Saturday, August 15, 2009

Bill Tieleman on vacation till September 7 - but the battle against HST continues!

Hi all - I'm off on vacation until September 7 - Labour Day - so there will be no new items here and significant delays posting any comments, unfortunately.

Please stay tuned for when I return - the battle to stop the Harmonized Sales Tax will take a major step forward - I'm working with former Premier Bill Vander Zalm on some significant efforts.

So mark your calendars for a significant protest in Vancouver at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday September 19 with Bill Vander Zalm, myself and other political and public figures! Starting at 12 noon.

More details here as they become available.


Meanwhile - NO BC HST - the Facebook protest group I created - has crossed the 90,000 member mark! Keep passing it on and tell all your friends to join!

And watch The Tyee and 24 hours newspaper for my column on Tuesday August 18 about how we can use the BC Initiative process to block the HST!


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14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bill,
Surely you could align yourself and your cause with someone --anyone-- with more integrity than Bill Vanderscam.

Bill Tieleman said...

On the contrary, it's my pleasure to work with Bill Vander Zalm - and I've done it several times before on issues of great importance to British Columbians.

Bill Vander Zalm stood up publicly against the BC Liberals privatizing one-third of BC Hydro, against the sale of BC Rail and against building new BC Ferries ships in Germany instead of here at home.

I'm proud to work with Bill on the things we agree on - and agree to disagree on some others - like his support for STV.

Fighting the HST is going to require a broad based coalition - not the usual suspects - and I believe that can be done.

Anonymous said...

Have a great vacation and THANK YOU!

I appreciate your work and I will ensure that my children are aware of the work that you have done for all British Columbians.

Anonymous said...

"On the contrary, it's my pleasure to work with Bill Vander Zalm - and I've done it several times before on issues of great importance to British Columbians."

Wow. The thing is, your credibility dwindles with each passing day. People on the left side of the spectrum used to listen to you, Bill. These days, well, let's just say that you are less and less central to the debates and issues that working British Columbians truly care about. I don't mean to disrespect you, but my sense is that you are becoming the Christopher Hitchens of BC politics -- and I know I'm not alone feeling this way. Have fun organizing with Vander Zalm, a SoCred hack, poor-basher, if there ever was one.

Anonymous said...

are you going to cover the Railgate trail tmr at Supreme Court?

Bill Tieleman said...

I can't cover Basi-Virk from Europe! Please check BC Mary's blog for the latest at http://bctrialofbasi-virk.blogspot.com/

I'll catch up with it when I return.

Anonymous said...

Thanks!!!

Bon Voyage!

Anonymous said...

Travel safely Bill, we need you back here in good health - have a joyfull holiday-Jo5ey

Anonymous said...

Bill you have to see this hilarious "NO HST VIDEO" on youtube with John Travolta and Samuel Jackson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atiLnxSKmec

BC Mary said...

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Bill: a very big Thank You for your nice compliment.

There were new Citizen Journalists in Madam Justice Bennett's courtroom today because not only were you on holiday, but Mark Hume was off too, and I'm still not sure if the Mysterious Mustachioed Gentleman wearing a pinstripe suit was actually Robin Mathews or Hercule Poirot.

Laila Yuile was there, also Great Aunty Bertha ... each adding a different voice, a different colour and tone, which help to bring the scene alive for those of us who can't be there ourselves.

But the first to report the news was CKNW with the cryptic announcement that Madam Justice Bennett is "bowing out" and honestly, I felt as if I had been flung against a solid brick wall. Dammit, the BC public hasn't asked for much, but we have learned to trust Bennett and we needed (and deserved) to have that confidence to get through the most significant trial in BC history.

I don't see why the federal Justice Minister couldn't have stipulated that she would be expected to conclude her current work before moving up into the BC Court of Appeal.

Do you think the Eastern guys simply didn't understand the B.C. situation ... and maybe they thought she was spinning her wheels, not realizing that she was navigating skilfully through the BC Rail minefields?

