Have a good and safe weekend folks, please remember to keep your eyes peeled when driving on the roads.
metalman.

Anyone who is approaching retirement age, that has most or all of their net worth tied up in their house, and is planning to eventually sell this house and use the proceeds to “look after them” in their old age, should check out the following article: (Perhaps it would be prudent to sell this house now).

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/05/22/canadian-housing-bubble-the-economist_n_3319397.html?ir=Canada+Business

The Hot New Thing To Worry About Is Lumber Futures

http://www.businessinsider.com/lumber-futures-2013-5

Update on lumber prices:

http://futures.tradingcharts.com/marketquotes/LB.html

http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/LU/W?anticache=1369384532

Must be Friday Mr. Doom and Gloom is back:)

It is normal for lumber prices to dip as summer approaches as the yards down south are full and they slow their buying so as not to carry inventory over the winter. There are even stock trading strategies that take this into account.

The G&M has a couple of BC lumber firms listed as bargains at the current S/P .

“The stocks Mr. McGee picked have generally produced strong returns so far this year and for good reason — they are improving their operating efficiency and analysts expect further growth ahead. Mr. McGugan says bargain hunters should take a close look at these companies. Stocks showing high returns are Mega Brands, MTY Food Group, West Fraser Timber, Parkland Fuel, Nordion and Canfor.”

Agreed metalman! Keep your eyes peeled for potholes and idiots on cell phones.

Why sell a house if it is paid for? You have to live somewhere. So which is cheaper? Rent or your monthly upkeep on your house?

I

It’s that time of year when trucks, campers, trailers, motorhomes, etc are on the roads. Realize that these vehicles cannot stop on a dime, and all that room they’re leaving between themselves and the vehicle in front of them is for stopping – especially when coming up to an intersection. Please do not cut in front of them because you think they’re being an idiot for not following closer. They need that room to stop safely.

According to the Supreme Court, speaking Manadarin is now an accepted job requirement for a Tumbler Ridge mining position. What is wrong with Canada, besides Christy Clark and Steven Harper?

Fehr and Woods must be pretty confident that they will prevail in the lawsuit. Pulled a $200k building permit for Haldi Road,drove past and there and looks like work is proceeding:(

JDL ENTERPRISES PO BOX 73 PRINCE GEORGE BC V2L 4R9
May 9, 2013
Building Value 200,000.00
Type
BUILDING PERMIT – C, I & I – INST-AD/AL
Interior Tenant Improvements for
Northern Wormen’s Recovery Centre
Purpose
Civic Address: 5877 LESLIE RD

I wonder where the wormen will come from?

Doesn’t matter where the women come from, as long as they get the care needed.

The banners on 15th look good, enjoy the week end.

Anyone heard what’s happening with the downtown hotel/condo development? Have they broken ground yet?

How is it Clark is still called Premier? When no one elected her to office,Can any one be called Premier. And does Clark still have RCMP bodyguards, Free Travel,Acess to House. If any aswers are yes….WHY….

Mr. Mackenzie, you can still be premier without a seat, but she cannot enter the legislature. She can still lead her party though.

SN: “Mr. Mackenzie, you can still be premier without a seat, but she cannot enter the legislature. She can still lead her party though. “

Exactly. I’m not sure why so many people are hung up on this.

People in Prince George don’t have to worry about real estate bubbles very much. Typically, valuations around here don’t get much higher than replacement cost.

Real estate bubbles should be a concern to those living in areas with highly inflated property values, like Vancouver and Toronto. Those people stand to lose, but most people who own homes in these areas are already quite wealthy and have other investments. You can’t buy a house in inflated markets living paycheque to paycheque.

The third big lie.

1- BC Rail will not be sold
2- No HST for BC
3- Northern Gateway must meet winning conditions for BC

From todays National Post:

“Enbridge Inc. is moving ahead with plans to meet five conditions for the British Columbia government to support its proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline, after a Liberal re-election made clear terms needed to satisfy officials in the Pacific Coast province.”

Just wondering if anyone knows where folks with an RV, either locals or tourists, can access a sani-dump in PG. The City spent alot of taxpayer dollars to put one in at the now closed Transfer Station on S.Quinn
and there’s no signage indicating where an alternative might be found.

sani dump between soccer fields and exhibition park

By the same token, cabinet ministers need not be members of the legislature. It doesn’t happen often, but in 2000-2001 Ed John was Minister of Children and Families without being an MLA.

