7/09/2008

Privatized Hydro

This post has been re-edited. I had earlier made an assumption and was wrong in not editing some of the initial commentary. That has been done. Lesson learned; read all mail very closely. Do not assume anything. Some of the edited information will appear in another form shortly.

Following are excerpts from the Public Service Alliance of Canada BC http://www.psacbc.com/ website .

The Long and Winding Road: The Privatization of BC Hydro

The long and winding road that leads to your door will never disappear I've seen that road before… (The Beatles- ‘Let it Be’ album)
Vander Zalm saw the light—Will Gordon Campbell?

If you boycotted EXPO 86 and rallied against Bill Vander Zalm (long before his “I love public power” road-to-Damascus conversion), then you may be old enough to remember the Socred government’s massive privatization program with public utilities and crown corporations at the top of the list.

But for the younger set among us, a bit of history.
In 1987, a how-to of sorts on privatizing BC Hydro was developed by the up-and-coming private sector champion, David Emerson. Emerson’s report identified likely “candidates” for privatization. Included in the list were the now-sold Rail and Gas Divisions (BC Rail and Terasen Gas), and Crown assets pegged as “extremely controversial”, such as the Hydro-electrical Group.
In the end, the Zalm’s zealot-like approach did little to win public support.

Flash to 2001 and as the Beatles’ famous song says: “I’ve seen that road before”.

At the dawn of the new millennium the BC Liberals came to power armed with a militant view of “private is good” and a more subtle, yet devious, privatization plan. The plan, as recent news indicates, was a big win for Liberal “bag-man” and Accenture-hired lobbyist, Pat Kinsella.
Couching public private partnerships as a way of minimizing costs to government and spreading the risk to the private sector, less than six-months into their mandate the Campbell government issued its formal intention to privatize one-third of BC Hydro.

By early 2004, one-third of BC Hydro was given to outsourcing giant Accenture—of Enron fame—and the legislation was introduced to make it easier to sell off Hydro’s assets.
Today, the once proud public utility has lost responsibility for transmission, and is forbidden by government policy from adding any new publically owned domestic resources to generate electricity.

BC Hydro or GE - What's your choice?

Private power companies financed by the likes of GE, are the new sources of electricity in BC and the sweetheart deals are enough to make even hard-core business interests blush.
As the union representing workers at BC Hydro and its privatized arm, Accenture, we have worked hard to put up roadblocks on the long and winding road to privatization, and are determined to Take Back the Power.
We oppose the privatization of BC Hydro resources (our power, water and jobs) for many of the same reasons all of you do:

It does damage to those members and their families who are directly affected

It does damage to BC Hydro—in which we are stakeholders along with all other taxpayers

And as everyone can plainly see, privatization is doing severe damage to the environment of BC, our common heritage

We support a new legacy for BC Hydro—a Sustainable Energy Plan that puts an end to back room deals and puts the public back in the drivers seat, in charge of our future and our resources.

The BC Liberal government is selling BC’s rivers and our legacy to private power interests.
That’s power we don’t need at a price we can’t afford
[snip..snip..snippp...]

and then I came across a letter written in 2005 by Corky Evans which is published in part in a separate posting above.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shame on the SP for delaying this case. Get on with it!

Don't kid yourself Gary the SP is trying to delay this case past the next election to protect Campbell.

Remember, Berardino is the former partner of Geoff Plant.

Gary E said...

Anon 10:02 PM. I remember that partnership and I remember a couple of years ago connecting a few dots. Can't remember where it was though. But don't be surprised if you see many more of those dots connected. It is one big happy family.

By the way did anyone read the news article of the woman in Brittania Beach with the school bus restaurant who is being evicted. Nothing wrong with that it's in her lease. But one thing popped out at me and that was that they say she is in danger from the traffic. Excuse me, she's in a 50K speed zone that is enforced. She is also about 100 feet from the BC Railbed. There hasn't been any derailments there to affect her business. Oh, wait, we don't operate the trains anymore. Maybe she is in danger.

Gary E said...

There was a comment left for this blog that I am choosing not to publish for a few reasons some of which are.

