are the FACTS:
Grants To Independent Schools:
The district operating grant consists of the per-pupil base allocation plus supplementary amounts added to produce the per-student district operating grant amount. Supplementary amounts are included for unique student needs (including learning disabilities, learning assistance, speech and language services, mild intellectual disabilities, English Language Learning, aboriginal education, and adult education programs), enrolment decline (greater than one percent per year), salary differentials, transportation and housing, and unique geographic factors. The supplementary factors account for the difference in school district operating grant amounts.

The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) eligible students enrolled in an independent school is a key component to calculating school grants. A full grant is paid for each full-time student who is enrolled for a minimum of 600 hours from July 1 to May 15 of the school year. Partial grants are paid for eligible partial students who receive less than 600 hours of instruction.

The designated percentages are as follows:

Group 1 = 50 percent of the local district's per-student grant amountGroup 2 = 35 percent of the local district's per-student grant amount

SEE MORE AT: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=699A7E1C76EF494D9918D067921A86F1&title=Grants+to+Independent+Schools

In others words, each student in private education, provides an additional 50% of their grants TOO the public school system. Parents of students in private schools, are in fact SUBSIDIZING students in public education.

And before anyone jumps all over private schools for being elitist, the vast majority have demographics as mixed as any public school, and parents that are, by and large, everyday hard working people that live in the same neighbourhoods as everyone else.

 

Well I did have a discussion about this with some folks on Twitter, and of course I got responses not favourable to what had to say. Here are just a few of the responses I received:

 

@AlanForseth I am also curious about why you assert private school receipt of $$ from public purse isn't a subsidy? 

 

Private education, despite govt contribution , is not available to all regardless of income

 

access to benefit of my tax contribution should be progressively weighted to those with less than me

 

my opinion on my own tax dollars. Should only be spent on that which benefits all, to which all have access

 

If you choose private nobody's forcing you. Pay full shot. Anything else to me is a subsidy

 

It's unfair for public $ to subsidize classrooms of 18-20 in private system when govt won't bargain CSC in public schools

 

Here are just a few of the responses I posted back (with apologies for the misspells but Twitter only gives you 140 characters including spaces):

 

How is getting only 50% of /student funding a subsidy. Students in private schools support public system to tune of Millions of $s 

 

Approx $8,100 / student in public education, while +/- $4,000 per student in private education. I CAN do the math & its clear 2 me

 

Paid same taxs yet when my kids asked 2B in private skool, how was receiving 50% LESS of the / student funding a subsidy

 

Bull Crap! Everyday working parents with students in privat schools have 50% of student grant handed over 2 support public schools

 

Parents pay same taxes, but they get 50%. Rest of taxes paid goes to SUBSIDIZE public education.

 

And one of mine final thoughts was:

We all have opinions on where taxes $ shud be spent, & think we'd agree lots wasted. Can't agree on this tho - thnx 4 exchange :)

 

What's my final thoughts on this? Well to be honest, Math was never one of my best subjects in school, but I have had to learn math for business, I in my opinion, I am pretty good at what I need to calculate.

 

No matter how others want to spin it, the Per Student payment for children in private

education is 50% of what it is for students in public schools (approximately $4,000 vs. $8,000). And, adding the roughly 76,000 students currently in private schools to the public school system would cost the government an additional Three Hundred and Four Million dollars per year (76,000 students times $4,000 each)!

 

AND ... most families with children in private school ARE NOT rich elitist people. They are everyday working families that chose to allocate the money the earn to have their children in private schools. They come from the ever shrinking lower and middle middle-class.

 

Enough!!! Leave these poor people alone. And ... let them continue to subsidize those who are in the public school system.

 

I'm Alan Forseth in Kamloops, with the thoughts of one conservative.

Now before anyone says I am teacher bashing, I am NOT

WOW … it’s a long time since I’ve been here, but I’m back today.

