Free = no HST! :-)

Folks, little by little we eventually will have no due process. As the regulations of bureaucracy replace the concept of due process we are all asleep, and few people really realizes what is taking place... in the name of efficiencies I'm sure.. but in reality enabling the power creep of totalitarianism.

I found out about Regulation 179 this week. A bureaucratic regulation to remove visa rights from a person through anonymity for vague interpretations of a hidden bureaucrat. There is no appeal process... no opportunity to provide any requirements lacking, no opportunity to even know what the exact lacking requirement is... all they have to say is the visa is flagged for regulation 179 and the persons visa is pulled.

Usually Regulation179 is applied under the assumption the person won't leave the country if asked at a future hypothetical date... the reasons for the assumption can be many and obtuse, thereby giving wide latitude to the bureaucrat who doesn't have to give their name, nor hear an appeal, latitude to make any kind of erroneous assumption, and not even have to record what the specific assumption is.

I had it applied to my fiancee this week with no reason given. It broke her heart, because she is a good person that goes to church ever Sunday, has a registered nursing degree, and does a lot to help the poor in her home town. She was and would be no financial burden to Canada and could only contribute. My sister has a child with cerebral palsy and for her the extra help is invaluable. Regulation 179 does not provide for even an opportunity to present this, much less take it into account.

I guess if one crosses Jason (Israel) Kenney (Canadian Immigration Minister), then one can expect as much. These people never did believe in due process. Seeing as we only have Dick Harris as a local MP, one would think his office could provide insight. His executive assistant explains that Regulation 179 is a good law even if some people get hurt from the process, or lack thereof... her suggestion is to 'get divorced and merry a Canadian girl'. Great so now we have hidden nameless bureaucrats that should be making that decision for us with no due process.

A while back I funded a rice distribution non-profit enterprise in Davao. A concept they didn't have was the buy large quantity at discount and distribute it to many in smaller quantity with small markup and not large markup all the time.. empowering smaller yet buyers and sellers, and feeding people in the process. There is no money in it, just a dose of dignity for all involved. Our cost relative to theirs is insignificant. In Davao they have little real money, but they all live for their dignity and are eager to earn it the hard way if necessary... where as in Canada we have large incomes, but we allow the bureaucracy to take more and more of our dignity every day and we do nothing about it, because after all it all comes down to money... due process be damned.

The rice distribution is self sustainable... I sometimes think maybe its time to take it to the next level in the land of the free. If a man has a full stomach and is appreciated he can afford to maintain his dignity and prosper.

In Canada soon we will have efficiencies of nothing.. so we will have no rights anymore with bureaucracies having internal regulations that effect everyone and short circuit our common concept for 'justice' in the rule of law, the bureaucracy avoids laws passed through the legislature, and thus we see the enabling loss of due process.

We see it with ICBC, we see it with regulation 179, and we even see it in HST and our latest provincial income tax cuts. Its all around us and everywhere.. the concept of due process is no longer something Canadians respect... on a day when we remembered what our past generations fought for I think they would turn in their graves if they new what is the norm today.

Due process for someone who gets into the country wearing a mask, but no due process for someone like Grace who has every right to be here....

No Gus, you are wrong again. Free equals having a debate on the matter... ideally at election time, and thus having an informed vote, and a legislative debate prior to any HST being enacted. The concept of due process being recognized as the foundation of legitimate legislation.

Your patronizing the anti-HST movement shows your true contempt for the due process past generations of Canadians cherished as a whole part of 'being free'. How ironic that you would do that so close to Remembrance Day. A Freudian slip I'm sure....

And now the BC Government will do everything it can to convince us not to recall the HST... i heard on the news this morning they are crying about it is going to cost us 5 billion dollars, and another multi million to get the tax collectors back to work. Implied threats of income tax increase, ( removal of Campbells latest "PROMISE"), loss of of the HST refund..except that is was originally a GST refund...so that shouldn't change except the name.
Wonder what other threats they are going to come up with....
I also seen wher big business is saying how it is they are going to suffer so badly..but we all know the only people gaining from the HSYT is government and big business...
so be prepared to be inindated with government propaganda and with held truths..aka in my opinion LIES!!!!!

try the trucking industry twinbell91,you will really see chaos.they really have not led me to believe they love canada,just a thought,,,,,,immigration has changed ,,,

