If one were a lwayer, and all you did was defend prostitutes and you took their money, could you theoretically be charged by police with "living off the avails?"

As witnessed by yet another 'urban' budget, our politicians are out of control. We, as citizens, must change our way of thinking to something different than Liberals, NDP and Greens if we want to ever make a permanent change. That's why I lead the BC Refederation Party.
votemike@telus.net

Goodmorning all. Liberals robbing people of the north. Holding us hostage with their new carbon tax. Guess we'll be susidizing the 604 again with heating our homes for the winter. The Olypics are so far in the hole they will ring us dry to pay.

Looks like the local rip off gas companies are charging the carbon tax on gas already. All it takes is a rumor from the media i.e. "Gas may raise by 3 to 5 cents per liter" Strange it jumps 9 cents a liter. Remember, Vancouver is paying a transit tax as well. How come they are paying almost 10 cents per liter less than the people in the interior? And that includes Kamloops, Kelowna, Vernon etc.

L.O.L.... Two guys walking through the graveyard. One stops to read a tomb stone...It reads...
BENJAMINE Q. SMITH
LAWYER
HONEST MAN
GREAT STATESMAN

Second guy says."Why do you look so puzzeled"....First guy answers." Wonder why they burried three guys in the same grave"

Hey Votemike, how come your Refederation Party likes the big banks so much? I looked at your website once and your Party sucks up to them like they were God. How are you going to solve any of our ongoing problems when you can't even see what IS the problem?

If we're going to have something 'new', lets have something that forces the 'figures' to fit the 'facts'. Not another group of political wannabes that identify all that should be done that could be done, but then abdicates all responsibility of doing it because, "We haven't got the money."

Last night on The National there was a couple from Prince George on. They said when they couldn't see the eclypse they turned to look for the Andromeda galaxy but instead saw the debris from the spy satellite after being hit by the US missile. Was a direct hit and they are pretty confident they destroyed the fuel tank with toxic hydrazine inside. They have a response team to recover all the hazardous materials. They'll know for sure if the tank was destroyed within 24-48 hours.

See the way I see it is if the government is going to tax us even further on fuel, lets at least put it into our roads and infrastructure, instead of lining their silver pockets. Geez the scenery here is beautiful, but Alberta is looking more and more promising

Pass the cheese please I need some with my whine. And the good news is that I cant whine any more.

I'm going to give the Mare a break. And for those wondering about the word "mare" I am not refering to a "brood mare". Our Mayor is not as valuable as a broom mare he is more like the oppsite sex and thinks we are dumb and should be able to put it to us. I promised I wouldnt cry and now Im crying in my beer.

All of you good people that grew up in SK will now what I mean.

And a last thought how many of you would like to place bets on how much the bids will come in at for the Cameron street bridge. Mine would be between 18 and 20 million. And as I have just told you Im not an engineer. Remember where I grew up? The cup is half full.

Cheers

SpruceKings make the 1 st. round playoffs.
Let's all support them and show up to the games and have a relaxing beer in the Kings Court during intermissions.

Kinsley just wants something they attach a nameplate to so he can write home and say "look there's my bridge, I was a somebody".

Comedy central! During the long and cold winters here in PG we spend many hours inside by the fire watching television. I have concluded that the parlimentary channels including the BC legislature should be quickly moved to the comedy network. I was embarassed to even allow my children to witness the antics of the people who are supposed to be governing our province, and worse yet our country as a whole. Parlimentary procedure and the comedic performances that go with it clearly demonstrate how unconcerned our elected representatives are about the real issues in this Country. Health care, Education, and the overall well being of the Canadians as a whole seem to be issues only discussed during election campaigns. This truly is the land of golden opportunity. We have natural resources comming out our ying yang, the ability to process raw material to finished product, and coastal shipping capacity at both coasts. With all this opportunity, there is absolutly no reason for 6 dollar per hour minimum wages, poverty, homelessness, Canadians without health care, and worse yet, universities our kids can not afford to attend. Whats wrong here! Time for elected officials to demonstate their committments made during election, and loose a little sleep until the real priorities of this country are dealt with.
Believe me, I am very proud to be a Canadian. My Family has been in this country since the mid 1600's. I think it is high time that as Canadians we said stop the rhetoric, and got on with focusing on our needs first, and when that is done, we can then focus on marketing our surplus. For example, 116.4 for fuel that comes out of the ground in our own country is ridiculous. Why can we not pay a Canadian price for a Canadian product, resourced and produced right here at home. If the US or anyone else would like to buy from us then world market commodity prices are fair. I think we all have many more examples to add to the list.
But then again what type of thinking would you expect from a group of people who sit in the legislature/parliment who finger point each other, pound on desks like a group of hyenas, and then clap uncontrolably when the member opposite deflects the realistic concern, and suceeds in belittling the questioning MLA/MP. It is definitly a time for change. Not a change in government, Little is done here, you just get new monkeys who are trained to do the same tricks. It is time to revamp our governace procedues to reflect the actions of real people with real passion for building this country into the incredible Country we could be.

