And Don't Forget To Check Your Turf Toe At The Door...

AllTheGrassThatFits
NoRootsVille

Turf toe is a nasty little condition, indeed.

Because it afflicts players, most often professionals, that spend days on end running around on that fake grass called 'AstroTurf'.

Which brings us to a breathless bit of 'he said/she said journalism' from Mary Frances Hill in today's Vancouver Sun:

VANCOUVER - More bridges and lanes are needed over the Fraser River to ease transportation problems, says a report by a group of six residents who live south of the Fraser.

The group, called Get Moving B.C., has drawn criticism from environmental groups, which say it is made up of Liberals masquerading as a grassroots group.......

Now pro-pols and industry associations that masquerade as grassroots groups in an effort to move move public opinion in a pre-determined way are often called 'AstroTurf' because they are fake.

And this group has the look of the 'Turf about it, as was noted previously by journalist (ie. not an "environmental group") Sean Holman in May of 2007:

When last we reported on on our good friend Brian Bonney, he had abruptly resigned as the operations director for the provincial Liberals. But just because he isn't on the party payroll anymore, doesn't mean Mr. Bonney isn't still toiling away in the backrooms on behalf of the Campbell administration. For example, yesterday, in an email sent to industry members, BC Trucking Association communications coordinator Sandra Azanchi encouraged them to support Get Moving BC, "a non-profit, grassroots organization composed of individuals, businesses and organizations in the Greater Vancouver area advocating a balanced, efficient, and sustainable transportation infrastructure." And who should they contact for more information about this pro-Gateway Program group? Well, if you guessed Mr. Bonney, you'd be right!

Last month, The Georgia Straight's Matthew Burrows also reported on Fort Langley-Aldergrove Liberal constituency association vice-president Jordan Bateman and former Port Moody-Burke Mountain election candidate Greg Moore's involvement with Get Moving BC. As our astute readers know, Mr. Moore is a regional organizer for the (B.C. Liberal) party......

But that was a long time ago, so I guess maybe the toes have healed and the fine folks at 'Get Moving B.C.' have decided to make a dash for the goal line one more time.

However, to give the V.Sun reporter Ms. Hill her due, especially because that the lede quoted above may have been 'he said/she saided-up' by an editor, she does tell us the following about the afore-mentioned Mr. Bateman:

Get Moving B.C. spokesman Jordan Bateman said the report is aimed at arming voters with knowledge of transportation issues so they can question candidates before the Oct. 14 federal election. "It's important we find out which of the federal parties have a vision to build B.C."

Bateman is a Langley township councillor with strong ties to the B.C. Liberals. He served as vice-president of Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman's Fort Langley-Aldergrove riding association and was communications director of Coleman's last re-election campaign.

Which I can't fuss about too much because, regardless his political affiliations, Mr. Batemen has shown that he is heavily involved in the Langley Township community, both as a councillor and as a citizen, as is demonstrated by his long running, informative, and mostly pretty well-informed blog.

But, aside from all that, here's the thing about 'Get Moving B.C." that I find almost laughable in the extreme taken, again, directly from Ms. Hill's VSun piece:

Bateman described his organization as an "ad-hoc" group of six residents living south of the Fraser, with a variety of political stripes. However, he said the group can call on about 100 supporters when they are needed.


Six?

Six freaking residents???!!!!

Heckfire, in my neighbourhood more of us can be found clustered around any one recycling bin on any given pick-up day.

But that does not make us a grassroots group deserving of major, concentrated media play (ie. Mr. Bateman has popped all over the Lotuslandian pro-media, today) on any subject at all, recycling or otherwise.

Even if we weren't fake.

OK?


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