Harper, our minority Prime Minister, has done it again! And he chose Remembrance Day for it. What hubris.
His promise to bring the troops home from Bush's War has become "inoperative". They will not return "until 2014". Don't bet on that date either.
Technically he is obeying the will of Parliament by taking our soldiers from Kandahar, but the intent was to remove them from the war altogether.
Harper did this even as he has shamelessly cut support from those soldiers who return injured in mind and body.
This war against Afghanistan is immoral and ill-fated. To pretend that all that is required for our pet dictator to prevail is a bit more training for his corrupt troops and police is ridiculous. They have had nine years to be "trained" and are still hopelessly brutal and corrupt.

Filled up yesterday, 89.4 cents a litre, no carbon tax, and no PST. Went out for a beer last night $3.50 for a bottle of domestic. The only tax, GST, and it was included. Moving to Alberta has been a true TAX RELIEF! Oh and by the way, the roads are smooth as glass.

If you value gas and beer over lakes, rivers, mountains and the ocean Alberta is truly heaven on earth.

Eagleone

"These people" ???

what are we going to be doing on Afghanistan after 2011? Harper has extended the mission with no debate in Parliament.

Beware the "White Knuckle" driver, they're back with a death grip on the wheel, their teeth gritted so hard they are close to snapping off, the tunnel vision is turned on and they are driving down Foothills at 45kmph riding the brakes all the way down with the highbeams on. I know that because every driver coming up the hill gave this driver a flash and when I finally got to go by after North Nechako the high beams stayed on until the driver crossed the bridge.

If you're so scared sh**less to drive in winter conditions, do others a favour and stay home or get someone else to drive you.

This goes out too that little brunette behind the wheel of that Blue subaru.
Thanx I no I;m number one!3 times I have caught U talking on the phone while driving,cause U live in the heights does this make U privilaged,next time I will call U in or ??? we will see!

evryone needs to drive carefully in the snow!!!
i for one am nervous driving in this crap, not because i am scared of snow, but because all the other idiots on the road thinking they can drive like its a sunny day. have respect for other vehicals on the road not every one is used to driving in snow...

Minus 10 this morning here at the cabin, with the wind coming off the lake.
Ice along the shore.
Even the geese and the ducks look cold.
They had better get going,it's a long way home.
The swans look quite happy and will stay as long as there is open water in the creeks,sometimes they stay all winter.
The number of swans that hang around are usually an indication of how cold the winter will be.
Ah well...put another log in the wood stove and refill the coffee cup
Going to be a nice weekend me thinks.
As long as I don't turn the news on,all will be right with the world!

Glad to see the Liberals are back to using there doom and gloom in regards to canceling the HST. I guess Campbell and Hanson are taking one more run at trying to convince the public that taking 2 billion a year out of Joe citizen's pocket is a good thing and everyone should be smiling.
We hear and read about cuts to services from the Liberals if the HST is rescinded.
Simply amazing how a supposedly revenue neutral tax is now going to create all kinds of cuts to services, increased msp premiums, etc.
Given the track record of lies, and the actions of Campbell, Hanson, and the rest of the Lieberals over the past year who can believe anything they say or publish.
Recall is the only thing the Liberal MLA's may comprehend.

On a more positive note - nice to see members of Darren Fitzpatrick's brigade coming to PG to honor one of their own.

Whatever happened to Prince Georges bid to have an army reserve based here?

opine, they had one, they got rid of it.

Big rescue at Fang cave overnite. All went well.

Corky Evans for Prime Minister!

http://www.thecanadian.org/k2/item/358-corky-evans-2

Don't ya just love what Campbell and the Liebrals are doing to us all?

http://www.thecanadian.org/k2/item/367-poor-pinocchio-campbell-sob-story

Andyfreeze, I'm jealous, i wish i was able to see your view of the lake. but i hear you, I've got my woodstove all stoked up, a hot coffee on, and a light dusting of snow on the yard, time to turn off the noise of the world and reflect.
Thanks for putting me in a good place.
have a great weekend everyone.

acrider54: there are several reasons why some people drive so slowly in winter conditions. Maybe they didn't get their winter tires on yet or maybe they bought the cheapest tires they could and now they are finding out how 'good' they are. Some people think their 'all season' tires are just fine or they have front wheel or 'all wheel' drive and don't need 'winter' tires. Some people get a scare when they first pull out onto their street and think that the traction is that bad everywhere. They don't realise they can test the traction anywhere, carefully. Maybe it is their first time driving on ice. Or maybe they have very wide useless tires. As for the highbeams, well that is an indication that they really aren't 'with it'. Why didn't you call them in and let the police check them out? Do everyone a favour next time and be patient out there. Don't add to their nervousness and don't let them add to your frustration.

