This area is going to need these upgrades even more if we don,t get more people working for a living.

Accused in custody will be able to participate in bail hearings and other appearances using video technology.

With the new technology they will be able to get the losers back on the street faster. That way they can re offend, faster, so back into the system, faster so the lawyers can make more money, faster.

All this money to protect a dirt bag or a judge, prosecutor or defense lawyer
Just a thought start locking them up and throw away the key. Quit allowing them probation and a slap on the wrist.
The cops work to but these guys away.
But I guess if we put them all away we wouldn’t need judges or lawyers.

Must be an election coming soon. It was not that long ago that the story from the government was that B C had too many court houses and they were trying to close them. That was just after an election, not just before one. It was not long ago that just before an election, B C Rail wasn't for sale. We had an MLA that was shunted off to the side for telling us the B C Hydro was going to be dismantled.

This should have been done when it was first built.

Nice pre-election photo-op.

Agree with astro /dirtcheap.
Does that mean the guy who was busted with $50,000 - ($20,000 drugs /$30,000 cash)will be protected when he comes into the courtroom again? Another pre-election gossip. Oh, Wally should be more up-front with the Kinsella and the BCR sale instead it is in the court process - no comment!

I think its time for some sober thought on this subject. Since January of this year Vancouver has had 45 targeted shootings of which 19 resulted in deaths. Just recently a number of high profile gang members have been charged. In addition we have had shootings and deaths in Prince George. In addition we have had many instances of other crimes.

Simply put one can safely assume that the Government has done little if anything to solve this problem over the last 8 years. We are where we are because of the lack of focus, and funding to solve this problem.

The responsibility for the mess has to be laid at the feet of the Political party in power. It was and is their responsibility to safeguard the public, and they havent been doing this.

We all know that a lot of what is being done now is because of the coming election, and therefore we are getting announcements of arrests, and beefed up court rooms etc;, however at this point in time, announcements will do little to solve the problem.

Wally Opal is part of the problem, and should in fact be relegated to the back benches.

When are we going to get some politicians that will take some responsibility for the jobs that we pay them for. It seems that money as usual is spent in stupid areas, and common sense thrown to the wind.

It doesnt take a genuis to figure out that tax dollars are being spent for the benifit of the few at a cost to the majority.

Example:::: Money spent on roads in Prnce George in the next few years:

1. Cameron St.Bridge north end Round About $2.5 Million

2. River Road $4 Million

3. Citys portion of the cost of the Highway connection between Highway 16 to Highway 97 behind the Airport approx $20 Million.

None of the above expenditures were absolutely essential.

Had the Old Cameron St., Bridge been repaired for $750,000.00 we wouldnt need the round about.

The upgrade for River Road is supposedly to bring it up to the 200 year flood level, and part of the funding comes from the Federal Government under the funding available for Port Infrastructure. The Citys portion is approx $4.5 Million. Do we really need this upgrade???? I doubt it.

The $20 Million for the road behind the airport is to service an Industrial area, that will also include the possibility of business's being set up because of the new Runway Expansion. Problem is there is little chance of any business coming from the Airlines, and therefore we can probably assume that this whole excercise is for the development of a new industrial park. Who benefits from this???

At the end of the day when these three projects are completed you will have approx 6/7 miles of paved road, in industrial areas, serving a limited amount of people, at a cost of approx $27 Million to the taxpayers of Prince George. Most if not all of this money will have to be borrowed, and of course there will be interest charges.

During the same period of time you will have maybe $6 million spent on road rehabilatation and pot hole fixing in the City.

Very few people in the City of Prince George asked for the Cameron St.Bridge, the upgrade to River Road, or the highway connection, however these projects are going ahead, and to hell with the cost. On the other hand, almost everyone in the City wants the roads repaired to an acceptable level, and all we are getting from the City is lip service.

So it is not a question of not having the money available for City roads. There is lots of money, the problem is the money is going into pet projects, assinine ideas, and contractors and developers wish lists.

Be prepared to be driving on these atrocious roads for sometime to come.

The point of the above ramble was that had the Government spent the necessary money on fighting crime, the judicial system, and jails, and ensured that criminals were sentenced accordingly, we would now have a lot less crime, and of course a lot less murder on our streets.

Problem is the money has been going into the 2010 Olympics, etc;

In other words tax dollars being misdirected.

The Provincial Government and the Municipalities are responsible for public safety, and in my opinion they have fallen far short of the mark. Its time that they grew up and started to accept the responsibility that we have given them, or they should get the hell out of Government.

Nice picture! Is it just me or does Rustad look like he absolutely can not wait for Stonewally to quit talking so he can hit the john? Either that or he looks like the kid the teacher put in the corner for being a petulant brat.

And Bond looks bored stiff. Based on the photo, only Bell appears to have some semblance of interest in the topic.

If that's the best picture the media could come up with of this announcement...it appears either somebody needs to take a few more pictures next time, or else our local Gordo pawns are so confident of re-election that they don't even have to fake it anymore!

Hey Tombstone...you could be right about Rustad, though IMO, he nomally looks that way. As for Bond....that appears to be her normal cheery self, again my opinion. And Bell is probably thinking of a Wendy Burger....boy am I ever opinionated.
But maybe we are both wrong.
And Steve, if I remember right , that is called Paul Nettle ton syndrome....ya speak out ya gets canned. Seems to have work since then. Can't say as I heard anyone say anything that Campbell hasn't said first.

I agree reasonableman, the courthouse is not that old...why wasn't a high security court room part of the original plan? Retrofits are always pricey.

When looking at the picture for the first time the first thing that came to mind was the comedy show "The Three Stooges".

As stated by BCRacer; the Nettleton affair demonstrated to all MLAs' that they have to toe the party line, or be shown the door. And here we thought the task of an MLA was to serve the constituants.
metalman.

I agree.....Bell does look like he's thinking about a Wendy's burger.

He's got that "triple with cheese combo" look on his face. I didn't realize that was Bond and Rustad, I thought they were mannequins.

Maybe "beefing up" the courtroom is really just subliminal advertising for you to go get a Wendy's burger ?
Maybe they're opening up a Wendy's outlet at the courthouse ?