No-deficit 'Gordon Campbell is a sociopath', oh, and a liar too.

Best comment of the day, regarding Gordon Campbell's sudden arts funding cuts :

Jay1237:

"The Campbell liberals lied their way into power. they have consistently lied and mislead about things. there is money for bridges and olympics, tax cuts for the rich and corporations but the regular guy is screwed.
Buddies of Campbell keep getting deals under the table: BC rail, rivers, whatever they like in droves.

Still he smiles for the camera.

[Gordon Campbell] is a sociopathic person.

He is destroying the very inner fabric of society.

He has to go. He is a liar and thief living in luxury. [Colin Hansen] is no better and a mere yes man.

When is health care, education going to be cut. you have lied about everything so far....with a nice smile!"

Well said, Jay! Let's see how the idea of Gordon Campbell being a sociopath holds water when compared to Wikipedia's definition of Sociopath:

Three or more of the following are required:

1. Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
   => THINK GORDON CAMPBELL INSIDER CORRUPTION CASES (INCLUDING BC RAIL), AND GORDONS DRUNK DRIVING CASE
   
2. Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
   => THINK ALL THE FALSE ELECTION PROMISES HE MADE, SUCH AS THE "NO DEFICIT" LIE.
   
3. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others;
   => THINK GORDON CAMPBELL'S DRUNK DRIVING CASE
   
4. Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;
   => THINK BUDGET DEFICIT
   
5. Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
   => THINK THE 4 BILLION HST TAX HIKE STEALING FROM THE POOR WHILE INCREASING HIS OWN PAY AND THAT OF HIS POLITICAL AND BIG BUSINESS CRONIES

Wow, that's a significant match.

Congratulations, jay 1237, I couldn't agree more.

---

Premier Gordon Campbell has been creating room over the past few days for the possibility of a provincial deficit.

While Campbell continues to say he wants to avoid deficits at all costs, the certainty of just a few weeks is clearly gone.

I've written a little about this already, but here are two exchanges that shed some light on the shifting position.

January 27, 2009
Phone interview

Vancouver Sun: Can you clarify your position on the provincial deficit? It seems like for a while you've said there will absolutely be no deficit and I'm not hearing that as strongly from you now.

Premier Gordon Campbell: I think that's fair to say. We've got twin commitments: one is to a balanced budget, which is critical, but a balanced budget where we protect healthcare and education spending the things that are critical for British Columbians.

So when you have economies that are effectively falling off, when you have revenues that are in free fall it's very difficult to see how you make that equation work... 

VS: So it is possible we will run a deficit?

GC: I'm not saying that. We're trying to do our best to see how we can handle all of this, with all of the information. Every piece is moving right now and it's a big challenge to find a way to make this work to protect healthcare and education.


October 22, 2008
Meeting with a group of reporters after the economic update

Lindsay Kines, Victoria Times Colonist: If things get even worse globally, are you willing to ever run a deficit?

Premier Gordon Campbell: Let me be very clear, we are not going to run a deficit in the province of British Columbia.

LK: Ever?

GC: Let's just be clear, Lindsay, when we talk about, when you talk about a deficit, or anyone talks about a deficit, they're talking about turning their back on the next generation and sending our problems forward to them.

I think one of the things that British Columbians are very clear on is they expect us to think about the generations that will follow us. We've just spent seven years digging ourselves out of an enormous debt hole that was created by deficit after deficit after deficit. I do not accept that we should have deficits. We don't need to run deficits, we actually need to run a strong healthy economy and government should always live within its means.

Best comment of the day: BC HST is good for corporations, bad for the rest of us

This from "blurredbyitall":

What Hansen should have said was that $1.9 billion of the corporate sector's share of paying for public services and infrastructure (that they use too) will be loaded onto already-overburdened BC citizens/taxpayers. The Liberal's communications machine will be cranking out spin til we drown in it.

Yes, that's the best way to sum the BC HST up. Read all the comments here:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/08/07/bc-statistics-canada-unemployment-hansen.html#socialcomments

LINKS
- CBC: Gordon Campbell's BC Liberals are flirting with the rich and fucking the rest of us, again.

BC Premier Gordon Campbell's support for killers of Robert Dziekanski is disgusting

There are quite a few things to be learnt from one of CBC's latest Access To Information (ATI) requests, consisting of email exchanges between RCMP Deputy Commissioner Gary Bass and RCMP Commissioner William Elliot. Here's the obvious (read the emails at the bottom of this posting):

1. The RCMP's “law and order” ideology is highly supported by BC's top Liberal administrators, including (well-known drunk and overpaid monkey) Gordon Campbell.

2. The RCMP doesn't trust the Globe and Mail, suggesting the paper is biased against the RCMP.

3. The RCMP doesn't trust the public at large, especially those critical of the RCMP.

4. The RCMP's own investigation was part of the overall media strategy to whitewash the killing of Robert Dziekanski by the four RCMP officers.