Anyway, hurry back. OK?
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Anonymous said...

Guess you didn't know that Vander Zalm is only involved and raising hell because he has a 195 unit housing project in Merrit which is on hold due to the recession, and the HST will effect his sales. You are dealing with a con artist. His noise is self-serving.

Bill Tieleman said...

Greetings from Holland! Couldn't resist taking a quick look and posting comments.

As to Anonymous 3:09 saying my credibility is dwindling every day - then why bother even commenting?

But you are always welcome to disagree with me here - it makes for a more lively blog!

Angela said...

I agree with you, Bill. A lively blog makes for interesting reading. So I will disagree with your statement I just read here.

"But you are always welcome to disagree with me here"

Well, that's not exactly true, is it? Sometimes I think you say things just to provoke and enrage people. Like so many "respected" political figures, truth is only of secondary importance. I think that's why Anonymous 3:09 made his/her claim of your dwindling credibility.

I can't personally make the same claim because I've only read your drivel for a short time, apparently since whenever your thoughts were held to be worthy of consideration. The problem I have with your writing is the lack of substance. Re-iterated statements of record made by other people without more behind the scenes digging or analysis beyond the obvious. Add to that your solution to every problem is completely biased and lacking imagination.

I don't know why people have faith in you but I can tell you why I read what you have to offer and "bother even commenting". Your thinking process is detrimental to our society. Without responses from people like Anonymous 8:54, 3:09, 7:26 and myself, someone coming across this blog for the first time might get the impression you're the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Still, I look forward to the rally on Sept 19, should be a helluva fun time. And I've got to tell you, I was pretty ticked off when I first heard about this whole HST idea, the underhanded way the Liberals brought this in, their continued lies on the subject and the clear connection to the budget woes.

It seemed like an obvious conclusion that there was a problem with it, if they didn't want to promote it during the election campaign. That's why I was glad to see you raising such a fuss in opposition to the HST. It made me stop and think, and realize that I had simply jumped to a conclusion too quickly. This HST idea isn't so bad after all.

Thanks, Bill. Bring on your Recall and Initiative petitions. I say we cut a deal with Gordon Campbell. If he thinks HST is good for us, how about we promise to keep it in if all the Liberal MLA's resign.

Brad said...

For those who take issue with Mr. Vander Zalm taking the stand to lead a fight against HST:

I have never been a card carrying member of any political party, altough I do tend to lean towards the NDP. I have been a union activist, but now I'm just an activist victim of the recession.

Mr. Vander Zalm stepped up to the plate to provide leadership in the fight. He has my support, and he has it for the following reasons.

1. He has the knowledge of the 'system', the contacts, and the will to make it happen. He can do this better than I could. Personally, I feel it is right, so he has my respect and support on this

2. The polls clearly shows this is not a 'party line issue'. It cuts across all demographics - age, income levels, workers, business owners -- 85% of BC is opposed to this. I may not vote for him should he choose to run again after this, but right now, I will support him. "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" Two years ago I would have lmao'd at you for suggesting I'd be working with and supporting people so far removed from my own personal/political beleifs....yet, here I am.

3. Now this is a backhanded compliment, and I apologise if it offends Mr. Vander Zalm. (how canadian, eh?) He ran for Premier, ages ago, on the promise of lowering the price on a case of beer....being a bartender at the time, I knew that couldn't happen (at the time, about 3 bucks went to the brewery, the rest was taxes). I credit mr. Vander Zalm for making me take notice and interest in politics.

4 As I said above, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. It doesn't matter who runs this campaign, it could be yogic flyers, or the Rhino party. I'd support them, but I may not vote for them.

Elections are a different issue. This issue is about an unfair, deceptively executed tax with major implicatons to the people, not the business interests, of BC.

Hope to see you at one of the many rallies....I'll be there.