Recession ending for rich while many still lose jobs

Stories like this are crocks of shit.

I say big deal that our economy increased a bit. The jobless rate still climbs higher.

The money that’s supposed to be creating jobs and spurring on the economy is merely lining fewer pockets now. Things may be looking up for them, but for the nearly 3 million unemployed (and uncounted underemployed), that 0.1% increase in GDP doesn’t really mean shit.

Tomorrow the BC Liberals will announce a multi-billion dollar deficit with cuts to schools, hospitals, arts, students and libraries. I’d say Campbell’s hoping for a senate appointment when he retires, but for some reason the man wants to face another election in BC.

Why I’m not a Carole James fan

The BC NDP should have won the BC election this spring.

Their polling numbers going in were strong, and no one in this province really likes Gordon Campbell.

I don’t even think it was entirely Carole James’ plan to scrap the Carbon Tax that cost her the election.

And I just figured out why I haven’t been won over, and likely why many others haven’t.

Carole James doesn’t so much stand for anything as stand in opposition to the BC Liberals.

Every policy they seem to have is merely the opposite of the BC Liberals. They even have a Compare and Contrast page on their website stating every way that they are the opposite to the Liberals.

Gordon Campbell supports the carbon tax – Carole James opposed it.

Campbell originally supported putting an expensive retractable roof on BC Place – Carole James called it a waste of money.

Campbell’s government reverses and thinks it costs to much – James thinks not doing it will hurt long-term tourism.

At some point, even if Gordon Campbell and his government is all kinds of corrupt, they will get an issue right. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

And if you as a party leader merely mirror every flip-flop of the government with one of your own, you will never look qualified to lead the province.

It won’t kill the BC New Democrats to once in a while say, you know what Gordo, that was the right decision for a change. And then you can add in a positive step.

In fact, until they can say that, they likely won’t convince most people that they are a credible government-in-waiting as opposed to a perpetual opposition party.

Vancouver – Canada’s conspiracy breeding grounds?

Before I let the rest of Canada in on the next upcoming big conspiracy theory (since 9/11 and MMR vaccines), didI ever find a deal for anyone with $17 extra dollars in their pocket on October 16. Live at the Kitsilano Community Centre:

UFO Presentation & Discussion
Based on government documents released through the freedom of information act, Internet readings and You Tube videos, this course covers current ufology, the history going back to Roswell, and the secrecy suppressing this advanced technology which could help us and our environment.
Instructor: Brian Ruhe
45580.401KT $17/1 sess
Fri Oct 16 7:00pm-9:30pm

Anyone else feel like launching weather balloons in the park next to the hall after their session?

An article from NowPublic.com has been reprinted with sections highlighted and distributed around Vancouver. The article is omminously titled “Vaccine May Be More Dangerous Than Swine Flu.”

It makes such bold claims as:

This virus continues to be an enigma for virologists. In the April 30, 2009 issue of Nature, a virologist was quoted as saying,”Where the hell it got all these genes from we don’t know.” Extensive analysis of the virus found that it contained the original 1918 H1N1 flu virus, the avian flu virus (bird flu), and two new H3N2 virus genes from Eurasia. Debate continues over the possibility that swine flu is a genetically engineered virus.

While no, I’m not a microbiologist, I would be willing to bet that ALL flu viruses contain similar stands of DNA, seeing how they are all very related evolutionarily.

The group that presented this conspiracy crashed the CFI Vancouver talk last night on Genocide in Residential Schools. They were crafty to frame their concerns as suggesting that natives and residents of Vancouver’s poor Lower East Side will be among the first “test” subjects to receive this vaccines (allegedly in October, a month ahead of the “official” release).

Here’s the actual leaflet of condensed crazy that they were handing out.

One of the theorists accused a local CFI Organizer of being a member of the Illuminati.

This all looks like its tied to a group called “Citizens for Legitimate Government” whose website is orders beyond Time Cube (just try to read that website), but still calls 9/11 a coverup and talks about the “New World Order.”

So there you have it. H1N1 (Swine Flu) and the associated vaccine is the next conspiracy to make it out of the gates.

Get over it: Social Media is not going to change the world

BC STV did everything right online. They had YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, legions of bloggers, and a flashy website to explain it all.

They won the online polls before the election even started.

Last night, dozens stayed up through the night to Twitter the debate on #Bill44. Some PC backbench MLAs even got on Twitter later in the evening and debated a few citizens.

But it made no difference, despite the glorious feelings of self-satisfaction at having vented with other techno-political junkies until late hours in the night.