Let's get a bit more detail here:

(1) Do you remember what happened to BC's Premier in January 2003? Wikipedia does! He's Canada's only premier that has spent time in jail due to drinking and driving, yet is still in office. Driving with a blood-alcohol concentration level of above .08 per cent he COULD have easily killed someone!

Compare that with Robert Dziekanski's final “holiday trip” to heaven, killed after being tasered to hell and back. Having spent hours in the Vancouver airport's security zone, not knowing where to go and what to do next, he just lost it. Yes, he threw some computer stuff around, but anyone who has seen the Dziekanski Tasering video would agree with me that Dziekanski himself WASN'T going to kill anyone, not in a million years.

We now know that Gordon Campbell was highly supportive of the Force and the four officers involved.

(2) The anti Globe and Mail bias was quite revealing to me. I personally don't take the G & M too seriously (because of it's overall corporate and culturally conservative bias), but why does the RCMP hate the Globe and Mail so much? Perhaps point #3 is the answer?

(3) Gary Bass labels those critical of the RCMP as “armchair quarterbacks”. The derogatory seems to be used to disqualify all criticism, regardless of the validity.

I'm pretty sure that the majority of the people who saw the video were appalled by how the four RCMP officers “solved” the “C.E.W. incident”... there were plenty of very good reasons for critical discourse. Why did the RCMP use the taser on an unarmed immigrant in one of the most secure zones of the Vancouver Airport? Why did the RCMP have to kill Robert Dziekanski? Why did the RCMP not try to resuscitate Robert Dziekanski? Why did RCMP tell so many lies about the killing? Why have the killers not been charged? Who are the RCMP officers? Why are their names not made public? All valid questions (if you ask me), but non of them have ever been answered properly, and no apology has been made either.

The RCMP might not trust the public, but with "incidents" like these we surely can't trust the RCMP, and for overly obvious reasons: they get away with killing and lying without further consequences.

(4) Whitewash galore! At least the RCMP gets some things done! Remember Ian Bush? He was the youngster that was shot in the back of his head by the incredible rubber mountie while in custody. No serious problem for the RCMP spin machine (as long as pesky video cameras have been turned off, and ATI requests can be neutralized).

And the same RCMP started their media campaign in the Dziekanski killing case right "from the get-go". Remember Sgt. Pierre Lemaitre, lying through his teeth? I do.

Make no mistake about it; Robert Dziekanski was killed by four RCMP officers. And plenty of people have helped to cover it up or whitewash it, including Gordon Campbell:

[Gordon Campbell] was highly complementary of the Force, disappointed over the degree of criticism, and wants to support [the four RCMP officers that killed Robert Dziekanski] somehow.”

Supporting killers now, Mr. Gordon Campbell?

LINKS
- CBC: RCMP e-mails throw Dziekanski Taser probe into question, critics say
- Dr Dawg: Ian Bush and the incredible rubber mountie
- Wikipedia: I'm Gordon Campbell, and I got caught drinking and driving
- Wikipedia: Ian Bush (1983 -2005)
- Benediction Blogs On: RCMP Emails regarding Robert Dziekanski's taser-death(pdf)
- Getting it right: something fishy about Sergeant Pierre Lemaitre...
- Getting it right: Robert Dziekanski

Rush transcript of the emails:
---------------------------------------------------
2007/12/04 Gary Bass - Re: Members Involved in YVR C.E.W. Incident

From: Gary BASS
To: Elliot, William
Subject: Re: Members Involved in YVR C.E.W. Incident

That's great. I'm sure that they did appreciate the call as do I your comments of support.
This is really tough business these days and really hard on the men and women in the trenches trying so hard to serve well.
When I arrived home tonight, there was a Langley Det car and two young members next door.

[ deleted material]

It sure made me very proud. Not likely to see that one in the G and M in the morning, or anyone else for that matter.

Gary.
-----Original Message-----
From: William Elliott
To: BASS, Gary <00000t654.ops.ediv_ehq>

Sent: 11/15/2007 10:44:39 PM
Subject: Re: Members Involved in YVR C.E.W. Incident

Thanks Gary,

I have just now placed calls to all 4 members. I spoke to 3 of the 4.

The only person I did not reach is [deleted material] I left a message on his home voicemail indicating who was calling and that I would try again to reach him. I'll try to do that tomorrow.

I know this is tough and you and all our folks in E Division. Please be assured of my ongoing support.

