Harper has no problems with limiting parliamentary debate and pushing through his Unfair Election Act, despite NDP, Liberal, and Green Party opposition… yet this is what he had to say about electoral reform in 1996:

http: //tinyurl.com/pdane2a Delete the space between the http: and the /

What a hypocrite, I guess we are a “third world country” when it comes to electoral reform. Keep this in mind when you vote on October 19th.

Happy Friday everyone!

This is a shout out to Elaine and other 250 contributors who have kept this site a valuable resource for our city. Keep up the great work!

I was waiting all day for Friday Free For All, especially after reading the following from a Financial Post column yesterday! The article is entitled “Canada regains title as most reputable nation in the world despite Harper derangement frenzy”.

I especially liked the following:

“Maybe you missed the news last week, which is that Canada under Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has just regained its title as the most reputable nation in the world. According to the Reputation Institute’s annual report, Canada remains at the top of a 55-nation list for perceived trust, admiration and respect, based on a survey of 48,000 people around the world.

Easy to miss, that story, since few media picked it up. Instead, the Canadian media complex is in the grip of Harper Derangement Frenzy (HDF), which is an upgrade to hurricane status from Harper Derangement Syndrome, identified several years ago by Lorne Gunter as “an ideological hatred of Prime Minister Stephen Harper that is so acute its sufferers’ ability to reason logically is impaired.” The upgraded HDF extends the definition to incorporate the media hell-bent on a pre-election campaign to bring down the Harper government regardless of any facts.”

I loved the part about Harper Derangement Syndrome being identified as “an ideological hatred of Prime Minister Stephen Harper that is so acute its sufferers’ ability to reason logically is impaired.”

Here’s a link of course, to the entire column (remove the 3 spaces):

http: //business.financialpost.com/fp-comment/canada-regains-title-of-most-reputable-nation-despite-harper-derangement-frenzy

Too bad that the mainstream media, especially the CBC is so scared to post anything positive about the Harper Government.

Here’s another article, this one from the National Observer. The title of the article is “How Harper will win the election”.

The lefties can save the link and read it again this fall, after Harper wins another one! Remove the 3 spaces after http:

http: //www.nationalobserver.com/2015/07/07/news/how-harper-will-win-election

Lots of interesting stuff! I chuckled when I read about the Liberals using negative attack ads back in the 2004 election, especially considering all of the lefties who are currently criticising Harper for his current ads about poor little ol’ Justin!

It’s always nice to have lots of different points of view but you will seldom see them in the mainstream media! What a shame! In any event, enjoy the read!

I have spent the past week watching how the federal government has spent millions of dollars TV ads advertising items about their child tax credit. I wonder where the country would be if it did not feel the need the advertise for things that it would have informed the public through cheaper and more affordable means. A government that talks about fiscal responsibility should find the cheapest means possible to do things.

Hart Guy: Is that what some of the posters on here are suffering from? I wondered.

I can’t remember if it is city or YRB who maintains Foothills but what a laugh some of the patching has turned out to be. The little bridge just north of Hart Highlands needed some hole patching, as well as a few other holes farther up.
Well they patched them and then they had to put up a bump sign before the bridge!

Where do they get these guys from? And who supervises them?
Now they’re going to have to take a grader up there to smooth them out.

You mean like Sage setting their alarm so they can post a hate message first thing on the free for all? Sage must be pretty mad that the Liberal and NDP coalition was shut down by Trudeau yesterday

Which government was it that changed pensions so you had to work an extra 2 years to collect?

We watched Trudeau jump on board with Harper to support 51….and now we are more likely to see a Liberal/CPC coalition to try and stop the socialist orange wave that is coming.

Can anyone explain to me why even though the world price of a barrel of fuel is down to pretty much half of what it was a few months ago, our prices at the pump remains pretty much what it was when it was double that?

The prices at the pumps have dropped dramatically in other countries, but not so much in Canada.

What’s going on here Steve? You’re setting yourself up for a big backlash at the poles pretty quick I think.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/oil-price-takes-aim-at-48-us-a-barrel-1.3165367?cmp=rss

Hard to post anything positive about Harper because there isn’t anything positive from him..