The teachers of the ATA had far more influence over the government with their policy positions than every single person online.

Meanwhile, realizing that Social Media does have a strategic use, the same Conservative government that is ignoring it and the people there are readily giving citizens a new pseudo-forum to deposit their suggestions into.

Only the reality is that no one reads your suggestions.

Social media is not going to change the world. Host all the Civic/Change/Transit/etc. Camps you want, and it won’t make a world of difference.

Perhaps I’m just jaded, but I’m increasingly seeing a lot of deluded egos in this “so-called” revolution, which I believe is more of just a new form of underground discussion.

But feel free to prove me wrong. (Oh, and like Obama needed to Twitter to win against the McCain/Palin ticket)

DeSmogBlog: Your bias is showing

Adam Rawlings, over at “To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth” has been following and slamming DeSmogBlog’s recent growing and near glowing endorsements of the BC Liberals and trash talk of the BC NDP. (See: here, here, here, and here).

Basically, the position DeSmogBlog has taken is that the Carbon Tax implemented by the corrupt Gordon Campbell Liberals is redeeming enough to forgive the fact his government has done little to nothing else on the environmental portfolio and is actually increasing drilling and emissions over the same period as putting a modest tax on gas at the pumps.

It smells of partisanship, but that can’t really be there, can it?

So who’s behind DeSmogBlog?

James Hoggan

The B.C. Liberal Party received six donations totaling $8,943 from James Hoggan and Associates from 2005 to 2008. Hoggan’s company was paid $353,855 by the B.C. government from 2005-2006 to 2007-2008, according to Public Accounts. Contracts included the Sea-to-Sky Highway expansion project and Canada Line.

“I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m a Liberal supporter,” Hoggan told 24 hours.

Well that’s not exactly a non-partisan thing to say Jim.

John Lefebvre

John Lefebvre, the so-called “teddy bear hippie” millionaire from Saltspring Island who recently ran into legal troubles in the U.S. on allegations of promoting illegal Internet gambling, is listed on the site as a benefactor.

Lefebvre, 55, remains in the U.S. on a $5-million bond pending a court hearing which is scheduled to begin Wednesday.

So, not an avowed Liberal, allegedly a crook, but definitely wealthy.

Kevin Grandia

The site is managed by Kevin Grandia, a former political aide to Liberal MP Raymond Chan…

It is worth noting that the federal Liberals and BC Liberals are separate entities though.

Richard Littlemore

No obvious connections, but he does have some issues actually doing research of BC NDP positions:

Asked whether he was aware of the reason the New Democrats voted against the legislation, the article’s author Richard Littlemore – a senior counsellor with Mr. Hoggan’s corporate communications firm James Hoggan and Associates Inc. – said, “I didn’t read the whole of the Hansard record. Between (DeSmogBlog operations manager Kevin Grandia) and I we sort of hustled it up together. But I understand they have a host of specific complaints about the nature of that agreement or the timing or I’m not sure what. So let me give you a direct answer to that: no, I’m not sure.”

Further, he lets us know that the whole DeSmogBlog group hates the NDP at this point:

But, speaking specifically about the article in question, Mr. Littlemore told Public Eye, “We are bugged beyond imagining by the fact the NDP – which I had cherished personally in my life as a party of principle – has on the issue of the carbon tax abandoned principle. Everybody else who works on the DeSmogBlog, we’re pretty much of a mind that we’re mad as Hell at the NDP for standing up against the single most positive piece of climate change legislation in North America. And, in fact, I think that because of the nature of political opposition and antipathy to taxes generally, if the Liberals lose this election it could very well be seen in all quarters as a referendum on the carbon tax. And that could undermine the ability or willigness of politicians all over North America to face up to this and to want to try to tackle a carbon tax.”

One commenter on that news story best responds to Littlemore with this gem:

With all due respect to Mr. Littlemore, YOU are trying to turn this election into a referendum on carbon tax. And it is a big risk.

My view

Sometimes you like to think a site that trumpets progressive environmental ideas could actually step back and consider the bigger picture than just obsessing over one policy.

And as for the “axe the tax” campaign by Carole James?

Obviously it’s to win votes to beat Campbell. The tax is unpopular and very likely ineffective. My ideal platform would be that they reform and expand the carbon tax – increasing it and applying it to industrial emitters too (a larger problem).

But rubbish posting like what’s happening with DeSmogBlog (and the affiliated organizations, which includes the David Suzuki Foundation, chaired by Liberal Hoggan) threatens the very nature of climate progress in BC.

Hell, they could at least be endorsing the BC Greens over the regressive Liberals.