Here's what B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell used to say about debt and deficits while he was the leader of the opposition.

"Debt is the silent killer of all our core services. It is the silent killer of our health care services; it's the silent killer of our education services; it is the silent killer of the essential services that people in British Columbia believe should be provided to them for their hard-earned tax dollars."

Hansen's budget doesn't look out that far. What it shows, however, is that even while B.C. was balancing budgets, our debt was climbing as we poured billions of dollars into capital spending, for schools, hospitals and other infrastructure.

When they came to office in 2001, the Liberals inherited a total debt of about $34 billion. At the outer end of the forecast in the current budget that debt is expected to grow to just under $56 billion.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Another+another+budget+bills+pile/2643853/story.html

Ben, could you please ask Mr. Campbell the following question? (I got this sentence from an article I recently read on the internet).

"Should one generation consume beyond its means and either expect or hope that the next generations will somehow pick up the tab?"

Be prepared for the usual lies and bullcrap.

Wonder if he still travels with multiple body guards?
I hear he has more muscle surrounding him that the Queen of England did when she visited here..

I wouldn't mind a little one one one with this yahoo....but he would be too chicken I am sure....and I am not stupid enough to execute that , but doesn't stop the feelings or desires...

Oh my .... we were building schools and hospitals for a growing population and an aging population .....

Time to heal and educate ourselves at home, eh ???!!!

The words below are from a 2004 linked article

"From 'zero' in 1871, British Columbia's debt today (2004) exceeds $37.3 billion. Since the arrival of party politics in B.C. a century ago, not a single government -- Conservative, Liberal, Social Credit, or NDP -- has left office with the provincial debt lower than when it first took power."

It is well worth your while to read the history part half way down the page

http://thetyee.ca/Views/2004/08/09/BCDebt

The elusive dream .... get rid of the debt ...

Even Alberta, sitting on various discoveries of oil and sticking their "luck" to the rest of Canada by being mega gluttons (blue eyed Sheiks, as Newman called them), has been wandering in and out of debt.

This site shows different numbers for BC debt.

http://www.scotiacapital.com/English/bns_econ/bcbudget.pdf

Based on the graph at the top of the second page to the right.

2001 - $25 billion
2004 - $30 billion
2007 - $26 billion
2009 - $26.5 billion
2010 - $29 billion
2013 - $38 billion

The debt service as a % of revenue was about 7% in 2001. In 2008 that dropped to 4% and is expected to rise back up to 5.5% in 2013.

Here is Ontario's debt service as % of revenue
2000 - 11.5%
2009 - 9.5%
2010 - 9.75%

No forward going information ....
http://www.scotiacapital.com/English/bns_econ/onbudget.pdf

Luckily we live in BC where the guy in cahrge does not like debt ..... but hey, he did not cause the economic crash in the USA ..... and he is not responsible for drawing a line in the sand that divided Alberta from BC and we ended up getting the dregs in the global oil game.

Ain't it wonderful to live in BC!!!!

Oh .... don't forget that while Alberta has the oil, we get to build old age homes and hospitals and provide other medical services for those Albertans that retire to the land of their orgins and or the land of their dreams.

Wonder why we have to build medical services infrastructure?

:-)

Funny that Campbell is in the north just when VanderZalm is? I think he is getting nervous.

I hope he took in a huge big breath of air.

He's a convicted felon.it doesn't matter which country,he was convicted of an offence that is the same in Canada as the U.S.

When we start letting convicts run the government this is what happens.

When the Premier was on the Meisner program a few years back when Vancouver was awarded the Olympics, he said that the North would be flooded with tourists after the Olympics were over.
They will leave Vancouver and travel to the Island, taking the Island Highway north and the Ferries to Prince Rupert he said.
The will spread out through the north and most will come through Prince George to the "Heartland", he said.
Maybe that is why he is really here, too shake the hands of all those big money spending tourists that should be right here , right now, today!!!!!

The tourists saw the news reports about how bad our air is here. Prince George has absolutely nothing to offer tourists except an added hotel tax. It is a known fact how stinky and polluted it is here. Most carry on to Vanderhoof to spend the night. Where are the attractions? The Museum is a filthy mess. This is a pipe dream our oblivious council has.

This is political posturing...Campbell is running scared.
He hears the footsteps coming up behind and he has a lot of questions to answer.
Big questions that stink really bad.
My guess is he will run before he has to answer anything.
Assuming of course his party doesn't devour him....as they should.
Interesting how one man's bad leadership can destroy an entire party.

