What follows is my submission to BC’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. Any other British Columbians interested in influencing next year’s budget have until October 18 to do so by clicking here. Taxation has three major purposes: raising government revenue, redistributing wealth, and discouraging “bads.” The first
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Cowichan Conversations: Former US President Jimmy Carter Calls For of Cannabis-BC Mayors Agree
Former USA President Carter Call Fors Decriminilzation of Marijuana Former Democratic President Jimmy Carter called for the decriminalization of marijuana on Thursday, saying U.S. drug policy has “destroyed the lives of millions of young people.” While delivering a speech on inter-American relations in Washington, D.C., the 39th president cited high prison
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: UBCM Supports By-Election For Cowichan School Trustees!
Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes As an old politico of the CVRD flavour I have found myself intrigued by the UBCM activities taking place in Victoria this week. CVRD Director Ian Morrison Of particular interest is that Cowichan’s former school trustees have received support from the UBCM crowd in support of a democratic
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: BC’s Grass Roots Politicians Want To Decriminalize Pot!
Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes This week The Union of BC Municipalities heard from advocates and opponents of decriminalizing BC’s favourite weed. BC’s local government officials called for an end to the phony laws prohibiting its’ use. Good on them. Finally an identifiable group show the leadership needed for so long. For
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: More Victoria Contaminated Soil Dumped in Cowichan
It is time for all of us to stand up and start screaming, “We aren’t going to take it any more!” Last Tuesday, September 18th, the CVRD was notified of an application to bring 1,450 truck loads of contaminated soil from the Canadian Forces Base in Esquimalt to The Evans
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: MSM all over a nothing defection to the BC Liberals!
So, John Martin, a right wing criminologist who ran third in a recent election in one of the most conservative constituences in BC left the sinking Conservative ship and swam over to another sinking ship. Hello, I know that your bosses want the corporate accomodating BC Liberals to stay in office
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Cowichan Politicians Must Send Dirty Dirt Peddlers Packing!
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger Cowichan Valley Residents have endured threats real and pending from various sources who would like to use and continue using the Cowichan Valley as the dumping ground for their toxic and contaminated soils. Sadly most of our CVRD politicians have been complicating the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ on this one folks. The
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: The 2013 BC Election Is Now Underway!
Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes-Political Blogger Welcome to the 2013 Provincial Election Campaign, now underway. It is revealing to compare the approaches by the competing leaders, BC Liberal Leader Ms Christy Clark and the BC NDP’s Adrian Dix. Mr.Dix, to his credit, faced the Board of Trade at a sold out luncheon the other
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: BC NDP Leader Adrian Dix Speaks Truth To Vancouver Board of Trade
Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes-Political Blogger BC NDP Leader Adrian Dix is offering BC Voters, including the business community, a thoughtful and measured approach to governing after years of a troubled and polarized BC under the control of the BC Liberal government. Give him credit for showing up and speaking truth to those who have been
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Naomi Klein Speaks Out About The Kinder Morgan Pipeline To Vancouver
Here is a video taken over the Labour Day Weekend in North Vancouver. Naomi Klein may be best known for her book, ‘The Shock Doctrine.’ Well the good news is that she has joined the fight against reckless pipeline construction and increased tanker traffic through the port of Vancouver.
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: BC Liberal Government Must Call A By-Election In Cowichan!
BC Liberals Fire the Cowichan School Board because the asked for more money and then they broght in a 1.4 Billion Dollar Deficit themselves! The Schools, students and teacher’s are getting the short end of the stick following this summer’s mass firing of democratically elected Cowichan School Trustees. This was
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Cowichan Voters Deserves A By-Election And Democratically Elected Trustees
Call a By-Election now, or refund my School Taxes! The shutdown of elected representation on the School Board has gone on long enough and it is time that Premier Christy Clark stepped in and put her money and political action where her slogans are. “Families First” remember Madam Premier! Well
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: CVRD Bylaws Will Not Protect the Shawnigan Watershed! So Bring In A New One!
The CVRD has the authority over land use. Will they draw up a bylaw that protects the Shawnigan Watershed, or not? The Assistand Deputy Minister of Environment Jim Standiford has written what appears to be a form letter to those who inquire South Island Aggregates (SIA) application to dump
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: MLA Bill Routley Stands Up For Democracy-Calls For By-Election!
Bill Routley Cowichan NDP MLA-Wants A Democratic Byelection For School Trustees The out of date undemocratic treatment Cowichan School Trustees faced when they dared speak of the negative impacts of cutbacks is unacceptable by any measure. It can only be addressed through a by-election says a fired up Bill Routley,
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: The Folly of Balanced Budget Laws in BC
The news is out. Due to declining natural gas prices, the BC Liberal government is projecting a budget deficit of $1.14 billion this year — $173 million more than expected. And while the government still insists that it plans on finding enough savings to balance next year’s (election year) budget,
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: The Natural Gas Game Is Fracked! BC Liberal Government Deficit Hits 1.4 Billion
Richard Hub Hughes-Political Blogger The BC Liberal’s may be many things but good business operator’s they ain’t. Little wonder former finance minister Kevin Falcon was overcome for a families first lifestyle back home. The cabinet benches have thinned dramatically as now a baker`s dozen plus have stated that they are not
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Province Cartoonist Dan Murphy Creates Video To Help Christy Clark Win!
BC Premier Christy Clark-’Lovely Plumage’ Dan Murphy has been harpooning politician for many years and this video showing Christy Clark how she can win the next election is no exception! As always a delight, enjoy.
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Election Issues Will Focus On Enbridge and Fracking!
The polls tell us that the BC NDP will form the next government unless a political earthquake shakes up the political environment between now and the scheduled May 2013 election. Energy issues dominate much of the political stage these days. Focus will be on the how the competing parties position themselves especially regarding
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: CT Group Comment on the CVRD’s Ill Fated Eco-Depot Controversy
Joseph (Larry) Gollner-CT Group On 27 June, Warren Jones, the Chief Administrative Officer of the CVRD finally delivered his report on the failure of the CVRD Eco Depot venture. The report largely blamed the failure on public opposition with attention paid to the Citizens Together Group (CT Group) and earlier
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Quebec Students Were Right! Students Debts Are Crippling!
Quebec Students Protest Started Over Tuition Hikes It was University Students in Quebec who raised the profile of challenges facing students seeking post secondary education. Tuition hikes ignited the protests but costs for living accomodation, books, clothing and food combine to increase the overall burden. The protests grew, morphed into
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