I think there might be one on haldi road at the old school too.

;>

I was perusing CBC.ca and they had an item about a Vancouver Performing Arts Centre being sold or fobbed off. It originally cost $27 million dinars in 1995. To quote, (and I ain’t plagarizing) it said that “…the centre never lived up to lofty expectations”. Kinda like todays city council,eh? Can our present city council and it’s numerous “remoruses” (look it up) read into this and cease and desist that a PAC in PG will make life better here? If this PAC is etched in stone, and as night follows day and will be built, maybe they could build it in Rainbow Park. Thereby forcing them to bring Rainbow Drive up to better quality than a prehistoric goat trail. No need for a school speed limit. Anyone who would go faster than that doesn’t like their car or truck very much.

There is also a sani dump at the Mr. G at Bon Voyage.

lonesome sparrow Wrote: “Fehr and Woods must be pretty confident that they will prevail in the lawsuit. Pulled a $200k building permit for Haldi Road,drove past and there and looks like work is proceeding:(“

What does that tell you? Stolz announced publically to go and get the building permits for the property.

People can correct me, I think there’s sani-dumps at the Super Save Gas south of town and at the Husky north of town.

Husky north of town does for sure – free if you fill up or $5.00 if just stopping in…

Why don’t you e-mail the Councilors a link to the story, Harbinger?

herbster, I would paraphrase your question with: what is wrong with the federal government? besides an obvious lack of loyalty to those who keep them in business
metalman.

Johnnybelt, with reference to the announced hotel/condo development, the only ‘breaking’ going on was the ‘stinky wind’ of the announcement of their intention to build on that former swamp land.
metalman.

Charles, I haven’t read the article you linked above. The book “Boom, Bust and Echo” has been preaching for years to people not to count on their home as all their retirement money. The generation behind the baby boomers isn’t as many in number so there just won’t be the same numbers of people to buy up all the housing.

I agree with NoWay that it seems silly to sell your home if you can age in place there. Won’t work for everyone, due to possible disabilities, etc. but if you’re relatively healthy, keeping the same home is not a bad idea, IMHO.

To see what actually happens to a PAC even in a large populated city:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/05/23/bc-the-centre-for-performing-arts-sale.html?cmp=rss

“The third big lie.

1- BC Rail will not be sold
2- No HST for BC
3- Northern Gateway must meet winning conditions for BC”

This is why the NDP will never get elected again.

The NDP just took a huge beating at the POLLS with all of these issues on the table…good grief get over it already!

Einsteins definition of insanity:
Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Can’t get the pictures out of my head of the maniac in London, after he killed the young soldier and father, talking rather rationally to a woman on the street. I can just barely handle hearing about this stuff never mind seeing it. Not sure the world needs as much video footage as we have been getting lately.

To follow up on my previous post about the London murder, I just read in an English newspaper that the step-father of the young man murdered didn’t hear about his step-son until after he had seen the video on the “telly”.

That is disgusting. I can’t believe the station thought it was right to air that video before all the family knew it was their loved one. Disgusting.

Ignorance is bliss? Maybe for some people.

“Can’t get the pictures out of my head of the maniac”….. I think most if not all televisions have an off button.

If for some, I believe that turning the tv on, at least once or twice a week to watch the news, would be a good thing, just to catch up on what is going on in the world they live in. I am shocked when I talk to folks that do not know who won the provincial election, or the stories about the tornado in Moore OK, and yes, even the stories about Rob Ford, Mike Duffy, and Pamela Wallin.

I don’t forget being lied to. I am not going to get over it. And the general apathy that allowed the Lieberals to get in with less than 25% of the electorate, will change as soon as this project starts proceeding.

“It is not the beginning of the end, only the end of the beginning.” The opposition to Northern Gateway has just started.

Its a little thing but its quickly becoming a pet peeve so I gotta say it…
Einstein never said this:

Einsteins definition of insanity:
Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

ok I feel better :)

alrighty then, who did say it?

I have heard this also called the layperson’s definition.

lonesome sparrow, of course there is an off button on my tv. There was no warning before this footage aired.

I don’t watch a lot of news on tv because it is too depressing. I prefer to depress myself by reading (scanning for a lot of articles) newspapers, both in print and online.

willyj, I too am surprised at the number of people out there who know nothing about the world they live in. Maybe ignorance is bliss :)

Willyj remember abscam.