Comedy central! During the long and cold winters here in PG we spend many hours inside by the fire watching television. I have concluded that the parlimentary channels including the BC legislature should be quickly moved to the comedy network. I was embarassed to even allow my children to witness the antics of the people who are supposed to be governing our province, and worse yet our country as a whole. Parlimentary procedure and the comedic performances that go with it clearly demonstrate how unconcerned our elected representatives are about the real issues in this Country. Health care, Education, and the overall well being of the Canadians as a whole seem to be issues only discussed during election campaigns. This truly is the land of golden opportunity. We have natural resources comming out our ying yang, the ability to process raw material to finished product, and coastal shipping capacity at both coasts. With all this opportunity, there is absolutly no reason for 6 dollar per hour minimum wages, poverty, homelessness, Canadians without health care, and worse yet, universities our kids can not afford to attend. Whats wrong here! Time for elected officials to demonstate their committments made during election, and loose a little sleep until the real priorities of this country are dealt with.
Believe me, I am very proud to be a Canadian. My Family has been in this country since the mid 1600's. I think it is high time that as Canadians we said stop the rhetoric, and got on with focusing on our needs first, and when that is done, we can then focus on marketing our surplus. For example, 116.4 for fuel that comes out of the ground in our own country is ridiculous. Why can we not pay a Canadian price for a Canadian product, resourced and produced right here at home. If the US or anyone else would like to buy from us then world market commodity prices are fair. I think we all have many more examples to add to the list.
But then again what type of thinking would you expect from a group of people who sit in the legislature/parliment who finger point each other, pound on desks like a group of hyenas, and then clap uncontrolably when the member opposite deflects the realistic concern, and suceeds in belittling the questioning MLA/MP. It is definitly a time for change. Not a change in government, Little is done here, you just get new monkeys who are trained to do the same tricks. It is time to revamp our governace procedues to reflect the actions of real people with real passion for building this country into the incredible Country we could be.

Prince George you are number "one"
you get the gold for having the worst Air in
BC, you need more studies and it will get better, dream on .

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those drivers who continue to idle at the Tim Horton's drive through even though there is an air quality advisory in effect. Your efforts to kill us are appreciated. Thank you.

It would be nice if City Council would pass a bylaw banning "drive-thrus".

Last week I said too much and talked about my free roaming dog and how he keeps the other cats out of my yard... then a few days later I read in the citizen (on-line) about an idiot dog owner whos' pit bull dog killed an elderly lady's cat... Just my luck I thought....

I should clarify my position in light of developments. I think dogs like the vicious one in the cat attack should be put down without question. If the dog had done that to a farm animal the farmer would have rights to kill the dog under law, so why then should it be any different when a dog kills a domestic family pet?

I say kill the dog, and not just because the dog killed another persons pet, as well as attacked the lady involved, but also because my dog is going to continue to be free. How can my dog be free when other dogs are committing crimes that generate laws that punish collectively all dogs? It is not fair to the dogs that do behave.

I think there is a better way to have humans and dogs co-exist than to make dogs nothing more than caged animals. Caged animals are not real dogs because all they know is the cage and thus have no self control making the animal more of a problem then the solution to the problem supposedly solved. I think the solution is more in how the dog is taught to behave. A dog that kills other animals learns that behaviour from its owner, and thus the dog should be put down to discourage that kind of training from the owner.

