Just a brief posting from Paris before I return to BC on Sunday - I have seen the future of the BC HST qnd it is not a pretty sight - a 19.6% tax on everything!
The regressive TVA tax here is a brutual one that hurts all consumers but lower income earners most of all.
Much more on my return about the HST and the disastrous BC Liberal budget - and thanks to posters for their patience - I did not have Internet access for extended periods during my trip.
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9 comments:
Bill:
You might be interested to know that Campbell is doing a carefully crafted "limited modified hangout" to cover up what he new and when he new it on the budget deficit.
Hey DT,
what the heck is a "limited modified hangout"
Welcome home Bill!
Bill, your commentary is missed here at home.....I was in the lock-up and it was enough to make you gag - Hanson kept repeating how everyone in BC will benefit from HST and how many jobs HST will create. No wonder they are in free fall in the polls.
While people may have different views still good things should always be appreciated. Yours is a nice blog. Liked it!!!
Limited modified hangout?
That's "Running from the press", eh?
“Modified limited hangout” is the term Nixon and his senior staff used to describe their second strategy to contain the damage from the Watergate Affair (their first was to make no comment about it).
As such, it is a “literal” description of their public posturing.
“We knew something at that time but we thought it was inconsequential and as well, under control. Unfortunately, it turned out that we didn’t know all the facts. How could we?”
Needless to say, this was an outright lie.
Sound familiar?
As the BC Liberal Caucus sat down in December of 2008, putting pen to paper to prepare themselves for the 2009 election campaign, they agreed not say anything on the topics of the HST or the fact that while the economy was tanking everywhere else, it wouldn't happen here in the Best Place on Earth.
There was one small problem though which had to be overcome and it concerned the fact that someone at the party had signed off on a report entitled:
Public Participation:
Principles and Best Practices
for British Columbia
November 2008 Auditor General of British Columbia
"Response from Government
The Government appreciates the thought-provoking and interesting report provided by the Office of the Auditor General. Public engagement is a timely topic and one that this Government strongly believes is critical to effectively make decisions.
We agree with the characterization of public engagement as being on a continuum, starting from informing the public through to collaboratively identifying solutions to significant public policy issues. Whether it is informing the public of government decisions through publicly available reports, such as B.C.’s Water Plan or the Climate Action Plan, or collaboratively determining the direction of health care through the Conversation on Health, we have and continue to engage the public across a broad range of decisions and policy issues along the continuum.
The common principles of public participation outlined in the report are ones that the Government endorses when engaging the public prior to a decision being made. Additionally, the seven steps provide a useful framework for designing a public engagement process. Government will take this guidance into consideration when determining where and how the public will be engaged.
Government agrees that a consistent approach to engagement across all agencies is advisable, but believes that this approach is appropriate only in certain circumstances. For example, where government engages as a result of a regulatory or legal requirement, consistency should be the rule.
However, as government engages on a wide variety of issues and across the public engagement continuum, flexibility is key to ensure that the engagement design and methods can fit the appropriate circumstances. It is also key for government to be able to determine where public engagement would be most beneficial and cost‑-effective.
In conclusion, Government believes that the Auditor General’s report provides useful guidance on how to engage the public. This guidance will be distributed to all ministries as information to consider when designing public engagement process.
We thank the Office of the Auditor General for its work."
"Seven steps:
1. determine who the decision-maker is etc.,
2. decide if public participation should be used.
3. determine the issues related to the decision for each of the affected parties.
4. determine the level of public participation that the decision-maker needs and what to consult on.
5. determine the public participation methods best suited to the needs of participants.
6. determine how public participation is to support and link to the decision.
7. determine how the results are to be used."
Source
And if that report wasn't enough to rile the public in 2009 how about if they knew about this little gem, signed with the Auditor General of British Columbia in October 2003 titled:
"BC reporting Principles"
"WHY IS HAVING THESE REPORTING PRINCIPLES IMPORTANT?
The agreement on the BC Reporting Principles is significant because
it means the debate is no longer about what constitutes good reporting.
Efforts can now be focused on achieving it."
Problem is what debate did we have during an election?
In your absence a number of BC's Beautiful Media Elite (read Campbell/CanWest fart-catchers) have discovered what it means to be journalists again and not two-dollar-whores operating out of the premier's communications directorate.
Unfortunately it does not cover up the fact that for nearly six years "they" did the bulk of their "research" on their knees with their wallets open.
We have all come to expect corruption and evil from our governments but the press in BC are guilty of not only that but of out & out betrayal of their profession.
The GREAT SATAN
Michael Moore's new movie . . . "Capitalism" likely calls it as it truly is.
Sadly, Moore doesn't personally practise what he preaches.
It's unfortunate but with three more years of the Campbell democratic-dictatorship left to play out things can get only worse.
And our BC media created celeb culture of booze and hockey only insures no effective opposition to El Presidente Gordo.
So BC, get used to eating even more of your own dirt for the next 40 months.
The GREAT SATAN
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