Not sure of your skills or tires? Go to a big open parking lot, like CN Centre and try cornering, stopping, skid control or maybe hire a driving instructor for an hour or two and let them help you out. Remember that road surfaces can change in 100 feet, especially close to intersections where trafic slows and stops and where snow can compact more easily, or in areas where the roadway is shaded. You are a much better driver if you can drive confidently.

There was a lot of black ice on the roads this morning. I don't blame people for taking it slow. The idiots that were blasting past everyone this morning - that's a different story.

I pulled out of my driveway this morning to a layer of ice on the street that looked like glass - I have top of the line winter tires and they didn't have much of a grip.

'Way to go Andyfreeze! Enjoy it. Some of us have to work the weekends but it sure sounds nice. I live in town and I certainly enjoy my wood heat too. Let us know if the swans all leave. Some people are predicting a cold winter but I don't think anyone can predict the weather any more.

'Way to go Andyfreeze! Enjoy it. Some of us have to work the weekends but it sure sounds nice. I live in town and I certainly enjoy my wood heat too. Let us know if the swans all leave. Some people are predicting a cold winter but I don't think anyone can predict the weather any more.

Harper "His promise to bring the troops home from Bush's War has become "inoperative". They will not return "until 2014". Don't bet on that date either."

We should take our clues from Ron Paul, a Republican and from texas to boot. His advice - quit the military spending and being the policemen of the world.

Here is a portion by Ron Paul:

"As a matter of fact, I did a speech last week -- a five-minute speech on the House floor, it was called "The War that Is not a War." And I made the point, it was not a war, it wasn't declared. How can it be a war, we are not fighting against a government? We are fighting against a group of people that don't have planes or tanks or ships or missiles or anything.

"It is an insurgency. And the insurgency is all because we are over there. They don't like foreigners, and we were part of their insurgency when the Russians were there and the Soviets were there. We joined Osama bin Laden and we joined them in trying to get rid of them. At that time they were called the mujahedeen and now they are called the Taliban.

"No. It makes no sense whatsoever, it's not in the interest of our national security. Even our CIA now says there are very few if any al Qaeda in Afghanistan. They've chased them all over to Pakistan. Where are you going to chase them to? Take over Pakistan? Then Yemen and then Somalia? We just don't need to be the world's policeman. I think we are digging a hole for ourselves."

Nothing new to me and many of us in Canada, except for Harper's Conservatives.

I would much rather someone driving slowly and carefully on icy surfaces if they are unsure of conditions as opposed to those morons who think they can drive like it's summertime outside! Have patience, and be thankful that person isn't driving out of control and causing accidents. The roads were very icy this morning. A student was hit by a car at a school this morning. Don't sit there and spout off, complaining that people are driving too slow, be thankful that they are!

My computer lives. I busted the bracket replacing that holds the battery in place inside the motherboard. So I MacGyvered it with duck tape. Worked fine until I once tried to boot into Windows and it only went to my bios but seen all the parts were seen in the bios. So I unplugged it and figured it died. The other night I took the battery out and put it back into the socket plugged it in and it booted into Windows. I do know you have to take the battery out for a day to clear the cmos. Something about that. But here I am online once again. I see lots happens when you don't have a computer. Have a good day folks

One other thing, I was nervous this morning. It's a bit of a shock to be driving on icy roads again. Takes a while to get used to it. I slowed down, not only so that I wouldn't cause an accident, but more cautious of those around me who may not be slowing down. Driving according to the road conditions is what the driver feels is appropriate for THEM, not what YOU THINK should be appropriate for them. Get a grip, take a deep breath, and enjoy a slower pace for a change, until you can get past. I'm sure it slowed you down no more than a few minutes.