We can not allow the dog owners to have a free pass for that kind of lethal training of dogs otherwise people suffer, peoples unfortunate pets suffer, and all dogs collectively suffer if we allow it to continue unchecked.

My dog may put the chase on a cat for a few steps from time to time when they come in the yard and he may even jaw yaw to my cat from time to time, but he knows his limits. If he ever crossed that limit with a neighbours pet or one of my own then I would expect to be held to account for his actions... as should any dog owner.

AIMHO

Zoopdingle if you want to thank anyone, then thank city hall planners for all the lights that turn red along central... stopping heavy industrial traffic so that a small car doesn't have to wait 30 seconds for a green light. The pollution is huge to get that 60, 120, 240 tons moving again… all so that the a single one-ton, one-person car can save 30 seconds in their commute.

That is why PGeee planners funnel all the industrial traffic through the centre of the bowl so that the industrial traffic can contribute a hundred fold what the Tim Horton drive through could ever possibly hope to contribute in air pollution. A case in point is the new dangerous goods route for the CN Container port running down Queensway. A simple high school science geek could easily come up with a few height sensors to pick up industrial traffic and hold the green lights for a mere 30 seconds. The light at 22nd is an example of one that is completely ridiculous (like a 5 second trigger), as well as Peden Hill at times.

You are right however, it is to simple a solution for the educated types to grasp... back to blaming the Tim Horton’s drive through and those evil coffee eating carbon polluters...

I stand corrected. I would also like to thank the city planners for their lack of foresight. Imagine that! The by-pass ceased to be a by-pass. How many years ago was that?

hehe hehe
Yup! It looks like tim hortons people are going to be the next target. Add us to the evil SUV crowd. I was under the impression that industry produced most of the fine particulates in the bowl. I would think that is where zoop and others ought to aim their sights.
Tim hortons is tim hortons because IT S A DRIVE THRU! If you dont like drive throughs, then ride your bike to starbucks. You wont be able to see us in our cars from there. Then you can concetrate on doing something real for the air and the environment rather than just picking on us small fry.

It's high time for the highway speed limits to be raised. There is no good reason for a 90 or 100km/h maximum anymore.

RE: The statement from the owners of the cat killing pitbills from Oak street. If the dogs were given another chance (3 dead cats and you're out) they would be muzzled and tied up and get this "we'd get them a place in the country" well for their information WE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY DON'T WANT YOUR CAT KILLING DOGS OUT HERE EITHER. Just because you move to the country doesn't mean you don't have to muzzle and keep your dogs tied up and be responsible pet owners. If you moved to the country and let your dogs run they
wouldn't last as long they have. Country people don't take the time to call animal control. If a dog came into my neighbours yard and killed his cat...well use your imagination.

Canfor has just released their latest earnings results. In 2007 they lost 360.6 million$.

If anyone is interested the following is the link to their news release.

http://tsedb.globeinvestor.com/servlet/WireFeedRedirect?cf=GlobeInvestor/tsx/config&date=20080222&archive=ccnm&slug=443496_1

Sorry, I messed up the link in my post.

The following is the link.

http://tsedb.globeinvestor.com/servlet/WireFeedRedirect?cf=GlobeInvestor/tsx/config&date=20080222&archive=ccnm&slug=443496_1

My earlier post about Canfor losing 360.6 million$ in 2007 is incorrect. Some of this accounting language gets very complicated.

The following is taken from their earnings news release so people can read it for themselves.

"VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Feb. 22, 2008) - Canfor Corporation (TSX:CFP) today reported a fourth quarter loss of $237.0 million ($1.66 per share). After adjustment for significant items that affect comparability with prior periods the loss was $69.6 million ($0.49 per share). These items, all on an after-tax basis, include an asset impairment charge of $189.1 million, and mill closure and severance costs of $14.2 million, partially offset by the benefit of corporate income tax rate reductions of $35.8 million. By comparison, in the fourth quarter of 2006 the Company reported net income of $465.3 million ($3.26 per share), which included $551.2 million after tax of softwood lumber duty refunds. When adjusted for all other items affecting comparability there would have been a quarterly loss in 2006 of $54.4 million ($0.38 per share).

