Alexandra Morton has started a new blog at
http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/
For those who wish to have input on the Fish Farming practices or the demise of our wild salmon stocks this should prove to be a very informative blog.
I would encourage anyone who cares even the slightest about a diminishing food stock to follow her blog.
8/31/2009
8/25/2009
My Apologies
We haven't been around for the last 10 days.
Why?
Well the first day was my fault. Partly. You see we live in a trailer and are building a house. So there is a great hole in the yard and the trailer just happened to be sitting on the precipice. Not good for Mack E and the bride.
So we made a decision to move the trailer.Really a no brainer Not a big problem. Just disconnect the Hydro and phone. Not a big problem for Hydro. The trailer is plugged in.
But the phone is a different thing. When I had one installed a few years ago I bought a quick disconnect made they say specially for trailers. But it seems that TELUS doesn't know how to install them. Strange? They are after all in the business of supplying and installing phones. I bought this piece of equipment because I knew one day I would have to disconnect and reconnect the phone myself. Anyway it was never installed.
So the truck with the hitch shows up to move the trailer early, Friday. Telus can only come on Tuesday and Thursday. So I disconnect the hard wiring myself.
Now I mention Tuesday and Thursday because well I disconnected the phone (and unplugged the trailer) on Friday the 14th. Called TELUS to get it hooked up ASAP. No Problem they say "we'll be out 'Tuesday or Thursday"
But there is a problem because they don't say which Tuesday or Thursday. Well I guess it was this Tuesday (today) because more than a week later they finally hooked it up.
Oh, and they say they may want to charge me for fixing this problem that I submit they caused in the first place by not installing my quick disconnect. I don't think so.
So my apologies to you all for the delay in posting and commenting. Your comments that were in the cue have been posted. There were three comments that couldn't be posted because they came through a s gobbledy gook. And I'm not smart enough to figure out what happened so they were deleted.
Why?
Well the first day was my fault. Partly. You see we live in a trailer and are building a house. So there is a great hole in the yard and the trailer just happened to be sitting on the precipice. Not good for Mack E and the bride.
So we made a decision to move the trailer.Really a no brainer Not a big problem. Just disconnect the Hydro and phone. Not a big problem for Hydro. The trailer is plugged in.
But the phone is a different thing. When I had one installed a few years ago I bought a quick disconnect made they say specially for trailers. But it seems that TELUS doesn't know how to install them. Strange? They are after all in the business of supplying and installing phones. I bought this piece of equipment because I knew one day I would have to disconnect and reconnect the phone myself. Anyway it was never installed.
So the truck with the hitch shows up to move the trailer early, Friday. Telus can only come on Tuesday and Thursday. So I disconnect the hard wiring myself.
Now I mention Tuesday and Thursday because well I disconnected the phone (and unplugged the trailer) on Friday the 14th. Called TELUS to get it hooked up ASAP. No Problem they say "we'll be out 'Tuesday or Thursday"
But there is a problem because they don't say which Tuesday or Thursday. Well I guess it was this Tuesday (today) because more than a week later they finally hooked it up.
Oh, and they say they may want to charge me for fixing this problem that I submit they caused in the first place by not installing my quick disconnect. I don't think so.
So my apologies to you all for the delay in posting and commenting. Your comments that were in the cue have been posted. There were three comments that couldn't be posted because they came through a s gobbledy gook. And I'm not smart enough to figure out what happened so they were deleted.
8/10/2009
Terasen Wants Your Money But Doesn't Want To Pay Taxes
- On April 25, 2003, BC Gas Inc. became Terasen Inc. As with the previous name change, the company's growth beyond BC and into diversified business lines was the impetus for the name change.
- In 2005, Terasen Inc. was purchased by Kinder Morgan Inc. out of Houston, Texas.
- In 2007, KMI sold Terasen Inc. to Fortis Inc. of St. John's, Newfoundland.
Well Gary - this will make your day! Our provincial PST coffers are short 4.5 million dollars as a result of Terasen finding a loop-hole in their contract. That's the amount of PST they should have to pay - the actual amount paid = 0.00 .
