Bill’s crazy predictions
Monday, January 4, 2016 @ 3:45 AM
By Bill Phillips
Happy New Year.
It’s a new year so that means it’s time to unveil some truly amazing predictions for 2016 (just bad guesses really, but we’ll take credit for any ones that come true).
Firstly, and I’ll go out on a limb here – we won’t have any elections in 2016. Wow, had to reach deep into the crystal ball for that one. With the provincial election in 2013, municipal elections in 2014 and last year’s federal election, it will be kind of strange not having one this year.
The next election cycle is set for 2017, when the provincial election is scheduled. That is, unless Premier Christy Clark calls a snap election, likely because she said 2017 but was misunderstood by her staff and with no paper or e-mail trails to follow, staff went with what they thought was said.
We will, of course, have the American election to follow, whether we want to or not. We are already deluged with it and it will only get worse.
At least up here we had three leaders who had a legitimate shot at becoming prime minister and four leaders who were capable of doing the job. Down south they’ll be lucky if they have one.
Secondly, I predict newly-minted Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty will make a few mistakes (putting his name on his Christmas ad would help), but will settle in to a new routine. I’m sure he’ll get his sea-legs under him. He’s on a steep learning curve right now.
Thirdly, I predict that Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Mike Morris will make a fine Solicitor-General. I’m sure he’ll pass the firearms test.
Fourthly, I predict that Prince George city council won’t rename any more parks this year (going out on a limb again). I predict that the city won’t have it’s new website ready to roll out in 2016, oh, I forgot, it’s not supposed to be ready until 2017 anyway. For $124,000 you get a long-term project, not a new website in a couple of months like everyone else would do.
I predict that Coun. Jillian Merrick will begin posting photos of people parked in bike lanes on Instagram. It is a way of making a point and getting things done; if Coun. Brian Skakun hadn’t posted photos of idled snow-clearing equipment during a blizzard a couple of years ago we might still have a ‘snow removal by attrition’ policy.
Actually, I predict city council will have a relatively quiet year. Last year was the big year of change at city hall, so this year will be one where we see if those changes were good ones.
It will be a year of adventures and misadventures. Here’s hoping you have wonderful year.
Bill Phillips is a freelance columnist living in Prince George. He was the winner of the 2009 Best Editorial award at the British Columbia/Yukon Community Newspaper Association’s Ma Murray awards, in 2007 he won the association’s Best Columnist award. In 2004, he placed third in the Canadian Community Newspaper best columnist category and, in 2003, placed second. He can be reached at billphillips1@mac.com
Comments
I can see a whole bunch of things being passed after all not all of our council have had their private “needs’ passed yet.
as for Jillian she is a joke…. I bang my head on the wall daily as penance for voting for her. I am sure she as a few more private little needs (wants) that will be passed as well this year…I was amazed to see how fast the bike lanes were painted…even before they were actually passed at a city council meeting. ( not sure they have actually even been passed yet)
bcracer, your slandering of Jillian was enough to get me to log in and comment. You must not have a very fulfilling life if a miscast vote for city council causes you to resort to self-harm. She is doing exactly what a city council person is supposed to do. If she just bleated like a little left-wing sheep you would be angry. If she just nodded her head and agreed with everything Lyn Hall said, you would be angry. She hasn’t done that. She has been vocal on issues when she doesn’t agree. She is passionate about certain things, and lo and behold, you and I both know what those things are at this point. She is the youngest City Councillor in Prince George history, and I quite like that she isn’t following the classic sit on your hands and obey handbook. What exactly could she do to curry your favour?
Jillian Merick has done exactly what she said she’d do. She was HONEST during the election and has followed up . Why people have such a problem with that I don’t know. Don’t vote for her next time ifyou don’t like it but don’t blame her for following her publically stated plans.
sorry Matt but in my opinion she is a joke and there are a few others on council as well but they weren’t mentioned in the above article.
as for the self harm, to believed that one has to be pretty gullable..
bcracer, if you had been paying attention you would have noticed that the bike lanes were already there & have been for quite some time. What Ms. Merrick has pointed out is that people are parking their vehicles in these lanes, forcing cyclists either onto the sidewalk or out into traffic. That is the issue. Interesting that I regularly hear people defending PG as a modern, with the times city, yet something as simple as bike lanes has those same people frothing at the mouth in indignation.
