Off until March 7

I will be gone from today February 24 to March 7. In the mean time if you are looking for news from the progressive side check outmany of the Progressive bloggers, my favourite blog The Gazetteer, and other good people, Strategic Thoughts, Had Enough, The Tyee , PayingAttention, PublicEye, Rob Cottingham, CathieFromCanada and of course my other Favourite blog is My Blahg. I have a few favourite blogs but cannot forget Canuck Attitude where Bruce brings some attitude to Friday's with interesting web vids he has found.

Peace, Earth and Justice is a place with lots of left progressive news.

There are many good links in the side bar so please check out the good work many of these people are doing everyday.

For something different you have to go to Trevor, who has built a cult like following with his writings, Aunty Bertha makes me laugh and cry and think, kinda like my Mom, Alison over on Bowen Island has some unisland like thoughts and of course the one place you won't find cable, Chimera's Cavern is the good buddy we would all appreciate and witty!

I can't forget my favourite all time biker and friend, who now has a blog, check out Jim if you like gay bikers or just want to see some Biker guys! I can let you in on a secret there, his nick name is Petals! or is that pedals, I could never get it right.

See you March 7!

Ted Hughes Budget?

David Schreck as a good take on the BC Liberal Budget today. Of course what the media seem to be missing and reporting on is the Ministry of Children and Families. The Black Night of BC Evening News, BCTV in its promo asked, will their be a tax cut for you? Did they ask if there would be money for kids, did it point out in promos of the budget the to a need to address the problems caused by BC Liberal cuts to childrens services?

Not a chance. That would be negative and everything is set to pave the road to 2010 with gold right?

Enough about that and over to Schreck...

The Campbell government's news release promoted the February 2006 budget
with the headline "Budget 2006 Concentrates on B.C.'s Children". Some say it could be called Sherry's budget, in honour of Sherry Charlie, but she isn't the only child whose name is associated with the Campbell cuts. An alternative is to call it "Ted's Budget" in anticipation of the report that will be released by Ted Hughes on April 7th.

The budget tried to support the claim that it concentrates on children by saying that an additional $421 million would be available to help vulnerable children and their caregivers; the fine print noted that the $421 million is over four years. If that makes budget 2006 the "Children's Budget" then consider what the September 2005 mini-budget should have been labeled; that's when Finance Minister Carole Taylor announced $143 million per year, $569 million over four years, in corporate tax cuts even though not a single word was said about that tax gift during the May 2005 election campaign. When the Campbell government had a choice it put corporate tax cuts a year ahead of restoring cuts to child protection, and it gave 35% more to corporations than to child protection.

Wingnutter makes it up with a grin

Now some people just seem to have talent. Check out The Wingnutter for some pretty good articles that will make you laugh. As the header on the blog from news fairy land says ...

Wingnutter is full of it and you just want him to keep shovelling...

Here is a sample of his EVIL Grinning photo shop at work, go and look for yourself.

Western Standard(s) - Not for long

Could this be why Ezra is turning the Western Standard into a cartoon book for Right wing nut cases?

Western Standard Cash Crunch? Simon Pole goes into the cash crunch facing Ezra's Western Standard(less) rag. Shouldn't his Calgary School buddies step up to help.

"... When we started the Western Standard nearly two years ago, I never imagined that we would have been at the center of a fight for our culture's basic freedoms -- or that the rest of Canada's media would be so silent, leaving us to fight this fight by ourselves..." - Ezra Levant in an appeal to mailing list for money

The WS is fighting for our basic freedoms? How incredible is that statement. Whose freedoms is he talking about? The right to take money out of public education? Maybe the right to ignore treaties with Aboriginals? Maybe we will see Ezra marching in a gay pride parade or declaring he has a good friend who is gay. Freedom of the press?

Now some readers of Politics in BC have taken to suggesting the Western Standard speaks for as many Canadians as does the Georgia Straight. The Straight of course can not be compared to the WS in any way other than perhaps they both are printed on paper of some kind.