I know that folks in their late 30's and 40's are against the pulp mill being in the bowl. You see a lot of folks that have been here for a while now are getting sick of the poor air and say the pulp mill should go why should they. See folks are raising a family here because it is cheaper then other parts of the province and have settled here like myself. I think it's time to find other way to make money then hurting the people that live here. Also like I have stated time and time again. We need to make this small city cycle and transit friendly. Half hour waits for bus rides is not transit friendly at all. We have a problem now with hit and run of folks walking along sidewalks which is just sick. And may I add again for the gawd knows how many times now. Why are we not tapping into solar power and growing hemp to add jobs in this region.

Campbell will likely be replaced as leader, but to suggest he is 'running scared' is a little off the mark. If he was running scared, you would think one of the last places he would want to be is on the Meisner show.

As for the HST campaign, all it will succeed in doing is make people who hate the government hate them some more, and Campbell doesn't care what those people think. It is like he says 'a done deal'.

By saying the HST is a done deal,Campbell is looking for a subliminal edge.
As in..hey,it is a done deal...there is nothing you can do...so why bother to fight it?
That is what he wants you to believe.
That is also a load of crap.
Even though there is always a chance he may well be right,we at least have to try.
Just once,I would like to see people stand up to this kind of dictatorship by election that attempts to pass for "government".
In any event,it IS going to cost Campbell his job and rightly so.
The HST will also cost a lot of other Liberal politicians in the party their jobs as well, and they know that.
Don't make the mistake of thinking all is well within the ranks.
Which is why they will eat him...or be eaten themselves by the voters.
And let's also not make the mistake of thinking all Liberals in Campbells government are evil.
That's simply not true...some are damn good people.
Unfortunately,just as many are self-serving egomaniacs fighting to get to the deep end of the public trough where the good stuff is.
Better we fight the HST than lay down again!

Gus, you have pretty much hit the nail square on the head.... AGAIN. Sure you do not want to run for political office.

The leader of this province needs to be strong and with a vision for a long term success. We need to ensure that we have the building blocks in place so that future generations can also enjoy prosperity. Four laning the Carriboo Connector is a major step. Hooking up the Carriboo Connector to the Coq will be another major step. Improving the Pine pass to the Alaska Hwy is very important, if we want to gain back the Northeast corner of the province. When we spend money on these basic building block, we are investing into the future.

When we spend money into the health care, we are essentially paying back to the people who built this province. When we spend money on the education system we are investing into the future.

When we spend money on the social issues, we are not investing, but buying ourselves a clear concisous (sic). It is about being Canadian.

The olympics, was an excuse to circulate money through our economy.

I am not an economist, but I think we need to keep the money rotating, if it means building infrastructure to get the people working, so be it. At least it gives people the opportunity to earn a living, not being dependent upon a dole out.

"In any event,it IS going to cost Campbell his job and rightly so.
The HST will also cost a lot of other Liberal politicians in the party their jobs as well, and they know that."

You're right Andyfreeze. The problem with it is that they will all benefit from the HST as business owners, if it does get rammed down our throats.
It looks like our parliamentary dicktatorship is alive and well in BC!

BCRacer:

I laughed at your post because I had a run in with Gordo and his boot strap militia up at UNBC during his first elected period. I was at the University along with a couple of other disabled people to protest the disabled recertification that was forced upon us (You know the one that cost millions of dollars and found no one not eligable for disability, despite causing serveal well documented disabled suicides in the province?). Since the protesters were locked out of the conference and reduced to banging on glass, I took the opportunity to drive around the campus and saw three or four big black SUV's ideling in a back parking lot. Inside were the familiar looking blue suit types with obvious ear pieces on and I knew I had found Gordo's getaway plan. I went back to the leader of the protest and told him what I had found and I asked for about fifty protesters to wait around the corner out of sight while we awaited his escape. After sitting by the door for about an hour and a half (all the while the SUV's idleing away their poluting exhaust) I sat in plain view by the door with my protest sign that said "you are attacking the disabled". He finally was seen walking with his usual posse of believers and when he walked through the door I walked up to him and asked him if he had ever heard Gahndi's quote "Poverty is the worst form of violence"? Just as I got out the words, the hidden protesters swarmed the premire and since this was before he understood he needed security to survive his cruelty he only had one or two thugs with him. Just as I finished with gahndi's quote his head of security blind sided me from behind crashing a clearly disabled man to the ground. Gordo's reaction was to run for the trucks. He got to the open door at the same time as a female from his entourage. He pushed her to the ground and dove for the safety of the truck while the woman was left to get up and fend for herself. I knew then what a cowardly bully we had for a premire at that exact instant. Unfortunately, for them they had parked in a lot with only one exit and the protesters easily blocked the progress of the SUV"S which responded with threatening engine reving and sudden jumps in the attempt to scatter the crowd. Finally the SUV"S made it out of the parking lot but due to UNBC"S one way road they were then forced to go back towards the protesters who simply climbed up the grass from the parking lot and back onto the street to again block the motorcade. Eventually, the police arrived and Gordo and his thugs made their escape in a blaze of acceleration and pollution from the giant trucks. As we returned to the University our protest group was peppered with city police who were all huffing and puffing from their exertion. Instead of continued aggresion we talked with the police and thanked them for their professional application of force to free the premire and his posse. I looked at one of the officers and asked him if it rubbed him the wrong way to have to protect someone who was so rapidly damaging the province. He looked at me and with a single nod of his head, showed he too knew even at this early date that British Columbians had made a fatal mistake in electing this man into office. Little did we know then that the public would repeat the same mistakes over and over through ignorance and re-election.

I don't understand why Gordo wouldn't want to talk to you and your surly mob. You sound like a bunch of wonderful and pleasant people.

A lot of folks that post on here like the status quo

Why do people think Campbell gives two craps about getting turfed out and losing his job? He thinks he has accomplished what he has set out to do and will retire with a big fat pension, along with all his cronies. To truly punish them we need to have a recall of this gov't, turf them out sans any pensions, then maybe politicians will think twice about ignoring the publics' voice.

Interesting post Realist...it's unfortunate this incident didn't get more press at the time it happened...not that the Liberal loving mainstream media would have reported it anyway.
I am always amazed at how well Campbell keeps the stinky stuff off himself,but guess who helps him do that?
And let's face it,the cops have no choice but to do what they are told and keep their mouths shut, but in the end they are voters with families, just like the rest of us.

Gordon Campbell is a habitual liar,he has lied so many times,he can`t be trusted.

Gordon Campbell does not care about people,sorry folks,he cares about the rich,that will never change.


http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.com/2010/03/flight-of-butterfly.html

Andyfreeze:

The press never even got a whiff of this as the action was at the front of the school and we were in the back. That was when I learned the value of including the press in actions (Yes, Gordo has taught me a vast amount about advocacy and standing up to political bullies). Interesting enough I was later at CNC and there was a big political presentation going on about some funding cut that was being promoted as a funding increase. There was some speculation that his nibs might be there for this event but, it was now hush hush as he now, he realized the danger he was in due to some people being aware of his W.M.D. status. As I went through the halls I ran into the same security guy that blindsided me at UNBC. I said "I know you your Gordos security head", and this caused him to run at top speed down into the bowls of the school. One of the instructors at the college told me later that he saw Campbell being rushed out of the building without making his surprise appearance. Evidently the thought of angry students being told that Gordo was in their midst was simply too much for his sense of personal safety and he ran like a good coward should.

Oh yeah and as far as MRPG's comment.

Even someone with little social value would see the personality flaw in a man who pushes women out of their way, putting their own safety before them. Since this is missing in your insult, I fail to see any use in giving any further value to anything that might be posted under your nickname. Goodbye.

You've proven my point beautifully 'realist'. Thanks again.

No disrespect to believers like MrPg,but one of the things people consistantly miss is that pressure from diehard Liberals on the rank and file membership is what it will take to see Campbell on his way out.
Those who can't see what is happening will go down with him I suppose.
The lack of leadership in the opposition isn't helping anyone but Campbell himself either.
It is hard to fathom why anyone in the party would continue to support him,which is why he has an inner circle where he hides.
Nobody outside the circle gets in and he continually recycles his chosen few through various ministries to keep outsiders away.
The backbenchers will spend their careers there,like mushrooms in the dark.
He has progressed to the point where he is now a serious handicap to the party.
It is not so much about B.C.Liberals in general,(I was a card carrying Liberal party member until Campbell)..as it is about just plain bullying and intimidation.
Most people don't see the real Gordon Campbell often enough to understand just how bad he really is for B.C.
All they usually see is his smiling face telling people how good things are in B.C. and how lucky we are to have him.
He loves us all.
The long term implications from his self-serving leadership will be far reaching.
I continue to think that those in the party who really care about this province will stand up to him.
He is a man out of control, and one day soon it be his undoing.
Contrary to what Campbell seems to think,he is not fooling anyone,and he is not bullet proof.
There IS a line and he has crossed it many times.
His luck is about to run out.