Bill
-----Original Message-----
From: Gary BASS
Cc: MACINTYRE, Al <000001690.ops.ediv_ehq>
Cc: BOUCHER, Byron <000038391.ops.ediv_ehq>
Cc: PETERS, Gerry <000039349.ops.ediv_ehq>
Cc: Rideout, Wayne <000037745.sc.ediv_lmd>
To: Booth, Rod <000036789.nhq3.ncr_hq>
To: Elliott, William <000163439.nhq4.ncr_hq>

Sent: 11/15/2007 9:33:28 PM
Subject: Re: Members Involved in YVR C.E.W. Incident

Cmmr;
Further to our conversation today, I confirmed with the OIC IHIT that your proposed calls will not be a problem. I will call them as well after you have done so.
You can be confident that a highly professional and thorough job is being done by the team. CPC are fully engaged and pleased with the cooperation they are receiving.
Lots of armchair quarterbacks on the news there tonight and linkages to the Bush case. The sooner the CPC makes that release the better. We are monitoring very closely and I will once again review the duty status with the Crops Officer inthe (sic) morning.

[ deleted material]

2007/12/04 Gary BASS - YVR

From: Gary BASS
To: William Elliott, Bill Sweeney
Date: 2007/11/24 10:47
Subjecty: YVR

I just ran into our Premier at the airport and we had a great discussion on the issue generally. He had called Mrs. Cisowski yesterday just after we left there. He was highly complimentary of the Force, disappointed over the degree of criticism and wants to support the members involved somehow. He asked me to think about what he could do in this regard and get back to him next week.
He supports the continued use of Taser and any other tools which support and protect our members. He said that the inquiry will not be a negative attack on the Force but a focused examination of all the issues. Extremely positive and supportive comments which we really cannot do much with but good to know.

Gary

Is BC Premier Gordon Campbell a monkey?

The BC Liberals are in the news again. This time they want a pay-increase, for themselves that is. And not a little one either:

The proposed pay increases would see an MLA's annual salary rise from $76,100 to $98,000.

Indeed, close to two times the minimum wage, on top of an already pretty decent income. But wait, the premier gets a pay raise too:

The premier would receive a 54-per-cent raise, boosting his annual salary from $121,100 to $186,200.

No wonder this doesn't go over well with a lot of people. And when I say a lot of people, I mean a lot of people. In BC the average full-time wage is $38,500 and so I'm sure there are many who will question why their tax dollars will be spend on already high wages.

You've got to give credit to Gordon Campbell; he played it smart. He didn't want to be seen as someone would be asking for a pay raise, so he hired an "independent panel" ("friends" that would approve his position) to do the work for him; obfuscating and delegating, all with one stone!

Unfortunately people found out about the panel's "slight" problem. NDP Leader Carole James:

The idea echoes the sentiment from a correspondent who suggested the reason the pay package was so rich is because the panelists were so well-off.

Sue Paish is a lawyer, a partner in her firm named one of Canada's "100 Most Powerful Women" a couple of years ago.

Josiah Wood spent a dozen years on the bench before quitting to become a partner in one of the oldest law firms in the country.

And Dr. Sandra Robinson is a professor at the University of British Columbia.

As my correspondent put it: "The panel was not in any sense independent, it was composed entirely of rich people."

Not that the Globe and Mail was bothered by this rich-people bias; they just ask another rich guy, professor Norman Ruff, who had the intelligence to say the following:

If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. I believe that," Prof. Ruff said. "I don't begrudge the MLAs decent pay.

So, finally, thanks to the professor, we all learnt a lesson here. Gordon Campbell is a monkey. The pay for MLAs in BC has been substandard, and THATS why we have these idiots in our government! Thank you, professor Ruff, for pointing that out.

Given the monkey analogy, the pay raise (if pushed through) will of course have to wait for the next governing body: Monkeys don't deserve a pay raise, or do they? They only need peanuts. Peanuts and martinis, that's more than enough.

- Times Colonist
- Paul Willcocks

Hey Big Spenders II

Robert McClelland has updated the previous chart to include provincial budget increases.

(I hope Robert is better with numbers than this joker).

Click on image to enlarge.

The Most Frugal: Jean Chretien whose 10 budgets barely increased spending by little more than the rate of inflation.

The Most Frugal Currently in Power: Although the new Premier of New Brunswick, Shawn Graham, brought in his first budget with a program spending increase of just 3%, I think it’s fairer to give this honour to Manitoba’s Premier Gary Doer and his 8 budgets.

The Biggest Spender: Drunken sailor Ralph Klein whose last 7 budgets increased program spending by a whopping 70%; not surprising considering the state of Alberta’s demockracy. The new Premier, Ed Stelmach has yet to bring in his first budget so we won’t know until April whether he inherited Ralphie’s drunken spending habits.

The Biggest Spender Currently in Power: That honour goes to both PMS and Saskatchewan’s Premier Lorne Calvert with Ontario’s McGuinty and BC’s Campbell hot on their heels. Way to bring down the NDP average Calvertasshat.

While this doesn’t give a clear picture of what party is the big spending party, it does set the record straight on program spending increases at both the provincial and federal level.

Thanks Robert.
Read his own post or comment here.