1. You ask a question about something then point your evidence to something else entirely different.
2. I will not reveal any sources
3. Had you read my post thoroughly you just might have seen where my main information came from.

And if you are the same person that whined about my sources a couple of months ago you will see that I know how to use the delete button.Yours are the only comments that I have ever deleted. I also happen to think that other bloggers feel the same way about people who want to bait them.Delete.

Anonymous said...

Fascinating layout of linkages, gary e - a startling revelation that Fed. Min. Emerson is found to be at the conceptual 'roots' of what in fact Campbell carried out: the privatization of BC Rail back to the Zalm's Rein of Terror!!! Good work. There is a lot to digest in the information you posted here. Old connections die hard, indeed!

BC Rail was built by visionary former Premier, WAC Bennett for the benefit of ALL taxpayers, to open up the Northern regions of our province to stimulate the economy - a 'People's Railway' NOT for the private benefit of a political bunch of bandits . . . right?

There exists a rat's nest that needs to be cleaned out. Isn't it revealing that the key players are still pulling the strings under the Campbell regime - with the same dirty dance against the best interests of British Columbians - that existed back in the VanderZalm era of horror?

Interesting to see the info to 'bagman', Kinsella who recently offered cozy access for a pretty price, to Minister Emerson in his his lobbyist activities and how he has personally benefited big time,with the privatization/dismantling of huge sections of BC Hydro (also established by Premier WAC Bennett who understood the importance of combining the best of 'free enterprise' with aspects of 'socialism' when it came to the economy and the best interests of British Columbia.

I agree with you:

". . the the more we can reveal of the skulduggery behind the scenes, the more the 'circle of evil' won't dare try to wiggle free" . . .

Scandals always involve dir and 'cover-ups'; when unearthed - everything falls into place . . . the public begin to understand what has really been going on and real justice results.

Time and again, events have proven that 'People Power' fighting back with a unified voice of ethical reason, I believe, becomes far greater, far more effective for CHANGE, than the so called, systems of justice (the Govt./the Courts, the Commissions/Committees and 'independent Offices and posts eg "Special Prosecutors"; that have become so infested by political vested interests)

I am grateful for Blogger BC Mary and her diligent ability to gather insightful "dots"/connections helping us to see the unfolding picture of corruption in BC. Like you, I am a big fan.

I also appreciate your new 'voice' to the Blogs, to assist in bringing valuable insights forward. Thank you, gary e and have a good weekend!

Anonymous said...

secondlook = Gary e

Hmmmmm

Gary E said...

Secondlook thankyou for your insight into this post and thanks for your appreciation of my new 'voice'.

Anonymous 11:53AM. I don't know where you would get the idea that I am secondlook. In the first place operating this blog takes up an enormous amount of my time. So why would I have a second commentor name. If you read half the postings I do you would figure out that there is not enough time in a day for me to write what they have plus run this blog plus do all the commenting I do. I suggest that if you have nothing better to do with your time why not try to contribute meaningful comments here and on other blogs.

And to some others, I belong to the nitpickers class of 62. Your mail was received and I understand your position in some matters. But please go over carefully what you wrote. I have posted one thing and you have alluded to another.
If you are offended by my comments, so be it. There is a lot of mail coming in here not only to the blog but to my personal mailboxes. And it may be paranoia or whatever but some of them sound an awful lot like the same person. If you are not that person (and I haven't seen any evidence to the contrary) I appologize. If you are that person then my comments stand.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to rain on your agenda, "anonymous" . . . I checked in the mirror and I can confirm . . . I'm not gary e.

I can imagine your big grin, gary e! Someone looks like they have their knickers in a twist LOL.

Keep on truckin', gary . . .

Anonymous said...

Dear Gary e,

What is your email address because I can't find it on this blog site of yours, not even on your profile.

Gary E said...

Anything anyone doesn't want published for whatever reason you can adress yourself in a comment. Preface the comment "NOT FOR PUBLICATION" It will not be published. It comes to my g-mail before I send it to the blog. If you choose to identify yourself then put it in the body of the comment. If not just leave things as an anonymous commentor.
This blog is on a Google account and the e-mail is connected to it. Cuts down on Spam. I won't give out personal e-mail adresses as they are not as secure as this one.