For the year 2007, the Company reported a net loss of $360.6 million ($2.53 per share). After adjustment for significant items that affect comparability with the prior year, the loss was $199.0 million ($1.40 per share). These items, for the full year, include an asset impairment charge of $199.2 million, and closure and severance costs of $27.3 million, partially offset by the corporate income tax rate reduction of $37.7 million. Net income in 2006 was $471.8 million ($3.31 per share) and included the duty refund of $551.2 million. When adjusted for all other items affecting comparability, there would have been a loss of $99.1 million ($0.69 per share)."

All the traffic lights on the bypass are the responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation and Highways. The company that does maintenance and repairs to all those lights is...Westcana Electric.
The fast tripping lights are rediculous at all hours of the day and night. I really like the one at 22nd ave. It stops bypass traffic even though there is no one waiting to cross. Over the last 4 years I have called in that problem on many occasions and they get it fixed pretty fast. Someone said that students that cross there are jamming something in the crosswalk light button and that makes the light change when no one is there.
All the traffic lights in PG need to be (dare I say it?) studied and changes made to allow efficient flow of traffic. Like has been mentioned before...it's rediculous that a little car can stop a chiptruck travelling at 60K down the bypass, the very instant the car pulls up to the light it changes. Is that what we call GREEN?
The only problem I have with Tim Hortons is all the litterbugs that toss their empty cups out the window, they're everywhere.
Death to Socialism, If the speed limits are increased, then there will be less traffic fine income for the city. Then they would increase our taxes. LMAO
As far as Canfor losses go, it's the same old story, like the ICBC saga.
They never lost anything, they just never made as many millions as they did last year.

raresense, No one hears you or couldnt care less. You make some excellent points but what to do.

On CBC this am CHC Helicopters a canadian company was bought up by the Amercians for 3.7B. As proud as we may be about our Country we are giving it away to foreign interests. And our politicians are pointing fingers at each other on who was the most corrupt in our past.

The politicians are too busy trying to look good and our country is dying a slow death. We spend millions on commissions and inquieries and this morning City Council has decided to do another $200,000.00 study to fix the ice jamb problems. They hired an expert to find a solution and they completely ignored the advice.

So what will it take to get things turned around. Maybe a third world war or an atomic bomb to eradicate the greed and missdirction of our society.

I always think of a few words in a poem I read many years ago when the poet tride to describe our affluent society when he said, " to much to soon".

Please pass the cheese. The cup is half full.

Cheers

I like the point made by Junco. A lot of people have the idea in their head that if they move to a rural area, they can let their dogs run loose and just generally not give a crap about anything, like "the country" was some far away place where only they live.

I have seen so many disputes arise as a result of such thinking.

My rant for the day;
All you people out there who drive with your factory installed driving lights ON!
For the unknowing, start your car/truck/suv/crossover vehicle, turn on the lights, set your parking brake, get out and go look at the front of the vehicle. See those two lights set into the bumper or spoiler? Those are too daggone bright to some of us when we meet you on the road.
How about courtesy towards the other drivers on the road? The lights are nice to have on the highway, but click them off in oncoming traffic! And, you don't really need them on while in town, do you?
I'm sure if you look, you will find that there is a switch that will shut off those lovely lights. Thank you.
metalman.

My rang is Shaw Cable.
It has been out for most of the day so I didn't get a chance to jump into the Friday free for all.
Now I can't remember what I was going to go on about.
Do you think they should give me a rebate for today??

I agree with Metalman on that one. They do you no good when there are streetlights. I turn mine off even on the highway when someone is approaching.

"Our Mayor is not as valuable as a broom mare he is more like the oppsite sex and thinks we are dumb and should be able to put it to us."

Maybe I am dumb or maybe I am the opposite sex (or heaven forbid - both), I really don't get what Bridge is trying to say. Does one sex think the other is dumb? It can't be. Sorry I didn't grow up in SK. ;)

Free for all Friday, what a good "cough, cough", Idea. Agg I can't breath, what's wrong with the air down in the bowl! The air quality index is only 67, its down from "cough" 74 at 3pm. You would "cough" think there would be sensors they could "cough" put on the pulp mills, and saws mills etc to see how much articulates they "cough, cough" are putting out. What a dumb idea, it must be from the cars and furnaces "cough, cough, sputter". I was going to walk "cough" to work this week but the air quailty is so poor I have to "cough" drive and add to the "cough" problem.

