InLotusland?Ville
_____________
Updates (from the Comments): Paul Willcocks wrote an interesting column about the government-assisted toil and trouble brewing at Elections BC back in August....And 'Off-The-Radar' lists four specific examples which, in my opinion at least, indicate that the integrity of Elections BC has been completely compromised since Mr. James was 'appointed', non-unanimously, to his post by the government that is (still?) being run by Mr. Gordon Campbell:
1. holding the results of the anti-HST referendum until forced by a sharply-worded court order to pass on to the legislature.
3. threatening (rather than cautioning) the very few people and canvassers who signed more than once and attempting to smear the anti-HST campaign, all volunteer-run. And right before the recall period starts.
4. the tricky wording of the HST referendum petition. It is not about restoring the previous tax regime, it is merely substituting one tax for another.
______________________
I have said precious little about our local tax revolt because I am very, very cynical about the motives of the folks involved.
The motives of the organizers I mean.
But I am not the least bit cynical about the motives of the thousands of canvassers or the hundreds of thousands of British Columbians who signed their petition.
****
Now.
The 'allegedly' legitimate 'acting' head of Elections BC, Mr. Craig James, came out swinging accusatory haymakers earlier this week because he and his had apparently identified some 2,208 registered voters that had signed the anti-HST petition more than once.
Which is way less than one percent.
But get this....Mr. James could only identify 38 registered voters that had signed petitions more than 3 times.
That, at approximately 0.005%, is absolutely infinitesimal.
As is the fact that only 7 of more than 6,500 canvassers (ie. approximately 0.1%) could even be 'accused' of 'alleged' improprieties.
In other words, rather than being slagged and dragged through the mud of the public prints, the schlock of the talk radio Watercarriers and the the clattering dentures of the hairdoos on the TeeVee, the overwhelming majority of the folks on the ground, who are the ones who have really made the tax revolt work, should instead be celebrated on high, by all of us, for their trustworthiness.
Heckfire.
Could you imagine if 99.9% of our provincial politicians and/or their handlers could be counted on to demonstrate such upstanding behaviour?
______
I've really got to wonder how H. Neufeld would have handled this.....Somehow I don't think he would have gone out of his way to trash a huge swath of British Columbians who are doing their best to have the courage of their convictions and try and initiate change honestly without a noble lie in sight.
Oh, and in case your are wondering how I came up with the above percentages....Well.....I just used a little Grade Four math (of course!).....
.
6 comments:
On November 15, 2010 at 1:00 pm there will be a two hour meeting to discuss the NEW Chief Electoral Officer of British Columbia. 515 HASTINGS ST E Vancouver is the meeting place aka Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue
http://www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/39thparl/session-2/ceo/5-39-2-12-4.asp
"Public meetings of the Special Committee to Appoint a Chief Electoral Officer are recorded and transcribed by Hansard Services. Transcripts, along with the Official Minutes, are printed and made available through the Internet on the Committee’s website.
In addition, a live audio webcast of public meetings is also produced and available through the Committee’s website to enable listeners to hear the proceedings in real-time. An archived copy of the audio broadcast is retained on the Committee’s website."
But don't rush out and toot your horns, the winner of who gets to be the Chief won't be released until the Spring legislature sits.
http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/96106_02#section9
"(e) at the end of 30 sitting days after the start of the next session of the Legislative Assembly."
Which means if the legislature doesn't sit for 30 days the Acting Chief remains in control.
He wrote an interesting letter to my MLA, Horgan, in response to some questions. It is very releaving of his motivations. I posted it here.
http://sistersagesmusings.ca/2010/10/17/the-alleged-acting/
This man's arrogance matches that of his master!
CBC Newsworld at noon on, I think Nov. 9, 2010, started off its newscast with horrendous words like BC Electoral Officer + RCMP + HST canvassers + breaking the law ...
Instantly, honourable citizens were marked with a big black "X" ... and
Any British Columbian from 5 miles away could smell the sulphurous fumes of a Gordon Campbell escape.
That's what will be recorded in the history books ... unless we raise hell and make Craig James back off ...
Why do the BC Liberals hate the people? Is it only because we expect BC Liberals to behave themselves?
.
As I've noted, my contacts with Craig James when he was clerk of committees at the legislature all indicated he's professional and non-partisan. I expect that continues (which is not to say his judgments are always correct).
But it's dead incompetent of the Liberal government to have created this mess. The province's chief electoral officer is supposed to be the unanimous choice of a legislative committee and approved by a vote in the legislature.
But even though the Liberals have known since 2002 when Harry Neufeld's term would expired, they didn't start the process of finding a replacement and James was appointed by cabinet.
It's a serious erosion of democracy, particularly as Elections B.C. deals with the HST referendum and recall efforts. (Earlier column is here -http://willcocks.blogspot.com/2010/08/liberals-set-scene-for-elections-bc.html)
Paul is right, Mr. James did have a very good reputation. However I find his actions over the past few months disturbing:
1. holding the results of the anti-HST referendum until forced by a sharply-worded court order to pass on to the legislature.
2. firing the long-serving second in command at Elections BC because he was re-organizing the office (an office that he is only temporarily in charge of).
3. threatening (rather than cautioning) the very few people and canvassers who signed more than once and attempting to smear the anti-HST campaign, all volunteer-run. And right before the recall period starts.
4. the tricky wording of the HST referendum petition. It is not about restoring the previous tax regime, it is merely substituting one tax for another.
No, I don't believe Mr. James is acting as an independent officer. And I certainly don't believe that the Liberals overlooked the fact that Harry Neufeld's term was expiring at the end of June. The Liberals wanted their pick acting as Chief Electoral officer while recalls and the HST referendum were in play.
Thanks all....
Don't know the specific details of this one, but this I do know from my own non-political (at least in the big 'p' sense of the word) experiences.....
You've often gotta fight like heck (mostly with yourself) to make sure you are still doing the right thing once you cross that line that marks the inner circle of any organization.
Post a Comment