ThereTrulyIsPowerInAUnionVille
Gosh.
It would appear that the good Mr. Baldrey has somehow gone and lost his insider access pass.
I imagine the Dean will not be amused.
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Anyway, on a more serious note (kinda/sorta)...
While I was riding my bike in to work this morning, and doing my darndest not to slide into traffic, a thought popped into my head pretty much out of nowhere.
Which, and I know this might get me into some hot water with some readers, is the possibility that the Site C decision just might be John Horgan's 'Sister Souljah' moment.
Stay with me, at least for just a moment, on this one...
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Look.
I support collective bargaining.
And I fully support the de-Hochsteining of our trades.
And I truly know all the good that unions have done for British Columbians over the years and decades.
And I have no issues whatsoever with the BC NDP's historical allegiance to labour.
In fact, when it comes right down to it, as Billy Bragg says, you're likely much better off trusting an upstanding labour union than any political party.
But...
I see no reason that our future fiscal health and well-being should be held hostage to a small number of made-up jobs, union or otherwise.
Especially when we could take the savings in cash and treasure and create oodles of good union jobs to build and do things we really need.
So....
With all that said, in addition to the fact that killing Site C is the right thing to do, let's consider things from a purely pragmatic, real-politik, triangulating point of view.
And then lets put that triangulation together with the Dipper/Green levelling of the fundraising field.
Taking all those things together it seems to me that, if he can see his way through the short term pain, Horgan can't lose politically in the longterm if he's willing to say no to the labour groups involved this one time and do the right thing for everyone in British Columbia.
OK?
(and feel free to fire away Beer - I'm pretty certain you don't agree)
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Meanwhile, Norm Farrell, in his efforts to operationalize his plan to publicize why kiboshing Site C is the right thing to do for purely pragmatic, real world (i.e. non-political reasons), has zoomed past his original fundraising goal of $2,500....Thanks Everyone!....You can still contribute (and do so entirely anonymously and easily if you like)....Here.
Update: Late Tuesday afternoon...Beer disagrees...But, in a surprise to me at least, for reasons of real politick....Hmmmmm....Going to have to go searching for hard polling numbers...
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28 comments:
are those real union jobs or just "boss union" jobs? Regardless, using all that money to provide a couple of thousand unions jobs just isn't worth it. Taking that money and using it in local communities would provide way more jobs and closer to home for the trades working the job.
The province needs tens of millions of dollars worth of maintenance in the schools, hiring workers for that will get the union jobs and fix the schools. Build a couple of hospitals and spend some money educating health sector workers and its money well spent, for the long term.
Spending billions on the dam is just a waste of money. As for Horgan, he will be able to say he isn't being held hostage by the unions.
In the long run, environmental votes may out weigh union votes. Its a reality in this province. Saying "unions" to a young person is like telling them about something they don't know. Positions in unions such as business agents, some young people don't know what that is. Pensions, as in your union agreement, hadn't heard of it. they know Suzuki though and the Greens. Sometimes you have to take the long game.
Only 65 donors so far. Sad. You can donate as little as $10, a mere pittance compared to what you'll 'donate' if this thing goes ahead.
And if it does go ahead), and the dam fails because of a geological fault (dams have been known to fail: Mt. Polley?) And if it goes ahead the First Nations will indubitably sue for damages, plus eons of lawyers fees. Shutter down now! Four billion dollars of sunk costs is only $40 million/year for the next hundred years - chickenfeed compared to forging ahead!
Spend 12 billion dollars on 2500 jobs. Do the math!It is a fools project. It must be cancelled. It will be a big mistake.
What one union or another thinks about to Site C or not to Site C is not informing my opinion whether to proceed with the thing or not. I think The previous government snookered the province (deliberately I might add) by making sure stopping construction would look like a money for nothing deal. And I do mean snookered. Does not hurt that proceeding looks like political money in the bank to me as the decision will be widely supported.
Beer--
Can you point us towards solid polling?
Most of what I've seen has been junky/pushy.
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Adrian Dix, for political reasons by the BC Liberals portrayed him as changing his mind; same thing happened to Christy Clark so ......
Baldrey doesn't need a weatherman ... a weathervane with his image on it will do, nicely.
Hmmmm I was working on a Post but I might as well leave it here
David Black, COPE 378 President
2011
From Policy to Power Real Solutions for BC Hydro
...... BC Hydro's challenges came to a head in late 2010, as the utility announced it intended to raise residential electricity rates by almost 30% over three years. With a potential election looming, the government ordered a rate review. But instead of seeking out an arms length, impartial panel who would examine the government's own policies, Premier Clark chose a panel of three Deputy Ministers from within government.
When the Rate Review Report was released in August 2011 (A, B) it found that the cost of private power projects to British Columbians had been higher even on average than the cost of importing electricity from another area if needed. However, the panel failed to make any strong recommendations on IPPs. The panel also failed to analyze the $1 billion Smart Meter Initiative.
What the panel did recommend was cutting 1,000 jobs at BC Hydro, on top of the over 800 Meter Readers and other workers at Accenture slated to lose their jobs as a result of Smart Meters and changing contracts. .....
My favourite polling firm is SGI - sheer gut instinct.
The political dilemma for the Dippers is that the strongest supporters of Site C are folks who'd never vote for them, while many of the project's strongest opponents are their own voters.
