Premier Gordon Campbell in full red-mittened madness!Hey Gordo, You Gotta Be Kidding!
Overspending unbelievable on pro-HST, Olympic and 'You Gotta Be Here BC' ad campaigns.
Bill Tieleman's 24 hours/The Tyee column
Tuesday July 13, 2010
By Bill Tieleman
"What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself."
- Abraham Lincoln
You gotta be kidding!
As we hear endless new B.C. government radio ads promoting the hated Harmonized Sales Tax, B.C. Finance Minister Colin Hansen actually claims he doesn't know how much they cost.
Nor does he know the price of a pro-HST government flyer to hit your mailbox shortly.
That would be the same Colin Hansen who claimed the total costs of the 2010 Olympics would be just $600 million -- and last week admitted that was very wrong, even as he continued to fudge the numbers.
While Hansen actually straight-facedly says B.C. spent only $925 million, he doesn't count the $2 billion Canada Line, the $880 million Convention Centre, the $800 million Sea-To-Sky highway upgrade or even the $30 million upgrade to B.C. Place stadium and hundreds of millions of other hidden costs.
And it's the same Hansen who swore that B.C.'s pre-election budget deficit was only $495 million -- when it was actually $2.8 billion -- only five and a half times bigger.
After cutting $833 million in spending, Hansen now says the budget deficit is $1.8 billion -- but he won't reverse cuts to community mental health or arts programs -- or drop the HST.
All hail the premier!
But leave Hansen's shredded credibility aside and get back to the television set.
In Olympic disclosures last week, Tourism Minister Kevin Krueger admitted that the "You Gotta Be Here" winter games ads cost a staggering $37 million.
And as 24 hours' own Bob Mackin reported exclusively Friday, freedom of information requests show that the B.C. Liberal government's propaganda wing -- the Public Affairs Bureau -- was manipulating those taxpayer dollars to promote Premier Gordon Campbell.
Two undated government Olympic marketing plans Mackin obtained say a key target audience is "voting age" British Columbians and called for "special premier-focused promotions, handouts and premiums."
Hmmm, I wonder which premier the PAB focused on promoting? The red-mittened maniac who hogged every Olympic camera he saw?
Public money for public relations
Lest there be any doubt, just check out the B.C. government's "You Gotta Be Here" Olympics website.
Click on the page heading titled "The Premier" and you'll see that Campbell gives North Korea's Kim Jong Il a run for his money as the most egomaniacal leader in the world.
Well over half of 34 photos feature -- guess who -- Campbell glad-handing and mugging his way through the Games.
World visitors likely can only wonder if Campbell is either Canada's most decorated Olympic champion or the unelected strongman of the province.
And like any good strongman, Campbell ruthlessly uses public money for political purposes.
Eager to capitalize on Olympic fervour, Campbell's PAB enlisted B.C.-born celebrities for the original "You Gotta Be Here" ads.
Actress Kim Cattrall, basketball star Steve Nash, singer Sarah McLachlan and actors Michael J. Fox, Eric McCormack, Ryan Reynolds were each paid $50,000 for the charity of their choice to appear briefly on screen promoting B.C.
You gotta stop!
Now it starts all over again with a new summer B.C. tourism "You Gotta Be Here" campaign running endless and expensive ads during the World Cup and prime time shows.
How much will all that cost to convince British Columbians what they already know -- that this province is great? Don't even ask.
One thing is clear -- from the extra HST costs to the wasteful publicly-paid pro-government ads -- You Gotta Get Gordon Campbell's red-mitten hands out of our wallets!
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40 comments:
Red mittened maniac! Perfect description. haha
BC citizens, are pretty fed up, having to pay for jetting Campbell and his significant other, all over the place. So I assume the tax payers, will foot the bill, for Campbells HST propaganda tour, and no doubt, pay his outrageous security bill as well. BC citizens, will never forgive, nor forget Campbell, for his treachery towards the BC people. Does he really think, the people will believe him. He wasn't going to sell the BC Rail. And, the HST wasn't on his radar either. Campbell, Hansen and the BC Liberals, are monsters, who, do bad things to good people. What gives him the right, to destroy our province, and the people in it?