 

BC classrooms now empty in dispute
between BCTF and the BC government

I thought I would do a little exercise with regards to wages and salaries in BC, and try putting teacher’s pay in perspective. I have had to do what I believe to be a fairly accurate calculation on an hourly wage for teachers (as noted in my calculations below), but any teachers / friends are welcome to correct me.

 

Let’s start with Statistics Canada, which states the ‘average’ teacher’s salary in BC is $64,131 per year.

 

I then went to the BC Stats website to look at a long list of wages and salaries in BC http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/LabourIncome/Earnings/WageSalarySurvey/WageSalarySurveySearch.aspx).  Here are a number of professional, career, and industrial careers … and the hourly wage paid.  The numbers quoted below are for the most frequently page wage (not the lowest or highest).  Pease note I am not saying these jobs are equal to what a teacher does, only that most have a combination that includes a combination (any or all) of the following … training / education, responsibility for safety, professionalism, and legal obligations.

 

Community and Social Service Worker: $18.83

Post-Secondary Teaching and Research Assistant:  $22.08
Automotive Service Technician / Truck and Bus Mechanics: $25.67
Welders and Related Machine Operators: $27.91
Electrician: $27.03
Financial Auditors and Accountants: $29.32
Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic: $30.85
Computer Programmer and Information Systems Managers:  $30.92
Insurance, Real Estate and Financial Brokerage ‘Managers’: $36.32
Registered Nurses: $36.59
Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management: $36.73
Business Development Officers: $37.91
Senior Managers (Goods Production, Utilities, Transportation, and Construction): $39.49

And now … back to BC teachers:

52 weeks – 8 weeks off for Summer = 44 weeks

44 weeks – 3 (Christmas, Spring Break, Easter) = 41 weeks
41 weeks multiplied by 5 work days per week = 205 days
205 days – 3 stats (BC Day, May Day, and Remembrance Day – others already in above days not worked) = 202

Again, this is just a ballpark figure, so the figure of 202 days worked per year is my calculation based on the above.  Please note it also does not include the non-instruction days off which used to be called Professional Development days)

Let’s say the teaching / classroom time per day is 6 hours; from there let’s add 45 minutes on the front end (at school) for prep, and 45 at the end (at school) to wrap-up the day – we now have 7.5 hours per day.  I’m just guessing, but for each day ‘worked’ I’m going to add another 1.5 hours at home for prep and marking; we now have 9 hours per day.

202 instructional days times 9 hours per day equals a total of 1818 hours worked.

The average salary, paid to BC teachers, of $64,131 divided by 1818 equals $35.27 per hour … that seems not bad to me given the above noted salaries, and before the current salary offer is added in to the equation. 

Now before anyone says I am teacher bashing, I am NOT.  I am simply saying that the salary they receive, is a good one.  In other words, the raise being offered by the BC Government is more than generous!

The government is NOT off the hook however; more money does need to go into classrooms so there can be better services delivered to students … especially those with special needs.  That is NOT however something I believe is a part of contract negotiations, that is something that each of us as parents need to demand of government.

These just my thoughts … what do you think?

"Under Premier Clark's leadership we've seen increased costs to businesses in BC, and to middle class families, who continue to fall farther and farther behind"

BC based businesses pay the Carbon Tax, but their
competitors from outside of the province do not

As BC businesses question the BC Government's decision to move forward with the corporate tax increase; many British Columbians, including business owners, are asking if this government truly represents free-enterprise, and the workers it employs?

It doesn’t, and for good reason.  If you ask people in the Kamloops area, to define this government's claim to representing so-called 'free enterprise', you’ll be met with varying responses. Whether business owners, or their employees trying to raise a family and keep a roof over their head, neither can see how this BC Liberal Government has helped them keep a few more dollars in their pockets.

BC businesses have faced not only the increase in corporate tax rates, but also user fees which penalize their business growth.