If this was 20 years ago, and it was Glen Clark making the decision, he'd go with his Ironworkers buddies, and denounce the Site C opponents as additional "enemies of BC", confident that they'd have nowhere else to take their votes.
But it isn't 20 years ago, and greenish voters do have somewhere else to go now. While the GP often functions as the political equivalent of a vanity publisher, it looks to have some staying power in BC, and there's a potential bleed from the traditional Dipper coalition that is always there now, if orange starts to get too brown.
Oh to be a fly on the wall at a Cabinet meeting this week!
SH:
I'm glad I put my tumbler of wine down before I read your opening salvo, because I would have inhaled it!
Sub-B--
Not sure about Mr. Clark's response (and given his own Mr. Beer-like 'sheer-gut-instinct' polling he just might be OK with it), but I completely agree with you about folks now having 'another place to go'.
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Thanks very much for that NVG
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Which opening SH....
The Keefian one or the reference to Uncle Bill's audacious consolidation move (which as a visa resident of the States at the time I did not agree with)?
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The more I think of it....
Not sure if GClark is stopping by here much these days, and not sure he would want to open a can of worms on such a topical and important topic that could lead to flame fanning by the usual suspects, but it sure would be interesting to hear his take on all of this.
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Shut it down. Start geothermal exploration. Upgrade schools. Cancel ipps. Refund hospitals. Regulate the hell out of casinos,and yank licenses if theres ANY pushback,and progress to seizure of assets,including real estate,homes,vehicles,etc. After all,thanks to the corrupt party,we now have an international reputation for money laundering. Above all,keep our money here,dont spend outside the province for ferries,bridges,transit. Thats just a siphon into b.c.ers pockets. And if anyone thinks we can afford that,count the food banks.
Armand said:
"...thanks to the corrupt party,we now have an international reputation for money laundering..."
And that's not just coming from whack-cultists, conspiracy-theorists and lowly idiot bloggers.
Unless, of course, you count the fine folks from the New York Times amongst that group.
Which is an important point because, for all the collective circular back-slapping of the the great majority of the local proMedia Press Club, they never, ever went there....And thus their reportage, and that includes the reportage of Ron O., never stuck.
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David Black's .... backgrounders to BC Hydro:
Rate Review Report
A
B
SH:
RossK, the passage of hours just makes this sad, not laughing now:
"Gosh.
It would appear that the good Mr. Baldrey has somehow gone and lost his insider access pass.
I imagine the Dean will not be amused".
SH--
Glad it gave you some chuckle, if only temporary, regardless.
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Congratulations folks. I see Norm Farrel's list of contributors has soared to 66 (1 more in 18 hours!)I'm not only aghast, I'm disgusted!
John--
I really don't think you should despair.
Norm has surpassed his initial dollar goal and, as his post on the Go Fund Me update notes, he is pressing forward.
I very much see this as a grass roots success.
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My despair is that while there is huge vocal support, there is so little financial backing to the vocalization. Even a cup of coffee....
Ahhhh...Got it John.
Well, as somebody that's been in this game for awhile, I'm not surprised by that a bit and actually see this level of support to be a success.
On the flip-side, on creative endeavours getting even 1% of folks to pony up can make it all worthwhile.
One of my favourite DIY musical follows uses Patreon to do this to the tune of ~$600 per week from about 150 folks (out of tens of thousands who subscribe and watch her stuff on YouTube). Of course, it's not a huge amount but it does give her a real leg up at being a musician pretty much full time.
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First off the CLACK Christian type union representing the workers at Site C is a what is referred to as a RAT union. A workers union in name only run by the corporations they work for.
Secondly, the unions may have supported the NDP financially but the members have NEVER supported the NDP at the polls.
The union and worker thing that some people are ringing their hands over is pure unadulterated bullshit. Get your heads out of your asses and lets get on with shutting down this Liberal boondoggle. Now, go over to Norms place and give him some $.
I say cancel site C. As a retired building trades union member.
It should be cancelled and society should consider things such as well insulated homes, reducing personal footprints, electric bikes, solar power, wind power. The world is changing quickly, and as a old age pensioner, I am ok with that.
Michelle Mungall: triangulate your way out of this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=zFR78s-BWs8
No room for any angles whatsoever there Sub-B.
Thanks.
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A casino/hydro inquiry needed.Might as well add health firings and BCRail
If Site-C goes ahead, it’s gonna be hard to convince anyone that big money — union or otherwise — has been neutralized.
And that’s the least of the GDP’s problems.
NDP plus-or-minus the Greens?
Scotty--
I think that equation leads to zero, at least with FPTP....
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John H. Needs to lean into it a bit. Just heard china has an electric freighter(tah daaah!!). Im sure the engineering classes at ubc,sfu,bcit can get there too. Powered by geothermal,built in b.c.. Why not? Fund it by cancelling subsidies to fracking,hire away fracking crews for geothermal. Be as ruthless as prev. govt.,only in the CORRECT(almost typed 'right')direction. And,indemnify k-m from albertas treasury,IN ESCROW,B.C. inspectors,big penalties,etc. If alta. and ottawa want it so badly,they can pony up. Easments cost,because they devalue the property they cross. Add in signifigant risk of irreparable harm,and we need to fight like mad badgers,even if it does go through. Get every dime and indemnity,make sure they know we own what theyre standing on,and we like it better than we like them.
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