Good. Minister Coleman is a level-headed, experienced MLA with a firm understanding of the opportunities (and challenges) facing the mining and energy sectors in this province.
He’ll make an excellent cabinet minister in the next provincial government.

At least Coleman has a spine and is willing to stand up for what he believes in. Whether I agree or disagree, I give him that.

That’s a lot more than I can say for those gutless snakes that slithered off to retirement last week.

“Good. Minister Coleman is a level-headed, experienced MLA with a firm understanding of the opportunities (and challenges) facing the mining and energy sectors in this province.”

I agree. It’s too bad we’re going to be stuck with the NDP after the next election. They should only last one term hopefully.

‘I agree. It’s too bad we’re going to be stuck with the NDP after the next election. They should only last one term hopefully.’

I’m cautiously optimistic that most voters (at least those old enough) will remember just how awful things were under the previous provincial NDP governments.

They almost destroyed this province economically, and accomplished very little in terms of social or environmental improvements.

What they did manage to accomplish was the creation a self-entitled public sector, constantly moaning about how over-worked and under-paid they are, and how the government doesn’t ‘respect’ them.

In my view respect is earned, and the bloated, bleating BC public sector certainly hasn’t earned the respect that the hard-working private sector in this province deserves.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that most voters (at least those old enough) will remember just how awful things were under the previous provincial NDP governments. “

I wish I shared your optimism. If this site is any indication, there are some who not only forgot, but are actually deluded to the point where they believe that things were ok under the NDP in the 90’s.

So that’s 1 Liberal who is going to stay and 15 who have either left or are going to leave before the next election. Hey, that’s great support of the government and a Premier who oesn’t have a clue.

Why do you think, JohnnyB, that the NDP is going to be elected to form government? Why do you think that is?

Some of you ought to do some research on your buddy Coleman before supporting him.

And you know, don’t you, that he is the point man on the sale of the LDB, with what $800 to $900 million in ANNUAL revenue. Going to shovel it out the door to buddies of the government and pad the books with the money. Hey that’s a great move for British Columbians eh? Not that we need a billion a year in revenue.

Check the Liberal track record on debt, Johnny.

‘And you know, don’t you, that he is the point man on the sale of the LDB, with what $800 to $900 million in ANNUAL revenue’

Hey OD:

Since when was it the role of government to be in the liquor business, or any other business for that matter?

Maybe the government should get into the retail furniture and household electronics business, under the Ministry of Sofas and Widescreen TV’s.

Or maybe they should market and sell cars under the Ministry of New and Used Trucks and Automobiles?

Or how about the Ministry of Food, selling groceries and sundries across the province?

Government should be about governance (duh), developing social policy, public safety, regulation and enforcement. Government should NOT be about running businesses.

And by the way, annual revenue is absolutely no indicator of economic health, profitability or efficiency. You can have a company with billions of dollars of annual revenue with enormous structural debt, and huge year to year losses.

“Why do you think, JohnnyB, that the NDP is going to be elected to form government? Why do you think that is?”

Because voters don’t have a clue? Are oblivious? Have forgotten? Don’t care?

“And you know, don’t you, that he is the point man on the sale of the LDB, with what $800 to $900 million in ANNUAL revenue.”

It should be sold, but I wouldn’t expect NDP supporters to understand. There is absolutely no need for the government to be in the liquor distribution business. The government sets the prices and collects revenue on liquor regardless of who sells it.

It’s taken me 15 years to recover from the financial beating I took while the NDP were running things. I do not have enough will, energy or stamina to go through another cycle with them. They do not understand where the money comes from. Until they do, they will never get my vote.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I grew up knowing about Tommy Douglas and the CCF party. I was a member of the NDP when I was young because of the influence my dad had on me. But, once I decided I wanted to be in business for myself, everything changed. Boy, did things change.

Rocky:”Government should be about governance.” Exactly, and this group, going back to Campbell, has shown its total lack of ability to govern. Look at the debt, child poverty, the education and health systems. A bloody disaster, all brought to you by the Liberals.

Johnny: “Because voters don’t hve a cue.” Actually they do have a clue and are going to turf these bums, as should be the case. Even Liberals, if you take the time to listen, are jumping ship because of the Premier’s total lack of ability to address and issue head on. All she does is sit and wait to see which way the wind is blowing, then comes out of hiding to say stupid things.

And Johnny, when did I say I was an NDP supporter?

Make up crap, just like your shoddy Liberal government. A disaster is what they are. A disaster that deserves to be wiped of the political map.

“Exactly, and this group, going back to Campbell, has shown its total lack of ability to govern. Look at the debt, child poverty, the education and health systems. A bloody disaster, all brought to you by the Liberals.”

Lots of rhetoric. Tell me what the NDP will do that’s going to ‘save’ everything you mention?

“All she does is sit and wait to see which way the wind is blowing, then comes out of hiding to say stupid things.”

I was going to say something similar about Dix.

“And Johnny, when did I say I was an NDP supporter?”

Your name is One (New) Democrat…

OD:

It sounds like you’d make an excellent MLA. Have you ever had the cajones to run for political office?

Johnny, if you want to know what the NDP will do, go ask the NDP. You would think a person who is interested in politics as much as you would want to inform themselves of the various parties’ positions heading toward an election. Or do you simply stereotype them from election to election and not bother to listen to what the individual candidates have to say?

And its One Democrat, as in Democracy.

By the way, if you Coleman/Liberal fans want to know, really want to know the truth of what is and has been going on in this province for the past decade, look up the blog site of Alesgtsakumis.
He has past experience as a prime ministerial campaign organizer for the federal Conservatives, among many other qualifications.
What I like about him is he tells the truth, and backs it up with black and white paperwork, about any of the characters in BC politics, be it Liberals, NDP, Conservatives, Greens or whatever.
He also will turn you on to a guy named Bob Mackin, the top political investigative reporter in BC, who also has the sole purpose of telling the truth to British Columbians.
That’s IF you want to know the truth of what your Liberal buddies have been up to.
Or maybe you want to bury your heads and disregard fact.