Just thought I would put this in for a change.

Todd Whitcombe who has a science column in the Citizen really has to catch up on his C02 science. For starters he says rising c02 levels are linked to climate change, well there actually is no proof anywhere. Theories but no proof despite hundreds of billions in research. Also just what does he mean by climate change, the climate has always been changing. So if C02 stays at some imaginary so called safe level, will we then live in some perpetual garden of Eden? How come the earths temperature has stopped rising for the last 15 years despite C02 rise. Computer models did not see that coming. Oh by the way catastrophic relationship between C02 and temperature rise only exists in computer models and not in unadjusted real world observations.

Just what is a so called level for C02? What happens if we go under that,? How would we raise it?

Plants such as wheat, rice, soybeans, cotton and many forage crops, evolved when there was much more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than today. So these agricultural staples are actually undernourished in today’s carbon dioxide levels relative to their original design. That is why C02 levels in farmers greenhouses are kept at high levels, plants love it. It has also been shown the earth has greened 30% in the last 30 years. Also with higher C02 levels plants use less water and are therefore less affected by drought than in the dirty 30’s when C02 levels where lower.
The article also mentions the oceans changing PH levels and that the tiny change will be a disaster. So tell me was there a disaster when earths C02 levels where many times higher? Just how did the earths fauna survive when C02 levels where much higher? The PH levels in oceanic bays and inter tidal zones change by a huge degree daily. How does life survive in those areas? As for coral bleaching as a result of rising C02 levels there is no proof for this claim.
Here is how ridicules so called man caused climate change hysteria is getting. At Chicago’s O’Hare airport which is one of the busiest on the world, just think of all the emissions being produced there from aircraft and associated equipment. Well they are going to save on C02 emissions by using goats to trim the weeds. Goats fart so called greenhouse gas don’t they? Here is another one, in Australia which has an estimated 1 million wild camels one of the reasons they are going cull the herd is to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, just amazing.

Herb: “And the general apathy that allowed the Lieberals to get in with less than 25% of the electorate”

Why do we care about half of the population who couldn’t be bothered to vote? That’s their problem.

For those of you such as sociable with topics on economy here is an interesting read. Will make the likes of Suzuki froth at the mouth. Finally some reason.

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/05/08/newsbytes-eu-turn-europe-may-roll-back-costly-green-agenda/

To Loki-I hope that advice of a sani-dump; is tongue in cheek. The only city one I know of is at the transfer station(off of Quinn?) The one by the soccer fields has been gone for AGES.

Last year at this time we were paying 133.9 for fuel. Price of crude the same $93.00

you caught me.
I did think that the one at the soccer fields was still operational.

@ Loki and sjm;

What does the lack of city run sani-dumps say about a city that is trying to attract and increase tourism?

Johnny Belt.

We can say with some certainty that the Liberal vote was from those who support business, and stand to make a buck or two if the Liberals are in power.

We can also say that those who support the NDP are for the most part, Union types, Teachers, Government workers, etc;

So that takes care of the 50% that voted, however there was no representation on the ballot for people who do not fall into the two above mentioned categories .

Why would you expect people to vote for a political party that does not represent their interests.

As an example, these people are against any more tax increases. They are against the rising cost of Hydro, and ICBC insurance, they are against the raising of MSP Premiums, and against the carbon tax, and the rise in ferry rates, or the high cost of transit.

They cannot afford to keep paying this increase’s in costs, however the two mainstream parties actually proposed to keep all the above costs in place, and increase them. So they actually offered these people nothing in the election.

Don’t kid yourself, the NDP, and Liberals love voter apathy because they get their support from their vested interest groups, and to hell with the rest of the people.

Time for some honest Government.

Now that is an oxymoron.

What does the lack of city run sani-dumps say about a city that is trying to attract and increase tourism?

Does that also apply to the lack of city run campgrounds?

Palopu: “Don’t kid yourself, the NDP, and Liberals love voter apathy because they get their support from their vested interest groups, and to hell with the rest of the people.”

50% of the people have said ‘To hell with the government’. They have chosen not to get engaged with the process, not to do anything to make things better, or even vote, which takes about 15 minutes of time.

Again, I have very little empathy for those who sit in their easy chairs and do nothing but complain.

Palopu: “Why would you expect people to vote for a political party that does not represent their interests.