Don’t take my word for it … here’s the thoughts and opinions of business leaders in British Columbia:

BC food producers have said the carbon tax hurts their bottom line.

The Business Council of BC has described the carbon tax as unfair because BC based businesses pay the tax, but their competitors from outside of the province do not.

Shachi Kurl, director of provincial affairs for BC and Yukon for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said … “The costs of doing business are starting to become unsustainable.”  Kurl added that rising hydro and other utility costs, as well as the carbon tax, are other increases businesses have faced in recent years.  “All of this is coming out of the same till.”

Cariboo Cattlemen’s Association says the carbon tax continues to put ranchers at a competitive disadvantage ... “we’re paying the tax and there’s no investment coming back... into the sector to reduce our carbon footprint ... either exempt us from the tax or get a program in place to provide some benefits back to us.”

And from the Fraser Institute comes the following:

Competitive personal income tax rates enable the province to better retain and attract high-skilled professionals as well as promote entrepreneurship and innovation in BC

And … middle-class British Columbians not only face continuing increases to the rates and fees they pay to government (such as increased medical payments and insurance rates), they also pay higher rates for food, and other necessities, due to the carbon tax.

Is this what a Family First, or Free Enterprise agenda, looks like?

“Once again the BC Liberal government seems more than willing to download provincial responsibilities, on to the taxpayers of smaller communities in rural BC.”

A week ago CHBC TV in the Okanagan ran a story (Passionate pleas to save Marshall Lake) on a group of people in Greenwood, that are desperately trying to save one of the few lakes in their area

Marshall Lake Stewardship Group working to save lake

The story indicated that:

The province wants to decommission the structure over concerns about the dam’s structural safety, the possible consequences to Greenwood should it fail and the liability of the government.  Removing the dam would reduce the lake to about one-third of its current size which would markedly affect its recreation and water storage values.

It also quoted Christopher Stevenson, of the Marshall Lake Stewardship Group, who stated, “It is a move that will permanently destroy much of the value of Marshall Lake, a highly valued recreation site.

“Don’t take out our dam. Let the lake be the way it is. Take care of the dam. Upgrade and maintain it as a provincial asset and let us have our lake,” said Stevenson.

In several conversations I have had with Christopher he has let me know more about the possible decommissioning of the dam on Marshall Lake, and what it means to the people in this region.

Just so you know - there is an economic component to this -- we have few lakes here. Marshall Lake is part of a recreation / wilderness complex that is well used, and has great potential for tourism and local use.  We don't have the lakes that the Okanagan and Kootenay’s do; which is why we need every one we have. 

Marshall Lake is used year round by recreationalist and outdoors people. This is not just environmental; we’re trying to build our tourism here as well. Meantime the government is looking at legal aspects, and trying to find loopholes.

The private owners are being unfairly hit as they will lose their lakefront – it will ruin their property for at least two years, and permanently in many ways, which will result in a loss of value.  It will also ruin the BC Forest Recreation campsite. 

There has also been no environmental assessment, and no inundation (flood) study.

They should be ashamed to be picking on rural BC again.  There are so many things to base a case against them on … environment, economic, private property rights, rural BC.

Twiddle Dee, and Twiddle Dumb. That’s what we have with the BC Liberal Party, and the BC New Democrats

Message to BC Liberals and BC New Democrats

Is this, or isn’t it, the height of hypocrisy … the pot calling the kettle black?   

A BC Government Caucus News release today, quoted Kamloops North Thompson MLA, and Environment Minister, Terry Lake as saying:

“Raising taxes on business will only kill jobs in BC.  The NDP still don’t seem to understand that higher taxes will hurt BC’s competitiveness and our economy. They have conveniently skipped over the fact that the carbon tax has returned $500 million more to taxpayers than it has raised in revenue.”

This in response to an interview on CKNW, with NDP environment critic Rob Fleming, who apparently stated that BC’s government, should “fix” the carbon tax, by using it to fund transportation projects.