A better comparison might be the now dead Alberta Report and its junior sibling, the BC Report magazine run by Evangelical conservative activists, Ted and Link Byfield. These too rags commonly took up the efforts of those who were anti-aboriginal, anti-choice, anti public education and pro-private health care and of course they screamed long and hard in an effort to prevent gay citizens like myself and my partner from having a right to be parents let alone the right to rent an apartment or keep a job free of discrimination.

The WS is two steps behind the Reform party, now defunct and trying to assert its voice in what is looking alot like Brian Mulroney's government. The populist voice that drew many to the Reform has left, in come the suits from Bay Street. Its kind of ironic actually, the people that helped toss the Progressive Conservatives out of government are now being run by many of those government pensioned PC political hacks. Michael Wilson is the new boy in Washington, thats gotta hurt Preston's feelings.

Is Ezra desperate to save his rag? Perhaps he can move to the mainstream Alberta style. Wait a minute, he is already moonlighting at the Calgary Sun. It just so happens Ted and Link are there too. Don't cry too much for Ezra, he has some buddies in town that will look after him when the WS does die. Heck if Jimmy Pattison won't distribute your magazine you have to know the gig is up.

BC Budget links

BC Budget available here .

You can watch the Minister of Finance, Carole Taylor deliver the budget in the Legislature here. Expect the budget speech to start about 3:05 pst today.

Disgraced Vernon Mayor facing Criminal Charges

The former Mayor of Vernon, who resigned in controversy now faces criminal charges of fraud over $5,000 and Breach of Trust.

The Mayor, Sean Harvey was a brazen right wing Mayor when first elected. Today the CBC reports he now will have to defend himself in court against charges he used his expense account for meeting that did not occur, for his own use.

the original stuff is here ...
Disgrace falls on Vernon Golden Boy
220 days ago
"It would be easy justify or make excuses but at the end of the day, I have misused my expense account," Sean Harvey, former Mayor said at the Vernon Council Monday. See Castanet story and video ...

and here ...

Vernon BC ~ Mayor Harvey under investigation
225 days ago
Vernon BC ~ Mayor Harvey under investigation UPDATE: Mayor Harvey has resigned ... of fear, I lied." Sean Harvey, former Mayor of Vernon Harvey says he took power for granted ... claims. Sean Harvey has admitted to claiming expenses for dinners with dignitaries that did not take place ...

Western Standard(s) never so low

You just knew it had to happen. Ezra Levant has managed to tick off two of Canada's most powerful Conservative leaders. Aside from his rantings taken as loony by most Canadians he has held court for the social conservative set with his radical right wing Western Standard. Now he leaps forward as a defender of freedom of the press by reprinting the cartoons from Denmark.

Now I have heard all the stuff about freedom of the press. Yes he has a right to print them. What I have to ask is why would he? Is it his rapid position on Isreal, right or wrong, they have to be supported? Is it an attempt to save the mag formatted tabloid? Is he just an obnoxious right wing idiot?

For a man so in support of our military he has a strange way of showing his love. If there was a good reason to reprint them fine, but I can't think of one half-baked reason, let alone a good one.

His actions will likely move us up a notch or two on the international terrorist's hit list. The Canadian Armed Forces he purportedly supports are likely going to be faced with additional risks as a result.

Ezra Levant doesn't stop with cartoons, he decides to take a swipe at aboriginal Canadians as well with an article that jabs the Premier of Alberta's wife. Again why would he attack her heritage. Call her an interfering spouse if its an issue but why print derogratory comments about her race?

He has Stephen Harper pissed and Premier Klein. Normally I would pay good money to see them pissed at the media. Its quite an achievemnt of some sortfor a social conservative news outlet to get these two men upset. Levant should print an apology to Premier Klein and his wife and children, to Metis people and then for good measure, crawl back into whatever hole he slithered out of.