As an example, these people are against any more tax increases. They are against the rising cost of Hydro, and ICBC insurance, they are against the raising of MSP Premiums, and against the carbon tax, and the rise in ferry rates, or the high cost of transit.”

This covers pretty much everyone who feel that they should receive a full compliment of services, both government and otherwise, and not expect to pay anything for it (or very little).

Time for those people to wake up and smell the roses, costs are increasing, no matter who the government of the day happens to be.

Hi Loki,

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins133991.html

If you have never been on this site you will enjoy it.
They have a varity of funny and famous quotes including definition of insanity under the Author Albert Einstein.

“As an example, these people are against any more tax increases”

Oh you hate paying taxes? Why didnt you say so? Theres a support group for that. Its call ‘everybody’ and they meet at the bar.
(robbed in part from Drew Carey – lol)

@seamutt; “does that apply to the lack of city run campgrounds?”

No it does not! You are aware that when you travel to Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake, Fort St. James and many other municipalities, they have village operated sani-dumps. Why? Because these communities know how important it is to provide support services to travelling tourists, who spend their money in those communities.

That a City the size of Prince George would only have one city run sani-dump for all the rubber tire tourists that come through in motorhomes is startling. If Prince George really wants to increase tourism, then it should become tourist friendly!

Tourists? Ha ha ha . Let’s wait until our next municipal election to talk about that. Following the Chamber of Commerce’s rules you might get ONE minute to shoot yer mouth off about it. (If the topic comes up).

Global march against Monsanto occurs tomorrow May 25. In PG meet at city hall 11 am. Over 300 confirmed to attend the march in PG. Check social media for more information. All are welcome to attend.

I agree that we don’t have tourists (nor will we have any in the foreseeable future), but we do get pass-through traffic on the way to or from Alaska.

PG is not very visitor friendly for that crowd, unless you count the Casino or Walmart parking lots as friendly.

Hi JohnyBelt,

Does that mean we don’t take shit from the Americans?…lol

Nope. Just a “gritty little mill town”. Just eat here and get gas. See ya.

jb says…”This covers pretty much everyone who feel that they should receive a full compliment of services, both government and otherwise, and not expect to pay anything for it (or very little)”

Who exactly are these people you speak of? Have you talked to them directly and know what you claim are indeed facts, or are you just assuming once again?

Also says…”Again, I have very little empathy for those who sit in their easy chairs and do nothing but complain”

Again…who are these people you speak of?

Posted by: commoner on May 24 2013 3:02 PM
Global march against Monsanto occurs tomorrow May 25. In PG meet at city hall 11 am. Over 300 confirmed to attend the march in PG. Check social media for more information. All are welcome to attend.
———————————————

This march should be against our own governments because they allow it to happen.

JohnnyBelt. You missed the point, which was the two mainstream parties totally ignored the wants and needs of a large percentage of the population. Nothing was said about the points I listed, and of course there are many more that I did not list.

There is one hell of a difference in paying increased costs, if you have a cushy Government, Union, or Management postion, paying anywhere from $60,000.00 to $100,000.00 per year plus benefits, and those who earn $40,000.00 per year or less.

Those who have seem to want more, and those who haven’t are accused of being lazy or uninterested in the process. This is the standard retort when ever those who support the status quo, are questioned.

There are many people in the Province who can no longer afford to continue to pay these increased costs. Its time for the Government and a hell of a lot of other people in this Province to grow up and look at the big picture, rather than spend their time gazing a their navels.

We need an end to Government waste, and we need to quit funding various (useless) projects with tax dollars
As a matter of interest, every Company that earns its money via Government contracts, are in fact receiving Government **welfare**. The only difference between them, and others who receive Government money, is how it is delivered.

Have a nice day.

Allow what to happen?

Will there free sandwiches made with GM wheat flour bread filled with sodium nitrate filled processed meat? Hope so. Don’t forget free Nachos and Coke Zero. Chemicals for a better life, eh? Hopefully a condiment containing Red Dye #2 also. Yum, yum.

Research Monsanto seamutt.

Don’t forget the open net pen farmed atlantic toxic salmon Harb!

Anyone else know of someone that doesn’t work but drives a Hummer and a corvette, rents a house but doesn’t live in it, didn’t get an inheritance, win a lottery or cash in on the stock market?

So we continue to get the same old stuff here.

