tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82476433615108498002024-03-12T19:39:07.269-07:00Pete's ViewpointPete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-53519715478523436612019-04-04T11:31:00.000-07:002019-04-04T11:31:50.069-07:00Predictable, but sickening nonetheless: BC Liberals tap dance on fuel price.To believe BC Liberal rhetoric on fuel prices in BC, the NDP are responsible for the highest gas prices in North America. Facts however, tell another story.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>What are the BC Liberals asking for in this narrative? Subsidized gas? Because the taxation regime in place is largely untouched since they left office.</i></span></td></tr>
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<br />While it is true that the carbon tax in BC went up by a penny, that's hardly the explanation for the recent dramatic jump in price. There are several factors.<br />
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Regional governments, city halls, transit authorities all have a hand in adding layers of taxation to fuel costs in BC. To believe the BC Liberal version of this: the NDP is responsible for 100% of this tax burden.<br />
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What's even more asinine is the failure to build Kinder Morgan that the NDP opposes is also responsible for this fuel price overload. Would someone please tell the BC Liberals that the expanded Kinder Morgan project is for export only?<br />
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The Alberta based tar sands fuel that ends up in our vehicles are processed at two BC based refineries and imported through some Washington State refineries. The increase in flow from an expanded pipeline isn't for our market: and may itself lead to an <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/robyn-allan-gas-price-rise-after-trans-mountain-pipeline-1.4587811" target="_blank">increase</a> in fuel costs for locals, the pipeline and expanded port facility is for export only.<br />
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I get it. The BC Liberals are capitalizing on a bread-and-butter issue to demonize the NDP; and it could trigger a softening of NDP support.<br />
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But imagine what would happen if folks again realize that the BC Liberals are spinning a yarn here and misleading BC voters for gross, cynical, political reasons.<br />
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They'd conclude that the BC Liberals are unfit to govern.<br />
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And they'd be right.<br />
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my2bitsPete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-75104703143914278612019-03-18T20:24:00.000-07:002019-03-18T20:24:46.116-07:00Lauren Semple - for the future we need<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />Today, I’m happy and honoured to offer my unqualified endorsement to Lauren Semple for the Federal NDP nomination to the Nanaimo-Ladysmith ballot this fall. <br /><br />I have worked with Lauren in the community for 4 years now and I have only known her to be a tireless and fearless advocate on human rights and worker rights. <br /><br />In my background in the labour movement, Lauren and I share a similar vision of ‘what we demand for ourselves, we wish for all.’ As Lauren is the past President of Nanaimo Pride Society, this extends to all corners in our society as she championed the cause for equality; for women, for LGBTQ folks, justice for First Nations and many other marginalized peoples.<br /><br />Voters have stark choices to make in the 2019 election. Voting for Lauren Semple is a vote to defend our coast, champion fair taxes and adequate housing.<br /><br />With the same old corruption, the same old pandering to the 1%, the same old catering to Howe/Young Street while ignoring the main street and our neighborhoods, we cannot continue choosing from the same old red/blue parties and expect a different result. <br /><br />Jack Layton warned us as much. <br /><br />I have been active in the NDP since 1995 and have seen the world change. Lauren is the future of the NDP and the future of Canada. I urge NDP members and supporters to vote for Lauren at the nomination meeting.<br /><br />I know I certainly will.<br /><br />Peter Kelly<br />Local union activist and DadPete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-32367056862468308552019-02-20T10:17:00.002-08:002019-02-20T10:17:41.640-08:00Sanctimonious lecturing by BC Liberals proves their unsuitability to represent let alone represent BC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AoWahTVEZD8/XG2XYKHYRaI/AAAAAAACG_M/jtQMTTZBg8sXb1wWoZLtcS9yk9ZXcSoewCKgBGAs/s1600/ZomboMeme%2B20022019094937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="529" height="208" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AoWahTVEZD8/XG2XYKHYRaI/AAAAAAACG_M/jtQMTTZBg8sXb1wWoZLtcS9yk9ZXcSoewCKgBGAs/s320/ZomboMeme%2B20022019094937.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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To listen to the BC Liberals this morning about the good old days of the last 16 years is a step outside reality. They're accusing the NDP of taking BC backwards with the new budget. Nothing could be further from the truth. Its because the BC Liberals's mishandling of the real estate market that life became so unaffordable for so many.<br />
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The NDP are out of touch with families & everyone trying to make a living in BC.<br /><br />With fewer homes being built, govt spending growing faster than the economy & punishing new taxes, BC is falling behind.<br /><br />We need a govt that believes in opportunity for all of BC. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcbudget?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bcbudget</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcpoli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bcpoli</a> <a href="https://t.co/BqG1Tvpiye">pic.twitter.com/BqG1Tvpiye</a></div>
— BC Liberals | Opportunity for all of BC (@bcliberals) <a href="https://twitter.com/bcliberals/status/1098004963312119809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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What's worse, is that the government spending now underway is specifically to repair things neglected by the BC Liberals for their terms in office. From schools, teachers, healthcare, poverty and homelessness; everything was let to slide while they siphoned cash from BC's crown corporations in order to prop up their imaginary budget surpluses.<br />
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Speaking of surplus, the NDP has a modest one at around $370 million, but would have been substantially more had they not been required to bail out the wounded BC Hydro and ICBC by over $2 billion.<br />
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The BC Liberals broke so many things in BC; tarnished our provincial crown jewels so to speak. The NDP is tasked in cleaning up this mess and the BC Liberals will try to make you hate them for the clean up costs.<br />
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Except, BC isn't stupid. The jig is up.<br />
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My2bits<br />
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Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-40499596048176824142019-02-16T09:59:00.001-08:002019-02-16T10:02:27.480-08:00Opponents of new health tax need math<div dir="ltr">
True to form, opponents of the new Employer Health Tax are leaping all over a <a href="https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/nine-police-jobs-face-axe-under-budget-cap-chief-1.23635269">report</a> where the Victoria police chief states that his departments budget increase isn't large enough so he'll have to cut staff. </div>
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Let's look at this. </div>
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The city comes up with an additional $1.8 million and the EHT cuts into that by about $700k. So his effective increase is $1.1 million. Amiright?</div>
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So, explain why this amounts to a budget cut of $1.1m?<br />
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"Manak said council’s position would mean about a $1.1-million cut to the department’s core budget, including the loss of two officers working on integrated teams to help people with mental health and addictions issues"</div>
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I get that politics are at play here, but if you're not going to deal in facts, then y'all need to sit down. </div>
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My2bits. </div>
Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-64008214343378507312019-02-02T08:56:00.001-08:002019-02-03T09:18:18.585-08:00Arbitrary regime change used to be opposed by Liberals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KXYPZYcKb5w/XFciUNQ1hhI/AAAAAAACFr4/xDqYbY5mDGkKML7OxV04RuFWcRShT4O9wCLcBGAs/s1600/2libs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="1205" height="155" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KXYPZYcKb5w/XFciUNQ1hhI/AAAAAAACFr4/xDqYbY5mDGkKML7OxV04RuFWcRShT4O9wCLcBGAs/s320/2libs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Let me make something clear right away. I'm no Maduro supporter and I think his regime is no different than any other totalitarian regime elsewhere, except that they've mastered the art of pretending they're a functioning democracy where they are clearly not. </div>
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It was a bold position to take when then Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced that our nation would not participate in the second Iraq with war along side George W. Bush. He was immediately demonized by Harper and the Conservative party, but the principal was right. </div>
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Regime change is the domain of the oppressed to topple said regime. Once an external power intervenes (as America and UK did) they became the enemy. One can plausibly argue that this intervention is the spark that eventually created ISIS. But that is a debate for another day. </div>
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So here we are with current US President Donald Trump arbitrarily appointing the opposition leader as "President" in Venezuela, and the nation's that opposed regime change in 2003 (Iraq) seemingly ok with this now. </div>
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I'm no Maduro supporter and I don't know enough about the opposition leader to form an opinion on him either; but it should be the people of Venezuela who determine what regime change looks like, and to whom they grant the keys of power to afterwards. </div>
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My 2 <u>bits</u></div>
Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-10733870468463924922019-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:002019-01-23T06:00:09.345-08:00No Keith. Do not play the #bothsides card<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just when the MSM was about to get serious about some honest reporting, this egg was laid by senior political reporter playing the 'both sides' card. Almost on cue.<br />