I’m impressed OD.

In addition to your not unconsiderable potential to be an excellent MLA, you’ve identified something the rest of us missed.

That is, if it’s on the internet (and cut and pastable), it’s got to be true.

“look up the blog site of Alesgtsakumis”

I actually went on there once and it’s a tinfoil hat convention.

And it must be nice to have the luxury of hating the Liberals but not declaring your support for anyone else. Maybe you hate them all equally, who knows… or cares.

No, actually Rocky the proof is in seeing the documentation. I mean my name isn’t Gus.

And JB, you’d fit in perfectly at a tinfoil hat convention.

Hate? No, no hate. But unlike some I don’t have my head shoved somewhere where the truth can’t get in.

But hey fellas, you can go on with the shots if you want but the fact is your allegiance to these Liberals demonstrates a lack of so much. bah, bah, bah.

IMO he needs to stick around so he can insure BC’s assets are all sold off to his ‘buddies’. He’s the point man in all the BC asset sell offs under the BC liberals.

Just an opinion on the liquor sales. Shouldn’t the government be getting maximum benefit from the sale of one of the most destructive drugs in society? The Libs moved to privatize and then realized the revenue from booze sales. They still control the prices, so what’s the benefit of going private? Government employees make a living wage, purchase homes and vehicles. Profits go to the government purse. Private retailers pay much lower wages and the profits go into the owners hands. A little trickle down……maybe. I think the government has more legitimacy and control in pushing the drug than the private sector. Especially if I’m going to pay as much or more by purchasing at a private outlet. So when you ask “why should the government be in the business of selling liquor?”, I ask “why not?”

Hey OD I read Alexgtsekamus all of the time as it is the only place you can get non biased news. The Prince George Citizen is just a shill for the liberals and the like. I have never lied about my preferance to the NDP and that I have always voted NDP but Alex has always made me welcome. Sometimes he wouldn’t publish my polsts but when he did I was gratefull. Alex is not an NDPer but he will hear what I and many others have to say favoring the NDP.

Opinion 250 is also an excellent way to get unbiased news. Mr. Alex G. Tsakamus alexgtsakamus Rebel with a clause is a refreshing person to tell me the days news as he does the heavy lifting and is thorough in his investigating he gets kudoos from his readers becaus of it.

I remember not long ago that Coleman racked up a whopping amount in expences.I forget exactly how much it was,but doing things such as that does not seem that level headed to me.

govsux: “So when you ask “why should the government be in the business of selling liquor?”, I ask “why not?”

Because taxpayers can no longer sustain a large force of redundant government employees. I thought that was explained.

Johnny, the Liberals, supposedly the party that should be financially and fiscally responsible, has done a hopeless job of running things. If they would quit shipping resources and jobs out of the province, if they would quit making shady deals with government buddies, we wouldn’t be in the shape we’re in.
Stop laying it on the backs of the workers.
You are redundant.
How many bailers ths week, Johnny?

So let’s shut down trade, close the borders and hire more government workers. That will save us, right? What colour is the sky in your world?

Let’s give managers, bureaucrats and crown corporation heads massive pay increases and payouts, plus cabinet ministers and MLAs 35% pay hikes, all the while claiming that we’re in a depressed economy.
Cant use that argument to justify not giving the union a pay hike while at the same time giving huge increases to the top end.
Or is that justifiable to you?

Pretty sure the LCB revenues more than cover the employees wages and benefits. Can someone prove to me otherwise? Gus, can you help us out with that?
I’ll ask again, “if the government is goin to set the prices and I’m not going to save anything, shouldn’t I be supporting good paying jobs and putting money into general revenue versus helping put more money into the wealthy store owners pocket? This isn’t furniture, this is a drug.

Know any struggling beer store owners? :-)

ND: “Cant use that argument to justify not giving the union a pay hike while at the same time giving huge increases to the top end.
Or is that justifiable to you?”

No. But focussing on the salaries of a few MLA’s vs. 27000 BCGEU employees is missing the forest for the trees. Many make the same mistake.

And to govsux, you are unclear on so many concepts, that I don’t know where to start. For someone with the name ‘govsux’, you seem to favour big government with lots of needless employees. It doesn’t compute.

You hear that on Global’s noon news Johnny. According to Baldrey every single Liberal MLA, save two, gets a $15,000 top-up on their salary today.
It just continues. Money for the top, nothing for the workers. So much BS that you seem to subscribe to.
Who is missing what’s going on? It would be Johnny.

Which concepts am I unclear on? Budget deficits? Provincial debt? Overstaffed liquor stores? Corporate welfare? I agree there’s a lot of waste in government. I just don’t see the benefit in privatizing liquor sales without letting the market set the prices.

ND: “It just continues. Money for the top, nothing for the workers.”

You know, it is this entitlement mentality which has gotten us into so much trouble. Yes, MLA’s should “walk the talk” in terms of holding the line on wages, but to approach it from the “he got it, now where’s mine?” angle isn’t correct either, nor is it sustainable. Two wrongs do not make a right.

govsux: “I agree there’s a lot of waste in government. I just don’t see the benefit in privatizing liquor sales without letting the market set the prices. “

So, according to you, because there is some waste, a little more won’t hurt? Once again, the government doesn’t need to be in ANY retail business, liquor or otherwise. Otherwise, like rocky said, why not have government furniture stores and vehicle dealerships? It makes about the same sense.

This will be my last post in this thread. Have the last word if you want.

Johnny lost the debate and took his ball home… lol