Thankyou, Lawd, that another tinpot dictator has resigned

It's almost too much to hope for: two tinpot dictators out within two weeks of each other. The air in B.C. just got that much clearer, if only for the few days of drift and confusion that will occur before the owners and authority and corporate figures bring their plans together. Sadly, two more Tweedledums and Tweedledees will be rolled out for the electorate. Each will receive massive TV coverage. It won't seriously matter which one wins. Nothing will change. But for now, we have a few days of blissful unknowing.

"Cancelled" sail-past a winner

So a dozen lighted ships circled off the village of Cowichan Bay for the delight of shoppers visiting the waterfront strip from five PM yesterday (pic above from 2009).

The only issue was that according to the local Black rag, the News Leader, it was not happening. The Wooden Boat Society, which claimed to run the event, announced that the society would not be running it this year, and so according to them it was not happening.

Of course, the sailpast happened anyway: try holding determined skippers back! Bay Pub publican Chris Killam led the way with his grandfather's 70-ft Greybeard look-alike adorned with a magnificent swizzle stick about three storeys high.

Skipper Rowland followed in Calypso, which appeared and disappeared regularly as all its lights flashed on and off.

Other gaily lit vessels crowded with laughing and babbling passengers made for a great show.

Later, all aboard Calypso headed for the Emily Morgan studio, where the vernissage proceeded apace, and later a select group made their way up to the Morgan residence overlooking the bay. All raved until late.

These home-made events make politics irrelevant.

Horgan: clinging to James's skirt

John Horgan MLA, one of the brightest MLA's, unfortunately has spent most of his career working as a political assistant, one of the "back-room boys" who grease the wheels of politicians. Horgan has been an MLA for six years, and his record has not been notable: for example, his personal campaign to reduce the price of gasoline. What was the point of that? Did ne not realise that the oil cartel and its 40,000 North American gas stations would never take any notice? The price would go down exactly when they wanted it to, and not before. Anyway, why should gasoline prices be reduced? Why should people be encouraged to drive? They are already slaves inside a massive gasoline machine that makes driving almost unavoidable. Horgan should have been pounding the table about public transport, urban planning, transition and smallness. He seems to have no knowledge about green policies. Now he is sticking to Carole James when she is doomed. Oh, John, what a shame!

Leaders dictate because TV news dictates

According to B.C. blogger Peter Ewart, the two large provincial parties have dictators for leaders because the parties are coming apart. His claim that James and Campbell are getting tyrannical because of the impossibility of their party's mingled support, has only a grain of truth.

It is commercial television news that has created the demand for one-line solutions that sound strong and conclusive and decisive.

Whereas, any reasonably well-informed person can only observe that the stronger,
the more conlusive and decisive any politician sounds, the further they are from understanding the crisis facing everyone.

Canada is avoiding the fossil-fuel crisis. Victorians are keen to spend $70m (official) to $140m (unofficial) on a car-bridge downtown. Canada is dreaming of wealth from the tar sands, without realising that the USA will gobble the oil up long before Canada or China does. All we'll have left is lakes of pollution, and a wrecked environment and climate.

As in all oil-rich countries, the masses of Canada are heading for impoverishment. It's so-o-o sad. Can nobody deliver us an ecologist in Victoria?

Yellow scarf dictatorship

The use of the yellow loyalty wrap at Carole James's acclamation in Victoria yesterday was pathetic. After the triumph, one union boss said (according to the T-Col): it's Carole or the ocean. So those who disagree with loser Carole's diktats should simply walk out and join another party. Well, there aren't any other parties, because of our unendorsed FPTP electoral system. Even the Green Party can't get a single seat.

We're stuck with a two-party system, both currently led by paranoid fuhrer types who will only tolerate flat-on-your-face kowtowing from their fellow MLAs and party organisers. I have no idea who represented the Cowichan constituency on my behalf in Victoria: nobody chose to tell me. It's a farce.

Our new MLA in our new riding, Mr Bill Routley, has sworn his undying loyalty to his new leader. She seated him in the first place, and now he is paying her back. His enormous salary, the biggest he has ever incurred in his life, his staffers, large constituency office, and the luxurious pension he is in line for all no doubt played their part too. If he can get a Cabinet post, he will be in clover. Where am I, an elector, in all this? Except for living in a so-called safe seat.

Yet again, at the next general election (its date stupidly fixed US-style), the electorate will be presented with Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

It's not surprising that the NDP barely exists any more except for its Union base.

Campbell's carrot thrown on the dump

"The British Columbia government says it will suspend a planned further 15-per-cent reduction in personal income tax rates for the first $72,000 of personal income."

Apparently the decision was made "by Cabinet". I don't think I remember the last time a decision was reversed "by Cabinet" that had already been announced by the Premier.

Gordo seems to be out of it, while still occupying the Premier's office.

It's no wonder the public is bewildered. The HST demon is still in office, while his compensatory carrot has been kicked out of the window.

Furthermore, few people understand Gordo's last-minute redesign of the Government so that it can approve corporate resource extraction more quickly. Nobody except Mr. Campbell and the corporate friends for which he acts as errand-boy wants such a reorganisation or facilitation.

Clearly, Gordo was running the Government out of his back pocket. That's why he has to go: immediately.

Revenge of the electors

The announcement that Ida Chong MLA will be the first MLA to be voted out of office using recall legislation is encouraging. Besides taking thousands a year in lunch money, Chong has spent the last decade running errands for Campbell, the corporations' errand-boy. She has commanded several Ministries, acting on orders from Campbell all the way. She even acted as Minister for Community Affairs in a province where few "communities" exist, and in which communities the elected officials are obliged to parrot the provincial government's policies.

Ida Chong was a key conspirator in introducing the HST directly after the 2009 election in which an HST was never mentioned. She stole her legislative seat on false grounds, and should lose it as soon as possible.

For those interested in the wider world, the Tonga-like constitution of Great Britain has actually introduced the Right to Recall, believe it or not, and Britain's students are going to bring recall measures first against the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, one of the world's biggest political swindlers, who morphed from opposing student fees before the general election to participating in the Cameron government which is tripling them. Clegg should be the first British MP to lose his seat by popular revulsion.

LINK: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/846108-turncoat-nick-clegg-will-be-haunted-say-angry-students