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No Keith. The NDP doesn't get the blame for travel expenses that Craig James and Gary Lenz traded signatures on. It was unknown enough that it took Speaker Daryl Plecas by surprise when he dug around for the information.<br />
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This 'both sides' narrative is a BC Liberal talking point because they know how ethically exposed they are already; this makes matters worse merely a week ahead of the Nanaimo byelection they're poised to lose. Now with this stink out there, it feeds into the narrative that BC Liberals are the party of crony capitalism and insiderism; so lets throw some mud at the NDP and make them to blame too.<br />
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Nothing in the #plecasreport implicates the NDP government or any of its MLA's or cabinet ministers.<br />
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How embarrassing.<br />
<br />Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-74273301024178407192019-01-20T11:55:00.000-08:002019-01-22T11:40:43.125-08:00Eventually, facts will overtake BC Liberal hysteria on speculation tax<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-338m_Y-W5Y4/XETCRZVycsI/AAAAAAACFNQ/eEwzgFJWBucwaCEmCdn-N0lzm-JfCfqwwCKgBGAs/s1600/FB_IMG_1547766056596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="843" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-338m_Y-W5Y4/XETCRZVycsI/AAAAAAACFNQ/eEwzgFJWBucwaCEmCdn-N0lzm-JfCfqwwCKgBGAs/s320/FB_IMG_1547766056596.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."</blockquote>
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Napoleon Bonaparte</blockquote>
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I am reminded by the BC Liberals behavior of the Republicans after the roll out of ObamaCare in the USA. They screamed socialism, big government, and a whole lot of other unsavory epithets towards President Obama and the Democrats just for the sin of trying to extend out the universality of healthcare coverage in America. The sin? The individual mandate; where every uninsured American was obligated to seek out insurance. To meet that legal requirement, several states and separately the Federal Government unveiled a subsidized exchange where individuals would be able to purchase a healthcare insurance plan - or subsidized one if they qualified.<br />
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The Speculation Tax isn't healthcare, but its to address a problem that was left to fester while the last government was still in office.<br />
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After the BC Liberals deregulated the real estate trade in 2005, handed the oversight to the industry itself, things got out of control. The advent of dual agency where realtors were able to act for seller AND buyer simultaneously didn't help either. The assignment sale process nicknamed 'shadow flipping' triggered a run on real estate prices as they got inflated artificially at every step because sales/commissions. This meant that actual people, real buyers, were forced out of what was ordinarily and affordable market.<br />
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To their credit, the BC Liberals were goaded into pulling back the excesses in the deregulation monster they created, but it didn't unto the damage. To the very last hour of their government, they were defending a NEW program to loan interest free money for down payments to new home buyers unable to purchase a home. As if the lessons of 2007/8 were completely forgotten. They just didn't get it.<br />
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That is the stage set for the NDP when they take the keys to power in 2017.<br />
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While the real estate markets may have cooled significantly since then, we still have a problem where several homes are left vacant by said speculators hoping to cash in on rapidly rising home prices. Granted, this is not every case; but how do we find out who's a legitimate home owner.<br />
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We ask.<br />
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For the BC Liberals, they dispute that speculation is even a problem. That any tax directed towards addressing the speculation problem is wrong and an attack on the middle class. This is where the BC Liberals lose badly.<br />
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To be honest, there is room for improvement on the technical details and reporting mechanisms for the tax, but this is a new idea only attempted once before in the city of Vancouver. There are other regions/cities with similar land speculation problems, so the solution went provincial.<br />
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I've been witnessing several folks attacking the NDP, clearly BC Liberal supporters (who have identified themselves as such), rail on that this is not how to do this.<br />
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So answer me this: your previous government saw the same trends and heard the same complaints. If the solutions are so simple, why didn't you guys act accordingly? You had every opportunity to do so.<br />
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Where the BC Liberals go wrong, fast, is their pledge to repeal. At least Republicans promised a replacement of Obamacare (if only a fantasy). Given the facts that the speculation tax jurisdiction is only the largest urban centers with vacancy rate issues and high unaffordability issues, not every home owner should be concerned. Those to home the tax law applies, only 1% of those home-owners would be subject to the tax itself.<br />
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And here is the key: the first $400k of home value isn't considered; more to the point, the BC owner of the vacant home would get a $2000 credit to apply directly to any balance owing for each property affected.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BKdpxJ9LY7Q/XETOgUT-lWI/AAAAAAACFNc/FqQKGAnTtig0PS3hVGGKpAe-20PAyJiWQCKgBGAs/s1600/Screenshot_20190119-171123_Chrome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="1439" height="176" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BKdpxJ9LY7Q/XETOgUT-lWI/AAAAAAACFNc/FqQKGAnTtig0PS3hVGGKpAe-20PAyJiWQCKgBGAs/s320/Screenshot_20190119-171123_Chrome.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This tax is as micro targeted as you can make it. The NDP has given homeowners in the taxable jurisdictions the very tools to exempt themselves from paying this tax and lessens the blow for LOCAL home owners if they have to pay. It targets the multiple high value properties owned but left vacant by those playing the market as an ATM.<br />
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These are the folks that the BC Liberals are defending.<br />
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The BC Liberals are literally coming to the defense of the 1% of the one-percent. If I were an adviser to Andrew Wilkinson (who has been a BC Liberal insider almost the WHOLE time his previous government was in power), I'd tell him to back away quickly from this one. The NDP will be preparing TV ads for the next election showcasing Andrew Wilkinson as the limousine-liberal that he is; and it will be harder hitting than the ads that Obama hit Mitt Romney with.<br />
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But, don't listen to me. Even though I've seen this movie before.<br />
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My 2 bits<br />
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<br />Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-56271540155093310942019-01-17T10:59:00.001-08:002019-01-17T11:00:50.915-08:00Wilkinson steps into a trap he set himself<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PS4KW2oL_Vk/XEDQibPItMI/AAAAAAACFJ4/WLQr8jHrlOA7G6f-P7-nARPd4MadbUb6QCLcBGAs/s1600/complain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PS4KW2oL_Vk/XEDQibPItMI/AAAAAAACFJ4/WLQr8jHrlOA7G6f-P7-nARPd4MadbUb6QCLcBGAs/s320/complain.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Lets not understate the fact that BC's new speculation tax isn't without controversy. It is. There are some folks unhappy that they're now subject to a <a href="https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/speculation-and-vacancy-tax/tax-rates" target="_blank">tax</a> that didn't exist until now. But lets also discuss why we are here and the big mistake that BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson is making.<br />
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We are here because of the 2005 legislation passed by the BC Liberals to de-regulate the real estate trade. It became a self regulated industry with significantly reduced government oversight. In fact, oversight passed to the industry itself.<br />
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Land speculation has been a thing since land has been able to be purchased and sold. It can be a high risk venture, but most often pays off well. By deregulation, rules and oversight to said speculation slipped away and the practice of <a href="https://homeequitysolutions.ca/blog/shadowflippinginvancouver" target="_blank">'shadow-flipping</a>' took root in some of the province's hottest markets. In short, it allowed shady realtors to manipulate home sales in such a way to make hundreds of thousands extra in commissions while simultaneously avoid paying taxes.<br />
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It was dirty and it forced the prevailing home prices (artificially) through the roof. Nobody other than high rolling investors and the already-rich could get into the Vancouver market. It spread too. Some folks saw real estate as a slot machine or ATM perhaps. The BC Liberals seemingly turned a blind eye because they were collecting a property transfer tax on the final value of the property in question; it generated billions from an ethically questionable practice.<br />
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The immediate drawback to this hyper inflated market was that fewer and fewer were able to participate in the local economy as land values, rentals and home prices shot up in tandem. Even middle class incomes weren't enough to sustain the mortgage payments needed to carry the debt needed to buy a home.<br />
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The BC Liberal solution? Offer prospective new home buyers with an interest free loan on the down payment to get into what's already unaffordable.<br />
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The BC Liberal government get credit for ending the practices of shadow flipping, reasserting gov't authority in oversight and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-real-estate-1.4707331" target="_blank">banning</a> 'dual agency'; all of which were key factors in the housing crisis we're in.<br />
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But that was the limit of their efforts. As if by reverting to earlier rules, everything would be ok. Its not; vacancy rates in the big cities (affected) are still historically low and rents continue to climb faster than paycheques. Land/home values are still out of reach for most people in areas they need to live.<br />
<br />
Speculation is still the problem. Empty homes picked up at the top end of this cycle are sitting empty while we don't have the space to put people.<br />
<br />
