Jack Layton

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Jack Layton is just another politician. His attack adds are similar to those of the Liberals and Conservatives. My concern is what each party’s stand is on excessive privatization and the North American Union.

The NDP seems to be the only party that is also concerned about these two issues. The obsession with privatization is not in the public’s best interest. It is in the large Corporation’s best interest where money and profit (for them) reigns supreme and public accountability is a nonexistent encumbrance.

The politicians mock the conspiracy theory rumors surrounding the North American Union but TILMA is already in place and Harper is meeting with Bush and Fox. These behind closed door deals that over ride the Charter of Rights are bad. Very bad. Trade agreements are fine but signing an agreement that makes it illegal for any level of governement to create a law that would inhibit a corporation’s ability to make a profit it insane.

Laws that protect the environment or public interest become void. Democracy is trampled over as the new beast, corporate greed, reigns supreme as transparency and public accountability are strategically removed all in the name of business. Bad business.

The Liberals have proven to be bad with money and incur massive debt. The Conservatives have talked the talk about balanced budgets but their pork barrel politics have proven to be just as fiscally irresponsible. What more damage could the NDP do? Aside from legalizing prostitution and every illicit drug under the sun. That is clearly extremism on the other end of the spectrum. Pot and crack are different. Legalizing crack is ridiculous. Legalizing prostitution may be well meaning but I do not believe it will reduce violence against women. It will just get worse.

Personally, I think a minority governement where the Conservatives team up with the NDP and the Block on common ground and not proceed on areas of disagreement will best serve the public interest.

Stéphane Dion

Stéphane Dion is a scoundrel. He sends out a flyer in the mail boldly declaring that Steven Harper is wrong on Crime. Boldly declaring that he and the Liberal Party will finally be tough on crime. (Weren’t they the ones that created the judicial mess we are now in)

Anyways, he sends out this election flyer saying the Harper government is wrong on crime and uses the surge in public outrage over the Canadian Judicial system as an election platform. Then when the Harper government actually walks the walk and submits anti crime legislation the Liberals throw a childish temper tantrum and walk out without voting on the legislation.

Talk about childish political opportunism. Why don’t political parties ever do what’s best for Canada? Why do they always do what’s best to promote their party? It’s a shame.

I liked Trudeau. He was respected and did a good job with the Charter of Rights. I was pretty young at the time and don’t know much about what else he did. Except when he came to B.C. and fingered some hecklers here. We liked that. It’s wasn’t a George Bush f the world kind of thing. It was a simple assertive I am what I am kind of thing. I am told that the downside of the Trudeau government was the beginning of outrageous national debt.

I liked Jean Cretchien too. I thought he was a good guy. Unfortunately he was Trudeau’s finance minister so he too was responsible for massive Canadian debt. His involvement in the sponsorship scandal and his response "Sponsorship is good" was a prime example of why it was time for us to move on.

Paul Martin denying any role in the sponsorship scandal when he was finance minister was simply not believable. The federal Liberals have proven to be very bad with money and very corrupt dripping with scandals: http://www.primetimecrime.com/Recent/Investigative/Sponsorship%20Scandal.htm

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/01/24/dion-liberals.html

Not to mention Alfonso Gagliano’s involvement in the sponsorship scandal as well his secret criminal record and the New York Times claim that a FBI report fingered him to be a made member of the Mafia in Montreal: http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2006/01/gaglianos_crimi.html

Donna Cadman

Donna Cadman is a wonderful person. Her husband was a hero. He was one of the few politicians that was loved and respected. When he died of cancer many in this area turned their reelect Chuck Cadman signs into Rest in Peace signs.

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The scandal that the Tories tried to bribe Chuck Cadman is believable and consistent with the way the Tories and the Liberals do business. Penny Priddy did raise an interesting point. If Chuck Cadman was outraged with the Tory bribe then why did Donna Cadman agree to run as a candidate for the Tories?

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=4987696f-f9a2-40f1-8f37-df3dab8ed47b

Sure enough the election is under way and today I saw them putting up election signs for Donna Cadman and sure enough it was for the Tories. Like I said, Donna Cadman is a wonderful person and Chuck Cadman is a hero. Personally I think it would have been better if Donna Cadman ran as an independent this election. Going back to the Tories after the scandal came out is strange.

Steven Harper

Steven Harper is scary. I remember seeing a political cartoon of Steven Harper with the caption "What do you mean scary?" The guy never smiled. He just looked scary. Now that he is on the campaign trail again they have trained him to smile but to me it still looks scary.