Said we were going to have a 1.3 billion dollar surplus in the budget but it’s really 1 billion in debt and that’s not including the 3 billion he just gave to families… So much pomp and cercumstance over this but nothing on him removing $2,250 deduction for kids.. So he us lying about how much parents will actually see in their pockets. Surrey was promised 100 more officers years ago…so far they have 6.

Harper and prentice have many things in common . The thing that most evident is that both of them are really bad at math . But then math is really hard , right ? Stevie can’t even balance a bicycle . Never mind a budget .

Don’t get too cozy with your gift wrapped bonus from Pierre Poilievre. Most of it will be going straight back into Gov’t coffers next spring, whether it’s Fed of Prov hands in your pockets.

This cartoon at the G&M says it all…

http: //www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorial-cartoons-for-july-2015/article25156364/

I read an article this week that the child tax credit that was sent out will be considered as personal income and will be taxable as such. So a warning to low income earners in particular “don’t go out on a spending spree without setting the tax amount aside”. There is nothing worse than doing your taxes and having to owe the CRA.

Give More, the city looks after Foothills. You’re right about the patching, they patched a south bound section between the dump and Highland, you hit that and you have to hang on to make sure you don’t get thrown off the road. They might as well have put speed bumps in.

What kind of megalomaniac puts his face and his name on the ads for his business? Weird. Must be over compensating for some kind of shortfall.

Here’s more news just in this morning! Good news or bad news, I guess it depends on your perspective! Obviously not good news for those suffering from HDF! I wonder if the mainstream media will report these poll numbers today?

“Tories take huge lead in latest poll”

“Mainstreet asked more than 5,000 Canadians who they’d vote for if an election where held now, and 38% of decided voters picked the Tories. In the 2011 general election, 39% actually voted Conservative.

Thomas Mulcair’s NDP were in second at 27% and Justin Trudeau’s Liberals were third at 25%.”

haha Eye Spy – I always think the same thing when a certain railing and eavestroughing commercial comes on and the entire commercial is about ladies oohing and aahing over how hot the guy is. Yeah THAT makes we want to use that product…

To Elaine and Crew at 250News, would it be possible to duplicate the links to “Previous story” and “Next story” somewhere near the bottom of the comments section, perhaps just before the “Leave a comment” headline.

Currently, after reading a story and the accompanying posts, one must scroll all the way back up to the links in order to move to the next or a previous story. As some stories do attract a lot of posts, it might be more convenient to be able to click to the next or previous story at the end of the comments.

Something to consider perhaps?

Thanks!!

And maybe add a calculator on the side bar because math is as hard as scrolling waaay back up to the top . Oh the agony .

Ataloss, are you opposed to suggestions, change and/or improvements?

No I’m not opposed to change or improvements . That’s why we have to get rid of stupid Steve . He run canada off the rails and the damage he’s done will last for years . Maybe even decades . I bet he ends up still working for Munk over at barrick gold , just like Mulroney and Baird . Or maybe SNC lavalin closer to his style .

Hart guy you got Sage, ataloss, Peter and a few others reaching for their blood pressure meds.

Are you kidding seamutt ? I’ve been laughing my arse off all morning reading HGs stuff . I love it . Even Stevie is starting to stink of fear . His very last lie was the unbalanced budget . Now he’s taking part of the NDPs platform . I read this morning that he’s going to grow a beard next .

seamutt, I guess that maybe my work here has been done! NOT, haha!

I think that I’ll stick around, just to keep those guys and gals on their toes! Either that, or just to annoy them! Seems to be working so far ;-)

Palomino > The most common advertised cost of gas at the pump at the pump over the last few weeks has been $1.444/litre.

The Canadian dollar has taken a nose dive because our economy is so reliant on oil. We have a petro dollar, and it becomes obvious when oil prices drop drastically.

The current exchange rate is C$1.00 = US$0.76

When that is applied to gasoline at the pump and we were to see what gasoline would sell for if the Canadian Dollar were on par with the US$ as it was just over a year ago, the price would be $0.869.

Who or what to blame? A Canadian economy that is still very much reliant on resource extraction and is doing little to increase the creation and competitiveness of value added goods and services.