Before we go on, if its true that middle income folks earn in the range of $60-80k per year, what is the likelihood that someone with that income bracket is going to own more than one property in a high value market like Vancouver? Probably very low. That's not to say that it can't happen: multiple home owners may have entered the market 40+ years ago and grabbed a few places when prices were closer to Earth. But its just not likely that someone earning $72,000 per year is going to own ONE home let alone 2+.<br />
<br />
This is the stage set for the NDP who campaigned on a speculation tax; introduced variations while in opposition, so that's what they brought in when they took over.<br />
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The details I'll spare for this article but there are a few key points to highlight.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The law carves out several tax 'zones' where high unaffordability, low rental vacancy are serious concerns (large cities, etc)</li>
<li>Every home owner gets a notification of the tax and a means to exempt themselves from said tax on an annual basis.</li>
</ul>
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Its the second point that's caused some noise. Its the reverse billing model approach this government has taken. Be as critical as you want, but tell me of a means where you think that folks would freely admit to being speculators sitting atop empty homes in high value markets *and* opt <b>into </b>paying a tax for it and I'm all ears.</div>
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Now, the point of a political party is to paint your opponent as a bad guy who's out of touch with the common folks just trying to get by. Thus, the BC Liberals struck, off key, with a message that this new tax is an attack on working people. </div>
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Wrong.</div>
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See my earlier note where I refer to what middle income folks typically earn and the likelihood of said folks holding onto empty homes, etc. Is this really a thing? Sure its not impossible, but is this really a thing?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Without trying, the BC Liberals positioned themselves as the defender of big money, corporate interests (again) as this new tax only affects (less than) one percent of home owners in the affected region. The 99.9% of everyone else is unaffected, other than some paperwork.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I couldn't script a bigger policy failure than what the BC Liberals have done here. They could have easily agreed that speculation is a problem, admit that their best laid plans in the mid 2000's didn't pan out as planned and offered some ideas to tinker with the enabling legislation.</div>
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Nope.</div>
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They hitched their wagon to the 1% again and are going to be rightfully forcefed this error on the campaign trail. </div>
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If Andrew Wilkinson's leadership survives the summer, I would be surprised.</div>
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My 2 bits</div>
Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-57648759722598694762019-01-14T13:36:00.000-08:002019-01-14T13:36:33.023-08:00Higher education and Nanaimo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mp4Xntc4xNo/XDz76xHVMYI/AAAAAAACFGo/CFzRXo089EEcJfIgq97FKMWYZvtytRMVQCLcBGAs/s1600/Tuition%2BFees%2Bfor%2BVIU_Malaspina.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="600" height="197" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mp4Xntc4xNo/XDz76xHVMYI/AAAAAAACFGo/CFzRXo089EEcJfIgq97FKMWYZvtytRMVQCLcBGAs/s320/Tuition%2BFees%2Bfor%2BVIU_Malaspina.png" width="320" /></a></div>
BC Liberal candidate for the Nanaimo byelection <a href="https://goo.gl/fCjido" target="_blank">opined</a> about higher education recently. While the thought of a politician injecting himself into what ought to be taught is unsettling, I'll leave that alone for another day.<br />
<br />
So lets cut to the chase here. While Tony Harris give his thoughts on higher learning, what is the BC Liberal record on tuition fees for Malaspina/VIU?<br />
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Well. Funny you should ask. In 2001 the cost of tuition for an Arts program was $1240...in 2017? Well that cost was $4346. That's a 251% increase. 176% of that was while Nanaimo had a BC Liberal MLA (2001-05).<br />
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My 2 bitsPete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-35370561416364872372019-01-12T09:36:00.000-08:002019-01-12T09:39:12.762-08:00In trying to re-define "real estate speculation" Tony Harris accidentally reveals something else.Go ahead, read his article <a href="https://goo.gl/jHXQd9" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The background here is that BC Liberal candidate for Nanaimo, Tony Harris was caught editing out the word 'speculation' on his bio page just ahead of his announcing of his candidacy. For anyone born yesterday or unplugged from the affairs of BC for the last 10 years, real estate speculation has turned the industry into a giant slot machine for developers and realtors. Its become a tough slog for first time home buyers as the average starter home has consistently and dramatically become more out of reach for average folks.<br />
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None of which is directly to blame on Tony himself. But being given a front page <a href="https://goo.gl/3YcB7q" target="_blank">exposure</a> for apparently trying to hide his affinity to the speculation part of real estate seemed that it needed an explanation. So that's where we begin and that's where it gets awkward for Tony.<br />
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<b>Thing 1.</b><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mr6M6G8Rm1k/XDoa1iAoM0I/AAAAAAACFEA/Xef_5McjJcIMd7YgKrcyd17gBMmAQwSqQCLcBGAs/s1600/harris_spec2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="103" data-original-width="489" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mr6M6G8Rm1k/XDoa1iAoM0I/AAAAAAACFEA/Xef_5McjJcIMd7YgKrcyd17gBMmAQwSqQCLcBGAs/s1600/harris_spec2.PNG" /></a></div>
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Young people aren't tuning out of politics; they're tuning out of the big parties. Yes, your Trump/MAGA hat stunt was in poor taste, but that's the lesser of the offenses here. Young folks are engaged and they do care. Chances are, Tony, that the issues they're talking about are different than what your party wants to talk about.<br />
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They want to talk about climate change and protecting the coast. They're very upset that despite hard work and even decent wages, there's no hope for home ownership, let alone staying above water financially. Go ahead and ask young folks today about the costs of post secondary education, training, blue collar trades and you'll get words spoken back to you that will probably hurt.<br />
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Tony, young folks aren't turned off from politics, they're pissed off at politicians. They're the generation now coming into the workforce who were raised under 40+ years of neo-liberal economics and they are ripped off.<br />
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Their parents grew up with a fully funded healthcare system, fully funded trades and apprenticeship programs, student loan and grant programs that kept education costs affordable; minimum wages kept pace with rents, and a tax regime that assured that everyone paid their fair share - including higher taxes on the wealthy...and it wasn't seen as 'communism', it was seen and accepted as the rightful cost of civilization and citizenship.<br />
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No, Tony. Young folks aren't afraid to step into the political arena because tough words, they're far stronger than you give them credit for.<br />
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<b>Thing 2.</b><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bWBwlkGYGzQ/XDof6yOA9dI/AAAAAAACFEQ/-H3bHxZoWvIjsSxrNrCTmU5lSjLt6p3BQCLcBGAs/s1600/harris_spec1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="138" data-original-width="488" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bWBwlkGYGzQ/XDof6yOA9dI/AAAAAAACFEQ/-H3bHxZoWvIjsSxrNrCTmU5lSjLt6p3BQCLcBGAs/s1600/harris_spec1.PNG" /></a></div>
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This is where you get into trouble. Here, Tony tries to re-define what real estate speculation means. Mr Harris is also on record as "I've dreamed about becoming a real estate developer since I was a teenager". See below, from Wikipedia, the definition of Speculation (especially the line regarding risky financial transactions) as it relates to BC's problem.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aXg3sopESD8/XDohrTbpblI/AAAAAAACFEo/joVwi4ov1wg2zE-4vwN07Lv1jsRD13jEwCKgBGAs/s1600/Screenshot_20190111-184837_Chrome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1439" height="220" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aXg3sopESD8/XDohrTbpblI/AAAAAAACFEo/joVwi4ov1wg2zE-4vwN07Lv1jsRD13jEwCKgBGAs/s320/Screenshot_20190111-184837_Chrome.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
No, Tony, you don't get to re-define speculation because any other definition is politically radioactive to you. It didn't have to be this way either. Had you left the article alone, upon discovery by those who look up things, you could have remarked that you never engaged in shadow flipping (or 'assignment sales' as its technically called) and be done with it.<br />
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By deleting it, you hid it. Given your party's last term in office with "triple delete", this was a very shady thing to do.<br />
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And maybe, just maybe, this could all be dropped as a rookie mistake. But if that's the case, why <strike>did</strike> do you and your party leadership continue to skewer the <a href="https://goo.gl/6GCKQB" target="_blank">Speculation Tax</a> and pledge its repeal when so many people think its necessary?<br />
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Politics is a tough business to be sure. So its nothing personal Mr Harris, but you're on the wrong side of history here. Otherwise, best wishes to you and your wonderful young family.<br />
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My 2 bits<br />
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<br />Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-25944992030680226442019-01-04T13:37:00.000-08:002019-01-04T13:37:21.703-08:00Lessons of history should guide #Nanaimo voters ahead of byelection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was a fascinating dynamic to watch hard core Bernie fans either refuse to vote, vote Green, or Vote Trump because their guy Bernie Sanders didn't win the Democratic Party nomination in 2016. Eventually, Hillary would win the popular vote by at least 3 million votes, but as it is with our own FPTP system, votes don't determine outcome. Electoral votes did.<br />
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Strategically, either by fluke or by design, Donald Trump went on to win and become the 45th President of the US. He won smaller conservative states to be sure, but he also won enough larger states to tilt the balance - regardless of what New York or California did.<br />