The best description I've heard yet: White Haired Prevaricating Adulterer
I add my 2cents worth to the above, a treasonous Traitor along w/his cowardly minions against all BRITISH COLUMBIANS and all CANADIANS!
http://northerninsights.blogspot.com/2010/07/blog-readers-know-your-cash-value.html#comments
Bill, I'm sick of your populist anti-tax campaign. You're doing nothing for progressive politics in this province. Without proposing an alternative source of revenue to the HST you are implicitly supporting small government. Remember the $1.6 Billion allocated to BC from the federal government for implementing the HST? How do you suppose we have a mature conversation about HST and not mention the $1.6 Billion. Are you proposing new taxes, cuts to social programs, or high deficit spending? Of course not! You, like the current NDP leadership, are not contributing to the very serious conversation we need to having about taxation in this province. Shame on you!
Imagine that, The Vancouver Sun today runs a lead story reporting BC polling data showing Premier Norman Bates and his BC Liberals are running 23% behind Carole Who and the socialist hordes.
Back in the good old days when Fat Dennis Skulski was eating caviar from Carole Taylor's Gucci slippers, that would never have happened at any CanWest/Global rag.
But today it has.
The BC Liberal Party has until Labor Day to get BC's greatest sociopathic leader to announce his retirement to Maui, or better yet, a country without an extradition treaty with Canada. (for example: North Korea or Zimbabwe, both run by women obsessed, insane . . . personality crazed despots.)
At a certain point on Christmas Eve, Carol Taylor along with Mary & Joseph, (or Christy Clark and Mark Marissen) will pop out of the 7 foot high cheesecake at the Fraser Institute's Xmas Party and declare she will save the BC Grits like luckless Rita Johnson did the Social Credit twenty years ago.
But the NDP should not get out the vodka and start toasting Vladimir Illich Ulyanov since everybody knows Carole "Who" James cannot spell the word "leader" let alone behave like one.
So the big question over the next eighteen months is: Do we hate Gordon Campbell Inc. more than we disrespect the NDP and its leader, Neville Chamberlain?
There will be one major clue that the end is finally here for the Grits when Bill Bad stops buying Gordon's Viagra for him and Pamela Botox asks for her black leather thong and riding crop back
The GREAT SATAN
When you receive your flyer in the mail, write "RETURN to SENDER" on it and drop it in your nearest mailbox - send it back.
Let's bury those arrogant swine in their own swill.
I think the anti HST campaign should organize mass recycling of these flyers. We can all get together and the press can take pictures of the citizens filling the a truck or a bin with flyers to be taken to a recycling facility, profits (if any) to go to the campaign.
Shame on you, Anonymous 3:33,
The HST can go away and they can put the taxes back on the corporations - many of which are international - many of which are taking our resources and not providing work for citizens nor infrastructure beyond what it takes for resource extraction. They have no head office here, no sales people, no value added! The corporarte tax is less in BC, Canada than in any of the other developed nations in the world. Anonymous, if those corporations want to do business here, it should cost them no less than anywhere else - period. Shame on you for wanting to give our stuff away!
"When you receive your flyer in the mail, write "RETURN to SENDER" on it and drop it in your nearest mailbox - send it back.
Let's bury those arrogant swine in their own swill."
Not bad, considering it is bulk mail with no return address.
So what happens is that you pick up the tab for the cost of Canada Post disposing of it.
Nice try genius.
Just throw it in the recyling bin.
I do that all the time with NDP MP mailers and the junk the NDP MLA sends out.
correction - BT wrote: "special premier-focused promotions, handouts and premiums." quote marks included.
The link in the article takes us to a Bob Mackin QMI Agency article which actually shows this: “special Premier focused promotions, handouts and premiums.” quotes included.
Please not the capitalized "P" in the source article - this, imnsho, makes a HUGE difference in the context of the BT post.
