Thursday, March 10, 2011
Campbell's legacy of lies: One citizen's view of BC Rail and the thousand-year lease that they desperately tried to keep hidden
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BC Mary comment: Don't you just love it when citizens stand up and shout the truth, this way? And when Big Media publishes this honest rebuttal? Right on, Michael Davey! I hope many citizens are expressing their thoughts to Christy Clark, their M.L.A., and in places like this where comments are invited.
Campbell leaves B.C. a legacy of lies
BCLocal News - March 8, 2011
Re: Clark deserves a chance to lead, Our View, March 2, 2011.
Your editorial suggesting that Christy Clarke has the ability to put Gordon Campbell behind the BC Liberal party would make some sense, except the vast majority of B.C. Liberal MLA’s sat by and did absolutely nothing while Campbell lied his way through his time as premier.
I can count on one hand the number of B.C. Liberal MLA’s who stood up against Campbell after all the lies. To name a few: Shredded health care contracts, BC Rail, the thousand-year lease that they desperately tried to keep hidden, decade long contracts and massive government property sell offs, and finally, the big lie of the HST.
Never mind Campbell originally campaigned on “open and honest government.”
Only a couple of B.C. Liberal MLA’s stood on their hind legs and did what was right for the people of British Columbia and tell it straight for the first few lies. They became independents.
That a major elected official kept lying to the public and the remaining MLA’s did nothing is not only a complete disgrace, it’s a slap in the face to every B.C. citizen.
In the end the only reason Campbell wound up stepping aside is because a few MLA’s saw a chance to become premier, and the rest saw themselves losing the next election.
No, the B.C. Liberal government won’t change until the majority of the B.C. Liberal MLA’s are changed. Until then, British Columbians will continue to have a bunch of cowards and power hungry sycophants representing them. Of course, some say the electorate gets the representation it deserves.
Michael Davey
Langford
Source:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/letters/117742248.html
BC Mary comment: Don't you just love it when citizens stand up and shout the truth, this way? And when Big Media publishes this honest rebuttal? Right on, Michael Davey! I hope many citizens are expressing their thoughts to Christy Clark, their M.L.A., and in places like this where comments are invited.
Campbell leaves B.C. a legacy of lies
BCLocal News - March 8, 2011
Re: Clark deserves a chance to lead, Our View, March 2, 2011.
Your editorial suggesting that Christy Clarke has the ability to put Gordon Campbell behind the BC Liberal party would make some sense, except the vast majority of B.C. Liberal MLA’s sat by and did absolutely nothing while Campbell lied his way through his time as premier.
I can count on one hand the number of B.C. Liberal MLA’s who stood up against Campbell after all the lies. To name a few: Shredded health care contracts, BC Rail, the thousand-year lease that they desperately tried to keep hidden, decade long contracts and massive government property sell offs, and finally, the big lie of the HST.
Never mind Campbell originally campaigned on “open and honest government.”
Only a couple of B.C. Liberal MLA’s stood on their hind legs and did what was right for the people of British Columbia and tell it straight for the first few lies. They became independents.
That a major elected official kept lying to the public and the remaining MLA’s did nothing is not only a complete disgrace, it’s a slap in the face to every B.C. citizen.
In the end the only reason Campbell wound up stepping aside is because a few MLA’s saw a chance to become premier, and the rest saw themselves losing the next election.
No, the B.C. Liberal government won’t change until the majority of the B.C. Liberal MLA’s are changed. Until then, British Columbians will continue to have a bunch of cowards and power hungry sycophants representing them. Of course, some say the electorate gets the representation it deserves.
Michael Davey
Langford
Source:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/letters/117742248.html
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Comments:
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I don't know yet if there's room on that letters page to add follow-up comments, but it should be made loud and clear to BC Local News' laedership that Campbell hasn't gone anywhere, except to a consultancy/lobbying position called "Senior Advisor". If BC Local News were being honest (and they're clearly not) they'd have pointed this out, and that Christy Clark can't pretend to be moving forward from the Gordon Campbell era until he's very far away from teh corridors of power, and government.
Preferably in jail (and not in Maui jail, either).
