The Selling Of Site C...Laila Injects A Few Critical Facts Into A Shillophant's Pitch.

AlwaysBeClosing
HiddenPAB-BotVille


Former BC Liberal government member and current CEO of the Vancouver Board of Boring Folks, Mr. Iain Black, has written a shillophantic OpEd on Site C that was recently published in the Vancouver Sun.

To make his (and/or his patrons') case, Mr. Black mixed in a wee bit of grease-laden reality into his lumpy bucket of codswallop in an effort to smooth things out for the big bamboozle.

To wit:


....Despite the advanced state of construction on Site C, and the decades of study and due diligence, there continues to be some who call for a delay or an outright cancellation of the project. The rationale for such a delay is that B.C. Hydro has an energy surplus and should therefore not be planning to bring on any new supply. Others suggest that in a slow economic environment, B.C. Hydro should take a wait-and-see approach before embarking on one of Canada’s largest infrastructure projects. Others believe the project warrants even more review.

In reality, this is the ideal time to undertake a project of this significance. Building Site C in this landscape of low interest rates, depressed material costs, and a ready workforce will help keep the project on budget, and amplify its benefits. Furthermore, the timing of Site C construction offers opportunities for B.C.’s workers, businesses and communities hurt by the mining, and oil and gas slowdown...


Do you see what the good Mr. Black (and/or the ghostly writers behind his words) did there?

If not, Laila steps in to make things clear with actual facts about what has actually been done (or not done) with respect that 'decades of study and due diligence' bit that was used by Mr. Black in an attempt to wave away the naysayers while he simultaneously waved the pom-poms:

Fact: The government exempted this project from the only review that looks at the financial aspects of the project and balances them with the benefit or not, to BC Hydro ratepayers.

Fact: The 2014 joint provincial and federal review panel could not see a need for the project and advised that it be sent to the BC Utilities Commission for review.

Fact: That same bit of legislation that exempted Site C from review, also exempted IPP’s, or Independent Power Projects, which we know now BC Hydro is often paying to sit idle and NOT produce energy

Fact: BC Hydro mislead the BC Utilities Commission once already,which resulted in an apology from the BC Hydro president,clearly demonstrating why this independent oversight is so critical.

Fact: BC Hydro borrows money to pay the BC government annual dividends, a foolhardy practice that is irresponsible and unsustainable – something we talked about here last year.


I'm sure we'll be seeing such a countervailing listing of such facts on the VSun OpEd page any day now...


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As she is always exceedingly careful to do, Laila fully shows her work in her post, which is well worth reading in its entirety.


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