1. Performing Arts Centre – it is covered quite well under the Pine Valley thread …. rather than repeating, read what is there and add to it here …

2. Premier without a seat – try to dig out a grade 7 or somewhere around there text book on the Canadian system of governance, it should give those who were absent on the day it was covered a refresher

3. Sani dumps and campgrounds ….. the City likely grew out of that when they realized there was not enough call for them in a larger city. The tourists who matter are not the Alaska bound rubber tire folks hauling their nomadic home with them. They typically do not spend money on the way other than gas, which they may even bring up from the USA with them these days. We need people who stay in hotels and pay us local hotel taxes and eat in restaurants ….. Europeans, Asians, and some North Americans who fly into Alberta, travel though the Icefields and chose a northern route back down to Vancouver and their flight back home.

4. Who votes …… for those who are employed by private industry, especially those not unionized, they want to keep their jobs … so they vote for the party that is friendly to such businesses….. for those who are paid by tax dollars, whether municipal, provincial, or even federal, they vote for the party which will give them raises and increase government operations …… As they say, follow the money.

5. climate change …. same olde same olde …. the first tree from the local carbon offset money will be planted soon at UNBC … ;-)

6. Charles … well what can we say about our resident doomsday expert? :-)

Too many trucks on the roads, with too many of them driving recklessly.

Alberta trucker took out that bridge in Washington State yesterday. The bridge was 60 years old, not built for today’s traffic, no redundencies built into its trussed design as was reported by inspections.

Washington and other states are upping gas prices with taxes of up to 10 and 15 cents per gallon to put back into road maintenance and renewal.

But hey, we already have those taxes doing that important re-investment for us in Canada ….. LOL

Wonder how the policy re surface transportation infrastructure renewal varies among right, centrist and left wing governments in Canada?

Luckily Vancouverites can still get to Bellingham and Burlington without having to cross that bridge. Otherwise it would really put a damper on Watcom and Skagit county retail economy. Washington State has no income tax, so they are heavily dependant on sales taxes …

LMAO- and there we have the Free For All summed up in one easy to digest post. Thanks Gus, see you all next Friday…
(maybe we need a new definition for insanity)

Dragonmaster: Again…who are these people you speak of?”

They’re the people Palopu refers to, or the majority of the posters on this site, take your pick.

Palopu: “JohnnyBelt. You missed the point, which was the two mainstream parties totally ignored the wants and needs of a large percentage of the population.”

I got the point. My point is that same percentage will never have their needs met by any government party. If it was that easy, somebody would have done it by now.

JohnnyBelt. Nice try. Fact of the matter is both parties avoided these points because it would cost them money.

Don’t forget that it is our stupid system of Government that runs up huge debts, and then campaigns on a platform to reduce debt.

If either party had offered anything, such as stopping the transfer of ICBC funds to the Provincial General Revenue. Or holding the line or reducing MSP premiums, or getting rid of the carbon tax, or taking action to ensure that Hydro cannot increase its rates. Or investigating gas prices, they might have received votes from some of these people.

At the very least they could have promised to reduce the cost of cat food.

Johnny Belt …. remember, Palopu is the residetn expert on the wants an needs of a large percentage of the population …. LOL

He should head up a polling company. He would not even have to make one phone call or put one survey on the net. ;-)

I look at it this way. 50% of the population able to vote did not because they know how to live their lives with whatever party comes along …. they are the adapters.

The other 50% voted. We know the outcome. Some are happy, others are not. Some are simply proud they did their duty and sang “Oh Canada” that night before going to bed and polished their guns.

Reliving the past is of no use to anyone unless you want to be active in the next election beyond simply voting.

The link is to the response by the Mayor to the question regarding the sale of the Pine Valley Golf course. It is in the Council package for Monday.

http://princegeorge.ca/cityhall/mayorcouncil/councilagendasminutes/agendas/2013/2013_05_27/documents/Corr_Wentworth_and_Mayor_response.pdf

Seems the Sani dump at Quinn may be no longer as well. Up for discussion at Council on Monday

http://princegeorge.ca/cityhall/mayorcouncil/councilagendasminutes/agendas/2013/2013_05_27/documents/Rpt_RV_Sewerage_Dump_Station.pdf

An interesting letter which supports the sale of Pine Valley expressing the point of view that golf is not a business the City should be involved in.

http://princegeorge.ca/cityhall/mayorcouncil/councilagendasminutes/agendas/2013/2013_05_27/documents/Corr_Sexsmith_and_Mayor_response.pdf

Gus if you would look into climate BS you would see the harm it is doing to the economies and poor of the world.