Our papers and pundits give too much credence that the all-powerful Premier's Office should "govern" as if they were monarchs. By expecting Christy to be the one to call a public inquiry, and to have the power to negate one, that's the wrong approach, given she's very much among the implicated in the whole transaction.
Preferably in jail (and not in Maui jail, either).
Our papers and pundits give too much credence that the all-powerful Premier's Office should "govern" as if they were monarchs. By expecting Christy to be the one to call a public inquiry, and to have the power to negate one, that's the wrong approach, given she's very much among the implicated in the whole transaction.
One of those mla's that stood up against Campbell and earned the utmost respect and admiration of the people of BC was Paul Nettleton.
I think the time has come for Mr. Nettleton to once again step up and with the same conscience and integrity he has shown he has in spades, speak out loudly against what he knows first hand to be the unsavoury and illegal actions of Gordon Campbell and company regarding BC Rail and BC Hydro.
No doubt Ms. Clark is well aware of his belief and position, and she may well decide to show the same courage and integrity by reconsidering her position on the need for a BC Rail inquiry.
I think the time has come for Mr. Nettleton to once again step up and with the same conscience and integrity he has shown he has in spades, speak out loudly against what he knows first hand to be the unsavoury and illegal actions of Gordon Campbell and company regarding BC Rail and BC Hydro.
No doubt Ms. Clark is well aware of his belief and position, and she may well decide to show the same courage and integrity by reconsidering her position on the need for a BC Rail inquiry.
# posted by 
: March 10, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.
: March 10, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.
I agree totally with Skookum1 on this in that asking Christy Clark for an inquiry is akin to asking O.J. Simpson if he should be tried.
She is implicated and in fact there is very real evidence that her involvement was quite substantial not only in the sale but with the very characters doing the bribing and those accepting bribes.
The push for an inquiry is going to have to come from an independent or the opposition, possibly massive public outcry.
I have never believed for one second Gordon Campbell was or is going anywhere. The downfall will be her personality and a clash for power with Mr. Campbell which will for certain happen. She has bought herself a load of trouble that the smart ones like Carol Taylor and Diane Watts were too wise get themselves into.
These two deserve each other so let them have at it while we watch, the downside is the damage they continue to cause in the interim.
Strange Days Indeed!
Don
She is implicated and in fact there is very real evidence that her involvement was quite substantial not only in the sale but with the very characters doing the bribing and those accepting bribes.
The push for an inquiry is going to have to come from an independent or the opposition, possibly massive public outcry.
I have never believed for one second Gordon Campbell was or is going anywhere. The downfall will be her personality and a clash for power with Mr. Campbell which will for certain happen. She has bought herself a load of trouble that the smart ones like Carol Taylor and Diane Watts were too wise get themselves into.
These two deserve each other so let them have at it while we watch, the downside is the damage they continue to cause in the interim.
Strange Days Indeed!
Don
# posted by : March 10, 2011 at 8:07 p.m.
: March 10, 2011 at 8:07 p.m.
That's a nice idea, Ron, but Nettleton was one of the first to endorse Christy's campaign. For reasons I don't really understand, given what he'd said before about Campbell et al. but like Bill Bennett it appears that the corridors of power have an allure that calls to those who've been in them, and who are willing to give up on principles they've displayed in return for a return to the secret chambers of power and prestige that rule this place.
Perhaps if all of his previous news items and copy/coverage here were sent to him, by dozens of people, he would see the error of his ways. That Campbell is not really gone, only hidden in a cabinet pulling strings from here, might be enough to convince him he's dancing with the wrong belle of the ball.
Perhaps if all of his previous news items and copy/coverage here were sent to him, by dozens of people, he would see the error of his ways. That Campbell is not really gone, only hidden in a cabinet pulling strings from here, might be enough to convince him he's dancing with the wrong belle of the ball.
The deck chairs have only been rearanged.
The whole stinking lot of them will be religated into history as the most corrupt government BC and Canada has ever seen.
Shame on those who whould even consider supporting for these slease bags.
CGHZD
The whole stinking lot of them will be religated into history as the most corrupt government BC and Canada has ever seen.
Shame on those who whould even consider supporting for these slease bags.
