BC Provincial Election 2005

Just so that everyone is clear - it was the liberals who screwed up our health system in the waves of cuts in the first place. Having lived for many years in Alberta, I have seen this tactic by governments several times.

Cut early, cause the populace forgets,
Blame previous governments for poor economies, cause the populace will believe you,
Take credit for good economies, even though world market (and the current low American market) is more likely the cause,
Spend when you call an election, cause the populace will love you,
Then repeat.

It works well in Alberta because of abundant oil money, but our system may not hold up as well.

All I am saying is care who you vote for cause you mught just get them.

Lol some interesting choices

Vancouver-Burrard Electoral District

Vancouver-Burrard John Clarke Libertarian
Vancouver-Burrard Antonio Francisco Ferreira The Platinum Party
Vancouver-Burrard John Gordon Ince The Sex Party
Vancouver-Burrard Janek Patrick John Kuchmistrz Green Party of BC
Vancouver-Burrard Lorne Mayencourt BC Liberal Party
Vancouver-Burrard Ian McLeod DR BC
Vancouver-Burrard Tim Stevenson New Democratic Party of B.C.
Vancouver-Burrard Lisa Voldeng Work Less Party

hmm... Work Less Party....

okay so lets look at a few things here. First off let me say that my vote is going to the Liberals. I will list out my reasoning later.
The STV is a sham the system will not work. If they want and need to achieve political reform the "ward system and the STV idea need to be trashed and some other system needs to be emplaced. WE need to cut back on the number of politicians we send to Victoria not increase or keep the same number. It's not reform it's just a shell game of changing numbers.

My reasoning on voting Liberal:

I hear students bemoaning the increases in tuition at a University level. I went through a Private University here in BC no public funds and worked my way through. In some cases what I paid for my degree far outshadows the cost at a Public University about 50% more. Reasoning why, because there were no spots open in my field of study in 1996 ( during the NDP's tuition Freeze) In 1996 during the "glory" years of the NDP there were no spots available or very few because the universities cut back staff and faculty. hence no courses available. Yes, the NDP was certainly there for the students. So I went private.
In 1993-1995 I worked for a Company thats employee base was unionized. That Union that had strong ties with the NDP, on numerous occasions we were "TOLD" how we were expected to vote in any upcoming election. If you thought otherwise and spoke up you were ridiculed. So much for a free and equitable work place. In 1996, I quit and returned to school.

Reason #2: in the Year 1998 my oldest son at the age of 2.5 was diagnosed with Autism. Throughout our time trying to get support and help. We were at constant loggerheads with the Ministry of Social services. To the NDP Autism a medical condition was best served by dealing with agents of not the HEALTH ministry but Social Services. Every three months we had to go back infront of the same people and detail out the exact same information that was already in thier files. A bureaucratic hell. We received a pittance of support for our child to have a support person to help him. Not a penny was even allocated even though judgement after judgement was levied against them by the Supreme court of BC and the Appeals Court of BC. through an court case now known as the Auton Case. [B]THE NDP fought tooth and nail against helping support children with a medical condition. The only thing they did was pay money to their lawyers The NDP had to form committee after Committee to look into what needed to be done. in the process spending all the money from the budget that could have been allocated to HELPING these children.[/B] Finally Thank God the Liberals got in and though the funding given to us for care is small, they recognise that a problem exists. It is still under the wrong ministry (social services) but at least there is recognition of the problem. 1 battle finally won. Many battles still to wage.

Reason #3 It's all the same cronies. Though Carol James is now in charge, the same NDP people are still around in the back ground. These are the ones who went to war with the doctors and the nurses. Don't tell me you don't remember the doctors and Nurses walking out. Joy"less "Macfail"ure" on the news ever night. The health minister at that time (can't remember) dodging news reporters in the halls. These are the same people who gave us the lines at emergency wards ( it wasn't just the Liberal Cut backs) remember our health care system 7-8 years ago. These are the Same people who gave us Bingo gate, the fast ferries fiasco, the second skytrain link that didn't end up going where it was supposed to COQUITLAM. It heads back to Broad way.. if it did that why oh why couldn't it have gone right to SFU. It goes right past it. Please oh please if you have any sense look into the archieves of the newpapers on the 1990's the horrible times we had in BC do we really want to go back to that.

All we ended with after 10 years of the NDP was a terrible ecoonomy, underfunded hospitals and universities. Scandle after political scandle.
Back room deals. Casino applications. An election which decimated thier party. we showed them 5 years ago we couldn't stand for the corruption that that brought to us. Are we going to hand the reigns of power back to the fiscally inept and irresponsible governments of the NDP.

