Simard was right about the people power part!
Politicians and governments really don't listen, until it starts to look like it could cost them some serious votes,because votes are all they understand.
Lose enough of them, and they could also find themselves unemployed!
They are all pretty good at talking and not saying a damn thing, but I really think that people affected are starting to understand just how useless they really are!
We are all just a little bit too polite about telling these overpaid egomanics we elect just how things really are.
The problem here in B.C. is an opposition that has very little support and the government is well aware of that.
It makes them arrogant and then they listen even less.
And also,if you are not in a geographically prefered area such as the lower mainland,you really don't matter.
(just send us your taxes and stumpage fee's etc.and shut up!)
We should never be afraid to vote against a party in power just because we don't like the opposition.
That's what they depend on, and it is also why they march to the sound of their own drum!
We have all been complacent for far too long and the pendulum has swung too far in their favor.
Time to get the respect back.
The squeaky wheel DOES get the grease if we push back hard enough,and we sure need a good greasing here in the north!

Government does not create long term employment, if they are, its only creating long term debt.

BC is a resource province. We cut down our trees, and mine our hills and send it all over the world, and in return we get money into the province, by means of positive cash flow. Working for government and retails and service industries are all by products of this resource selling!

The smaller communities relying on forestry is not going to do that well. Once the US housing comes back, a lot of our pine trees are gone. Thus the mills that are in operation can produce 2 million board feet a day with 100 workers. Some mills are just not going to start up. The prices of lumber will skyrocket from $300mbf to probably $700 mbf. The mills that survive will make money, there cost are likely going to grow proportionately. But the limited timber supply and the demand will all be in their favor. The number of workers will be cut in half. Ft St James, Houston, Smithers, and place like that will only be able to support one mill, because of the timber supply.

The success of the forestry industry on the long term, is what the government does in reforestration. If your in the logging industry, start thinking about going into reforestration! That is where the money is going to be for the next 50 years.

Mining will carry us over the next few decades, but Forestry will be back. It will be 100% replanted forests being carefully managed, but it will be back.

Your right He speaks...but that is assuming that is what is happening and when it's not,we have a problem.
Well,we have a problem.
And you are right,governments don't creat long term employment, but they do have an obligation to do everything in their power to see that long term employment is protected and to create opportunites to make sure every option is utilized.
It isn't about what governments do when things are good,it's about what they do or don't do when things are not so good.

Governments do indeed create long term employment. They provide hospitals and other health services, social services, armed forces, judges, police officers and a whole host of other things. The government is the employer and pays the way.

To deny that employment is provided by government because income originates in resource selling is much the same as saying logging companies don't provide employment, because society owns the trees, so it is society who creates the employment.

Pedantic nit picking for political (small p) purposes sounds erudite, but is just plain nonsense.

Everyone gets money from someone else, companies and governments alike. In the process of providing goods or services people are employed, sometimes for the whole of their lives, sometimes not. The Government is no different from a large logging company, or mine, or manufacturer in that their income is derived from someone else, and part of it goes on employing people to make that income or provide that service.

Carbon tax.The government is now saying they are green.Then pay a tax for long hauling raw logs.Enviornmently Friendly it will also makes the smaller towns more competive.If old boys club says government susities the small towns.Our preimier said we have to change our way of doing business if we want to protect our enviroment.Then lets see if is big business in the corprate offices that run this province or our green government forcing them to change.If the carbon reduction is to work a single general tax alone will not work.But a industry tax on the surgeons of the worlds lungs could put more jobs back in the areas where the people who truly love and respect there forests.

Carbon tax.The government is now saying they are green.Then pay a tax for long hauling raw logs.Enviornmently Friendly it will also makes the smaller towns more competive.If old boys club says government susities the small towns.Our preimier said we have to change our way of doing business if we want to protect our enviroment.Then lets see if is big business in the corprate offices that run this province or our green government forcing them to change.If the carbon reduction is to work a single general tax alone will not work.But a industry tax on the surgeons of the worlds lungs could put more jobs back in the areas where the people who truly love and respect there forests.

If someone can't make it out to one of the meetings is Opinion250 going to film so we can view online?