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Already, the Warren/Beto/Sanders camps are going to war against each other *inside* the Democratic Party, as the various groups of activists claim that their opponents are 'no different than Trump'. Hogwash. At this point, a moldy piece of bread is an improvement to Trump, but activists would convince you of otherwise. If this keeps up, Trump is on his way to a 2020 landslide and it will be a real one that includes the popular vote.<br />
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And there is a lesson there for Nanaimo voters. Early sniping has started between the not-BC-Liberal activist crowds and it threatens to split a progressive voting group that collectively votes almost 70% against conservative candidates. Split in half, however, it takes a BC Liberal only 36% to gain the seat. If that were to happen, we would end up into a general election no later than summer. If the NDP retain the seat, the balance of power is held in place in Victoria and the #greeNDP arrangement carries on.<br />
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Sure, they're not perfect. Some hard core NDP and hard core Greens aren't happy with this arrangement because it probably isn't achieving 100% of their goals. Welcome to the world of compromise. That's how things get done; and in this minority parliament, a large amount of progressive things <b><u>are</u></b> being done.<br />
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All of that is at risk if the two camps on the left can't bury the axe.<br />
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I'm no <a href="https://goo.gl/5j1Kqa" target="_blank">angel</a>, I was part of the infighting in the last term of office; so my moral high ground isn't that high. But people change too.<br />
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There are too many things at risk should the BC Liberals cynically trigger a premature election call. They had 16 years to do a lot of damage and they delivered well. We lost 13 schools and saw thousands of educators and healthcare workers lose their jobs (who were primarily female).<br />
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The BC Liberals took advantage of BC and ignored Nanaimo all this time. Why on earth should we give them a chance to sneak back into office.<br />
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Vote NDP.<br />
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My 2 bitsPete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-10513918286147881322018-11-25T17:59:00.002-08:002018-11-25T17:59:27.540-08:00The only way that the legislature debacle becomes an NDP/Liberal proxy war is if the narrative is spun that wayOne of the most disappointing articles I've read in a long time was published by Rob Shaw, where he suggests that the current debacle under way at the BC Legislature is a <a href="https://vancouversun.com/news/politics/rob-shaw-ndp-and-liberals-use-the-beleaguered-speaker-for-a-proxy-war" target="_blank">proxy war</a> between the two major parties in BC.<br />
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That itself is a BC Liberal talking point. Its a "both sides" argument being made.<br />
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Its false, but that's how this is being spun, and it serves BC Liberals that this be told in that narrative.<br />
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In short, Speaker Daryl Plecas and his special assistant Mullins uncovered some shady things they believe worthy of a police investigation. So they forwarded whatever they had to the police. Two special prosecutors are now involved because of the politically sensitive nature of the investigation.<br />
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In the ordinary world, had you done anything or accused of doing something shady, until it could be proved beyond doubt; you could rightly be expected to be suspended with pay as the investigation does whatever it does. In the case of the legislative duo in question, their employer is the legislative assembly of BC. That's who voted ('hired') them, and its to them any question lays on their status; including the very administrative leave (suspension with pay).<br />
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The move to do so was unanimous by the legislature and done so in such a way to get the investigation and its principal parties away from the building and offices that presumably are the centre of said investigation.<br />
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Why is this so hard for Rob Shaw? To be sure, he manages to throw in a little 'blame the NDP' for this situation.<br />
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Administrative leave or suspension with pay is *<b>also</b>* part of the due process that folks rightfully demand.<br />
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What is offensive about the narrative connecting the health firings to this situation is that if there's nothing to see; no reason for charges, 'just a big misunderstanding', the Clerk and Sergeant At Arms get to return to their jobs they were never fired from.<br />
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The embarrassment of being 'perp walked' from the legislative building is not at all equivalent to having your own government lie about why you were fired, then lie that you're under police investigation (crux of the health firing scandal). Politicians making that equivalency are playing games, media that buy into that narrative are worse; they should know better. <br />
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Lets be clear, no formal charges have been filed as far as I am aware and both of these folks are entitled to natural justice, whatever that looks like; but this is an active investigation.<br />
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This wasn't political, until BC Liberal Leader Wilkinson got cold feet on this matter and now certain members of the press are feeding that silly talking point.<br />
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Bottom line. Let the process play out as it will. I'm sure there's more to this than meets the eye or what has been thus revealed. Life and our democracy will go on.<br />
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my 2 bits<br />
<br />Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-52983733307859098542018-11-12T11:43:00.000-08:002018-11-12T11:43:57.453-08:00The problem with FPTPOne of the most outrageous lies told by the anti-reform folks is that 'proportional representation' will trigger the arrival of extremist politicians. That is a lie. Voters choose the parties they wish, they get the government derived from the ballot box. Its fair to suggest that our current system has done more to hasten the arrival of more extreme politics than the option of changing the system.<br />
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As evidence, it was under FPTP in Canada that thanks to the regional concentration of the right-wing separatist BQ in Quebec, a party with no more than 12% of the popular vote nationally became Her Majesty's Official Opposition in 1993' this is despite the former PC party winning a significantly larger share of the popular vote, but spread out across the nation so that they lost all but 2 seats.<br />
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Equally, the regionally concentrated, ultra conservative Reform Party in that same election went from one seat to 3rd party with over 50 seats despite a lower proportion of the popular vote they'd otherwise be entitled under a different system.<br />
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Which brings us to another problem now being unveiled in Alberta.<br />
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The governing PC party lost power in 2015 when its internal factions that had sustained it all those 40 years in power blew apart. They've regrouped into a new "United Conservative Party" that is extreme-right and is having trouble keeping away alt-rightists and bigots from its supporter and activist pool. This is a problem because when the effort to create this party began, it was to unite all conservatives in Alberta to oppose the incumbent NDP government. The thought was that if conservative parties remained divided, the NDP would win another term as a result of FPTP. Well the effort has brought together all conservatives alright, including the fringe wingnuts who threaten to take control of the new organization.<br />
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Just like Trump's Republican Party in America.<br />
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Witness how few Republicans venture out to oppose Trump as they hitched their electoral wagons to his populist rhetoric. So this will be true of the UCP in Alberta; its gravitating to the pull of the irrational right who idolize Trump, and all of Alberta will suffer as a result.<br />
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So when an aspiring UCP politico compares the Pride Flag to the Nazi flag, he is rightly admonished. As a result, power brokers on that far right are <a href="https://pressprogress.ca/rebel-media-says-600-ucp-members-supported-speaker-who-compared-pride-flags-to-nazi-swastikas/?fbclid=IwAR2yCdksjFL5zfZPUZuLicsjm7zH56GIYZHientG5Yi_9v7XKyTzEyOiV7w" target="_blank">threatening</a> a new internal political civil war.<br />
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This isn't a tiny faction having a tantrum, these folks take up a large share of the new UCP. Just like the establishment GOP making peace with Trump and his ilk, you can almost guarantee that the same dynamic will play out in the UCP...and the big tent 'conservative' party will be controlled by a dangerous fringe just like what was supposed to happen under proportional representation. A system that may allow for such fringe groups to have a party they can call their own, but at least a system where that party can be easily identified and avoided on the ballot, rather than sneaking their way into the halls of power, in Edmonton. Ottawa. Or the White House.<br />
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my 2 bitsPete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-25994406224566767182018-10-22T12:11:00.001-07:002018-10-22T12:11:59.110-07:00A little primer on proportional representation<div dir="ltr">
One of the more insidious talking points of the anti reform side is that changing to a proportional representation system will give rise to extremist groups. </div>
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This is bullshit. </div>
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The electoral system doesn't determine who gets seats, it determines how they're elected. Ultimately, voters choose who gets to represent them.</div>
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But to the false point being made by the chicken-little movement, consider Alberta for a moment. To consolidate conservative votes into one party in order to beat the NDP in '19, Jason Kenney has formed his UCP movement. </div>
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Mathematically, it works. If you take all the right leaning votes that had split into 2 or 3 parties and replace with 1 option (assuming all vote for #1), then you win. The trouble is that among the conservative spectrum in Alberta, they have...issues.</div>
