Oh shit!
This is REALLY going to get nasty!
God help those people!

But they keep telling us that were a booming province!!

To any large employer, we are all just numbers on a balance sheet.

LMORG - 2 years ago I would have disagreed but now I am enlightened and have to agree!

don't worry a certain mayor will tell you that the dozen people employed at the empty CN container site and the xmas season 24/7 opening of Wal Mart will save the region.
He also was the same guy that supported the Emerson love in with Bush and cowed under re CN taking over BC Rail in one of the biggest hurts the forest ndustry has ever seen.

He will promise to limit his expenses on his upcoming trade mission to Asia.

"To any large employer, we are all just numbers on a balance sheet"

I'm not sure what you are suggesting lmorg. Are you saying that a company should continue to stay in business for the sake of the employees, when they are losing millions of dollars? How exactly would that work?

The company in question took the quick cash knowing it would likely be death for the employees and communities.

They were warned this was a short term cash grab that would cripple the industry.

And what was the alternative? Spend the next decade in court fighting the US on something that could have evolved into a major trade issue that could have impact other industries? Even if they had stuck it out, could they have afforded to do so or was that "quick cash" required just to keep the operations running?

I don't have the answers but I do know that it's allot easier to play armchair QB when you aren't the one making the decisions that could impact tens of thousands of people, hundreds of millions of dollars and trade relations with your largest trading partner :)

Companies were making huge profits at the time they took the fast cash. It was a take it or leave it offer.

No one was playing armcharir QB.

The feds forced this on the industry and certain industry players caved. (with fat wallets)

Remember when George Harper was a smiles and parading in front of the camera's so proud he had a deal???

Even Steven Bush got in on the act.

D'oh!

There is only one way to salvage the timber industry in MacKenzie. Lower stumpage rates. It's the only thing we can do, now.

But if we lower stumpage rates, and don't give people tickets for smoking in their cars, how do we come up with the cash for the big bash in Vancouver in 2010 ?