* image from ftlcomm.com

Campbell tag team takes on BC voters

Ok this goes into the "don't you all feel better now" category

Former VanderZalm cabinet minister and Canadian Prime Minister, Kim Campbell says Emerson should not resign. "Because I think Dave Emerson is a great British Columbian and even over here in Europe I'm getting all this news about him being hammered for his decision and I just wanted to call and say I think it's a great thing for B.C.,” Campbell told the Bill Good show today on CKNW.

Another Campbell, political cousin to Kim, Gordon has also rallied to Emerson's calls for help. Campbell is reported on CKNW to have stated in Emerson's defense, “He clearly understands the Pacific Gateway, very important for British Columbia. He clearly understands the importance of the Olympics and Paralympics Games to Canada, and again, important to British Columbia. So he brings a real, I think, reservoir of talent to government."

Campbell appears to be out of step with the BC voters on this issue. Ipsos-Ried poll shows 48% of British Columbians strongly disapprove of Emerson's switch. 77% say that people that switch party's after an election should have to run again.

Now having these two Campbell's in your corner just has to be a moral booster!

What a week to miss!

This column will focus on the last couple of weeks beginning with the stunning revelation that occurred at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Prime Minister Harper announced to us all that Champion Conservative basher David Emerson had decided to join the Harper government without even a hint he would get a cabinet post. Now that takes guts, throw all your convictions out the window and then hope the guy that you are joining in this surprisingly same-ethics marriage will bring you to the alter of power.

Luckily for David Emerson, he did get a cabinet post. Imagine the chances of that. The odds must be somewhere between winning the Lotto 649 and the chances Dick Cheney would shoot someone without using Halerburton as a screen. I have confirmed that even Janet Jones (Gretzky) did not place a bet on this, preferring instead to save one of her husband’s lucky loons for the Olympics.

To top it off an unelected Senator appointed, (by Harper who has referred to the Senate as being illegitimate) to Cabinet says his new cabinet colleague should resign and run again though he himself won’t seek a seat until the next election and legitimate Tory backbencher and self proclaimed financial guru, Garth Turner says Emerson is ethical and so is the Prime Minister, they just goofed here and Emerson should resign and say I’m Tory. Sour grapes maybe?

The week kept going with more Canadian customs agents running from their posts facing another rumour that armed gunmen were headed for Canada. Ever wonder why we can’t keep the guns out of this country. The strangest thing here is that the Conservatives and the Layton NDP agree. They both say arm the borders!

It appears the move by the Conservatives to move ahead and arm them has been stalled over the choice of weapons to provide. The NDP preferring paint ball guns that look real and the Conservatives looking for something similar to Vice President Cheney’s weapon of choice. If anything is to happen here it would seem both sides may have to accept a sawed off version. I don’t suppose the they will agree as to who should supply the shells as Colt Canada, the primary supplier of bullets and shells to police forces is listed as unethical by lefty investors and too Liberal friendly by Conservatives. Halerburton anyone?

Ujjal Dosnajh is sounding indignant these days singing a somewhat different tune than he sung when Saint Belinda crossed the floor to sit beside him. Dosnajh says the people in Vancouver Kingsway have been hoodwinked, something any Liberal would know about.

With all this shooting, gambling and arming border guards one has to wonder if these men are making up for some self felt inadequacy somewhere. The bad news for them out of London England today is that the average extension is only a half-inch. Seems all that spam about getting bigger is all hype, a little like canned Spam, these men are asking “where’s the beef?”

Here in BC the new Conservative cabinet minister responsible for the 2010 Olympics came to town and played street hockey. He stated the government would decide later if they will provide additional money the Olympic committee is requesting. Everyone close to Harper is hoping the games won’t have a deficit since a Montreal Mayor had a baby in 1976. Thankfully perhaps for the BC Olympic committee Harper does not plan on limiting abortion access. Expect Harper to pony up seeing as he doesn’t want to be seen as supporting a pro-choice agenda.