"I pulled out of my driveway this morning to a layer of ice on the street that looked like glass - I have top of the line winter tires and they didn't have much of a grip.:

DUH ... physics anyone????

Winter tires are great when going skiing to Purden and getting up the access road with switchbacks, packed snow, no iced sections, and 10 cm of new snow on it. Of course, they are totally useless undr those conditions on a light pickup with rear wheel drive and no weight over them driven by someone who thinks winter driving is driving in Richmond in January.

"Whatever happened to Prince Georges bid to have an army reserve based here?"

We were unsuccessful. We got the Winter Games instead.

Ron Paul ~ the guy who would put the USA back on the "gold standard". Can't think of anything that would please N M Rothschild & Sons more!

Except perhaps what Rand Paul, ol' Ron's newly elected Seantor son is advocating ~ paying off the US National Debt.

Through removing MORE of what is already insufficient in the hands of the American public - 'money'. Not through taxing them more, which Obama's already doing, but through not distributing any more of it to them in the first place. Same POLICY, different method.

Both these crackpots are a greater danger to the USA than the Taliban, and will cost the American people far more if they ever follow their ideas than they've ever wasted in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.

"Driving according to the road conditions is what the driver feels is appropriate for THEM, not what YOU THINK should be appropriate for them"

Well let ME think about this a bit. If I (Whoops that's hard to capitalize)deem the road too slippery for YOU to drive on, I think I will drive at say 45 kmph on a highway that is posted at say 100kmph to save YOUR ass because I'M doing YOU and OTHERS a favor by holding traffic up for miles because I (still can't do it)FIGURE it's too slippery for YOU to drive on the road.

Maybe THEM should have some courtesy and pull to the side of the road.

One more winter driving point, if you are too nervous to drive safely and you are going to impede traffic, STAY HOME!!

What exactly did I say that warranted a personal attack from Gus? Seriously - are you just slamming people for kicks on here? All I was trying to say is that the strees were slippery this morning - regardless of whether you have winter tire.

1) Speed limit is not 100km on Foothills. Which leads me to my next point

2) Who is the hazard, the person driving 45km or the person, such as yourself, who is a hothead behind the wheel and has no comprehension as to what the speed limit even is?

Just sayin, give people a chance to get used to the conditions for crying out loud. It takes time. Usually we see idiots driving too fast thinking they are on dry pavement and end up in the ditch and / or put others in danger. So someone was taking it easy, felt unsure and wanted to be safe. Take a deep breath, leave a little earlier, allow a little room and give them a break!

Pay no attention to Gus StreetWise2. Gus portrays himself as a "been there done that" guy and he likes to belittle everyone with the things he THINKS he knows about practically every subject on the planet.

And yes, I do agree with you on one point, pulling over and letting people pass you, if you are holding up traffic, is the courteous thing to do.

If you must do 45kmh in a 50kmh zone on a 4 lane road stay right!

Canada finally signed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples today. The U.S. remains the only country that hasn't signed on. I think the Obama administration is open to signing on soon.

Gus, I'm surprised you didn't paste a bunch of links that show the coefficient of friction between rubber and various surfaces. You're slippin'

I enjoy Gus's comments, research ability and the time he gives in providing background information to news stories - or additional information that gives the big picture.

"Gus portrays himself as a "been there done that" guy and he likes to belittle everyone with the things he THINKS he knows about practically every subject on the planet."

Ah yes .... so how exactly does that make me different from the others on here ... :-)

It is dark out in Prince George tonight ....

I'm slippin??.... and here I thought it was the tires ... :-)

Being serious for a moment jales4 ... thanks for the comment ... I aim to please when I do that, but too many people are not into "further reading" for background.

And yes, I do have a definite sarcastic streak.... and that does not come across very well to people who take themselves too seriously .....

So apologies to "StreetWise2" ....

Regarding the advice to hire a driving instructor: Have you noticed how new drivers drive?? Have you seen how driving instructors actually instruct the people they are suposedly training to drive?? Have you ever followed a student driver car? They might teach driving but they do not instill confidence and confidence is the larger part of driving safely. Going too slow is the cause of many accidents as is not learning to merge properly. If you have to stop in a merge lane, you need more training. Driving instructors?? I have to laugh when I watch them and then recall my driver training in the Canadian Armed Forces. Our driving instructors should be forced to take lessons from the DND.