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I'll pause here for a moment and underline this: <u>not all rational conservatives are extremist in their views</u>. While I don't necessarily agree with their political or social views, I'll happily agree to disagree when its called for.</div>
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Resuming.</div>
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The issues on the far right in Alberta dive deep into white supremacy, religious extremism, Islamophobia, homophobia, trans-phobia and the like. Things are competitive in some of the nomination races within the UCP; with folks harboring such intolerant and racist views aiming to be the party standard bearer in the upcoming provincial election. </div>
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This is a problem for UCP leadership as you want to reach across the divide. The moderate minded voter doesn't tend to vote for extremist parties.</div>
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What does this mean? It means that hiding within the large big tent conservative party poised to take on the NDP, extremists and their agenda await Alberta should they take over.</div>
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But I thought proportional representation did that? No. To keep the peace, UCP power brokers will likely deal in these extremists on one plank or another; so the current first-past-the-post model will inevitably rewards the extremists. With real power.</div>
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Under PR, if extremists tried to take over a party, the party could tell them to go fuck themselves. Then the extremists could form their own party which everyone would see, and likely avoid.</div>
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This doesn't mean extremists won't get power in PR; if they do, that's a poor reflection on larger mainstream parties who fail to address rising issues that give way to reactionary extremists when problems boil over. </div>
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Its not the players, its the game.</div>
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My 2 bits</div>
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Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-81347757587101373512018-10-20T00:04:00.000-07:002018-10-20T00:04:09.929-07:00Carbon Tax: the trap that isn't<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ut7C4rizhgQ/W8rKQfn-prI/AAAAAAACDIg/5OR7HvyjWMs6kmAuqhkzaIyXhepNn9a7QCLcBGAs/s1600/copperation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ut7C4rizhgQ/W8rKQfn-prI/AAAAAAACDIg/5OR7HvyjWMs6kmAuqhkzaIyXhepNn9a7QCLcBGAs/s320/copperation.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Global writer Keith Baldrey penned an <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4574213/bc-ndp-carbon-tax-plan-stand-up-under-pressure/amp/?__twitter_impression=true" target="_blank">opinion</a> piece on the coming storm regarding the carbon tax.<br />
<br />
More than anything, it muses about the politics around the carbon levy and its future. My bet is that it isn't going anywhere. Both Justin Trudeau and John Horgan have little to be concerned about regarding the political noise being made around it.<br />
<br />
The legal challenge.<br />
<br />
Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have filed a legal challenge to attempt to stop the federal government from imposing a carbon tax (in the absence of a provincial one) of up to $50/tonne once fully in place. The trouble is that the federal government, constitutionally, has no limit to what tax it can impose. Literally, in Article 91(3) it <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-4.html" target="_blank">reads</a>, "The raising of Money by any Mode or System of Taxation.". So if I was a betting man, this challenge doesn't go far.<br />
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The Confidence and Supply Agreement<br />
<br />
The NDP and Green Party in BC signed a "CSA" in 2017 that put the NDP into office for the first time since 1996. Its effectively a coalition, but not really. The Green Party has proclaimed its right to oppose legislation not covered by the CSA and not generally a confidence vote. The carbon tax is central to this plan. The Greens campaigned on a far higher value than $50/tonne, but agreed to this term nonetheless.<br />
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The BC Liberals<br />
<br />
BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson is in a bind here. It was his party in government that brought the North America's first carbon tax into existence. They'd look awfully silly to oppose it now. What's interesting, is that in the last gasp of the 16 year old BC Liberal government, to retain power - they proposed a throne <a href="https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/legislation-debates-proceedings/41st-parliament/1st-session/throne-speech" target="_blank">speech</a> that called for (you guessed it), a $50/tonne carbon tax. The notion was to convince the Green Party to sign on to a Christy Clark minority government and they'd get what they want. Surely this was approved by Andrew Wilkinson in the last days of his government.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJacXu7dy_4/W8rPiid2IbI/AAAAAAACDIs/1iPnBIIG0X0YLGch71HIiwb1_r_ynPeiwCLcBGAs/s1600/baldrey.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="580" height="59" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJacXu7dy_4/W8rPiid2IbI/AAAAAAACDIs/1iPnBIIG0X0YLGch71HIiwb1_r_ynPeiwCLcBGAs/s320/baldrey.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proper conclusion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />NDP<div>
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<div>
The NDP howled with outrage when the idea of a carbon tax was floated by Premier Gordon Campbell in 2007; they coined the phrase, "Axe the Tax" regarding the proposal. Correctly detecting trends, Campbell saw an opening between old guard NDP'ers and new generation environmentalists. He struck accordingly. The right wing BC Liberals outflanked the NDP on the environment and won a new term: *on* the carbon tax. The NDP would not make that mistake again.</div>
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Politics</div>
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Sure, the huffing and puffing of right wing ideologues of the right (right now) are frothing at the mouth at the cabon tax. They see an angle to gin up support for a repeal of said tax. It may score some quick political points, but we cannot hide from climate change. The advent of more extreme weather, longer/hotter summers, more severe storms/hurricanes surely most prove that something is out of place. </div>
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We are not out of the woods here. Its not just a carbon tax that will resolve the worlds climate crisis, but its a start. If the right wing believe they have a winning issue here, they are mistaken. There are far bigger issues to fight on, and given the affinity of younger, newer voters to give a shit about the environment; this trend isn't going away any time soon.</div>
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My 2 bits<br /><br />
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Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-63413683777386644592018-10-17T08:00:00.001-07:002018-10-17T08:02:33.296-07:00This is not ok.<p dir="ltr">Article: "Times Colonist: NDP's draft gag order could limit public dissent on party positions." <a href="https://www.timescolonist.com/news/b-c/ndp-s-draft-gag-order-could-limit-public-dissent-on-party-positions-1.23464889">(link)</a> </p>
<p dir="ltr">There is a time for internal confidentiality and there's a time for public debate. A healthy political party knows the difference and isn't afraid of the latter. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So, with that, I oppose any gag order placed on party officials. I didn't join this party in 1995 to watch this party become an organization of yes-men.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It is fundamental to the health of a democratic organization that it listen to voices of dissent and disagreement to help a course correction if drifting off path too far.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So now what? Should a local party official (read: activist and volunteer) speak against a govt policy that runs opposite of party philosophy, is that person going to be stripped of their role? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Let's be honest. If you're a member of a party, in this case the NDP, chances are that you're onside for probably 90-95% of what the govt is doing. That's what puts us all in the same room, makes us volunteer, fundraise and hit the bricks during campaign seasons. </p>
<p dir="ltr">But to those who disagree with the 5-10% of what govt does, is that going to cost us? </p>
<p dir="ltr">I spoke out against siteC. If I ever put my name forward for a party position, is that going to cost me? I can defend my position, and I don't agree with the government on theirs. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Is the party's "green light" committee going to veto any effort to run for the nomination of an elected position under the party's banner for my dissent (if I chose to run)?  </p>
<p dir="ltr">Because that would be <b>very</b> unfortunate. </p>
<p dir="ltr">My 2 bits. </p>
Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-17114344842357416002018-09-24T19:05:00.004-07:002018-09-24T19:05:54.697-07:00Another miscalculation by Andrew Wilkinson<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JlXB0DkZLyk/W6mNK2C4Y0I/AAAAAAACCCA/FfqyCs7S36U7lipra0f5xSTtAjF2EcviQCKgBGAs/s1600/FB_IMG_1537834358694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JlXB0DkZLyk/W6mNK2C4Y0I/AAAAAAACCCA/FfqyCs7S36U7lipra0f5xSTtAjF2EcviQCKgBGAs/s320/FB_IMG_1537834358694.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the BC Liberal link to their "no" mini-campaign site</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today, BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson challenged Premier John Horgan to a debate on electoral reform. In an instant, I thought to myself, what a stunningly foolish thing to do. Already, Andrew has been on the wrong side of history on several issues.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>He's opposed the popular speculation tax.</li>
<li>He's opposed the elimination of the MSP.</li>
<li>He's opposed ICBC reform.</li>
<li>He's opposed the minimum wage increase.</li>
<li>He's opposed to electoral reform.</li>
</ul>
<br />
But lets talk about electoral reform for a moment.<br />
<br />
The NDP pledged a referendum to ask voters on an option for a proportional representation based system. Facing defeat, so did the BC Liberals in their ill-fated <a href="https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/full-text-of-b-c-s-speech-from-the-throne-1.20724534" target="_blank">throne speech</a>. Presumably, Andrew Wilkinson voted for it too.<br />
<br />
But, here is the crux of my thinking on this:<br />
<br />
Andrew Wilkinson has effectively made himself the leader of the anti-reform movement in BC. This is problematic in several ways (for him).<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Those opposed to the BC Liberals, and recent polling puts that number between 60-65% of the popular vote (if recent polling is to be seen as accurate), it gives those folks a brand new opportunity to render their verdict against the 16 year old government (of whom many still resent). In that, "if the BC Liberals oppose reform, then I'm in favour!".</li>