Well have a good week end all. I really enjoy this site, half the fun is the wide variety of people and opinions in the comments! Keep up the great work staff and commenter's.

So what We are now facing the end of the Saga of the Cameron St., Bridge.

This has been an ongoing story since the fall of 2005. The bridge even though it could and can be repaired for $750,000.00 which includes resurfacing will be destroyed (Even though it is a heritage structure) and replaced by a mundane steel superstructure bridge built on the present cement piers for a cost of at a minimum $12 Million dollars. Who is responsible for the destruction of this bridge??

(1) The people of Prince George who wouldn’t take the time to look at the issue and try to stop it.
(2) The Heritage Society, Museum Society, and other groups who sat back and allowed the City to convince them into taking a piece of the bridge to Cottonwood park, slinging it across a ditch, putting a sign on it and calling it a piece of our Heritage.
(3) The Mayor and Council who are more interested in tearing down structures and rebuilding them to give the impression of growth, and to give out contracts than they are for looking after the wants and needs of the City;
(4) Contractors and vested interest groups who would sell their Grandmothers for a contract and could care less about anything else.
(5) The Federal and Provincial Governments who will each give the City $1 Million dollars to help them carry out this dastardly deed.

For those who never did have an understanding of this situation I will give you a little history.

Once the Provincial Government completed the Foothills Bridge, which along with the John Hart Bridge gave us two bridges over the Nechako they were going to take the Cameron St. Bridge out of service. They probably would have left it standing as a bike and walking bridge. The City in its wisdom wanted the bridge kept open so the Provincial Government transferred ownership of the bridge to the City for the sum of $1.00. It would be the Cities responsibility for the maintenance of the Bridge. Which they did for years. (Not very well I might add) Later we twinned the John Hart Bridge, and so we ended up with 3 bridges across one river with 5 kilometres of each other to service less than 20,000 people. At this point the lights should have come on and we should have been able to see that we obviously didn’t know what the hell we were doing when it came to bridges.

In the fall of 2005 the City closed the bridge because some rot was found in the lower beam of a span on the North side of the bridge. It was later determined that the cost to repair the bridge and resurface it would be $750,000.00. (This information is on the Cities website) The City in its infinite wisdom made a decision to permanently close the Bridge,which they did and of course 2 years later it still remains closed. The City went through all sorts of contortions to give the impression that there were all kinds of options to build a new bridge across the Nechako, however at the end of the day they decided to build a steel superstructure on the exact same spot as the old bridge for a cost of approx $12 Million dollars.

do we have. A wooden bridge which cost us $1.00 and requires maintenance of approx $125,000.00 per year , and that adequately serves the needs of the North East part of the City, and in conjunction with the twinned John Hart Bridge, and the hardly used Foothills bridge adequately serves the needs of the people north of the Nechako river, being destroyed because the City doesn’t want to spend any money on repairing it.

We will end up paying $12 Million dollars or more for the new bridge that will make very little if any difference to the traffic flow. Contrary to the Cities BS in regards to increased traffic across the bridge, there is nothing at all to indicate there will in fact be an increase, in fact there is lots of information available to indicate that the traffic will in fact be less not more in the years to come.

The City once the new bridge is built will own it outright and will be responsible for the up keep. Normally bridges are built and maintained by the Province, however we have now manipulated ourselves into the bridge building business, and the taxpayers of Prince George will be paying for this fiasco for years to come.

This situation right from the get go has been about building a new bridge and giving out contracts, and has nothing to do with traffic flow, City needs, etc; We are presently going through the same process in regards to the Co- Generation plant at the East End of the City, and of course the perceived need for a new Performing Arts Centre, and a New Police Station. Its all about contracts, and has nothing to do with needs.

We have no one at City Hall and very few people in the City proper that will take any action to slow down this madness. Perhaps we can make a difference in the next election . I certainly hope so.