What’s scary is his return to Mulroneyism. Libby Davies predicted the Tories will begin their vote buying immediately as sure enough. No sooner had those words left her mouth they suddenly were fulfilled. He’s handing out cash and buying votes left right and centre. That is not Reform that is Mulroneyism.

The Reform party gained popularity in the West because they were different than the Tories. They pledged to end pork barrel politics. They strove to balance the budget to save social programs not abolish them. Ontario saw them as a separatist group and wouldn’t buy in so they compromised their values and merged with the Tories and came full circle again.

The Tories are not as bad as the Liberals when it comes to being used car salesmen on the campaign trail but they are close. Vote for us we are good good good. Don’t vote for them they are bad bad bad.

There is talk about a minority government not being able to govern. That is nonsense. We don’t want to give any of these extremists a blanch check to do what ever they want in a majority government. Minority governments are good. It means they can’t steam roll ahead with their own agenda and ignore everyone else. It means they have to listen to debate and find common ground.

In a majority government debate is just a show. They let the other party speak but they have no regard for anything they say because they will simply out vote them when the question is called.

The Harper Government wants to reform the judicial system. This is needed. They will be able to get support from the NDP on this but they will have to listen to proposed amendments so they don’t go to the extreme and pose minimum sentences for the possession of marijuana when we were crying out for minimum sentences for violent and gun related crime.

My concern about the Harper government is their idolization of George Bush, their behind closed doors support for TILMA and the North American Union as well as their assisting the cover up in the 911 inconsistencies. My concern is their drive for extreme privatization and their commitment to affordable public health care. Those are all valid concerns that need to be addressed.

Privatized Prisons

This is another example of American extremism. Why on earth would you want a prison mandated to make a profit? Where does it stop? A private police force? No public services that are accountable to the public? How can you maintain public accountability if you privatize everything?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_prisons

http://www.midsouthpeace.org/capp.html

http://www.tpj.org/watchyourassets/prisons/

http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/181249.pdf

http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_3440.shtml

Privatizing everything has not helped the American economy:

Dee Henderson

This is an example of American extremism. Dee Henderson was in a car accident and suffered from migraines. Her private insurance company said she had to apply for social security before they would approve her claim, which she did. All private insurance companies want to avoid paying claims since they are mandated to make a profit.

Dee was eventually approved for social security. She did not say she could not work. She said she couldn’t maintain gainful employment because her migraines were sporadic which made her attendance unreliable. Years later she ends up winning a beauty contest.

Insurance scalpers follow her around and see her wave to the crowd in a beauty contest and deem her fit for employment and deny her claim. She was also seen in a bathing suit at the beach wading in ankle deep water with her children. Hardly vigorous physical activity.

Nevertheless, Dee Henderson was not only cut off disability, she was thrown in jail for committing fraud. What? I’m serious. She had a little girl in tears as a good mother was being torn from the home, again.

I say this is extreme. If the private insurance company’s witch doctors deemed her fit for employment then they should simply have cut her off disability benefits. Throwing her in jail for fraud was extreme.

http://freedee.us/

http://www.badeagle.com/journal/archives/2003_12.html

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http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/12/30/beauty.queen.fraud.ap/index.html

Carol James

Carol James is a breath of fresh air. She is smart and compassionate. She wants to restore dignity to British Columbia. Something we lost when we closed down Riverview and put all the mentally challenged onto the street. Something we lost when we slashed programs for the elderly. Something we lost when we stopped creating social housing.

Balance is a fundamental principle. Gordon Campbell lost the balance and was over come with heartless greed. Getting rich by exploiting the disadvantaged is nothing to be proud of. The massive MP pay raises after such ruthless cuts were bizarre extremism.

Bragging about a surplus budget then raising gas tax was insanity. Raising the gas tax raises the cost of everything we buy in stores. The goods we buy get transported there on trucks. The price of gas affects the price of everything we buy.

Carol James wants to restore dignity to British Columbia and she wants to restore balance. That is the key. Shun extremism while promoting balance and common sense: http://www.cbc.ca/bcvotes2005/parties/carole_james.html

Think outside the box. The B.C. Liberals are doing nothing for judicial reform. The B.C. NDP are stepping up to the plate: http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/en/province_must_pressure_ottawa_to_keep_admitted_killers_off_bc_streets_says_farnworth