<li>Historically, right-of-centre parties do just fine in proportional voting systems; proportional voting does not mean 'left wing' government forever. </li>
<li>By attaching himself to the anti-reform movement, Andrew has already dismissed other right-of-centre politico's or parties that may find their way into the legislature.</li>
<li>A vote against electoral reform is a vote *for* the BC Liberals; this may be an uncomfortable alignment for some voters.</li>
<li>The vote in question isn't for a pure proportional system; there are three proportional/regional hybrid systems that preserve local representation: something the BC Liberals have mislead voters into thinking isn't the case.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Its not that I think that Andrew Wilkinson is a bad person. I don't know the guy. But his trajectory right now seems to be emulating the scorched earth partisanship that was representative of the last decade, and is a thing that BC voters can do without.<br />
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my 2 bits<br />
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Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-27105884591113180902018-09-17T09:21:00.000-07:002018-09-17T09:22:38.895-07:00Doug Ford's power play on Toronto has implications far and wideSo here we are with a discussion around <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_33_of_the_Canadian_Charter_of_Rights_and_Freedoms" target="_blank">Section 33</a> of the Charter of Rights, known as the <b>Notwithstanding Clause</b>. Not a gripping debate in many circles, except that it should be. Its usage could have a profound impact on Canadians.<br />
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In a nutshell, it permits a government to set aside a court ruling on the constitutionality for up to 5 years (pending legislation to repair/fix what was judged, or an election). So if a court rules an act is unconstitutional, a government may invoke section 33 and disregard the court ruling - so that the offending law remain in effect.<br />
<br />
What?!<br />
<br />
Further, Section 33 applies (when invoked) on Section 2, and section 7-15 of the Charter. Meaning, section 2's fundamental rights could be swept aside by a bully Premier. If you're keeping track, Section 2 is where your right of everything you hold dear is nicely housed.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1HQeSerMA-A/W5_RYH8z31I/AAAAAAACBzI/ojQfW3iNjacVrh6JzUP0FXfpqer-_K8WQCLcBGAs/s1600/section2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="148" data-original-width="783" height="75" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1HQeSerMA-A/W5_RYH8z31I/AAAAAAACBzI/ojQfW3iNjacVrh6JzUP0FXfpqer-_K8WQCLcBGAs/s400/section2.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
A union's right to strike, bargain in good faith, even "exist" are threatened by S. 33. But wait! That's not all. That thing that protects your freedom of faith and free speech? That's also Section 2. Freedom to peacefully protest? Section 2.<br />
<br />
Oh this is all overkill, fear mongering.<br />
<br />
Is it?<br />
<br />
There are campaigners that have worked hard to undo union strength in Canada. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_formula" target="_blank">Rand Formula</a> is key to union strength and forbids 'open shop' and anti-union "right to work" laws from being enacted here.<br />
<br />
But now Doug Ford has served notice that his fight with Toronto may not be the only time that Section 33 is invoked. All he has to do now is table right-to-work laws in Ontario, have a court strike them down as unconstitutional, then pull the notwithstanding trigger.<br />
<br />
Its over.<br />
<br />
This is the fight the far right has been itching for. Next time a rising star of the progressive side emerges, vote for it and undo this mess.<br />
<br />
Your move, Ontario.<br />
<br />
my 2 bitsPete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-21430414505974699962018-09-15T15:53:00.000-07:002018-09-15T15:56:04.984-07:00Populist "rent freeze" catch phrase may bring unintended consequences Again, I don't want to minimize the struggle by middle and modest income earners who already struggle to pay rents in BC, but this call for a 'rent freeze' by some civic political candidates I believe is misguided and fraught with risks.<br />
<br />
A Rent Freeze by definition is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_controls" target="_blank">price control</a> mechanism. BC already has a rent control device, which apparently is inadequate for it to allow a 4.5% annual maximum increase for 2019. Its true that the regulatory framework that the Residential Tenancy Branch uses to establish such rate controls could use some reform.<br />
<br />
But to arbitrarily freeze rates would open a can of worms that I believe are unintended consequences of their intended goal. In real world experiences where this has been done, its triggered an ironical result of higher rent increases and a drop in rental supply; almost the same result as general price controls in the early 70's in the OPEC Oil embargo, fuel shortages were triggered. I haven't signed up to the neo-liberal economic philosophy, but I respect facts.<br />
<br />
But there's another problem.<br />
<br />
If we're to fight income inequality just through a rent freeze, we've completely missed the point. We didn't arrive at un-affordable rent overnight. This is the result of planning and the unintended consequences of ideals of the BC Liberal government. Theirs were variations of trickle-down applied in different areas. It was a 16 year war on middle and modest income earners to the gain of the 1%. As it turns out, when folks expected to be the working class of an economy cannot afford to live in the region their paycheques are supposed to sustain, then the model is broken. Or rather, doing exactly as intended.<br />
<br />
To impose a rent freeze is to let the BC Liberals <b>off the hook</b> for their catastrophic failure to manage the economy in the last 16 years. Right now, the BC Liberals are goading the NDP into doing such a freeze, knowing exactly where it would <a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/01/rent-control-a-reckoning/551168/" target="_blank">lead</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Advice</b>: don't take the bait.<br />
<br />
What the NDP can do; increase the minimum wage, spend on public owned rental stock, invest in skills training and apprenticeships. This adds supply to the market (and, as its public sector, its non-profit), and increases wages and income levels.<br />
<br />
The current income inequality gap is most profound in BC today because the BC Liberals abandoned a whole generation of BC workers and youth when they gutted the apprenticeship and training programs. This wasn't for lack of demand: the need for trained blue collar trades is evident as major construction projects relied more and more on temporary foreign workers <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/temporary-foreign-workers-needed-for-b-c-s-future-says-premier-1.2786289" target="_blank">instead</a> of our own citizens.<br />
<br />
So younger BC workers drifted from one low wage job to another, paying high tuition rates and student loans while your BC government <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/temporary-foreign-workers-lng-job-offer-denied-by-premier-christy-clark-1.2818601" target="_blank">went</a> elsewhere to find workers to work in middle class careers.<br />
<br />
To be fair, income inequality isn't a thing invented solely by the BC Liberals. But their so-called leadership in the last 16 years and their abandoning of public responsibilities to invest in our youth to build and maintain the economy for the future has made it worse.<br />
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And we haven't even discussed the BC Liberals deregulation of the real estate market, ineptitude regarding the 'liberal' flow of #dirtymoney into the market that lead to the hyper explosive growth in prices - making expensive homes completely out of range for all but the 1%.<br />
<br />
These were made possible by political decisions by the government of Christy Clark and Gordon Campbell. Undoing this damage isn't going to be done overnight, but remember how we got here.<br />
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May this never be allowed to happen again.<br />
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My 2 bits<br />
<br />Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-45242916232660251562018-09-14T10:57:00.000-07:002018-09-14T10:57:16.265-07:00Opinion: Donald Trump is the leader of the Tea Party and white nationalist movementLet this be a lesson to those looking to those looking to emulate the populism, reactionary philosophy of Trumpism elsewhere; your movement is a fraud and your God is a false prophet.<br />
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Donald Trump endeared himself to the racist fringe with his parroting of conspiracy theories about former President Obama's birthplace ("<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/09/politics/donald-trump-birther/index.html" target="_blank">birtherism</a>").<br />
<br />
Because media and pundits would have eviscerated anyone for doing so, no one used the 'N' word in dismissing Obama's candidacy as far back as 2008, why not nullify him by professing that he's not a natural born citizen - and given the real world antipathy towards Muslim folks since 2001, accuse the guy of being Islamic too.<br />
<br />
All of these patently racist, debunked theories were repeated by far-right hate-pimps, and it didn't matter that they were false. As a certain German cabinet minister in the 1930's proved, the bigger the lie, the more often its repeated, the more folks will believe it. That tactic, if nothing else, was proven true.<br />
<br />
Its what it took to lay the groundwork and pave the way for a person like Trump. 20+ years ago, I would have never have figured Trump for a racist, etc. An opportunist? Absolutely. His business practices I didn't have any information on, other than what was in the public domain at the time, but I would have easily attributed 'opportunism' as one of his traits.<br />
<br />
A man with an ego that large, a personality that narcissist, the reach for the next big thing was almost inevitable. So he ran for President.<br />
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I don't think Trump is stupid. I think he learned well the art of the sale. Close the sale on whatever terms you can get. Its all about the sales pitch.<br />
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Trump knows his people. He said as much in '16 when he claimed that he loved the poorly educated; they weren't smart enough to challenge his ideas.<br />
<br />
Armed with a core of racist supporters who hated Obama for his blackness, antipathy towards Hillary Clinton and a flawed electoral college system, Trump became the 45th President.<br />
<br />
With that, he stepped into the Whitehouse with all his prior business conflicts, arrogance and flaws, to do a job he doesn't understand.<br />
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Donald Trump lives in the moment. He believes his own rhetoric and appears to think that laws aren't broken or conflicts are irrelevant so long as his ends are met.<br />