CGHZD
# posted by : March 11, 2011 at 9:56 a.m.
: March 11, 2011 at 9:56 a.m.
http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article/85449931-tricked-and-treated-modern-day-piracy-involving-british-columbia-hydroelectric
# posted by : March 13, 2011 at 2:21 p.m.
: March 13, 2011 at 2:21 p.m.
http://www.vivelecanada.ca/forums/editorial-discussions-f113/tricked-and-treated-modern-day-piracy-involving-british-co-t59486.html
# posted by : March 13, 2011 at 2:21 p.m.
: March 13, 2011 at 2:21 p.m.
MLA Report - A full public inquiry into the BC Rail scandal
By Norm Macdonald
Golden Star
March 15, 2011
The guilty plea from two top BC Liberal insiders, which cost taxpayers $6 million, was intended by the BC Liberals to be the end of the BC Rail scandal. But for most British Columbians, the $6 million payout just added one more question as to who benefitted most from the giveaway of BC Rail.
When we witnessed the police raid on the Legislature in 2003, we began 7 years of investigation and court proceedings. Over the years, many disturbing allegations have been brought to the public’s attention.
BC Rail was a public asset, owned by the people of British Columbia. And it was an asset that the people of BC clearly didn’t want to sell.
In fact, in Gordon Campbell’s unsuccessful 1996 election campaign, he said he wanted to sell BC Rail. The people rejected that idea, and he lost that election.
In 2001, Gordon Campbell didn’t make that mistake again. That time he promised he wouldn’t sell BC Rail, but immediately after winning the election, he began the process of getting rid of it.
First, the people were told that BC Rail was losing money, and so it must be sold. But this turned out to be an inaccurate assertion.
Second, the people were told that BC Rail would be leased, not sold. But who really believes that a one thousand year lease is not a sale?
Third, the people were told that the bidding process for BC Rail would be fair. But 7 years of investigation into the deception and corruption surrounding this process has proven that promise was also broken.
Top level BC Liberal political operatives received bribes to provide inside information to potential bidders. This is a practice that is deeply offensive to British Columbians. In fact, that this type of behaviour was tolerated by the Premier of the day indicates huge ethical problems with this government, a government that was led not only by Gordon Campbell, but also by deputy Premier Christy Clark.
While this close connection to the BC Rail scandal must be a strong disincentive for Premier Christy Clark to investigate any further, it is clear that all British Columbians deserve to know what really happened. We deserve a full public inquiry in to the BC Rail scandal.
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By Norm Macdonald
Golden Star
March 15, 2011
The guilty plea from two top BC Liberal insiders, which cost taxpayers $6 million, was intended by the BC Liberals to be the end of the BC Rail scandal. But for most British Columbians, the $6 million payout just added one more question as to who benefitted most from the giveaway of BC Rail.
When we witnessed the police raid on the Legislature in 2003, we began 7 years of investigation and court proceedings. Over the years, many disturbing allegations have been brought to the public’s attention.
BC Rail was a public asset, owned by the people of British Columbia. And it was an asset that the people of BC clearly didn’t want to sell.
In fact, in Gordon Campbell’s unsuccessful 1996 election campaign, he said he wanted to sell BC Rail. The people rejected that idea, and he lost that election.
In 2001, Gordon Campbell didn’t make that mistake again. That time he promised he wouldn’t sell BC Rail, but immediately after winning the election, he began the process of getting rid of it.
First, the people were told that BC Rail was losing money, and so it must be sold. But this turned out to be an inaccurate assertion.
Second, the people were told that BC Rail would be leased, not sold. But who really believes that a one thousand year lease is not a sale?
Third, the people were told that the bidding process for BC Rail would be fair. But 7 years of investigation into the deception and corruption surrounding this process has proven that promise was also broken.
Top level BC Liberal political operatives received bribes to provide inside information to potential bidders. This is a practice that is deeply offensive to British Columbians. In fact, that this type of behaviour was tolerated by the Premier of the day indicates huge ethical problems with this government, a government that was led not only by Gordon Campbell, but also by deputy Premier Christy Clark.
While this close connection to the BC Rail scandal must be a strong disincentive for Premier Christy Clark to investigate any further, it is clear that all British Columbians deserve to know what really happened. We deserve a full public inquiry in to the BC Rail scandal.
**************************
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