The NDP is supported by Labour, fine yes the Liberals are supported by Business. As a small business person in this province I see our economy building and thriving. If the NDP is elected to power in the election they will kill small buiness in this Province and kill the economy as well. Small businesses are the back bone of our economy. Yes the Unions help maintain jobs but if you kill the economy and small business then who will the unionised labour force be working for. Another tuition freeze will decimate the universities in this province. A small increase in tuition is needed per year. I am heading back for my Masters degree next year, I work hard at what I do for a living. So please for my benifit for my son's benifit for the benifit of all small business owners in the province. Vote NO on the STV and more importantly VOTE FOR THE LIBERALS. No NDP government will ever have my vote again in this province.
The night the NDP was first elected to office Mike Harcourt said the Words "Lets Boogie" for 10 years through 3 leaders they boogied. They partied with our tax dollars like swine at the feeding trough. Their union partners grew fat, as fat as they did. Finally corrupt scandal after scandal we threw them out of office. The past five years of the Liberals was the cure to the 10 year party the NDP had at our expense. The hangover is now done so let our economy grow and thrive and with it social programs will get the funding that they need. An NDP government will take us back to the drunken stupor of the past 10 years. You have a choice direct BC off it's rail and back into the gutter or choose the only logical choice. Think before you vote and Please VOTE for Gordon Campbell and the Liberals.

Just for interests point. The teacher he is talking about has to be either a substitute or a special eductaion advisor SEA. No teacher in this province is working for $10,000 a year. Even if they are teaching one class a week an work sharing with another teacher. Teachers in this province are incredibly well paid and do an admirable job. Teachers in US schools should be the ones complaining. Although some are more politically active and seem to have union motives and ideals in mind instead of the important things, the children sitting in the desks.
I remember a time when teachers went out of thier way to help students.. now it seems that some are only interested in the 8:30-2:30/3:00 shift 2 month off at summer (that they complain about) and not doing anything extra."working to rule" Your teacher is more than likely making between $36,000-$46,00 per year and thats on the low end. Besides why is your teacher telling you how much she makes a year?
Oh and which school is it that you attend where more students are taking Phys Ed than the Arts. Phys Ed was the first group of program Cut back by the NDP many years ago, the Arts were next. My field of education is in Phys ed so (Bof HK). There are no jobs in that field unless you have a teachable subject and an education degree. Phys Ed classes in many locallity's are taught by teachers who have never have a pedagogy of sport class. (teaching teachers to teach sport) they just throw a ball out and call it sport. I know becuase I had to do a work practicum a few years back in a high school. They had all this equipment but no one knew how to set stuff up. They call it pyhs ed but no one does very much. Just play basketball, soccer etc. 1 day on nutrition (a tape or 2) far different from the advanced biomechanics and applied physiology courses you get in University. Trying to explain the biomechanical functions of throwing a ball to a grade 11 student who can't throw a ball because he hasn't been shown the proper way can be challenging.

Vote for who you want. If you like the Liberals, then by all means vote for them. If you like a different party, even a small one with no support, vote for that other party.

Personally I don't like the Liberals or the NDP; both have a few good things about them, and a considerable number of bads things.

Both sides don't get it. The Liberals had their agenda and did whatever the hell they wanted to: no need to listen to the voters, there's no election this year!

...and Carole James doesn't get it either... one interesting fact: that elderly couple she keeps going on about that was separated after x years of marriage when they went into nursing homes... done at the request of the elderly wife, who can't stand her husband any more.

I know who I am voting for and it is not the Liberals. They are just Socreds with a different name. I work in the health care field and have seen the direct results of the Liberals cuts to health care first hand. I have had a 99 year old client have to decide if she could either eat for two weeks or pay for her perscription drugs. I have seen dementia patients put at risk when they are not given sufficient care and end up taking acute care beds as there were no long term care beds for them. They have taken 4% of my pay from me and I am lucky as there are those that lost 15% or lost their jobs all together. While doing this claw back to help their budget they gave their own folks in their p.r. dept a nice 11% raise. They have done nothing but cause grief for those least able to do something about it.
I cring when they say that the economy in B.C. has improved because of them. It is the global economy that has done the job, along with increased commodity prices and a worldwide reduced intrest rate.
They talk about all the jobs they have created. How many of those jobs are produced from taking jobs from others. How many of those jobs are full time at a livable rate? Gee, I guess that would explain why our homeless rates are up and why the demands for the foodbanks have doubled these last few years. We as a society are judged by how we treat the most vulnerable in our society.

Woot socreds, wish they would come back, but liberals are good enough. It's parties like the sex party that make we not want to have stv. I hate all these fringe parties that have no real objectives or platforms.

Well Girls and Boys,

I'm voting NDP ... because unfortunately our liberals in our city are total knobs. They don't answer calls...they didn't show up at the last teacher's forum (I'm not a teacher but I'm just as upset as they are)

Besides if Gordon Campbell gets in he needs a bit of opposition to keep his power in check.

I'm not voting NDP because all they do is whine and point fingers and offer no solutions. Anyone who's been in this province for a few years knows what kind of quagmire we were in during the 90's and that things are better now. A rather obvious example is the ferries: they are better now that they're privatized - they actually run on time.
I'm willing to give the STV a chance, options are always a good thing. I just hope fringe parties with no real, or useful, agenda get in.

Privatizing the ferries is a mixed bag for me... there have been some improvements, but added annoyances too. The parking fascists for example... you can't even swing by to pick up a friend for 3 mins without them trying to make $2 off of you. The music onboard is a nice touch. It is rather insulting though to see these guys go out of their way to buy stuff in foreign countries. Can we expect to see any competition soon, or will this be a state-sanctioned private monopoly, which the taxpayers financed? (publicize the costs, privatize the profits)... anyways, this isn't election fodder... is it 8pm yet?