Oh my gosh, Ben, are we experiencing a "holier than thou art" moment????
You claim the media cannot be judge, jury and executioner, and yet I have been subjected to your critism when you chose to wear all three "hats" on your Talk Back morning show.
Your pre judgemental attitude towards my case was done so without your obtaining knowledge of the actual facts.
I do not suppose this would make for your opinion of good reporting-or would it. Seemed like you wanted to hear more so from the old faithfuls who called in and boosted your ego to the extreme.
No, Ben, pots calling kettles black does not, nor will it, impress me. Honesty and integrity are not requirements in this day and age.
Those who still believe there should be some evidence of "fair" play must be squashed. At least, we must attempt to stop them from being heard.
You are so intelligent and knowledgeable, and I sincerely feel you should run for Mayor. But please, for only 3 years. You will clean up City Hall your way-and those who disagree will be more than welcome to hit the highway.
My only hope would be that when you attack, it will be in the right areas, and, I hope, not an axe will be evident for you to grind. It would surely be the toughest job you ever took on.
Just another hat for you to wear-and maybe you can do a lot of good sporting this one. Feel up to it?????

P S Yes the bottom line is the ruling feature. And really now, would you want to ruin the reputation car dealers and saleman have worked for so industriously to acquire-and keep???? Nah!!! Never happen!!!

Hey gypsy have you ever given us a 101 in car dealerships. They work so hard and I guess you imply they are just fine people. Well I'll tell you the opinion I have of car dealerships and their lazy salesmen Ben would not allow me to express on this website.
I have just recently purchased a new car and I stand by my statement that salesmen are lazy workers. You walk into a dealership and there they are like vulchers decending on their prey.
Keep it coming Ben your doing just fine.

Gypsy, it sounds like you are the one 'grinding an axe'.

As I read your posts, you are obviously carrying a lot of anger and grudges towards everyone... Ben, 'the government', the gullible and apathetic public... etc.

I would suggest that life is too short to be so angry. Take some responsibility for your life and make some changes if you don't like what's around you.

My goodness-did I step on toes- or what????
I have no axe to grind, nor would I take any of my valuable time to search one out.
I waste not time on such a useless emotion as "anger." I do not readily accept everything, but I am not reduced to anger, as I may do something foolish by acting in haste, which anger prompts one to do.
I will now make everyone happy by stating the following:
I do not care that gas prices are increasing. After all, I am not going on a big holiday to deplete my resources.
I do not care if natural gas goes up.
I do not care if Hydro goes up.
I do not care if taxes and utilities increase.
I do not care if the city issues hundreds of thousands in grants to facilities.
I do not care if gambling becomes a major social problem in this city.
I do not worry about potholes.
If the entire landscape changes due to the pine beetle, that will not concern me.
I do not care if the Americans keep all the billions collected re the Softwood Lumber tariffs.
I do not care if the Americans never pay their hydro bill.
I do not care if the Americans put a levy on Beef crossing the border now.
I do not care if NAFTA becomes non existent.
I do not care if the Feds increase taxes.
I do not care if Governments claw back on pensions.
I do not care if businesses go bankrupt.
I do not care if our tax dollars are mis used.
I do not care if our Medical System is deteriorating rapidly and people must pay for obtaining treatment elsewhere.
I do not care if teachers, nurses and doctors with hold services.
I do not care if all governments and services increase their pay rates to accommodate inflation, and can add on a little more for entertainment.
I do not care if businesses increase goods and services to cover their increased costs.
I do not care if rents go sky high.
I do not care if mortgage rates go up.
I do not care if we never see another tourist.
I do not care if 100 studies are done re downtown Prince George.
Anybody get the message yet. None of these things will directly affect me, so once again, I DO NOT CARE--for myself that is.
I DO CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WILL SUFFER DUE TO ALL THE ABOVE TAKING PLACE.
I simply want people to PAY ATTENTION to what is taking place during these times.
I know now I am ASKING TOO MUCH.
Thanks again to the previous postings. Some people just don't get it!!!! Is it possible I maybe CARE TOO MUCH????

GYPSY...You sound just like a Federal or Provicial LIBERAL. AS they do not Care..We still love you,even though you sound like one of the greedy asses.

Isn't it interesting that the most dominant ad on this blog is the one for Wood Wheaton, a major player in the Mega Sale and competitor of Northland Dodge Superstore?

One could argue this site is giving too much play to this "story" and could be seen as attempting to use its influence to further the agenda of its own advertisers.