Now, the next time someone in government says the reason they deserve to be paid so highly is to attract the best minds...luring them from the private sector, they should be slapped with a sock full of rocks and then be reminded of this little faux pas.
If a person were working in the private sector, whose responsibility it was to proof sales contracts for items such as these handy little loopholes yet somehow missed one like that...how long do you think he/she would be working in the "private sector"? Right! About 3.4 seconds!
Only in the best of government minds can you find something that hideous - yet pat the writers of the contract on the back. I think we need to give them a pay cut retroactive to 2001...let's say about 50%. I know, I know, that would mean some of them still got a raise...but what the hell...I'm feeling magnanimous today. Sort of.
Only in government will you find people promoted to their level of incompetence...the higher up, the more incompetent it appears.
(And here I might suggest that the highest of them all is the most incompetent...Gary E)
And while ripping off the people by not paying taxes they have also applied to the BCUC for a rate increase. After seeing this article (on the tax ripoff) I expect the BC Utilities Commission to turn down any increases as long as this company gets away with the non payment of taxes...Gary E
8/08/2009
Campbell Spinning The New Harmonization Taxes
“This is the single biggest thing we can do to improve B.C.’s economy,” said Premier Gordon Campbell. “This is an essential step to make our businesses more competitive, encourage billions of dollars in new investment, lower costs on productivity and reduce administrative costs to B.C. taxpayers and businesses. Most importantly, this will create jobs and generate long-term economic growth that will in turn generate more revenue to sustain and improve crucial public services.”
Campbell if you think that business will pass their windfall on to consumers then I submit sir you seriously need psychiatric help in the worst way.
Where did you ever get the idea that your big business buddies would do other than show their shareholders a better bottom line? If you think that, then there is something seriously amiss inside your cranium.
Wake up BC. Its time to stop feeding these fools. The underground economy saves you a hell of a lot of money.
Campbell if you think that business will pass their windfall on to consumers then I submit sir you seriously need psychiatric help in the worst way.
Where did you ever get the idea that your big business buddies would do other than show their shareholders a better bottom line? If you think that, then there is something seriously amiss inside your cranium.
Wake up BC. Its time to stop feeding these fools. The underground economy saves you a hell of a lot of money.
8/07/2009
What Ontario Is Saying About Their HST
Article From The Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal.
The McGuinty government‘s proposed harmonized sales tax (HST)) will be especially hard on struggling families and on seniors on fixed incomes such as Milton and Anne Marion, says Ontario New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath.
Horwath and MP John Rafferty (NDP–Thunder Bay-Rainy River) met reporters Tuesday at the Marion home on West Arthur Street to show how the new tax will hurt the finances of families when they can least afford it.
For example, she noted the Marion‘s monthly home heating bill last December was $600. A new eight per cent tax will drive it up to nearly $650.
According to the new tax, starting July 1, 2010, Ontario would move to a single, value-added sales tax that would be federally administered. The single sales tax would have a combined rate of 13 per cent.
The provincial portion would be eight per cent – the same as the general RST rate – and the federal portion would be five per cent.
The Marions, who don‘t own a motor vehicle, would have to pay the tax on their weekly cab fare of $34 round trip to the Arthur Street Marketplace where they do their grocery shopping.
That‘s on top of all the other hits they will take on everything from haircuts to newspapers to postage stamps.
Horwath said in a few short months, over 50,000 people have signed the NDP‘s petition to stop what she refers to as McGuinty‘s unfair tax grab.
“We need to get our economy back on track with smart economic policies, not an unfair tax grab,” she said.
“The HST is the wrong tax at the wrong time. That‘s why I‘m asking all Ontarians to join my campaign against this tax.”
Horwath told reporters that people who have worked hard and are retired, like the Marion family, should have to enjoy their retirement with fewer worries, not more.[snip}
When Campbell lied again in his promise not to Harmonize the GST and PST I had thought seriously about moving out of this province. To Ontario in fact. And to Thunder Bay, my home town. I have the Chronicle Journal in my favorites and found this story today. So, since Ontario was warned in advance about this Tax Grab and they're further ahead on it, I have chosen to stay here and fight.