Caught him red-handed, eh? Make that caught him red-mittened/
To Anonymous 6:26 p.m. - the "p" in Bob Mackin's original 24 hours story was NOT capitalized and that's the version I went with.
The subsequent QMI version was capitalized. I will endeavor to find out from Bob which is correct but the 24 hours version is the one I saw when writing this column.
To Anonymous 3:33 p.m. - I know, it's really tough to see your party self-destructing day after day - I've been there my friend and I feel for you.
But spare the crocodile tears for social program funding that your government slashed and burned for years.
As right-wingers usually love to point out, there is only one taxpayer. Taking $1.6 billion once in exchange for consumers giving $2 billion a year to big business forever is an insane deal that explains why the BC Liberals are at 23% in the Angus Reid poll you can read and weep elsewhere on this blog.
Sorry, not biting on that one.
Caption could read, "I can tell lies - THIS BIG!"
Caption could read, "I can tell lies - THIS BIG!"
A reader sees that and thinks..
Poster probably wished The Bachelorette was on a new episode tonight.
The voters on Vancouver Island say NEIN! to Gordon Campbell.
Excuse me,
That's NINE as in nine per cent popularity in the latest Angus Reid survey.
The voters on Vancouver Island say NEIN! to Gordon Campbell.
Excuse me,
That's NINE as in nine per cent popularity in the latest Angus Reid survey."
and Carole James is still bland.
So need to replace her with someone who will get alot of support from the voters and actually think new.
and no, definately not Bill Faaantassic.
I'm returning my government BS/HST flyer to my Liberal (Cabinet Minister) MLA's office.
Let him worry about recycling it.
Bill,
Just noticed the comments to your story about the Liberals and their polls standing (next story down) are inaccessible.
Some kind of Blogger problem I guess.
And, don't worry about BC Boy's snide remarks, he's been banned from Tyee and he needs someplace to spend his limitless free time.
"I'm returning my government BS/HST flyer to my Liberal (Cabinet Minister) MLA's office.
Let him worry about recycling it."
Great. so you're spending money on gas to get there if you're driving,
(if not taking transit), and then wasting taxpayer dollars in the labour needed for the office to get rid of it if others do the same).
Seems more smart just to put it in the recycle bin for trash day.
I'd jsut throw it away like I do with the NDP MLAs propaganda I get.
"Taking $1.6 billion once in exchange for consumers giving $2 billion a year to big business forever is an insane deal that explains why the BC Liberals are at 23% in the Angus Reid poll you can read and weep elsewhere on this blog."
I am reminded....John Maynard Keynes called capitalism "the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone."
HST....Dividends from the taxpayers paid to big business all in the name of stimulating the economy and encouraging the success of free enterprize. "for the greatest good of everyone???? How utterly amazingly stupid.
re: 12:40 PM PDT -
Q: "What gives him the right, to destroy our province, and the people in it?"
A: -
a) The voters who voted for him and his cohorts. - fooled 3 times in a row.
b) The voters who didn't vote at all, and *could* have voted otherwise.
"The price of democracy is eternal vigilance"
If folks are really serious about rubbing Gordo's nose by returning the "we paid for it handout",simply put it in a envelope put a stamp on it add a few choice words and address it to Gordo's office. Contact the Post Office and get yourself on the no junk mail list. The Letter carrier will love you.
"If folks are really serious about rubbing Gordo's nose by returning the "we paid for it handout",simply put it in a envelope put a stamp on it add a few choice words and address it to Gordo's office."
If folks were serious, they would exert energy in helping the NDP.
Sending in the mail with choice words is just a waste of time and money. The offices receive junk like that already and they just toss it out.
"Contact the Post Office and get yourself on the no junk mail list. The Letter carrier will love you."
Applies only to retail and commerical mailings, not from a politician or government.
I wrote CP to put me on a no junk list, but the crap from the NDP MLA still arrives.
) The voters who voted for him and his cohorts. - fooled 3 times in a row.
and twice in a row, people didn't bother to support the NDP when they could have.
b) The voters who didn't vote at all, and *could* have voted otherwise.
true.