Put that into the political arena as some people like to do, Harper has been riding the Petro $ wave during much of his so-called leadership.

There is not an ounce of vision in his abilities that he brings to the table. Even though born and raised in the east, he has the arrogance of a blue-eye Sheik.

He and his advisors, if he has any he trusts, should have seen this coming some time down the road and done something to be better prepared for it. Resources do not last forever and resources provide a very bumpy economic ride.

One thing we know for sure. Those people who are constantly carping about Harper, are mainly those who never voted for him in the first place and never will. So, if we follow this line of thinking to its logical conclusion the present Government was elected without the help of the Harper Carpers.

Harper never needed the carpers in the last election to win, and he does not need them in the next election. So the carpers are basically baying at the moon, and whistling while passing a graveyard, pretending that they actually have some influence on the coming election, when past history shows that they are much better at picking losers, than winners.

HDF Harper Derangement Frenzy describes these people very nicely. They are locked in a anti harper mental void that restricts their ability to see the world as it really is. There is no cure for HDF, and therefore those who are afflicted will be forever lost in a sea of their own confusion.

Agree gopg . He’s been a disaster for canada . Nothing beats a properly diversified portfolio . That takes stewardship . But how can you have that . Royalties and corporate responsibility . Like in Norway where industry and royalties provide for free education and much more . The reason Canadians can convince themselves that their taxes are lower is because of the shell game played on us using fees , premiums , tickets , surcharges and on and on . Tax on top of tax on top of tax .

To change the subject if you have big rigs parking on your street the City has a bylaws dept. you take the license number off the vehicle and phone Bylaws. The truck on our street was gone within the hour.

But remember it may be a trucker just having a quickie and he wont be there for long especially if its with someone else’s wife.

And Pal, I don’t want to keep reminding you of your Prentice prediction, remember, “Prentice is our man”. You just keep spinning your wheels. Harpy isn’t going to be your man either.
Cheers

Ataloss, you keep pointing to Norway as this great panacea to our problems. But things in Norway are not perfect and it doesn’t take much to find evidence to support this belief!

From Wikipedia:

“The emergence of Norway as an oil-exporting country has raised a number of issues for Norwegian economic policy. There has been concern that much of Norway’s human capital investment has been concentrated in petroleum-related industries. Critics have pointed out that Norway’s economic structure is highly dependent on natural resources that do not require skilled labor, making economic growth highly vulnerable to fluctuations in the demand and pricing for these natural resources.”

“Cost of living. Norway is among the most expensive countries in the world, as reflected in the Big Mac Index and other indices”.

“Competitiveness of “mainland” industries. The high cost of labor and other structural features of the Norwegian environment have caused concern about Norway’s ability to maintain its cost of living in a post-petroleum era.”

“The role of the public sector. The ideological divide between socialist and non-socialist views on public ownership has decreased over time. The Norwegian government has sought to reduce its ownership over companies that require access to private capital markets, and there is an increasing emphasis on government facilitating entrepreneurship rather than controlling (or restricting) capital formation. A residual distrust of the “profit motive” persists, and Norwegian companies are heavily regulated, especially with respect to labor relations.”

Taxation. The primary purpose of the Norwegian tax system has been to raise revenue for public expenditures; but it is also viewed as a means to achieve social objectives, such as redistribution of income, reduction in alcohol and tobacco consumption, and as a disincentive against certain behaviors.

Three elements of the tax system seem to attract the most debate:

Progressive taxation. At one time one of the most aggressive in the world, the top marginal tax rate on income has been decreased over time. In addition, Norwegians are taxed for their stated net worth, which some have argued discourages savings.

Value-added tax. The largest source of government revenue. The current standard rate is 25%, food and drink is 15%, and movie theater tickets and public transportation 8%.

Special surcharges and taxes. The government has established a number of taxes related to specific purchases, including cars, alcohol, tobacco, and various kinds of benefits.

Ataloss, I could go on and on and on, but why bore everybody else! It would be my opinion that things are not as rosy in Norway as you would want us to believe! In fact, I think that Norway will struggle to keep things as they are and will ultimately be unable to do so! But, that’s just my opinion!