I also read online about the reorganization of government Ministries. One that stood out was just where the PAB (Public Affairs Bureau) will be handled from. More on that later this month.
So now, lets get into what really is bugging me:
1. Gordon Campbells' apparent deliberate mismanagement of our Provincial Economy.(while claiming to be the best one to manage it)
2. Gordon Campbells' destruction of our Fish Habitat.(by giving our rivers to multinational corporations) Man I can hardly wait for the fallout of the BCUC report. They have already tried to spin the report as being about Burrard Thermal. What a joke.
3. Gordon Campbells' destruction of BC Hydro (see #2) The PAB is hard at work earning their millions trying to spin that report.
4. Gordon Campbells' political destruction of BC Ferries. (Imagine jacking prices through the roof for travellers on the TRANS CANADA HIGHWAY just to pay some bufoon more than a million dollars a year to mismanage a company.
5. The biggest Gordon Campbell lie of all. We will not privatize BC Rail. (the ongoing saga to which I have reverted to searching for docuements. But never fear there will be articles here as well as comments at the Legislature Raids, House of infamy, Gazetteer,Bill Tieleman, and a host of other blogs. Keep this thing alive.
6. The Harmonization. (I'll be checking back with Ontario to get some ideas. For right now if you want to stop this idiocy go to Bill Tielemans blog to join NO BC HST
7. I also have a bad feeling about labour unrest in this province in the next little while and will be working on that as well.
And just at post time The Tyee blog The Hook posted an article about the letting of contracts for the new roof on the stadium. Have a good look at the article. They are talking about a preferred bidder to develop lands around the stadium.
Just a thought. Is Canacord still around?
The McGuinty government‘s proposed harmonized sales tax (HST)) will be especially hard on struggling families and on seniors on fixed incomes such as Milton and Anne Marion, says Ontario New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath.
Horwath and MP John Rafferty (NDP–Thunder Bay-Rainy River) met reporters Tuesday at the Marion home on West Arthur Street to show how the new tax will hurt the finances of families when they can least afford it.
For example, she noted the Marion‘s monthly home heating bill last December was $600. A new eight per cent tax will drive it up to nearly $650.
According to the new tax, starting July 1, 2010, Ontario would move to a single, value-added sales tax that would be federally administered. The single sales tax would have a combined rate of 13 per cent.
The provincial portion would be eight per cent – the same as the general RST rate – and the federal portion would be five per cent.
The Marions, who don‘t own a motor vehicle, would have to pay the tax on their weekly cab fare of $34 round trip to the Arthur Street Marketplace where they do their grocery shopping.
That‘s on top of all the other hits they will take on everything from haircuts to newspapers to postage stamps.
Horwath said in a few short months, over 50,000 people have signed the NDP‘s petition to stop what she refers to as McGuinty‘s unfair tax grab.
“We need to get our economy back on track with smart economic policies, not an unfair tax grab,” she said.
“The HST is the wrong tax at the wrong time. That‘s why I‘m asking all Ontarians to join my campaign against this tax.”
Horwath told reporters that people who have worked hard and are retired, like the Marion family, should have to enjoy their retirement with fewer worries, not more.[snip}
When Campbell lied again in his promise not to Harmonize the GST and PST I had thought seriously about moving out of this province. To Ontario in fact. And to Thunder Bay, my home town. I have the Chronicle Journal in my favorites and found this story today. So, since Ontario was warned in advance about this Tax Grab and they're further ahead on it, I have chosen to stay here and fight.
I also read online about the reorganization of government Ministries. One that stood out was just where the PAB (Public Affairs Bureau) will be handled from. More on that later this month.
So now, lets get into what really is bugging me:
1. Gordon Campbells' apparent deliberate mismanagement of our Provincial Economy.(while claiming to be the best one to manage it)
2. Gordon Campbells' destruction of our Fish Habitat.(by giving our rivers to multinational corporations) Man I can hardly wait for the fallout of the BCUC report. They have already tried to spin the report as being about Burrard Thermal. What a joke.