Are you trying to convince us or yourself?

Anyway, I never disputed that Campbell will likely be gone before the next election. Mind you, as long as Carole James hangs around, he's always got a chance.

"The HST is a done" Typical arrogant statement from the elitist that he is.

The people deserved at least some
discussion on this before it was jammed down their throats. Now in absence of said discussion I hope someone sticks a fork in this guy's smug attitude and calls him "done" too.

MrPG:"You've proven my point beautifully 'realist'. Thanks again."

Precisely! More than 50 protesters blocked the road more than once and not ONE of them went later to the media to report this alleged incident???

I don't believe any of it.

yeah - lets sign up for 10 years of NDP socialism. get serious.

I can be gone for a couple of weeks and its the same morons with the anti gov crap when ever I get back . I am begining to think the NDP pays you idiots to post on here thinking you are making a difference. The last few day i have started asking different business leaders if they ever read opinion 250. NOT ONE . Not ever ONE do They are out building the provice while you idiots think you are making a difference tearing it down. I might check back later to see if any of you goofs have got a life yet although I doubt I will waste my time.

Mr PG why waste your time. These morons are beyond help or reason.

I love Gordon Campbell because he doesn't care what you think, and will win in the end. The NDP is a walking case of failure and until they get it together or someone forms another party worth voting for the Liberals will remain in power.

Mr PG why waste your time. These morons are beyond help or reason.

Millions of people in the world would like to live and work in beautiful British Columbia if they would be allowed to immigrate to Canada! Perhaps tens of millions, given a chance!

Some of the griping and bleating which goes on endlessly here on this site could make the uninformed think to believe that we are living in worse conditions then exist in Somalia or some other hellhole!

Get real! Our politicians are ELECTED and we regularly get an opportunity to vote them out!

This is democracy and the envy of many who wish they had the rights and privileges we enjoy!

Our politicians are not perfect but they are neither criminals, thugs, thieves nor dictators! People who call them that are totally out for lunch - perhaps they would be willing to trade place with people who are truly oppressed and arrested for making such slanderous accusations, tortured and never heard from again!

Here is a bit of high power wisdom:

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill

HA HA..LOL LOL...Hilarious, The Habitual Liar Gordon Campbell comes to Prince George and the (PAB) public affairs bureau hits the blogs...

Guess you guys missed the latest poll..Gordon Campbell got the big Olympic bounce...He is polling at 23%...

Gordon Campbell and the neo-cons..Socialize corporate losses and privatize public tax dollars..

http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.com/2010/03/gordon-campbells-decade-of-deception.html

Gordon Campbell couldn`t run a peanut or lemonade stand.

The internal back stabbing in the BC Liberals is at fever pitch, gordon Campbell is taking the entire liberal party out with him..The Habitual Liar Campbell $495 million deficit max($4 billion deficit)..No HST...Then jam it down our throats..Cut/slash burn!

The last act of a desperate scoundrel is to wrap themselves in the flag(and red mittens to cover blood stained hands)

Didn`t work..Read the latest Angus Reid Poll here...Campbell has a 76% disapproval rate..23% approve of Scampbell`s performance...Those are "recall in the Fall" numberr..."Recall in the Fall"..."Recall in the Fall"..."Recall in the Fall"

Latest poll here.

http://www.visioncritical.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/2010.03.15_Premiers_CAN.pdf

Some interesting comments from the usual left wing looonies that subscribe to Opinion250.

For a third term government, in the middle of their current mandate, Campbell spoke to a record sell out crowd of over 1100 people at the civic centre on Wednesday night. He was pasionate, he was enthusiastic, he was practical, and most importantly, he was miles ahead of madame James.

The HST protest is doomed to failure, and the premier is destined to win the next election with an increasde majority. The Olympics were fantastic, and were delivered on budget, exactly as advertized.

Here we go again. Settle down Children, or we bring out the, "cut you off again". Do you need to make 10 posts on an item.
If you can't control your actions we will set about to do it for you.

Meisner

Thank you Ben. I too am getting quite tired of the same posters rantings. I say cut them off Opinon 250 will be better for it.