Great commentary by Doug Noland on the present state of the world’s financial system:

http://www.prudentbear.com/2013/05/kurodas-gambit.html

If anyone is interested Doug Noland usually (but not always) puts out a post every Friday in the early evening (our time) which can be accessed at the following link:

http://www.prudentbear.com/

In the Commentary drop down box (at the top of the page) click on Credit Bubble Bulletin

Gus:-“…remember, Palopu is the residetn expert on the wants an needs of a large percentage of the population ….”
——————————————-

What could quite easily become a not so silent majority if a few more people like Palopu keep exposing some inconvenient truths for those who think they can monopolise what we’ll be allowed to vote on in every election.

An exponentially increasing cost of living relative to the standard of living for an increasing number of people is an issue both the BC Liberals and the NDP ignore at their peril.

Personally, I think both Parties are too beholden to special interest groups not immediately affected to ever take the initiative in dealing with this problem.

It’s only a matter of time before a more focused group arises, preferably first NOT as another political Party, but one which begins to apply pressure to existing ones. My own guess is that neither will yield to that pressure, not in any meaningful way, and then the stage will be set for a proper political Movement to arise and do what needs to be done.

You got that right socredible.

We also need to get rid of some of the urban myths that people have been subjected to over the years.

One is the exodus of people to Alberta when the NDP was elected in 1991. In fact approx. the same number of people went to Alberta from 1991 to 2000 as went from 2001 to 2012. In addition there were more people who came to BC when the NDP were in power than came since the Liberals took office.

So lets quit the BS about the mass exodus of people from BC when the NDP was elected.

Gus. The 50% who didn’t vote, did not vote because they have no, or very little use for the political parties that were running.

As I said before, if there are three stooges running in an election, why do people feel we are compelled to vote for one of the stooges. Its that kind of mentality that gets us the type of Government we have to-day.

“The 50% who didn’t vote, did not vote because they have no, or very little use for the political parties that were running.”
Do you believe that? I would say at best 5% of that 50 might have done that. The other 45% probably dont even know who was running, let alone whether or not that person represented their values.

Its rather interesting that the letter from Alder Hills supporting the sale of Pine Valley Golf course makes no reference to the fact that Pine Valley was a viable and vibrant golf course, when the owner decided to build the course at Alder Hills.

Seems there was no discussion at that time about closing PV etc:. However now it becomes an issue.

Are we to believe that the City owned (Taxpayer owned) golf course should be sold off so that a Johnny Come Lately business can reap the benefits of the sale.

If Alder Hills is having difficulty operating, it is because of the decision to build the golf course in the first place. Perhaps this was not a good business decision.

If Lee really wants to know what has happened to his customer base, I suggest he spend some time at the Casino. I sure he will see a lot of his customers have taken up gambling as opposed to golfing.

Trying to force customers to his facility because its on the decline may be a solution for him, however it certainly is not to the people who have been golfing at Pine Valley for the past 30 years.

“If Lee really wants to know what has happened to his customer base, I suggest he spend some time at the Casino. I sure he will see a lot of his customers have taken up gambling as opposed to golfing.”

??? Why do you get that idea?

“Gus. The 50% who didn’t vote, did not vote because they have no, or very little use for the political parties that were running.”

As you like to say, “Pure unadulterated BS”. And a cop out to boot.

“So lets quit the BS about the mass exodus of people from BC when the NDP was elected.”

I agree. The election is over, the Liberals won. Time for some people to face facts and get on with their lives. Living in the past gets you nowhere.

To the people who live on the west side of 15th Avenue, between the Bypass and Carney Street, and have that beautiful garden in their front yard, I say thank you. Your gorgeous garden makes my day every time I see it :)

JohnnyBelt.

Participation in BC elections.

1983 77.7% 2009 51.0%

That means that 26.7% less people are voting to-day than 30 years ago.

In fact the majority of eligible voters in BC do not vote. Get it the MAJORITY. So those that vote are a minority.

Don’t think for a minute that those who vote are that much smarter than those who don’t. In fact it could very well be the reverse.

There are many reasons why people do not vote, and having no use for the political parties that are running is certainly one of them.

Point

JohnnyBelt.

Participation in BC elections.