Ataloss. Pal isn’t into foreign affairs.

By the way the price of gas at the pump is not set by OPEC. It is set buy your friendly local gas company depending on supply and demand. ever notice how the price of gas at the pump increases before a long weekend and Hart Guy may also be involved
Cheers.

Norway is not utopia, but they do have over a trillion in their Oil Legacy Fund, which they contribute to regularly, and which must be invested outside of their domestic oil industry, to lessen the damage in downturns. they also demand Norwegian jobs and training in exchange for resource extraction and despite taxing profits at 8o%, they are considered the third best jurisdiction in the world to invest in oil related business. A far cry from our race to the bottom, resource giveaway mentality. We are not, and will never be, Norway. But there are definitely lessons to be learned from their success.

Canada will never be Norway . We used to be more like Norway than this morphing of North Korea/Mexico style brought by the reformacons .

govsux, while I can agree that Norway has done some things right, it’s important to remember that Canada and Norway have a lot of differences.

Norway is a very small country, less than 1/3 the size of BC. Nearly 70% of the country is uninhabitable. It’s population is approx. 4.6 million, compared to BC at 5.1 million and Canada as a whole at 35.2 million people.

Norway’s oil and gas resources lie in the North Sea, making them easily available for export to higher priced markets. We in Canada don’t have that luxury as most of our reserves are landlocked due to geography and opposition to pipelines.

Norway’s oil profits are taxed at a whopping 78%, but oil and gas reserves are in decline while Alberta’s recoverable reserves are still increasing.

I agree that Alberta and Canada definitely need to do more to set aside moneys in legacy funds but it’s not as easy to do as it is in Norway. Remember, Norway is a very small country with a population not much larger than BC. Canada has a much larger infrastructure to support. We must also share our oil and gas riches with the rest of Canada by virtue of our equalization payments. Just imagine if BC or Alberta didn’t have to share their wealth!

There are good things about Norway, and not so good things about Norway, just as there are good things about Canada and not so good things about Canada! Norway does not seem to have massive immigration numbers, so perhaps the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence! If it was, then I suspect that Ataloss would already be in Norway!

But Norway doesn’t pay its citizens an oil dividend, like is done in Alaska. So what’s the point in the State investing the ‘people’s’ money if the people don’t get a return on their investment that’s actually THEIRS to spend, invest, or do whatever else they please with it? Certainly the services the Norwegians get from the State are NOT ‘free’ when you look at what they have to pay in taxation, and consider that a litre of gas in Norway is way way more than it is here.

Perhaps all you armchair economists and business experts can explain something to me.

If Norway has such high taxes and we “know” that high taxes kill jobs, why do they still have a petroleum industry?

Polymers , more Polymers that’s the answer to all our problems.

Not trying to change the subject, but I just saw on the news that former Mountie Monty Robinson has been sentenced to 2 years in jail, plus probation and community service for perjury related to his part in the completely unnecessary death of Robert Dziekanski!

I hope that he enjoys his time behind bars!

My thoughts go out to Robert’s mother, Sofia Cisowski today, as she receives a bit more justice for the loss of her son!

But Norway doesn’t pay its citizens an oil dividend, like is done in Alaska. So what’s the point in the State investing the ‘people’s’ money if the people don’t get a return on their investment

====================

Umm, aren’t the services they receive from the government their return on their investment? Or are you assuming that the average person in Norway would prefer a cheque that they could spend on bubble gum and cell phones as opposed to having their education covered?

Have you talked to people in Norway to confirm your theory? Don’t they typically rate quite high in happiness studies?

…and how about that amazing rescue of the stranded Orca! Not all news is bad!!

Did the pmo tell you to change the channel ? Or do you have to wait for today’s announcement first ? Will he grow a beard as well ?

NMG:-“Have you talked to people in Norway to confirm your theory? Don’t they typically rate quite high in happiness studies?”
——————————————————————————————

No, I haven’t NMG. But I rather suspect Norway is much like some of the other supposed ‘paradises’ that are often held up as examples for Canada to emulate. When I was a kid it was Sweden, and before that, until some of the horrors perpetrated by Stalin became more public, Russia. Lately some have been singing the praises of Switzerland. I don’t know any Norwegians who have emigrated from there to here, but I do know several Swedes and some Swiss. And proud as they are of the lands of their birth, none of them have ever expressed any desire to move back to them.