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That is not how the laws work. And no man, or President, is above the law.<br />
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To those who would emulate the Trump model will rightly follow his path. Maybe there's initial success, but inevitably, a trail of destruction as the lies are revealed. Because that is what the whole "alt-right" movement is based on. Lies and Hate.<br />
<br />
Good riddance.<br />
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my 2 bitsPete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-19033264034778250722018-09-08T17:28:00.000-07:002018-09-08T17:28:43.110-07:00Unpopular opinion: annual maximum rent increaseFirstly, I completely commiserate with folks facing potential rental rate hikes of up to 4.5%. That's no small sum of cash, and unless you're in the CEO income bracket (which is almost none of you), you're going to feel this one.<br />
<br />
So in light of this approved maximum rate hike, I've learned that the Residential Tenancy Branch made this approval based on a set of provincially established criteria.<br />
<br />
Rental advocates are demanding that the NDP government act immediately to either suspend the increase or lower the increase. This is problematic because advocates here are demanding that there be political interference in an otherwise independent government agency.<br />
<br />
I'm sure it could be done, but it runs opposite to those angry at the previous government for political interference with ICBC where insurance rate increases were held artificially low because elections. The result of that interference is the dumpster fire that the NDP is now charged with cleaning up. One of the ways out of that disaster was a 30% increase in insurance rates. The government opted for significant reforms (that were advised to the previous BC Liberal government, but ignored).<br />
<br />
What happens when a rent freeze thaws out?<br />
<br />
There are some schools of thought on the <a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/01/rent-control-a-reckoning/551168/" target="_blank">economics</a> of a rent freeze, or severe rent controls. But lets also give some context to the present situation. Rent and affordability in BC's largest cities has thousands of people on the financial cusp, but it hasn't always been this way. Political decisions made by powerful people have a profound impact here; this current rental rate debacle isn't the only factor here.<br />
<br />
For 16 years, we had a government that hated working people.<br />
<br />
They started off with a training minimum wage, $2 less than the legal minimum, for folks new to the workforce (less than 500 total hours worked). Trouble there is that some young people were 'let go' from their part time jobs as 500 hours approached. This in fact happened in my family. Other employers felt that every time they hired a new person, it entitled them to 500 hours to pay $2 less per hour.<br />
<br />
Then they moved on to unions. The government tore up freely negotiated collective agreements under a pretence of 'sweetheart deals'; an allegation that the prior NDP government made sweet deals with its public sector unions. The trouble is that many of the provisions in dispute that needed a shredder (according to Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark) were in place in various forms since the days of WAC Bennett.<br />
<br />
They gutted the apprenticeship and training program in BC. So much so that when critical infrastructure was to be built, contractors started relying on imported 'temporary foreign workers' instead of training here in BC.<br />
<br />
They deregulated the real estate market; handed off its policing duties to the industry. The result of this is the runaway real estate prices in large cities in BC and natural infection of the rental market. That sort of big money industry proved to be to tempting of a target for organised crime as well; with their duffel bags of cash laundering money in BC casinos. <br />
<br />
In an economy where the gap between 1% and everyone else isn't so disgustingly large, a 4.5% jump in annual rents may be manageable by working folks. But in BC, a former government beholden to big industry, big realty, and other corporate insiders, that jump in rates might be the bridge too far.<br />
<br />
But lets not mistake the potential rate increases as the problem; the problem was created (and still exists) by having a government for almost 16 that hated the working people they governed.<br />
<br />
I'm not convinced that a rent freeze is the answer; unforeseen consequences may await that policy, and what of the rates when the <b><u>thaw</u></b> sets in?<br />
<br />
I think the answer lays in better supports for those in destitute poverty, better wages and salaries for those who work for a living; this means more education, apprenticeships and opportunities. All the things the BC Liberals refused to do.<br />
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My 2 bits<br />
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<br />Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-47742064598662913602018-09-01T11:44:00.003-07:002018-09-01T12:21:32.406-07:00Right on cue, conservatives over-reach on #TransMountain decision. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qv2vZWihVZk/W4rVR0nYLUI/AAAAAAACAjw/38CTJLYRY94jsdfvEl3lJH7oOSYAO7NAwCKgBGAs/s1600/Screenshot_20180901-110306_Google.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="1439" height="198" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qv2vZWihVZk/W4rVR0nYLUI/AAAAAAACAjw/38CTJLYRY94jsdfvEl3lJH7oOSYAO7NAwCKgBGAs/s200/Screenshot_20180901-110306_Google.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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As if planned this way, Conservative cry-babies react to the Trans-Mountain decision by appropriating the pipeline setback as "western alienation".</div>
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Spare me for a moment while I try not to throw up.</div>
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Albertans and pro-pipelines folks are no doubt upset by the Appeals Court to overturn Cabinet approval for the pipeline project, but not because the Ottawa Liberals suddenly turned anti-West. </div>
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To be sure, I have never seen such a pro-pipeline party as Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party; so much so that the Natural Resources Minister had to apologize for <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/minister-apologizes-for-threatening-to-use-military-against-pipeline-protesters" target="_blank">threatening</a> to call in the military on pipeline protesters. Even Stephen Harper didn't go that far.</div>
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What Trudeau is guilty of is betraying a central campaign promise. He said that his new government would reboot the approval process as the 'current model' was flawed. He was right. The process was flawed - it is still flawed. That is why the court acted as it did. The problem is that Trudeau didn't deliver on his pledge and let the Harper model remain in place.</div>
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Imagine an alternative universe where Alberta based Stephen Harper was still Prime Minister. Would conservative types in the west still moan 'western alienation' had this same verdict come down? Or is that merely a political reaction when things don't go your way? Did anyone mention that the judges involved in this decision were all appointed in the Harper era? </div>
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I AM SO DISGUSTED WITH OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT !! THIS RULING TODAY IS THE ICING ON THE CAKE !!<br />LITERALLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SCREWED OVER WITH THIS RULING TODAY OVER THE TRANS MOUNTAIN /KINDER MORGAN PROJECT !! 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡</div>
— Gill Powell (@GillPowell4) <a href="https://twitter.com/GillPowell4/status/1035213388995936256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Justin or Stephen; nor am I saying that the west doesn't get its equitable due from Ottawa. But lets get something straight: the appeals court decision had nothing to do with Liberal, or Conservative, or Harper, or Trudeau, or Scheer, or western alienation, or Alberta or BC for that matter. It came down to a failure to adequately consult in a meaningful way with various affected first nation's. It came down to a failure to consider any adverse affect of a catastrophic spill and the dramatic expansion of tanker traffic on the west coast. </div>
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This pipeline may still go ahead after all, the court even gave a road map to navigate the problems in the current approval process (that Trudeau should have fixed, but didn't). </div>
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The court ignored the political considerations (as they should) and focused on the meaningful consultations shortcoming and environmental concerns. But true to form, crybaby conservatives made it all about themselves. </div>
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Well, go fuck yourselves. Canada is bigger than you, you regionalist, opportunist, cynical 'populists'. Trying to split the country like this makes you just as bad if not <b>worse </b>than the failing separatist movement in Quebec. How un-Canadian of you.</div>
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My 2 bits </div>
Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-82673134822250247662018-08-31T02:21:00.000-07:002018-08-31T02:26:58.861-07:00Of Kinder Morgan, Trans-Mountain and the new reality <p dir="ltr">It seems like only yesterday that Premier Rachel Notley was demanding that protesters camped out on Burnaby mountain disperse after having lost another court challenge in regards to #tmx prep work being carried out. The Alberta Premier was loud and clear about her insistence that folks respect the law of the land and do as the courts demand. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><u>Well</u>, funny thing about that; no sooner the Federal Appeals Court <a href="https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/federal-court-of-appeal-quashes-approval-of-9-3-billion-trans-mountain-oil-pipeline-expansion">rules</a> against the proposed pipeline that the good Premier throws a Trump-style <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trans-mountain-federal-court-appeals-1.4804495">tantrum</a> and demands federal intervention.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Now, I don't mean to make light of this; the pipeline project being put on hold (possibly stopped altogether) is a serious setback for a province who's primary industry is linked to the fate of said proposal.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It wasn't long ago that 3rd party leader, Rachel Notley was campaigning on the notion of more diversification of the Alberta economy. She made serious political mileage in bashing 44 years of PC rule that put almost all of its economic eggs into one (tar sands) basket; only to have the bottom fall out of the industry.</p>
<p dir="ltr">She was right then; Alberta has far more to offer than to rip up more soil and further expand an industry that has extremely narrow margins and uniquely sensitive to global market fluctuations. Yet, that is exactly what she's done.</p>
