Leave no authority existing, not responsible to the people

Providing quality and affordable health care … education … and social programs, for all British Columbians, must be one of the top priorities of government.

For that to happen, I also believe that government needs to provide us with the opportunity to have real input into the planning and implementation of programs and services.

Further … for government to have the money we need for these programs and services, it must reduce its debt, so we can stop paying millions of dollars, each and every day, just to make the interest payments.

Paying nearly $7 million dollars a day just in interest payments is bad business! 

Plain and simple, this is a waste of the financial resources we have entrusted to the government.  What we need is a smaller, less intrusive, government that lives within its means.

It is apparent to almost everyone, that our current provincial government is indeed living way beyond its means. 

Every new dollar government borrows increases our debt … adds to interest payment to service the debt … and means less money available for education, health care, social services, and other needs of the people of BC.

Taxes and more taxes … fees and more fees. Someone’s not telling the truth!

The Carbon Tax is an unfair tax that applies unevenly to people across the province. 

BUT ... it also negatively impacts schools, hospitals, universities and other services we rely on, by taking money from their budgets, rather than being used to provide services

This video with Canadian Taxpayers Federation Director Jordan Bateman is from several months ago, but it clearly identifies the issues, and problems, with Carbon taxes and the Pacific Carbon Trust.

Here’s another video that shows overburdened taxpayers in BC pay the highest gas taxes in North America.

And finally, on today’s tax kick, comes further confirmation that we pay higher fees and taxes ... more than any other province (with the exception of Ontario)  ... as this Global News story from December 29, 2011 tells us.

Now … upwards and onwards to the next general election

Over the past several months, I have had a number of people ask, and suggest, that I seek the nomination to become the BC Conservative Party candidate for Kamloops South Thompson.

This is something I had been considering for some time, and to have the affirmation of friends and party members, who felt I would be a good representative for our riding, has been very much appreciated.

I wish to let you know that, as much as it is my desire to move forward, and seek the nomination, I am unable to do so at this time. 

There are a number of factors for this decision; however this has now enabled me to take on a new role within the Kamloops South Thompson Constituency Association.  Along with two time federal Reform Party candidate Fred Bosman … and Ted Joslin (who has been involved in federal and provincial politics for many years … we will head up the constituency associations Candidate Search Committee.

Our job will be to look into, and talk with, potential candidates to represent the BC Conservative Party in our riding.  We are also seeking your input in this matter as well. 

Madame Premier … what do you have to say?

Statistics Canada has released its latest Jobs Report for May.  That report shows that employment across the country is staying stable, however the largest reason for that may be the continued growth of jobs in Alberta and Saskatchewan, along with the province of Quebec.

So how did we fare in Western Canada? 

Alberta had an increase in employment with 9,800 net new jobs; their unemployment rate now stands at just 4.5 percent ... Manitoba basically remained the same as they went from from 5.3% to 5.1% ... and Saskatchewan still has the lowest unemployment rate in Canada at 4.1 percent.

And how do things look here in British Columbia? 

What is there actually to come together over? It appears what's left is becoming a carcass

Over the past several months, there have been many stories in the news, about Christy Clark's call for the big tent free-enterprise coalition to once again rally around her.  

“We’re different now” … “things will change” … “we want to have your input” … are part of a dubious and questionable rebirth of their enthusiasm to have suggestions and ideas from the people of BC.

Should that not be an on-going process that political parties are involved with – NOT just at the point of certain defeat at the hands of voters?

Over the past several years, BC Liberals have not been interested in hearing from the people of BC.  Instead, they seemed to believe they already had all the right answers.   

They have governed with what seemed to many, a callous disregard for the results.

Things like Community Living BC spring to mind … as does ever increasing fees and taxes for things like hydro, car insurance, medical premiums, ferries, and more.

Rural communities watched in shocked disbelief as schools and medical facilities were shuttered and closed.

These things are just the tip, of a long list, of reasons why three quarters of the people in BC are now indicating they will NOT vote Liberal in the next provincial election.

In my honest opinion this program was poorly thought out, poorly implemented, and it definitely unfairly impacts the people of BC … depending on where they live

Today we have a follow up to the post, “Any smart business person would have made those changes anyways. Why? Because doing them increases profits, and saves them money!” from last Tuesday (May 29, 2012)

This morning I received a comment from HB2cents, who said:

I just wanted to share one tid-bit of info with you that you might consider - the Carbon Tax is revenue neutral, and the PCT doesn't get a cent of it. Taxpayers get income tax breaks as a result of the tax (that's why it is revenue neutral, i.e. government doesn't keep the money).

The tax was implemented to price carbon so that people would give thought to using less. If you do use less, you benefit even more - by saving on fuel and income tax.

Just wanted to make that point of clarification.

You should also know that Carbon Neutral Government (the reason why public sector pays for offsets to the Pacific Carbon Trust) is an incentive for those organizations to reduce carbon so they pay less in offsets. As a result of this, busy hospital CEOs and the like have actually paid more attention to their energy use because they are required to measure their CO2 output. This forces them to see the opportunities to reduce energy use - and they are doing it.

Like you point out in your article, you would think that if there is the potential for a business or school to save money by investing in new technology or simply turning down the heat, they would. The sad truth is people see cost (new curtains in a greenhouse, solar hot water heaters) and they turn the other way... unless there is a discount or incentive or law.

CHOICE, OPTIONS, and CHANGE … vs ... SCAREMONGER, FEAR, and PEREMPTORY

Do any of the following words sound dangerous, scary, or unhealthy to you?

CHOICE … OPTIONS … CHANGE

In looking at the definitions ascribed to them by Merriam Webster, ‘CHOICE’, ‘OPTIONS’, and ‘CHANGE’ certainly don’t sound dangerous, scary, or unhealthy, as you will note by the following:

Definition of the word CHOICE

… the act of choosing … power of choosing

… a number and variety to choose among

… care in selecting

Definition of the word OPTIONS

… an act of choosing

… the right to choose (freedom of choice)

Definition of the word CHANGE

… to make different in some particular

… to give a different position, course, or direction

… to replace with another

… to make a shift from one to another

… to undergo a modification

To those who believe in a democratic society the words Choice, Options, or Change should never be considered to be scary … instead I think that most would consider them to be healthy.