I wonder if anyone ever asked the citizens of Norway just what they would prefer? Maybe all they ever get asked there is about the same as we get asked here. Different METHODS of imposing exactly the SAME policy. At least the Alaskans did get a choice in what they wanted to do with the earnings their State invested Permanent Fund oil royalties were generating. And they chose to spend or invest it themselves.

Was watching the news and they asked some expert about the price of gas and why so high with oil swing so cheap.. He said the oil comPnies have a long list of reasons that they use to justify it.. The reasons where pathetic at best..not like we have a choice

Hart Guy, sometimes changing the subject is a good thing. I would like to endorse your comments about Monty Robinson and Sofia Cisowski. I hope she will eventually come to a degree of peace about it.

+1 about the Orca calf getting saved.

My complaint of the week…. those unbelievable pigs who left all that garbage & gear behind after the Pemberton Music Festival. If you can haul that crap in, you can haul it out.

Gee ataloss, I was trying to put forth, in my opinion, a couple of good news stories! Please forgive me!

If you would like, I could beat you up some more about Norway, Windmills, Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada, Christy Clark and the BC Liberal Party, Elizabeth May’s drinking problem or any of a number of topics!

Or, I can head to work and leave you to your misery!

Brother Gecko did you see it’s all cleaned up already? It was a disgusting mess but as the festival is on farm land it has to be returned back to farm able land.. They did a great job cleaning it up.. Btw Lombardi trailer park looks tons worse than that

Thanks Ammonra and Brother Gecko!

You work ? You mean you work for money ? And you’re a reformacon promotor . I thought you’ve been on the job all day .

I’ve often wondered how many of the people on here all day are actually at work. Most of the conversations seem to die off around 4:00pm.(yes I’m jealous).

Is it just me? Or has there been an inordinate amount of thunder in the last few years. Seems our climate is definitely changing. I don’t remember this much thunder as a kid. Now it seems that every time it rains, it’s accompanied by an hour or several of heavy thunder. I do love a great rumbling show but, it’s certainly not fun for my dogs and other poor creatures. I guess we’ll just all have to adapt as this relentless thunder seems to be the new norm.

Hart Guy quoted from an article: “Critics have pointed out that Norway’s economic structure is highly dependent on natural resources that do not require skilled labor, making economic growth highly vulnerable to fluctuations in the demand and pricing for these natural resources.”

Thanks for that Hart Guy. That was my point about Harper. e was riding a high wave on the Canadian Petro $. That was not his doing nor anyone else’s. It is the equivalent of location, location, location … timing, timing, timing, etc.

What he should have been his doing is promoting further diversification to tide over such valleys as we are currently having to do once more.

There is no doubt Harper will win his seat in the Heritage Riding in Calgary. The problem he has is that will not make him Prime Minister. He has to make sure that he wins a majority of seats. That will be the challenge this time. It is a riding by riding prediction and result on election night who will win the total of the ridings. The way things are across the nation with 3 months to go I predict a return to a minority government with the possibility of Harper not leading it.

Junco > I agree with the thunder comment and dogs. Mine is just putting her paws on my lap as I type reminding me that she needs to be held and consoled. She can generally tell it is coming when it is 5 or more minutes away.

I think it is nature’s way of trying to let us know that we have been suppressing fires far too much and wants to make sure our forests go through their natural lifecycles.

Hart Guy’s source quote; “According to the Reputation Institute’s annual report, Canada remains at the top of a 55-nation list for perceived trust, admiration and respect, based on a survey of 48,000 people around the world.”

So just who is the “Reputation Institute”? Well if you do a Wikipedia search you won’t find them that should give you a hint about how famous and established they are…. LMAO. I did a little more digging and found out they are nothing more than the business and corporate community surveying itself, on which countries have the least amount of oversight on how they conduct business. So why is Canada the number one place in the world for corporations to setup business? Burger King is an example, they bought out Tim Hortons and moved their corporate headquarters from the USA to Canada, why?

