Wednesday, April 06, 2016

Another Lotuslandian proMedia Member Buries The 'Pay-To-Play' Lede.

BossBoss
TheHerdVille


This time it is Mr. Leyne of the VTC, who starts his latest column thusly:

Eventually, they might become victims of their own success. The B.C. Liberals might be shamed into putting some limits on campaign fundraising just by virtue of the fact they’re raking in so much more than their opponents it’s starting to look unseemly.
The latest tallies released Tuesday confirm the embarrassment-of-riches trend. The party is awash in money and bringing in over three times more than their opponents, the NDP.
All those $10,000 meet-and-greets, six-figure personal cheques and sustained contributions from corporate players add up. If they add up to the public impression that it’s all a bit much, B.C. Liberals will have to restrain themselves.
In 2015, the B.C. Liberals collected $9.9 million, just short of what they raised the previous year. The NDP posted $3 million in contributions, also comparable to last year.
- See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/columnists/les-leyne-public-might-force-fundraising-changes-1.2224545#sthash.15jUqfmE.dpu
Eventually, they might become victims of their own success. The B.C. Liberals might be shamed into putting some limits on campaign fundraising just by virtue of the fact they’re raking in so much more than their opponents it’s starting to look unseemly.

The latest tallies released Tuesday confirm the embarrassment-of-riches trend. The party is awash in money and bringing in over three times more than their opponents, the NDP.

All those $10,000 meet-and-greets, six-figure personal cheques and sustained contributions from corporate players add up. If they add up to the public impression that it’s all a bit much, B.C. Liberals will have to restrain themselves.

In 2015, the B.C. Liberals collected $9.9 million, just short of what they raised the previous year. The NDP posted $3 million in contributions, also comparable to last year...


The column continues on in that vein (i.e. this thing is really all about the Clarklandians raising too much money, or some such thing) until it finally gets to a point that actually matters right at the bottom:

...A politician once gained fame in a long-ago scandal by saying simply: “Money talks.”

If that public nose ever gets such a whiff, B.C. Liberals will regret not curbing the take...



But here's the thing...

How will the public ever get to use it's collective nose if fine folks like Mr. Leyne and his compatriots don't uncover the stink and bring it out into the air for all to smell its full putridity.

Stink like, say, this.

Or...

This.

Or...

This.

Or (even)...

This.

If you get my (present day AND historical) drift.


.

15 comments:

Grant G said...

Does it really matter?....BC Liberals have always been a pay to play government, ....During the 2013 BC election the NDP had plenty of money...What they didn't have was a message..

Horgan brought forth a Bill to ban corporate donations..His Bill was rejected, no surprise..

The BC NDP need to repeat one message and one message only...(BC Liberals are corrupt)..Repeat it everywhere, on every issue...BC NDP need to shows their brass balls, don't beat around the bush..Corruption, scandal, failing education, healthcare, seniors and every other little taxpayer/ratepayer...You don't need big money to compete, you need big brass balls and courage..

Thus far...Horgan has been a lamb

RossK said...

But Grant--

Pay-to-play is corruption, which means that it does matter.

Which is why it is important to point out that the local proMedia refuses to go there.

And, as a result, it is not that the 'public' doesn't understand (and/or supports as Mr. de Jong would say) what's going down.

Instead, the important point is that that the public doesn't know what's going doown (and/or can't smell the buried stench as Mr. Leyne kinda/sorta/almost, but not quite, seems to be saying).


.

Anonymous said...

http://creekside1.blogspot.ca/2016/04/pay-to-play-in-bc-with-lng-and-kbr.html

RossK said...

Anon-Above--

Yuppers.

We've linked to Alison at Creekside's excellent post multiple time downthread (and within this post - it's the first 'This'.

.

Anonymous said...

"victims of their own success" propaganda machine at its best.

e.a.f. said...

It stinks on ice and the MSM isn't going to report on it. With the Sun and Province both in a financial free fall, i.e POST MEDIA, you'd think some one might want to sell newspapers. But alas, no, they'd rather bury the truth than print it.

If the MSM started printing the news some would actually go out and purchase newspapers.

With a business model, which in my ,is more geared to failure than success, you have to wonder who is benefiting and who is making money.

Sometimes things take a long time. Legal Schaunzzer, the Alabama blogger, who went to jail for 5 months, for printing things people didn't like, well he was the first to break the story about the Govenor. It was finally picked up by the American MSM and the FBI is now interested.

We can only hope that one day the news printed on blogs does get printed in the MSM and the RCMP do investigate. I would suggest the big difference is the F.B.I. doesn't have a 20 yr contract with the State of Alabama and the RCMP does, with the Province of B.C.