<p dir="ltr">After campaigning against it, Notley's government has triple-downed on the same problematic industrial policy that wounded the province in '15.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I can't help what Alberta does, I don't live there. And I certainly don't advise the government on policy directions.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In a way, I don't blame Rachel Notley. As Premier, she has little choice but to respond forcefully when something seems to threaten their #1 industry. But, what about BC? What about the several first nations who successfully argued that they were not adequately consulted prior to Cabinet approval? What about the failure of the environmental review process to consider any potential impact on coastal waters with the 5x increase of tanker traffic in and out of the south coast?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Alberta may have the right to extract a resource within their jurisdiction, but surely BC and coastal communities have a right to defend our land too.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Alberta cannot get around this; the duty of meaningful consultation with first nations is framed in by several constitutionally relevant Supreme Court decisions. Also, significantly, the jurisdiction to protect and regulate the protection of the environment is a new area of law.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I read occasionally some interesting arguments made in defense of these pipeline proposals. Its framed in as being 'pro-Canadian energy' (read: Canadian oil for Canadian drivers, etc). Cool theory, but every proposed pipeline in the last 10 years has been almost exclusively designed for export only. TransMountain expansion calls for a super port in Vancouver to house the influx of tankers to cart away crude oil for foreign markets. It will do nothing for domestic supply. So when propagandists and supporters try to browbeat opponents into suggesting that their driving habits or home heating are under threat should the pipeline be stopped; they're lying.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The domestic supply isn't changing from this pipeline; but completing it could (ironically) make fuel prices more <a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/why-building-trans-mountain-pipeline-will-increase-gas-prices-b-c/">expensive</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Worse, pipelines are not a job boon as the proponents describe. While there are significant job opportunities in the construction phase, TransMountain would leave behind only 90 theoretical permanent jobs as a result of their project.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Opposite of this, there are at least 110,000 jobs that exist and are at risk in the event of a catastrophic oil spill in the waters around metro Vancouver.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Who's to say. What if the proposal was to build a refinery in BC and sell domestically to the province and region? This would be hard to oppose; given the populist notion of energy independence. Why *wouldn't* you want to consume your own national product?</p>
<p dir="ltr">What if the Trudeau Liberals followed through to revamp the flawed environmental review process? Would the gaps in current model be resolved and more adequate consultations take place?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Fair questions to be sure, but neither scenario is in play. Instead, the Liberals went ahead and used the flawed process as established under Stephen Harper and was rightly challenged in court.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Trudeau Liberals now find themselves in quite a bind of their own making. They could pull out of the purchase deal and lose only $10 million; literally abandoning Alberta..or they could proceed with a Supreme Court appeal. Both are risky, but if they lose at the Supreme Court, their findings are final and binding.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Either way, this debacle is 100% the making of Justin Trudeau and his federal Liberal Party. They have finally been caught in their own duplicity and sloppy triangulation on the energy/environment file. They rightly deserve to wear every bit of egg coming their way.</p>
<p dir="ltr">My 2 bits.</p>
Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-37653797559096995422018-08-16T17:49:00.000-07:002018-08-16T17:49:10.330-07:00Maxime forgets an important chapter in Canadian history that creates the diversity we celebrate today.Pseudo-libertarian Maxime Bernier made a stink during this last week. By railing against 'extreme PC and diversity', he woke up the crowd that also has a problem with diversity. This is music to the ears of those looking to replicate the Trump-style populism here in Canada, but its problematic as far as our own history.<br />
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This goes back a fair distance in time, but the legacy of multiculturalism and diversity was born out of the aftermath of the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-the-plains-of-abraham/" target="_blank">Battle</a> of the Plains of Abraham. The 1759 battle settled the Anglo-France question in the colonies with the British Army vanquishing the French. Out of the Seven Years' War between the two global empires, Quebec was ceded to England. But in that acquisition, the french speaking, Catholic settlers of lower Canada were allowed to keep their civil code, laws and customs, language and religion.<br />
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The first patch was sewn into the mosaic of Canada, and its been that way ever since.<br />
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This may be an over simplification of matters, and doesn't speak to the genocidal treatment of the millions of first nations who had long settled this land before being "discovered" by European settlers. But the point missed by Maxime is that diversity *is* what Canada is.<br />
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At issue is the proposed creation of a national day of remembrance (a stat holiday) to commemorate the tragic legacy of the nation's aboriginal Residential School system. For reference, the last school closed as late as 1996 and is credited with the deaths of 6000 kids who lived within this system.<br />
Maxime is taking on the position that since it happened so long ago (it didn't), that everyone should just get over it. Nobody would try to make that argument over the millions slaughtered at the hands of the fascists and Nazi's in Germany and Europe, why do we have to do that here?<br />
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Maxime Bernier's comments were a grotesque misfire that may have triggered a home-grown white-nationalist movement to come out into the open since it seems they've been granted legitimacy and political cover here.<br />
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Canada is a tolerant and diverse nation. We're not perfect, but that is a work in progress. We do not, however, need to lend that generosity to white supremacists and hate mongers here. We literally fought a war against them. They were the enemy then. They still are today.<br />
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My 2 bits Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8247643361510849800.post-84258911569712954482018-08-14T23:37:00.001-07:002018-08-14T23:37:02.882-07:00Statues, monuments and revisiting historyI am not very comfortable with removal of statues and monuments as seems to be a trend going on right now.<br />
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The City of Victoria voted to <a href="https://www.cheknews.ca/john-a-macdonald-statue-taken-down-from-victoria-city-hall-478429/" target="_blank">remove</a> the statue of Canada's first Prime Minister, John A MacDonald on the 11th, and its stirred some serious debate since.<br />
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Before I continue, I need to stress something. By no means am I glorifying certain individuals in our history with a shady or controversial history. MacDonald himself was <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/3693078/sir-john-a-macdonald-controversy-canadas-first-prime-minister/" target="_blank">not</a> an angel. <br />
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And lets get some context here too.<br />
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Many of the monuments and statues to important people were erected within their lifetime or shortly after. For example, a good number of battlefield memorials, monuments and the like were erected shortly after the conclusion of the US Civil War. Two sides fought a bloody war over slavery (or the "state's rights" to maintain the grotesque institution). Hundreds of thousands of men on both sides were drafted into a war and never came home to enjoy the years of peace afterwards; they're owed a final and peaceful resting place for all time so that nobody should forget what painful experience nation building looks like.<br />
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What wasn't legitimate was in the 1960's, in the height of the civil rights era, several former Confederate, southern US states begun a spate of building of more of these monuments to fallen Confederate Generals, etc. In that context, the statues and monuments weren't to honour anyone, they were a giant brass and concrete middle finger to Dr King and the civil rights movement he was murdered defending.<br />
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The initial building of our monuments mark important milestones in our nations' history. Its not so much a whitewashing of the legacy enshrined in such a monument, its perhaps that the dark side of said person wasn't well known. More accurately, I believe, that the person immortalized in cement was a product of their day. There is no way that John MacDonald could get away in today's politics with the unabashedly racist politics he engaged in; but that was where the nation was at (at the time).<br />
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We learn. We grow. We change.<br />
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The right approach would be to retool the plaques and offer the necessary historical context, and unvarnished look at the totality of the person. Or perhaps, erect counter-balancing monuments that tell the other side of the story as well. Canada is a complex nation and our journey to this day hasn't been easy.<br />
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What I see however, in removing a statue (etc) reminds me of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/whitewashing-civil-war-history-for-young-minds/2015/07/06/1168226c-2415-11e5-b77f-eb13a215f593_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.635e59ce176b" target="_blank">this</a>.<br />
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Canada isn't a perfect nation. Our leadership over the generation did some terrible things..and some good things. We deserve to know all of our history, regardless of the stains on the pages.<br />
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My 2 bits<br />
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<br />Pete's Viewpointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07500471660604607507noreply@blogger.com0