3. Gordon Campbells' destruction of BC Hydro (see #2) The PAB is hard at work earning their millions trying to spin that report.
4. Gordon Campbells' political destruction of BC Ferries. (Imagine jacking prices through the roof for travellers on the TRANS CANADA HIGHWAY just to pay some bufoon more than a million dollars a year to mismanage a company.
5. The biggest Gordon Campbell lie of all. We will not privatize BC Rail. (the ongoing saga to which I have reverted to searching for docuements. But never fear there will be articles here as well as comments at the Legislature Raids, House of infamy, Gazetteer,Bill Tieleman, and a host of other blogs. Keep this thing alive.
6. The Harmonization. (I'll be checking back with Ontario to get some ideas. For right now if you want to stop this idiocy go to Bill Tielemans blog to join NO BC HST
7. I also have a bad feeling about labour unrest in this province in the next little while and will be working on that as well.
And just at post time The Tyee blog The Hook posted an article about the letting of contracts for the new roof on the stadium. Have a good look at the article. They are talking about a preferred bidder to develop lands around the stadium.
Just a thought. Is Canacord still around?
8/04/2009
Premier on BC's 151st Birthday
Premier Passes Along B.C.Day Good Wishes
By 250 News
Monday, August 03, 2009 05:00 AM
Victoria, B.C.- Premier Gordon Campbell has passed along his best wishes for all to have a great B.C. Day.
"British Columbia Day is an opportunity for people all across the Province to spend time with their family and friends, and to remember and celebrate all the things that make British Columbia the Best Place on Earth.
Of course if you live any distance from your family his government has ensured that you can't afford to make the trip by gouging you with a gas tax grab, or allowing BC Ferries to jack up their prices to pay for the already overpaid executives.
"We are fortunate to live in a province of unparalleled natural beauty with communities that are among the most vibrant and multicultural anywhere in the world.
But let us not forget that he is allowing Run of the River power projects , and the release of our farmlands from the ALR to destroy that beauty. And his botched plans for the forestry are giving us unheard of unemployment.
And just think, it only took him eight years to destroy that which took us 150 years to build. Happy Birthday BC
8/03/2009
The Next Gordon Campbell Lie
Is there anything that comes out of Gordon Campbells mouth that is not a lie?
"The harmonized GST would make it harder for future provincial governments to lower or raise sales tax rates, which reduces flexibility. In short, a harmonized GST is not something that is contemplated in the B.C. Liberal platform."
So we've hardly taken a breath after the last election and this lie is perpetuated. Gordon Campbell, everyone else is trying desperately not to use the three letter word. Well I've had enough. You and your party are goddamn Liars. Sue me if you want but I AM TELLING THE TRUTH.
Enough of this bullshit. Resign and do it now. You are not representing the best interest of any voters in British Columbia. You have no mandate to do the things you are doing. You are destroying this province one piece at a time.
And to save yourself more money for your mega projects you just canceled the no interest loans for the people that your big business buddies screwed in building their condos. Have you no shame.
"The harmonized GST would make it harder for future provincial governments to lower or raise sales tax rates, which reduces flexibility. In short, a harmonized GST is not something that is contemplated in the B.C. Liberal platform."
So we've hardly taken a breath after the last election and this lie is perpetuated. Gordon Campbell, everyone else is trying desperately not to use the three letter word. Well I've had enough. You and your party are goddamn Liars. Sue me if you want but I AM TELLING THE TRUTH.
Enough of this bullshit. Resign and do it now. You are not representing the best interest of any voters in British Columbia. You have no mandate to do the things you are doing. You are destroying this province one piece at a time.
And to save yourself more money for your mega projects you just canceled the no interest loans for the people that your big business buddies screwed in building their condos. Have you no shame.
8/01/2009
Economist Eric Anderson on Hydro and PPP's
Rafe sends out quite a few e-mails to everyone on his list asking them to be forwarded to everyone on our lists. As my readership is considerably larger than my mailing list I choose to publish Rafe's emails here.
As he has passed this to me , you can forward it to your mailing list.
RAFE HERE ... below you'll find a letter I received which I think you'll find interesting enough to pass on to your address book.[snip.....]