“There’s been a proliferation of tax havens,” Howlett explains to host Michael Enright. “Now, a quarter of all direct Canadian foreign investment going abroad is going to tax haven countries. That’s about $170 billion sitting in tax havens, so it’s become a huge problem.”

www. cbc.ca/news/corporate-tax-avoidance-scheme-hurting-canada-expert-says-1.2572712

Of course the corporate and business backed Harper Government refuses to do anything about it, corporations can setup shop here in Canada and then move massive amounts of their money into overseas tax shelters. Other countries do not allow this, so kudos to Canada, and what do you know Canada rates high on the Corporate “Reputation Institute’s” popularity survey.

Another example is our Temporary Foreign Worker Program, extremely popular with corporations and big business, why should they bother moving their operations to third world countries to take advantage of near slave labour rates, the Harper Government can bring those cheap foreign workers to Canada under the TFWP for these corporations to use. No wonder Canada rates high on the corporation’s “Reputation Institute’s” popularity poll. Add to this the fact that the Harper Government has cut business tax rate to be among the lowest in the world.

www. cbc.ca/news/business/canadian-business-tax-rate-among-world-s-lowest-1.1173662

Add to that a complete lack of oversight and regulations for corporations and business, heck they can literally get away with murder, torture and gang rapes in other countries, even though they operate out of Canada, and this country will not do a thing about it. No wonder we rate high on the corporate “Reputation Institute’s” popularity poll Hart Guy.

Relax guys, the mayor just signed a MOU with another Chinese city and soon we will all be swimming in our backyard pools of dough

Hey Hart Guy and Ataloss….. You guys married? For maybe too long? Always bickering. Give us a break!

A BC transit bus blew the red at 10th and 97 yesterday morning. Surprising, thought they were professional drivers, not.

Hey Sage, I skip your posts.

Poor Hart Guy, I imagined he was so excited to finally find something positive about Canada’s standing under the Harper Government, only to find out his precious “Reputation Institute” doesn’t even appear in Wikipedia, as all reputable indexes, worldwide bodies, and think tanks do. LMAO

If you’re going to a fireworks display,leave your dog at home,some are scared stiff of it.
Thunder, same thing, help you buddy through it. Remember, they are your best bud. Sometimes better than the wife. Oh crap, hope she doesn’t read this….

Sophic Sage, G3Capital of Brazil now owns Tim Hortons and Burger King and who knows which other “Canadian” institutions! People were bleating and whining that our troops in Afghanistan ought to be able to enjoy a coffee and donuts at Timmy’s! Finally a branch was opened up over there with great patriotic fervour! Little did the public know that even then already Tim Hortons was owned by an American investment group!

acrider55: I guess I jumped the gun, they had the bridge patchwork fixed this morning. Nice job of it they did too. They repatched one or two others too. they did it right this time.

I wonder if the guys who did it the first time will be docked pay?

HA, HA, HA!

Does anyone know what the dirt berms are for that are on either side of Foothills partway up the hill from North Nechako? (Where it briefly levels out)

gopg2015; “Junco > I agree with the thunder comment and dogs. Mine is just putting her paws on my lap as I type reminding me that she needs to be held and consoled. She can generally tell it is coming when it is 5 or more minutes away. ” Animals can sense barometric pressure changes far better than we can, if you’re ever up high in the mountains & notice sheep or goats heading for lower ground it is a good indicator that there is a storm coming & it’s time to leave. An old guide told me years ago he watched his horses more than the sky or surrounding terrain as their instincts were far more accurate. We can learn a lot by watching animals.

detoe, so true.

Posted on Friday, July 24, 2015 @ 11:23 AM by Retired 02
To change the subject if you have big rigs parking on your street the City has a bylaws dept. you take the license number off the vehicle and phone Bylaws. The truck on our street was gone within the hour.
***************************
Not in PG they aren’t. They are permitted 3 hours in any residential hood and many stay overnight with impunity. Our bylaw enforcement division is a joke. They pick and choose their bylaws and who they will enforce them for.