How B.C. can go from sending a cabinet minister to jail for accepting, what at the time was a small bribe, to "pay to play" in a major way, in one person's life time, just boggles the mind.

RossK said...

e.a.f.--

Point taken about the state of corpJournalism generally and the situation at postMedia specifically.

However, there are still folks doing good work at the latter...See Cassidy Olivier and Sam Cooper, for example, even at the Province. Thus, in my opinion all this would take is editorial will to send their reporters after this 'war room' style and to tell their columnists to stop playing both sides back towards a fictional 'reasonable' middle.

I mean, geez...

If Kate Webb can do it, Vaughn Palmer sure as heck can too.

.

Lenin's Ghost said...

The Dippers are so pathetic!! You have it right. They can even make enough noise to get attention. If you aren't heard it doesn't matter if you have a message or not.

Grant G said...

Mr. K......Stephen Harper had a massive war chest, he used hundreds of millions of public tax dollars for partisan advertising year in, year out..

The public got the message, Harper was corrupt, owned by the corporate sector, the public chose Trudeau..

It is no different in BC...The public detests Christy Clark..she's smug, bratty, stupid and oh so condescending...

The public only needs a flicker of integrity from John Horgan and his team and the election victory is his...

The BC NDP once in power can ban union and corporate donations..

I remember well 2013...Adrian Dix vowed to end needless partisan Government advertising..hmmm...And what flailing industry is desperate for needless Government advertising dollars"

BC Liberals are amassing a large war-chest of cash...and who would be the recipient of that largesse...?

Postmedia...CTV..Global...CKNW.....There you have it...

To expect Godfrey and company to bang that drum loudly..Ain't going to happen..

I understand how wrong the pay to play model is, however, one must first seize power then lay down the law and ban political donations...

So, here is what we are left with....Come election time the BC Liberals will have ten-fold the NDP war-chest..

John Horgan needs to play the corruption card hard...BC Hydro rates, seniors care, education and corruption, corruption and more corruption..Even if it means the BC Liberals threaten to take Horgan to court on charges slander/libel...

Call a spade a spade...Call Christy Clark a liar, a life-long cheater..Call out all the BC Liberal ministers as corrupt and bought..

That is how John Horgan wins..

And if the BC Liberals take Horgan to court...You can't buy that type of press..

Time for a down and dirty slimefest election...Anywho, don't expect Postmedia to beat the corporate donation drum...Godfrey will be playing rightwing serenity violins from here to election day..

Cheers

RossK said...

Got it Grant--

I'm just not sure you are entirely right on this one.

After all, I would be very surprised if the BCL has not focus-grouped and/or polled this...Now, with that assumption think about what it means they went limited hangout with the 'real time' thing and then trotted out Cookie Dough Mike to say 'That's it, because the public likes what we are doing, regardless'.

But, you've been right before, so we'll see...You can feel free (like you need my permission, to call me out on it if I'm wrong).


.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Grant - Horgan has to go after the "corruption" angle hard. NOW. Do some "Christy Crunch" type YouTube stuff. Get your friends involved in reinforcing the message (maybe Notley could make "no corruption" one of HER "Five Conditions" for taking site C power...)Full court press so come next year Joe Public associates the BC Liberal brand with payola and graft.

Warren White
Gordon Head, Victoria

RossK said...

Don't disagree with that part of Grant's thesis Warren.

All I'm saying is that that 'angle' would be more effective if pay-to-play specifics were rolled out by the local proMedia (as has been done in Ontario).


.

Anonymous said...

Grant G you are totally right. I hope you have driven those points to John Horgan.

Grant G said...

Mr. K...BC Liberals are a corrupt rightwing Conservatives, they are not Liberals, or center, they are hard-right..

The difference in Ontario is....Ontario Liberals are really Liberals, center-left, and yes..The Wynne Government(McGuinty)are just as corrupt...Postmedia doesn't like center-left governments, they don't like the Wynne Government and...

And there is a Ontario provincial Conservative political party licking their chops in anticipation of bringing down Wynne..

That Mr. K is why Postmedia will go after the Ontario Liberal Government with a vengeance and zeal....And that's why the local herd won't press(gallery) Christy Clark...

John Horgan and his team will get plenty of press-coverage if they play hard, if they openly call the BC Liberals corrupt..

There are plenty of smoking guns examples available to back up their charges..

Oh indeed...And I did send John Horgan your article Ross K..And urged him to read the comments...Something about leading a horse to water..The drinking part, that's up to the feisty Irishman!

Cheers

RossK said...

Fair enough--

Thanks Grant

(although I'm pretty sure that the pro big Fed 'L'iberal TStar has put some of the heat on Ms. Wynne in New Cleveland)


.