We had three leaders who had a legitimate shot at becoming prime minister and FOUR leaders who were capable of doing the job? Let’s see, there was Harper, Mulcair and Trudeau. Who was the fourth? May? Seriously? That moonbat?
Posted on Monday, January 4, 2016 @ 8:17 AM by detoe44
What Ms. Merrick has pointed out is that people are parking their vehicles in these lanes, forcing cyclists either onto the sidewalk or out into traffic.
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The fact is, for the most part those aren’t really bike lanes. The streets were built in the ’60’s and ’70’s for driving with parking along the sides. That has not changed. Why the bike lane lines were painted on them is a mystery to me. To show bike riders where they’re supposed to ride? I knew that in grade 2, I didn’t need lines to tell me. To encourage people to ride bikes? If so that would be silly.
People are legally parking their cars where they’re allowed to. That bike lanes have been painted through the parking areas doesn’t change that. What Ms. Merrick wants is to change the parking areas into bike lanes.
Dirtman, you are quite correct. Most good ( I stress the word “good”) cyclists learn early where they can safely ride, however it is not good cyclists that are the problem & the need for designated bike lanes. It is the idiot motorists that don’t pay attention & have not learned to share the road with other users including cyclists, runners & motorcyclists. As for Ms. Merrick wanting to change parking areas into bike lanes? Those bike lanes were designated as such quite some time ago, long before she came to Council.
Question, why would it be silly to encourage people to cycle? A healthy alternative to an already sedentary society, a way to get people off their butts & outside, a way to save money otherwise spent on fuel & a way to reduce our carbon footprint. That’s silly?? Sounds like a win-win scenario.
Pgers whine about bike lanes while in the civilized world hundreds of miles of bicycle super highways are being build all over Europe once again being lead by Germany . #energiewende and for a laugh #yallqueada
I sure hope that Ms.Merrick does not put bike lanes through my back yard . She was going to work on getting my chickens to live there and I would not have to deal with animal cruelty charges from cyclists running over them. Oh wait I could get city hall to help me with court costs, so I will be just lovely. ” Have great new year “
Wrong spelling . It’s #yallqaeda seeing things like those loons makes one glad we have a border to keep them out .
So bcracer, you called Jillian Merrick a joke, justifying your comments with a flippant remark about painting the bike lanes. It turns out that those lines get repainted every year, and have been there for quite some time. Merrick is working on having no parking signs installed to clear up some of the congestion in these lanes, and apparently that is her crime. I don’t ride my bike much, but I like it when others do. This means they are not in a vehicle leading to less traffic for me to deal with, this also means they are exercising which leads to less reliance on the health care system. For many who can’t afford a vehicle a bike also provides transportation to get to work. If these bike riders were unemployed I’m sure you would have some friendly words for them as well. What exactly is it about bikes and their users that has you so worked up?
Posted on Monday, January 4, 2016 @ 10:28 AM by detoe44
“It is the idiot motorists that don’t pay attention & have not learned to share the road with other users including cyclists, runners & motorcyclists.”
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Can’t agree. Motorists don’t drive way over to the right in the parking areas, never did.
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Posted on Monday, January 4, 2016 @ 10:28 AM by detoe44
As for Ms. Merrick wanting to change parking areas into bike lanes? Those bike lanes were designated as such quite some time ago, long before she came to Council.
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Nope. Painting bike lane lines through parking areas was happening long before Ms. Merrick was elected but the designation wasn’t changed. See any “No Parking” signs there?
I can direct you to one street that actually was so designated – Westwood used to be 4 lane but was changed to 2 lane plus a left turn lane in the center, and bike lanes were added on both sides. “No Parking” IS posted there.
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Posted on Monday, January 4, 2016 @ 10:28 AM by detoe44
Question, why would it be silly to encourage people to cycle?
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Nothing silly about encouraging people to cycle. The silly part is thinking that painting bike lanes would do that.
Dirtman, where do I start on your reply? Drivers don’t drive far to the right, never did. Hmmm, I can personally attest that, yes, they do. I’ve been clipped by mirrors, forced onto the sidewalk & had far too many close encounters with those drivers. Now, how many accidents involve vehicles parked on the side of the road? I bet there are a few people that post on this site that have had that happened.
Point #2; Yes the designation was changed quite a few years ago, just because you refuse to acknowledge this does not make it any less true.
Point #3; Anything that would encourage people to be more active, even having a designated lane that gives some degree of safety, is not silly, it’s good sense.
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