AlgorithmsVille
Mostly Lotuslandianish...
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Crawford Kilian, who seems to have unleashed himself on the Twittmachine lately, has an interesting piece up in the Tyee about how things would change if we went all in on true multiparty democracy...I'm not sure I completely agree with him but it's an interesting thought experiment.
Norm Farrell is on fire this week...He has three posts up on issues with carbon accounting, our provincial government's continuing fossil fuel promotion and the reasons why we have avoided dealing with flood risk management in concrete ways around here...I'm sure there are many Dipperians who are distressed by Norm's work. I feel differently as I see him doing the heavy lifting required to help us (i.e. the citizenry and the folks that elected them) force the current government to do the right thing in that (mythical?) old FDR way of harnessing the base...
In their latest, the City Duo folks do the work that no proMedia outlet is doing around here and explain why, by taking us through a recent public hearing, getting new rental housing stock approved and built is so difficult in Lotusland Central...I also really dig their 'Backlash Expectation' segments for individual development projects around town that they embed in their posts...These folks really know their stuff and I learn something every time I check in with them.
Stephen Rees, who is often doing other things these days, rambles off in all directions in a blog post that includes passages on sewage discharge into rivers, water privatization, the seeping of Hayek's brain into the center and even, gasp!, the center left's policies in this country and province, the recent federal throne speech, and why he came to Canada in the first place...Not a word on local transit issues but a very interesting read, nonetheless
The Mound of Sound, backed with a GStraight piece from Charlie Smith, has a short, biting post up on why carbon capture as a way to deal even with current (as opposed to future) emissions is a fantasy that even wee Willy VZ couldn't have imagined back in the days he and his were doing their full tilting at windmills boogie.
Speaking of Hayekian thinking...Dan Fumano had a piece in the VSun not long ago about how the usual suspects, with help from a Texas lobbying company that boasts it specializes in 'liberating our clients of the burden of being overtaxed', are pushing to give businesses voting rights in upcoming local elections....Seriously.
Local Lotuslandian legend Raymond Tomlin has the blow-by-blow on how CoV council came up with their vote on the new 6.35% property tax increase...Earlier in the week the always eclectic RT had a most useful post up (for those of us looking for holiday season viewing options) on best picture Oscar contenders.
If I haven't blathered on too much on the subject already...I can't emphasize enough how much some of the new local media Co's like the Fraser Valley Current and the Capital Daily are doing to cover local issues that matter, often with considerable depth and context...Local CBC numbers guy Justin McElroy also has his MediaMatters newsletter firing on all pollable cylinders.
What I'm Listening To...
It's a little softballish but I do enjoy listening to David Eby and Katrina Chen talk like normal humans on their semi-regular podcast 'The Dash'....Why?...Well, it seems that I might actually be learning something about what the issues each of them thinks are important, pretty much unfiltered...I'd be very interested to think what reader EG thinks about it (and whether I'm off base in my conclusion)...
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Image at the top of the post is a proposed development at 5590 Victoria Drive with low backlash potential according to the City Duo (scroll down)...It has six floors of rental, 30% below market, which, in my opinion, is a good thing.
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5 comments:
Thank you for this. I now know what to read this weekend. sometimes there are blogs we don't know about and having found some good blogs via your side bar thing, this post is excellent.
Yes, not every one loves Norm's opinions/facts, especially the facts. Its important we push the NDP to do the right thing. We can continue to vote for them because the alternative is worse, but we ought not to let the party think they have a free run at things. You can't argue with Norm's facts. He usually gets a lot of them right off of government documents, so if he can read it, the politicians need to read it also.
When the NDP came to office their priority seemed to be health care and education, but then there was Site C and forestry. Neither side is going to be happy about any government decisions, but sometimes you have to do unpopular things because they are the right things to do.
Doing the right thing is hard. Some years ago when Jon Stewart was still doing his show he had a former Australian state Govenor on his show to discuss Australia's gun ban. Stewart then turned the discussion to the repercussions for that man and other politicians, they were all "unelected" the next time round. The man's response was, it was the right thing to do and when you elect leaders, they have to lead regardless of the personal ramifications. Like he knew he'd be "unelected" but still went and did what was the right thing. the reduction of farmer and youth suicides is way down in Australia.
For those who want to know about the money spent in this province and hard facts and figures Norm Farrell's blog is the best I've read. Norm is an amazing accountant and a decent writer and human.
Time to go check his blog out.
Enjoying your updates and particularly interested to find out about The Dash. I listened to one of the podcasts and have decided that I will listen to this regularly. Very fine interviewing skills demonstrated by David Eby and Katrina Chen.
clever elephant- BC IT costs and internal liberal election skew?
Thanks e.a.f. and thanks Anon-Above - definitely have to add Paul Ramsey's 'The Clever Elephant'!
EG-- Glad to have brought TD to your attention - although I don't understand the name. Is this some kind of legal thing?
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The Dash...nothing legal I know about. Ask the AG.
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