"The price of democracy is eternal vigilance"
"Democracy is a real bitch when you lose"
a little here, a little there and pretty soon the BC liberals need large tax hikes to line their pockets.
"a little here, a little there and pretty soon the BC liberals need large tax hikes to line their pockets"
The NDP did the same. Promised they wouldn't raise taxes, but did anyway.
Every government does it. Some more than others like the BC Liberals do.
a little here, a little there and pretty soon the BC liberals need large tax hikes to line their pockets."
Like the NDP before them, and Social Credit before the NDP, and the NDP before that.
Think Bob Williams, the holder of the worthless to the taxpayers head of the Crown Corporations Secretariat.
Anonymous at 8:16 said:
""I'm returning my government BS/HST flyer to my Liberal (Cabinet Minister) MLA's office.
Let him worry about recycling it."
Great. so you're spending money on gas to get there if you're driving,
(if not taking transit), and then wasting taxpayer dollars in the labour needed for the office to get rid of it if others do the same)."
Wow. Hilarious. Don't know about you but I'm walking to the MLA's office. And returning the junk mail to his office.
There wouldn't be ANY tax dollars wasted if the Liberals didn't send out the (who knows how much it costs) flyers to begin with.
Nice try, though.
"Wow. Hilarious. Don't know about you but I'm walking to the MLA's office. And returning the junk mail to his office."
Good. Best option if you want to tell your MLA State your opposition but don't be a jerk in doing it. Be polite.
"There wouldn't be ANY tax dollars wasted if the Liberals didn't send out the (who knows how much it costs) flyers to begin with."
No kidding. Another thing the NDP should promise when they return to office. Absolutely no taxpayer wasted printed materials sent to the taxpayers, ever.
Got that Bill? When you return to being in Communications with the new NDP governmnet, ensure that no printed materials are made and do not send out with taxpayer's dollars.
Absolutely none.
Good work Bill! Seems the PABsmears are out in full force. They try so hard, but their lies are wearing thin. They know they will be out of a job, thats why they are so crazy. I will be walking my crapmail from gordo the impaler, to Ian Black's office (Another waste of skin), and I will include the 15 e-mails that he has refused to answer.I find him very creepy, much like gordo the impaler. RECALL IN TH FALL!
Anonymous said...7:17 AM PDT
No kidding. Another thing the NDP should promise when they return to office. Absolutely no taxpayer wasted printed materials sent to the taxpayers, ever.
Got that Bill? When you return to being in Communications with the new NDP governmnet, ensure that no printed materials are made and do not send out with taxpayer's dollars.
Absolutely none.
----------------------------------
Gotta ask,"what colour are the clouds in your world"?
Everyone should read, Hansen and Campbells propaganda pamphlet. It will be like reading the funny papers. Why Campbell and the BC Liberals, stay on, is a mystery to me. They don't have the good will of the people. Too much under handedness, lies, deceit, and, their cheating to win. They have earned, the BC citizens contempt and dislike. Campbell and his Liberal government, should be decent and step down.
Everyone should read, Hansen and Campbells propaganda pamphlet. It will be like reading the funny papers. Why Campbell and the BC "Liberals, stay on, is a mystery to me. They don't have the good will of the people. Too much under handedness, lies, deceit, and, their cheating to win. They have earned, the BC citizens contempt and dislike. Campbell and his Liberal government, should be decent and step down."
Why bother reading it? Nothing new in it, and be rest assured that if the NDP becomes government, they will come up with the same kind of junk for their coveted ideas. They did before and unless Bill The Communicator says "no" to the NDP Premier, they will once again.
Hey Bill,
It gets even better. Now we are going to join the criminals with on-line casino gambling. Another lie exposed. Remember when Campbell promised to freeze casino gambling? What could be next? Maybe a piece of the action in the ilegal drug trade? After all it is probably the drug trade that kept the BC economy going through the recession.
cheers,
Harold
'Why Campbell and the BC Liberals, stay on, is a mystery to me. '
asks an anon poster,
To steal from you and your future. That's why.