The BC Liberal media release went on to say that,
To pay for these projects he (Rob Fleming) re-iterated the NDP’s proposed plan to raise business taxes to make the carbon tax “revenue positive” to government.

Well there is another side to this story, as BC Conservative Party Leader John Cummins has clearly pointed out:
“Despite all the new taxes and rate hikes, the provincial government is still short of cash because they have a spending problem. How can the government ask British Columbians to pay more when their money is being thrown away?”

And yet asking for more is exactly what this government has been doing!  A study by the Fraser Institute, in 2011, showed that the average family in British Columbia makes less, and pays more taxes, than in any province west of Quebec.

The carbon tax was really nothing more than a tax grab, designed as a phoney green initiative, and the government knew that from the start

The other day I was asked on Twitter what BC Conservatives would do about the Carbon Tax. 

Twitter allows for a limited number of characters to respond, far more that what follows, but basically what I said was … It’s bad for business, bad for people in the interior and north, and it adds to the cost of goods and services.  It has yet to show any benefit.  It is negative, unfair, and with a BC Conservative government it will be gone!

They responded by asking, “How would you make up revenue? It’s a huge amount.”

To which I said … “I thot it was 2B revenue neutral.  4 starters we won't have the PCT giving free$ 2 corps/ org

Again in case a translation is needed here is what that meant:

I thought it was to be revenue neutral?  For starters we won’t have the Pacific Carbon Trust giving free money to corporations and organizations.

I wanted to say more, and using Twitter wasn’t going to work, so the remainder of my reply was sent as a message via Facebook instead. This is what I had to say:

Rather than the BC government trying to convince me / us that the Carbon Tax is reducing our carbon footprint -- they should cancel it and let me keep MY money.  I can then spend it on something I want to purchase, which helps keep people employed and helps creates new jobs.  Because I am spending money I have earned, on real purchases of goods and services, government will get tax revenue via the HST (or soon to be GST / PST).

If you decide to read on, make sure you have some Tylenol, and an antacid, handy

The other day I was talking with a media friend, and had mentioned I was thinking of taking a look at how BC's debt has climbed over the years.  Well I did indeed do that, and now I am sorry I did. If you decide to read on, make sure you have some Tylenol, and an antacid, handy.

NDP elected in 1991

Total provincial debt … $9.82 billion

NDP re-elected in 1996

Total provincial debt … $19.53 billion

During the 5 year period of 1991 to 1996, the provincial debt increased by $9.71 billion ($1.95 / year)

BC Liberals elected in 2001

Total provincial debt … $33.9 billion

BC Liberals re-elected in 2005

Total provincial debt … $35.9 billion

BC Liberals re-elected in 2009

Total provincial debt … $37.5 billion

BC Liberal Budget for 2011 … provincial debt of $45,154 Billion

And from the official Budget and Fiscal Plan of February 21^st, 2012 … for the years 2012 / 2013 to 2014 / 2015 comes the following figures:

Which of course means both candidates for the BC Liberal Party could not be bothered …

BC Liberal candidates mum on issues important to voters in
Chilliwack Hope, and Port Moody Coquitlam by-elections

Several weeks back Integrity BC asked the candidates running in the by-elections for Port Moody – Coquitlam … and Chilliwack – Hope, to answer a short questionnaire.  

It was designed to provide important information on where each candidate, and party, stood on issues important to the people of the riding's.

I am delighted that both candidates for the BC Conservative Party (Christine Clarke in Port Moody – Coquitlam … and John Martin in Chilliwack – Hope), took the time to provide answers to the questionnaire. 

Only one other, Gwen O'Mahony who is running for the NDP in Chilliwack – Hope, also did so.  Which of course means both candidates for the BC Liberal Party could not be bothered.