Posted on Friday, July 24, 2015 @ 2:34 PM by Digitus Impudicus
I’ve often wondered how many of the people on here all day are actually at work. Most of the conversations seem to die off around 4:00pm.(yes I’m jealous).
***************

Govt employees?

YRB out around Fraser Lake has been doing some pothole repairs on the hwy. Actually I think it is their elementary school aged children they are employing for the summer. A pretty scary case of professional hwy maintenance experts out there I tell you. What has happened to pride in workmanship in this day and age? Doesn’t seem to matter what the project is, when it’s paid for with your tax dollars is pure CHIT!

Clearly once again those that protect the reputation and interests of this city and region have dropped the ball… again.

Its rather pathetic the whole situation surrounding the seal coating going on up south of Mcleod Lake to Bear Lake. Its just dumb on so many levels, and its not like there is an alternate route easily accessible.

This seal coating is topped with half inch thick rocks that shoot off the truck like a machine gun even at 20kph, and yet they’ve covered the highway with this stuff for 40k, both lanes, and so a section of highway that once took 20-minutes now takes as much as an hour and a quarter… rocks flying everywhere, paint jobs ruined, motorcyclists taking big risks, fancy cars being trashed, ICBC subsidizing new windshields. All so the contractor could do it at the least expensive process, taking nothing else into consideration.

I think the highway signs should be informing of this… tourism operators should be recommending the Alaskan tourist and those with nice touring cars and bikes to seek alternate routes. Maybe a blurp in the media about this hazard should one be heading that way in car one cares about. With all the trouble and disruption why not just repave the highway and be done with it for 25 years? Are politicians on the take for awarding these kinds of make work, create costs projects for our economy?

Inquiring minds would like to know?

I can see the researched information I am posting on the Harper government is starting to get under some Conservative skin. Oh well, nothing is more important than to make sure everyone that reads my comments has all the factual information they need to make an “informed” vote this time around.

I think it’s time to open a celebratory bottle of wine now. ;-)

Hartly 2. My guess would be that the berms are a sort of fence to keep people off this property. I believe most of it was bought up by developers a while back when they were going to put in a Golf Course on the West side.

Berms with gates make good fences, throw in some **Keep out Private Property** signs, and you can save yourself a lot of problems. Not the least of which is damage to the property, or a civil suit.

What is with that unlicensed John Deere atv crossing pulpmill road at the new watering hole? One minute it’s on one side of the road the next minute the other. I thought you needed insurance and registration on all motorized equipment when crossing public roads.

For all that can be said about Harper… as it gets closer to the election the diversions for and against says a lot about what people don’t want to talk about… the local issues. Elections are full of straw men, maybe they are won that way too, I don’t know.

Harper is a failure on many many levels. I just think anyone that enables the power grab of a group like the ‘right sector’ and other far right groups meddling in the Ukraine is someone that when drunk on power is capable of almost anything. A PM announcing a free trade deal with the most corrupt nation on the planet on the same day that thousands of neo nazi’s were marching through the streets of Kiev in their military uniforms… (think about this indignity to our nation)… is something the world hasn’t seen since the early days of the nazi era. Imagine Chamberlain going to Munich to sign a free trade deal with pre war Germany and then campaigning as a strong leader in troubled times doing whats best for the economy…. Imagine Harper today with his Ukraine policy.

I think at the local level we have an interesting scenario we may not see at the national level.

So far PG-Cariboo looks to be a three way race with three likeable potential candidates. I don’t foresee the kind of attacking the person that we often see at the national level. With Dick gone from the scene and the new faces running, and all likeable people, it should be a campaign decided on things deeper than likeability.

Are the candidates going to stay genuine to their roots and their campaign promises and who they represent themselves as; or are they going to bend to party dictates and become a voice of the party to the riding… are they going to be genuine or disingenuous at times.

What will be the policy differences may matter more in a close election, and who can show they understand the riding more may have the advantage.

With an election a little over three months away it would be nice to start seeing partisans that can advocate a position and defend it, so when voters do head to the polls they have some kind of educated guess as to who it is they are voting for. When will the candidates start coming forward with their agenda’s they intend to run their campaigns on….?

C’mon Eagle….you know a Con candidate is only allowed to say what’s in the pamphlet issued from headquarters.