Campbell is so close to a communist dictator, it's scary. Campbell has made many trips to China, a country he really admires. Communism in BC is really showing. China owns a large chunk of, the dirty tar sands. The Enbridge pipeline, is to go to the Port of Kitimat. The dirty oil tankers from China, will transport the oil back to China. They were working on a methane coal bed, in Sparwood, BC, 2 weeks before anyone knew about it, destination China. The off shore oil and gas wells, Campbell is drilling, is for China. Earthquakes, all over the place, but China will get their oil. A tanker spill or a well spill, too bad if it destroys our pristine coast. So, dictator Campbell of course, will force the HST on the very people who can't afford it. Big brother, Harper very badly wants it. BC's HST, goes directly to Harper, we people will gain nothing.
"Campbell is so close to a communist dictator, it's scary. "
No it isn't the above statement is comical. The poster obviously has not lived in a communist dictatorship such as that which existed in East Germany.
"Campbell has made many trips to China, a country he really admires. Communism in BC is really showing. China owns a large chunk of, the dirty tar sands."
Yeah so? Many consumables come from China, including clothes and most likely parts of your PC.
" The Enbridge pipeline, is to go to the Port of Kitimat. The dirty oil tankers from China, will transport the oil back to China."
If the project is approved. That's not guaranteed.
" They were working on a methane coal bed, in Sparwood, BC, 2 weeks before anyone knew about it, destination China."
Sparwood is in southeastern B.C.
Kitimat in northwestern B.C. There's no pipeline planned to connect the two locations.
"The off shore oil and gas wells, Campbell is drilling, is for China."
There are no offshore oil and gas wells in B.C. None.
"Earthquakes, all over the place, but China will get their oil. A tanker spill or a well spill, too bad if it destroys our pristine coast."
So from this there will be a 98% chance of an oil tanker spill? I doubt it.
" So, dictator Campbell of course, will force the HST on the very people who can't afford it."
Just as the NDP forced additional taxes on those who couldn't afford it, and VanderZalm placed in the Property Transfer Tax without direct voter approval and as did the Conservatives with the GST. The federal Lieberals said they would get rid of the GST but did not.
" Big brother, Harper very badly wants it. BC's HST, goes directly to Harper, we people will gain nothing."
Well watch out for Big Sister Carole.
Hopefully she'll actally listen to Bill VanderZalm and with the aid of Bill Tieleman here, get rid of the HST 6 months after becoming Premier James.
Will it happen? I doubt that.
9:52 I doubt like hell, you could run coal, through a pipeline.
Everyone knows, China owns a large chunk of, Alberta's dirty tar sands. The Enbridge line, is most certainly going to run to, the Port of Kitimat. Where the tankers, will pick up the oil and transport the oil back to China. There was so, an earthquake in the Queen Charlotte's, a 6.6. Good grief. I had three brothers and a sister, who served in WW11, ask any veteran, they will explain communism to you. The constitution ignored, Civil Rights and Liberties, gone. Democracy and Freedom, null and void. That is how communism works. In BC, people have no rights. And, that is how dictator Campbell works. Why, is the CSIS watching BC?
How is this, for the chuckle of the month. Campbell, Hansen and the BC Liberals are saying, their Propaganda of the HST, was so well received, they have canceled the mail-out pamphlets.
I wonder if the gotta be here ads, would include, the scenery, if there was a dirty tanker oil spill? Or a blown, oil spill from an off shore well, off BC's pristine coast? The dirt behind all the beauty, is hidden. It's the same with the HST. The dirt behind it, Campbell and Hansen, are very careful to hide. Some of that dirt, is the provincial budget, and, the HST together, which makes a pretty hefty taxation, for citizens that have nothing left. In Campbell's time in office, he has caused the loss of, 30.000 mill jobs. Every time a mill closed in BC, another mill opened in China, and our raw logs. also go to the same place. $37 million, spent on ads for anything is criminal. People are having a bad time of it, just trying to feed their children. Campbell, should be run out of town, on the BC Rail, that is, if we still had it.
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