----- Original Message -----
From: erik andersen
To: HDawson@vancouversun.com
Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 1:07 PM
Subject: Practice of contracting with PPP for electricity
From Erik Andersen; Economist
635 Rollo Road, Gabriola Island, BC, V0R 1X3
250-247-8438
Re; The Practice at BC Hydro to commit to payment contracts with Private Power Producers (PPP)
Dear Editor;
A number of years ago the Liberal Government of British Columbia set out to transform BC Hydro into a privately run corporation. Myself and a host of others pointed out that the Government did not have a political mandate for such a transformation and besides it was the height of stupidity to grant private commercial interests monopoly rights over the general population.
Superficially this transformation idea was withdrawn. Not to be easily dissuaded from their ideological course, the Government and BC Hydro's Board then pursued the same policy by using the contracting authority at BC Hydro. The Duke Point generation plant was one of the first of these contracts. Pristine Power (PPP) was to get a contract having a present value of $500 million for building and commissioning a plant costing $300 million (their own number given in evidence). The PPP would get its revenue even without generation of one KW and was not required to assume the cost increases flowing from higher natural gas prices or pollution penalties.
This contract model, with varying features, has been used in the years since then. Globally the people of BC have now indirectly been saddled with about $30 billion of new debt that does not show in the Government's accounts. This new debt will imperil the solvency of BC Hydro and indirectly the Province. It will certainly figure negatively in the process of establishing the Province's future credit rating.
The BC Utilities Commission has recently made the right decision. I only wish it had been sooner. The Board at BC Hydro should be ashamed for collaborating in what appears to be a plan to financially ruin a publicly owned corporation.
Sincerely
Erik Andersen
(end)
I submit here that this not only appears to be but is a "plan to financially ruin a publicly owned corporation."
Just like it is the liberals plan to ruin our rivers , kill off all our wild fish, shut down our rural hospitals, give welfare to the rich, hide our homeless from the olympics, and give away our railway. Gary E.
As he has passed this to me , you can forward it to your mailing list.
RAFE HERE ... below you'll find a letter I received which I think you'll find interesting enough to pass on to your address book.[snip.....]
----- Original Message -----
From: erik andersen
To: HDawson@vancouversun.com
Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 1:07 PM
Subject: Practice of contracting with PPP for electricity
From Erik Andersen; Economist
635 Rollo Road, Gabriola Island, BC, V0R 1X3
250-247-8438
Re; The Practice at BC Hydro to commit to payment contracts with Private Power Producers (PPP)
Dear Editor;
A number of years ago the Liberal Government of British Columbia set out to transform BC Hydro into a privately run corporation. Myself and a host of others pointed out that the Government did not have a political mandate for such a transformation and besides it was the height of stupidity to grant private commercial interests monopoly rights over the general population.
Superficially this transformation idea was withdrawn. Not to be easily dissuaded from their ideological course, the Government and BC Hydro's Board then pursued the same policy by using the contracting authority at BC Hydro. The Duke Point generation plant was one of the first of these contracts. Pristine Power (PPP) was to get a contract having a present value of $500 million for building and commissioning a plant costing $300 million (their own number given in evidence). The PPP would get its revenue even without generation of one KW and was not required to assume the cost increases flowing from higher natural gas prices or pollution penalties.
This contract model, with varying features, has been used in the years since then. Globally the people of BC have now indirectly been saddled with about $30 billion of new debt that does not show in the Government's accounts. This new debt will imperil the solvency of BC Hydro and indirectly the Province. It will certainly figure negatively in the process of establishing the Province's future credit rating.
The BC Utilities Commission has recently made the right decision. I only wish it had been sooner. The Board at BC Hydro should be ashamed for collaborating in what appears to be a plan to financially ruin a publicly owned corporation.
Sincerely
Erik Andersen
(end)
I submit here that this not only appears to be but is a "plan to financially ruin a publicly owned corporation."
Just like it is the liberals plan to ruin our rivers , kill off all our wild fish, shut down our rural hospitals, give welfare to the rich, hide our homeless from the olympics, and give away our railway. Gary E.
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