1983 77.7% 2009 51.0%

That means that 26.7% less people are voting to-day than 30 years ago.

In fact the majority of eligible voters in BC do not vote. Get it the MAJORITY. So those that vote are a minority.

Don’t think for a minute that those who vote are that much smarter than those who don’t. In fact it could very well be the reverse.

There are many reasons why people do not vote, and having no use for the political parties that are running is certainly one of them.

Point of interest. The Liberals won with 32% of the popular vote. So we can say with some certainty that 68% did not support them.

I guess I am one of those who do not want to pay more taxes, but for the following reasons:
– MSP for a single senior is now almost $68.00 yet every year it covers less. I blame the fact that the government personal that make the policy are all covered by extended benefits so they see no need for the coverage that we use to have.
– Gas tax that use to go to build and upkeep the roads but is now wasted in general revenue
– PST which was a tax for our hospital, also wasted in general revenue
– high cost of medical care which is not covering medical care but is going to building paper pushers empires. Right now we have more people in offices than on the floor giving medical care.
– high wages for MPs, MLA, mayor and council and golden pensions and medical care and yet they always want more.

JohnnyBelt. If you care to look at the Casino Parking lot, and consider that the Casino gross’s $56 Million a year, you can then determine that time and money in this town that used to be spent on things like, Cougers Hockey games, golf, and other activities, are now being spent on gambling.

I could be wrong, however it seems that participation in all sorts of recreational activities has declined since gambling came to town.

(palopu:-) “The 50% who didn’t vote, did not vote because they have no, or very little use for the political parties that were running.”

(interceptor:-) Do you believe that? I would say at best 5% of that 50 might have done that. The other 45% probably dont even know who was running, let alone whether or not that person represented their values.
——————————————-

I believe that. Our elections are currently about as meaningful as voting on four or five best things about Canada, with the only choices you’re allowed being four or five things that have been pre-selected for you to choose from.

If you don’t believe ANY of those four or five things are the best, or maybe don’t even interest you, what chance do you have to indicate that?

If there were “None of the Above” on the ballot, you can make your disapproval of the choices you’re given known.

And this would be an indication, an effective indication, of how many people want something different. But we don’t have that. Why not? Do those currently annointed to rule us have a fear that “None of the Above” might beat them?

Surely that could never happen IF the issues they’re seeking election on ARE the ones that matter to most people? But, it would seem, they DO have such a fear.

And so the existing Parties really have no incentive to find out what it actually is that concerns most people.

The saddest irony is that those who are politically ‘right of centre’ ~ people who believe, or at least purport to believe, in individual initiative, free-enterprise, private property rights, etc. are being victimised the most by this corrupt political set-up.

We’re being ground down between two expanding millstones, taxation and inflation. And the best the existing governing Party that purports to represent us can come up with is inducing the latter, til they’re forced to introduce more of the former. Over and over again.

We’re losing ground daily to very things many of you say you oppose. Does the introduction of higher cost government that’s ever more intrusive under a ‘BC Liberal’ moniker somehow make it more palatable?

Where is some ‘original thinking’ from those whose POLICY is supposed to be different from those ‘left of centre’?

Or is the best that can be hoped for a continual delaying action as we continue to retreat from the inevitable the ‘left’ has in store for us?

Well, you don’t ever advance by continually going backwards ~ and a ‘financial’ cost of living that continually outpaces a ‘physical’ standard of living for more and more of us should be a wake-up call to those who want to make a career in governing us that that situation needs correction. We’re heading for real trouble otherwise, and THEY’LL be the FIRST it will be visited upon if they don’t begin to smarten up.

This is a fairly decent bit of investigative journalism about Monsanto: [url] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6_DbVdVo-k&feature=youtube_gdata_player%5Burl%5D

This is what I wrote:

“I look at it this way. 50% of the population able to vote did not because they know how to live their lives with whatever party comes along …. they are the adapters.”

These are the words several people put into my typing fingers:
“The 50% who didn’t vote, did not vote because they have no, or very little use for the political parties that were running.”

Until people on here learn how to read for content, it is useless to carry on a discussion.

Hopefully those who write that crap can understand that. You are guilty of showing how functionally illiterate people are these days!!

THAT is one ofthe fundamental reason why we have lost the ability to communicate. No one listens or reads for content!!

“If there were “None of the Above” on the ballot, you can make your disapproval of the choices you’re given known.”