We must remember that it is the advertisers, not the media companies, that must ensure they are complying with the regulations of their governing bodies. The media are right to accept and run this advertising. Furthermore, this is only an accusation and investigation at this point, and certainly nothing criminal.

The media must obviously follow the laws that apply to them, but what the advertiser is claiming in this ad is outside the media's responsibility.

Shawn Petriw

Oh hell, maybe I better switch to The Tyee. Seems nobody gets the message intended on this site. No wonder we do not get any respect--we are not deserving.
Sad, but true!!!!

"Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one."

- AJ Liebling

Shawn Petriw

Shawn I like the quote.

Ben I can say you've censored some of my posts for what I thought was questionable, but I will give it to you that you have left my posts in place that are critical of the campground owners in town even though they advertise on your site.

I respect a man that will practice what he preaches.

I think Opinion 250 should be commended for covering a story the other media didn't touch. The fact a car dealership's ads are being "looked at" is news. Thanks for telling the story the other media outlets seemed to have "missed."

Ah gypsy, I think thou doth (sp?) protest too much.

As for the things 'you don't care' about, none of this is news to people.

People are aware of most of what you wrote, they just realize that life is too short to grind that many axes and they tend to focus on what they can control.

If you spend too much time obsessing about the things you can't control, you'll go crazy.

MrPG, Shakespeare yet!!!You do surprise me!!!
Probably just a "one liner."
I have naught an axe to grind.
I care naught if you approve or disapprove of my postings.
My one attempt-to tell the truth and shame the devil!!!!
It is perhaps a bit of the devil in so many that mock the truth!!!!

Gypsy, it really doesn't matter who approves or disapproves of anyones postings, except for the folks who moderate here.

As for my observations regarding most of what you post, I still stand by them... for what it's worth.

Canadian Police To Be
Given More Power To Snoop
By Bill Curry
The Globe and Mail
8-19-5

OTTAWA -- The federal government will introduce legislation this fall that would give police and national security agencies new powers to eavesdrop on cellphone calls and monitor the Internet activities of Canadians, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said yesterday.

The bill would allow police to demand that Internet service providers hand over a wide range of information on the surfing habits of individuals, including on-line pseudonyms and whether someone possesses a mischief-making computer virus, according to a draft outline of the bill provided to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

After a speech to a police association in Ottawa, Mr. Cotler confirmed that his government will soon bring "lawful access" legislation to cabinet for final approval before it is introduced in the House of Commons.

The minister said the law is needed to replace outdated surveillance laws that were written before the arrival of cellphones and e-mail.

"We will put law-enforcement people on the same level playing field as criminals and terrorists in the matter of using technology and accessing technology," he said.

"At the same time we will protect the civil libertarian concerns that are involved such as privacy and information surveillance,"the minister said.

Police groups say they are not asking for any new powers but rather the ability to continue their regular investigative activities in the digital age.

Clayton Pecknold of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police said police are working with laws originally written in 1974, a time when wiretapping involved climbing telephone poles.

"The laws were written for a wired world as opposed to the wireless world," he said. "We are not asking that we be given any powers without a court order."

But critics who have been involved in private consultations with the government are expressing concern that the proposed law goes too far and could ultimately be used to nab Canadians as they engage in relatively minor offences such as downloading music, movies and computer software without paying for them.

The law would force Internet service providers to retain records on the Internet use of its clients in such a way that it can be easily retrieved by police, doing away with the need in many cases to seize an individual's computer as part of an investigation.

In her submission to the government earlier this year, Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart concluded that Ottawa and the police have not provided enough justification to warrant such a law.

"We remain skeptical about the need for these potentially intrusive and far-reaching measures," she wrote. Ms. Stoddart noted the law could give police access to global-positioning-system data from cellphones combined with electronic banking data that could allow the government to track an individual's every move.

"The digits we punch into a modern telephone do not just connect us to another party, they can also reveal our financial transactions, PIN numbers and passwords, or even health information." Michael Geist, a University of Ottawa law professor who took part in the consultations, said the proposed law goes "well, well beyond" updating references to analog technology. "For individual Canadians, this is an issue that should attract enormous interest because it fundamentally reshapes the Internet in Canada, creating significant new surveillance powers," he said.

Alex Swan, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan, who will be introducing the bill, said the new law will not add any new offences to the current list in the Criminal Code that can be used to justify a wiretap.

While that list of more than 100 crimes does include a host of sections dealing with terrorism and organized crime, it also includes theft, mischief and keeping a gaming or betting house.

Mr. Swan said judicial oversight will prevent police from using the new surveillance law for minor offences, as will the cost involved in using such surveillance methods.

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