Here are the questions which were asked in the questionnaire:

Budget 2012 / 2103. Read what you can, and then you decide if the BC Liberal Party has delivered a budget focused on austerity … and fiscal prudence

Murray Langdon Comment (CFAX 1070):
 “Manageable debt”. I’ve never heard of such a ridiculous phrase

That’s just one of the comments, on yesterday’s budget, that caught my eye.  Media from across the whole spectrum were quick to have stories up and online … as were the politicians.  Here is just a snapshot of what they had to say.

The Tyee:
BC Conservative leader John Cummins released a statement blasting the budget as the kind of thing the NDP would deliver. "The core features of this budget are ballooning debt levels, higher taxes and growing spending masked by accounting tricks," he said.

"The [Premier Christy] Clark Liberals are raising taxes on the most productive part of our economy -- small businesses," he said. "By cancelling the planned reduction of small business taxes, with only a month's notice, they are killing jobs and reducing investment in British Columbia."

He said its "smoke and mirrors" to claim a balanced budget for 2013-2014 while also increasing the debt by $5.1 billion. "Even if the government is calling it a surplus, the government is spending more than it is taking in."

News 1130:

School districts are dealing with overcrowding and the BC government isn't providing a lot of new funding to build schools. A UBC professor says the problem is a lack of communication between municipalities and the province.

"These communities are, in part, created by long-planned policies on a municipal level that need to connect up to how the province, and in particular the Minister of Education, decides to build schools," argues Adjunct Planning Professor Andy Yan.

BC Politics … the week that began January 30th

Everyone has heard, see, read results of the latest political poll in BC, and as previous polls during the past year and a half have shown, the BC Liberals are in trouble.

There was more that took place this week however, so let's begin a wrap up of things political in BC, that began on January 30, 2012.

Fact finder might help resolve education crisis

… looks as if a legislated settlement is inevitable, with soft-spoken Education Minister George Abbott showing increasing impatience … government, however, is now so wounded in the opinion polls it may be unwilling to provoke a political backlash by appearing too draconian … government needs to appoint an independent "fact finder" to come up with common-sense suggestions for resolving the current education crisis …

B.C. Liberals planned to promote HST with iPad giveaway

… obtained by The Vancouver Sun after a 19-month battle under the Freedom of Information Act, draft copies of the pamphlet contain a large image of the Olympic flame on the cover and bear the title “Spirit of 2010: Building on BC’s Olympic Advantage.”  … government never sent out the pamphlet, shredding all copies not long after having spent $780,000 to have them designed and printed …

Get ready for a provincial Conservative government – Cummins

… we are doing very well in the polls … two outstanding candidates representing us in the upcoming by-elections … it’s been quite a while since we have been in such a strong position … much of the credit for that progress, he said, can be laid at the feet of the governing Liberals … We have momentum right now … what has changed is the disgust level of the people with the BC Liberals has risen …

THIS WEEK … BC political news

Cost savings measures for BC Ferries … a new political poll … unemployment … balancing the budget … John Martin nominated for the BC Conservatives … the garbage wars … Christy Clark trying to change political stripes … negotiations on the teachers’ contract. 

All this and more took center stage this week in BC political news.  Here’s a round-up of some of the stories in case you missed them …

BC Liberals Going Right? Riiiight.

... the remarkable thing about the steady decline of the BC Liberals is that the party remains stubbornly unable to distinguish a branding problem from a content problem ... the province's ruling party has been steadily hemorrhaging center-right votes ... to the long-dormant provincial Tories ... the response from Premier Christy Clark and her supporters has simply been to double-down on superficial right-wing marketing gimmicks while remaining blissfully oblivious to the idea that conservative voters might actually be motivated by anything more substantial ...

