If unlike me, you are not ancient, listen to Simi Sara at CKNW’s audio vault, May 31, 1 pm, to remember how excellent talk radio can be. This is broadcasting that explores why things are the way they are instead of simply excusing the status quo. Simi talked to Paul
Continue readingAuthor: Norman Farrell
Blogging regularly since April 2009 on public affairs with focus on BC politics, journalism, the environment and ethical matters in the public arena.
Northern Insight: Diversions, deflections and misdirections
While business advocacy groups such as the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and pablum peddlers like Corus Radio’s Bill Good criticize TransLink, these small distractions enable wealthy participants in the economy to divert real money from all of us, rich and poor. British Columbia’s energy policies provide the best illustration. The following
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Northern Insight 2012-05-30 02:24:00
Could my son, or could I, or you, be shot dead by Vancouver Police Constable Lee Chipperfield, or any one of many VPD perverters of justice, if any one believes, for good reason or no reason, that we’ve threatened them by crawling unarmed on the ground, near death, shot 8
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Thanks people, thanks
Tens of thousands of thanks actually. We’re about to finish one more month setting readership records. Already 348% of May 2011. And, the month is not over. I hope you appreciate me the way I appreciate you. By the way though, the subscription price is up by 11% this year. Sorry, that’s
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Screw the needy, our money goes elswhere
“…complicit in a complex web of legal, administrative and political strategies designed to forward a multi-billion dollar infrastructure development program to enrich the largest most profitable companies on earth at the expense of our Province’s autonomy, economy and environment…” Does this describe BC’s Liberal government serving the people who elected
Continue readingNorthern Insight: The voters’ choice: People’s Order of BC winner
“…It was Morton who stunned U.S. scientists last fall with trace evidence found in wild salmon of a virus that killed millions of farmed fish in Chile. “Researchers from Washington state to Washington, D.C., scrambled to grasp the risks of so-called infectious salmon anemia (ISA), a virus typically linked to
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Serving humankind
Christine Lagarde, scourge of tax evaders, pays no tax, Kim Willsher, The Guardian, May 29, 2012
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Government – for people or for business?
Jumbo-friendly Bill Creates Municipality without Residents, The Tyee, Provincial legislation passed last week paves the road further toward construction of the controversial Jumbo Glacier ski resort and real estate development in the East Kootenay. It has sparked indignation and even a bit of rebellion among local governments in the Kootenays.
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Volunteer photo person?
I’m writing articles that compare fast food products advertised and fast food products delivered to Canadian consumers. I need the skill of a photographer so that good photos are done fairly. I’d like to pursue other food subjects too. If you’re the person that shares these interests, willing to work
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Advance of fascism
Perhaps my concern in an earlier blog post about trending toward fascism missed an important proof. In July 2010, the chairman and cofounder of the Blackstone Group, one of the world’s largest private-equity firms, provided an example of how the dreaded condition threatened oppressed billionaires who face a risk, a
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Rewarding friends, jailing opponents
Again in 2012, Alexandra Morton was not awarded an Order of BC. Perhaps she is not sufficiently distinguished or perhaps she failed to offer financial support in the way others of this year’s recipients have done. Alexandra is not entirely left out though. BC Liberals do have plans for her.
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Salute democracy while suppressing it
In British online news magazine The Week, Alexander Cockburn gives his take on America. Had he turned eyes north, the American based writer would have noticed similar trends in Canada. “…if there’s any nation in the world that is well on the way to meriting the admittedly vague label of
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Pollution monitors kicked out the door
What would your choice be? Would you provide chauffeurs on standby 16 hours a day so that every cabinet minister could avoid the shame of riding in a taxi but still return home without risk of impaired driving charges? Or, would you divert that money to employ scientists who monitor
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Coleman regulates the ‘independent’ regulator
if we needed more evidence that BC Hydro has become the tool of financial pirates, Rich Coleman provided it Tuesday with news that public hearings scheduled to begin a month from now are cancelled. As Vaughn Palmer writes, “The commission had to approve the rate increase sought by BC Hydro
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Liberals legislate silence from environmentalists
Virus sparks quarantine on B.C. salmon farm, Curt Petrovich, CBC News, May 17, 2012 “B.C.’s salmon farming industry is on high alert after the discovery of a lethal fish virus [Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis (IHN)] at one farm on the west coast of Vancouver Island. “The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Add to your bookmarks
Keep your eyes on 2010 Gold Rush – News and Views on Vancouver 2010 (And Beyond) From Bob Mackin. On Twitter, follow hashtag #LiquorLeaks as Bob reports on Liberal friends maneuvering to take over the province’s lucrative liquor distribution system. Don’t expect corporate media to follow this story. They will
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Say, what?
In making consumer choices, most of us don’t have time for careful sorting of fact from fiction. As a result, we rely on sources presumed to be accurate and free of bias. For years, I’ve subscribed to and relied upon non-commercial Consumer Reports for general guidance. In the last decade, for food and
Continue readingNorthern Insight: From Doug Pyper
Hi Friends, I just sent a message to Premier Christy Clark recommending that the Government of British Columbia inform the Government of Canada that the province is now exercising its right, with 30 days notice, to subject the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project to an environmental assessment under the terms of
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Debt history of BC Hydro
BC Liberals and their media surrogates regularly accuse BC’s NDP government of responsibility for “skyrocketing spending and debt.” Not that it matters to Liberal supporters, but we can determine if the aspersion is based on fact. Exhibit 1: a graph of BC Hydro debt guaranteed by taxpayers: It seems that
Continue reading