And in the effort to go where no sane North American has gone so far, Ezra Levant, publisher of the wing nut Western Standard has decided to print the infamous cartoons depicting the of the Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist, saying others are hiding behind political correctness and religious sensitivity. Of course that is the same reason I think Harper might be smarter than I thought, choosing not to put Stockwell (Doris) Day in charge of Foreign Affairs.

Add to this is the news that Buzz Hargrove, the man stumping for Liberal Paul Martin in the last federal election is shocked he has had his membership in the NDP suspended. Seems he just wanted to elect some Liberals, a message that ran counter to the efforts of the party whose card he held in his wallet.

Finally there is no truth to the rumour the Conservative party is planning a private viewing of Brokeback Mountain anytime soon. Rumours broke out that this might happen after Alberta MP Myron Thompson stated he was fed up with all this queer talk then found out the movie was made in Alberta using tax incentives provided by the Alberta government. The Alberta Advantage is what you say?

Despite handing over tax incentives to come to Alberta, there is no crowing on the part of the Ralph Klein government about this Oscar destined feature film about two queer cowboys. I wonder how much they ponied up to get this film produced. Ironic eh! What a week!

Get Tested!

I am back and what a time to be away. For those that don't know, I have recently undergone treatment for Prostate Cancer. That has kept me from posting here regularly. I have had a good outcome. That all Depends. Pun intended as it appears everything works as it should, save the shut off valve. That apparently will right itself and I should be back to dryer times soon!

Thank you to all of you that have sent me private messages. I have received a great number of them. All is well on the way to mending!

If you are a man over the age of 45 get tested. Gay men should be tested over the age of 40. If in doubt, ask for a test. Conservative MP's should know it may have an icky yuck factor to the test, but you will be happy the test was done. Call me and I will tell you about it!

Just Another Day in Paradise

Where is George Bush, still back at the ranch?

American troops in Iraq fire on Canada's chargé d'affaires to Iraq and three others travelling with them. I guess it just points to the State of d'affaires in what was once considered Paradise. I am not referring to the reign of Saddam here.

It has been over two years now since the President of the United States declared mission accomplished. Even as he said those words he had to know it was not, but it had an election to win. Think about the words for a minute. If you won, wouldn't you have said "we won". Hundreds of Americans and thousands of Iraqi citizens have died since that day the President staged a stunt even Hollywood would have applauded were it a movie and not real life.

Landing on the aircraft carrier, suited up in a uniform he so artfully avoided as a young man, the President beamed that folksy smile and Mr. Rove must have been laughing, full of glee. People will buy this he thought. And they did, at least long enough to re-elect the President.

Just before the President gave his State of the Union address his security folks arrested Cindy Sheehan. Sheehan was arrested because she was wearing an anti-war T-shirt and did not wish to remove it.

The United States has come to the point where a citizen risks being hauled off in handcuffs for what should be accepted as legitimet and peaceful expressions of dissent. With the administration in power, any opposition to a war in Paradise is a security threat.

Guess what the Bush administration has added to the Patriot Act. They have dumped a provision onto the bottom of the bill to make criminals out of ordinary US citizens that oppose the administration. The legislation if passed would allow the security forces at national events to charge anyone that crosses a barricade under a new felony.

America home of the free and the brave. No so much anymore.

Another day in paradise.

The President pushed his efforts to open up more of Alaska to drilling for oil. Another place many consider paradise will become another oil field if the Republicans get their way. Add to this the almost $400 billion defict and $8 trillion of debt, you can see the that one of the administrations concerns is really not how much oil is being used, but who has it. Paying out the weakening American Dollar for all that oil to a foriegn country is a real matter for concern.

Over $2 Trillion or 25% of the US Government's debt is held by foriegners. What would happen if they wanted the US to start paying it back?

CBC has this ... The Canadian chargé d'affaires to Iraq and three other Canadian diplomats riding in a consular vehicle were shot at by American soldiers in Iraq on Tuesday, the U.S. military says.
INDEPTH: Iraq

"The Canadian ambassador's vehicle did sustain damage (Tuesday) from U.S. military gunfire," said the statement released overnight.
There were no injuries.