EDITORIAL: Latest poll confirms the obvious

… we need yet another poll to state the obvious?  From the moment former premier Gordon Campbell signed his political death warrant by foisting the hated HST upon voters mere weeks after winning an election, the BC Liberals have been bound for the afterlife now inhabited by the Social Credit, Progressive Conservative and Progressive Democratic Alliance parties … does not appear anything will change the party’s fate in time to avoid an unpleasant reckoning when voters go to the polls  …

Martin acclaimed, comes out swinging

… it didn’t take long for John Martin to be assigned duties in the BC Conservative’s shadow cabinet …the party’s candidate in the upcoming Chilliwack-Hope by-election, was named justice critic … “This Liberal government has failed British Columbians on the justice file. They have starved the justice system and now thousands of criminal prosecutions could be thrown out.”

Government has ripped off million$ that should have gone to community charities ---on Wednesday Christy verbalized they plan to continue

A report entitled “Charitable gaming in revenue” in Alberta shows gaming revenues received paid to charities in that province, amounted to $325 million for 2009 / 2010

Meantime, in BC? 

A portion of a news release, entitled “Government receives independent report “ on the BC government newsroom website from October 31, 2011 states:
“… Premier Christy Clark appointed Triplett to conduct an independent review and develop options for the Province on how to improve the governance and funding formula for gaming grants. In 2010-11, government distributed $135 million - including an additional one-time increase of $15 million - in these grants to approximately 6,000 groups throughout British Columbia.”

The quick study notes for above are:

Alberta gives … $325 million

BC currently gives … $135 million* 

* in 1998 /99, approximately $161 million was distributed to charitable organizations.

There are MANY people who do NOT agree with me … but I have a hard time with government being in the gaming business.  I have issue with the heavy advertising campaigns that work to have people spend more and more money, on something that offers little or no return of anything tangible.  

The millions and millions that go into lotteries and casinos annually, means less money being spent in the greater economy with people buying and purchasing things for the home, family, on recreation, on vehicles, etc.   

These are things that truly grow the economy – and that create jobs.

But here’s another issue I have; big casinos ended most small-time fund raising by local charities and organizations.  Local groups and organizations of course are closest to the community – and know the needs of the community.  Instead they now end up begging for a miniscule share of the amount the provincial government returns to charities and organizations from gaming revenues they receive.

WORSE STILL … government is not paying up what they promised.  That was to be ONE THIRD of the revenues received.

The British Columbia government is preparing to spend "lots" of money to advertise Premier Christy Clark … Minister Pat Bell said today.

Okay I will admit it right off the bat.  I edited what was actually written, but I think it's fitting (funny too in a sad way) ... read on.

BC Premier Christy Clark

On November 16th, in the Tyee, a story began "The British Columbia government is preparing to spend "lots" of money to advertise Premier Christy Clark's jobs strategy, Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Minister Pat Bell said today."  Here is a part of what that story had to say:

The bulk of the campaign will be international, but also with some advertising within BC, said Bell.

"The local stuff is really focused on engaging with British Columbians, saying, 'Here's the jobs strategy,' bring forward your ideas, your projects, your concepts of things you think that we should be doing to help support your local community," he said.

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:

First name announced for run as BC Conservative in the Chilliwack Hope riding

John Martin to seek BC
Conservative nomination

Down in the Fraser Valley the first name has surfaced as a potential candidate for the BC Conservative Party in the Chilliwack Hope riding recently vacated by Liberal Barry Penner. 
A story in today’s Chilliwack Times says that, “Times columnist and UFV criminology professor John Martin seeking Conservative nomination”.  Martin is also a criminology professor at the University of the Fraser Valley.

He is quoted in the story saying … "The BC Liberals absolutely don't deserve a fourth term to be re-elected.  I'm a small 'c' conservative and the Liberals don't represent me anymore. And I can't vote NDP.  The by-election in Chilliwack-Hope is the first opportunity for the BC Conservatives to get on the map and get a seat in the legislature. That's why I'm doing this, I want to help make that happen."

Meantime … I am not sure what is happening, but I am finding media stories like the following being posted by members of the BC Liberal Party???

Are you alive because of this drug review of Vioxx?