And this will generate more political parties? Why?

We could end up like many European countries with multiple parties sitting in the assembly and coalitions forming.

I think one of the fundamental problems is that there is a major rift that has developed as running a jurisdiction has become more complex to the extent that those who have governance experience develop a totally different view of how things CAN be done to the general population which is, for the most part, far removed from running anything more than a household.

In fact, they are so busy at doing that that they really have no time to educate themselves how a large company, an international company, a municipality, province and country are run relatively effectively.

My observation is the under 40 crowd do not pay attention to politics. Could be where the 50% hangs out.

It would not necessarily generate “more political Parties”, Gus. We already have a plethora of existing political parties, as a look at the Elections BC website will verify. The overwhelming majority of them will go nowhere.

What having “None of the Above” on the bottom of the ballot would do is curtail the ability of the mainstream Parties to only allow us a vote on THEIR agenda. Not one that addresses the issues many of us are becoming increasingly concerned about.

The agenda they put before us is not fundamentally giving us a choice of overall ‘POLICY’, which is essentially the SAME in each of the current four main Parties. Fundamentally, that policy is one of “full employment”, without ever a thought being given as to whether that’s going to cure what ails us or not. Or whether the INCOMES earned will be enough to give us continued access to what we’re working for, or its exchange through trade. Maybe the feeling is that if we’re all kept busy working, we won’t have time to notice.

That’s the current universally accepted ‘policy’ that’s set in stone, so to speak, and any vote on election day is restricted to giving us a choice of the ‘METHOD’ we want it imposed on us. And regardless of which Method we choose, it WILL be imposed on us. Maybe faster, maybe slower, but it’s to be put in place all the same.

Right now, if someone doesn’t vote, it’s put down as apathy. With the reason for that apathy being that the citizen is too lazy to be concerned with finding out the issues, and who wants to represent him, and go and exercise his civic duty and make a choice from (only) amongst those he’s presented with.

There is really no incentive for the Parties running to find out what is of most concern to us as we live our daily lives. So the ever expanding ratio between the cost of living and the standard of same can be bypassed, and instead we’re told we want more ‘skills training’, or some new mega project that create more ‘jobs’. No one deigns to ask us if we’d like to be able to live “life more abundantly” on what we’re already making, and see that standard of living start to increase faster than the cost of same.

A study by Elections Canada found that only 22.4 percent of 18 to 20 year olds voted in the 2000 federal election.

However, more than 80 percent of citizens over 58 years of age voted.

The study also showed that voter participation among young people has been falling since 1968.

“No one deigns to ask us if we’d like to be able to live “life more abundantly” on what we’re already making, and see that standard of living start to increase faster than the cost of same.”

Why bother to ask? 40 years ago we were being told that will be the world we have before us within the next couple of decades … no one objected that I recall ….

Do it!!!! The problem is no one knows how. That would require too much thinking and too much negotiating with other countries who are part of the marketplace.

And when one starts talking about one world order, UN, etc. etc …. people get hives ……

We are simply not ready …..

Good night ….. over and out ….. this channel is now closed till next Friday … ;-)

Did you hear the one about the priest and the Rabbi?

A priest was called away for an emergency. Not wanting to leave the confessional unattended, he called his rabbi friend from across the street and asked him to cover for him. The rabbi told him he wouldn’t know what to say, but the priest told him to come on over and he’d stay with him for a little bit and show him what to do. The rabbi comes and he and the priest are in the confessional.

A few minutes later, a woman comes in and says, “Father forgive me for I have sinned.”

The priest asks, “What did you do?”

The woman says, “I committed adultery.”

Priest, “How many times?”

Woman, “Three times.”

Priest, “Say two Hail Mary’s, put $5 in the box and go and sin no more.”

A few minutes later a man enters the confessional. He says, “Father forgive me for I have sinned.”

Priest, “What did you do?”

Man, “I committed adultery.”

Priest, “How many times?”

Man, “Three times.”

Priest, “Say two Hail Mary’s, put $5 in the box and go and sin no more.”

The rabbi tells the priest that he thinks he’s got it so the priest leaves.

A few minutes later another woman enters and says, “Father forgive me for I have sinned.”

Rabbi, “What did you do?”

Woman, “I committed adultery.”

Rabbi, “How many times?”

Woman, “Once.”

Rabbi, “Go do it two more times. We have a special this week, three for $5.”