On Tuesday, the National Post had a headline that screamed … “Health Canada not giving timely warnings about pharmaceutical drugs: Auditor General”

I tell you that certainly grabbed my attention as I, along with pretty much all of us have a need for prescription drugs at various times.  Here in part is what the story had to say:

“Health Canada is slow to act on potential issues that it identifies … time lag, outlined in an audit tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons and characterized as “serious,” means people sometimes have to wait more than two years before Health Canada completes a drug safety review of a product already on the market and provides updated information about their risks… the audit also found gaps in transparency that are keeping Canadians in the dark about Health Canada’s drug-safety work …”

$130 thousand dollars a year is little more than a drop in the bucket

Pamela Martin (L) & Premier Christy Clark (R)

Premier Christy Clark raised a few eyebrows in June when she hired former CTV news anchor Pamela Martin to a $130,000 a year job as director of outreach in the premier’s office.  Since then, many people have wondered what she and the of 16 people in her office actually do

Well the Vancouver Province asked the following question a few weeks ago, “And what does Pamela Martin really do anyway? You might as well ask how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.”

The Victoria Times Colonist was however able to get some information … what do you think of the things the Premier has had keeping her busy?

Her calendar says she had work-related events on 25 days between June 25 and July 28. Some included weekends and night events – such as acting as master of ceremonies at a “Persian Community event” on July 15 or attending the Canada Cup closing ceremonies -  others included just a couple of hours in the office.

Bits and Bits, from here and there, as we end this week

The following comments, from a city councilor in Northern BC, should be required reading for those seeking to represent us – at whatever level of government.

1) Being elected to represent citizens of ( XYZ ) is a privilege, not a right.
2) Even if I feel strong about it, what does the majority of ( XYZ ) think about it.

3) We work as a group to move the city forward, but were each elected for our own separate reasons.

From a CBC News story:

It’s not unusual for a politician to stroll through the halls of the B.C. legislature, but when it’s new B.C. Conservative party leader John Cummins, it turns a few heads.  Cummins, recently an MP and not yet elected as an MLA, was attending the first working day of the new legislative session as an observer.

"I think it was important to be here for the first couple of days," Cummins said.  The Conservatives have steadily grown in popular support since Cummins took the helm of the revived party in May.  "Everywhere we go, people are interested in what we have to say," Cummins said.

From BC Auditor General John Doyle’s summary report:

“My audit opinion for the 2010/11 fiscal year contains one audit reservation, indicating that the financial statements are not in compliance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). This is one of the three audit reservations that featured in my 2009/10 opinion."

Many British Columbians lack confidence

BC Legislature in Victoria

Here’s an excerpt from the February 14^th, 2011, BC Government Speech from the Throne:

We now gather together on the eve of transition to new leadership. Both the government and the opposition will select new leaders in the days ahead. With change there is always excitement and opportunity to discover new paths ahead and new means of achieving our shared goal of a better future for all.

This is a time when British Columbians are encouraged to discuss new ideas about making our province an even better place. Through this period, government will ensure a smooth and orderly transition while continuing to deliver the quality services that are important to all British Columbians.

Tomorrow's budget will meet statutory requirements while providing maximum flexibility for future decisions by the new executive council and this legislature. As laid out in government's three-year plan, spending priorities will continue to be focused on health and education.

Okay, so the Speech from the Throne said that, "… government will ensure a smooth and orderly transition while continuing to deliver the quality services that are important to all British Columbians." 

What happened instead??

Princeton ER --- Sorry We're Closed"

Tonight on BC's CTV News they had a story that the Emergency Room in Princeton was closed.  Nearest hospital?? … one hour away in Princeton --- this is unacceptable.

Having the Interior Health Authority (IHA) hang a "Sorry Were Closed" sign on the Princeton ER is a totally unacceptable contingency plan. 

In MY opinion, the BC governments grand scheme to centralize hospital administration, often times hours from a community, has proven to been a disastrous plan.