tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post6973420029486706872..comments2024-01-08T21:00:24.932-08:00Comments on The Straight Goods: From my friend Terry HandGrant Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944976348166120530noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-24362788936378878672010-08-16T14:26:37.888-07:002010-08-16T14:26:37.888-07:00Anon 12:35
White Spot and McDonalds are both memb...Anon 12:35<br /><br />White Spot and McDonalds are both members of the Chamber of Commerce, and through their dues are supporting the business court challenge to the antiHST fight. They may not support the HST in its current form, but they are supporting the pro-HST camp financially.<br /><br />CamCrankypantsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-33268863334922694542010-08-16T12:35:40.425-07:002010-08-16T12:35:40.425-07:00Why would McDonalds Restaurants and
White Spot Re...Why would McDonalds Restaurants and <br />White Spot Restaurants support the HST? They are being hurt with the sharp decline in the restaurant industry. Or am I missing something?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-61259682337961023702010-08-16T11:53:35.645-07:002010-08-16T11:53:35.645-07:00Crankypants is correct.
The List of Corporate Mem...Crankypants is correct.<br /><br />The List of Corporate Members link has been removed. (I wonder why)<br /><br />(http://www.bcchamber.org/directory/corporate.html) = Not Found<br /><br />I viewed this list only a couple of weeks ago.<br /><br />I will use the Wayback Machine to try to smoke these companies out of their holes.<br /><br />***<br />I found this old alphabetical listing of Corporate Members using the Wayback Machine.<br /><br />http://web.archive.org/web/20050404052012/www.bcchamber.org/membership/corporatemembers.html<br /><br />It's not current but it's better than nothing for now.Paulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-61898470395804719012010-08-16T10:38:57.610-07:002010-08-16T10:38:57.610-07:00"And, since Wednesday, B.C.'s acting chie..."And, since Wednesday, B.C.'s acting chief electoral officer Craig James has provided a bizarre backdrop to the proceedings by refusing to send the certified petition and the Extinguishment Act to the legislature."<br /><br />"Like some sort of cowardly lion, however, James has been hiding and keeping mum."<br /><br />"His behaviour is more than embarrassing -- it's juvenile."<br /><br />"James is a senior public servant who works for us.<br /><br />"If he thought the court challenge put the petition and proposed act into limbo, why didn't he say so when the litigation began?"<br /><br />"And why has he not produced the legal opinion he relied on?"<br /><br />"I believe James is out to lunch and the Smart Tax Alliance suit is a misguided attempt to frustrate the will of the people."<br /><br />- Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun August 16, 2010Paulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-66454273971812587662010-08-16T10:31:16.946-07:002010-08-16T10:31:16.946-07:00LIBERAL MLA John Slater has now said that he will ...LIBERAL MLA John Slater has now said that he will NOT Accept the Petition from FIGHT HST.<br /><br />Bill Tieleman reported on CKNW's The World on Sunday with guest host Simi Sara that British Columbia Liberal MLA John Slater has now DENIED he would accept the Anti-HST petition for presentation to the BC Legislature.<br /><br />John Slater now says that the interview in the Kelowna Courier on Saturday wasn't what he meant to say.<br /><br />Wasn't what he meant to say?<br /><br />How pitiful is that?<br /><br />Bill Tieleman: "Slater told radio reporters Sunday that he now believes only Elections BC can send the Initiative to the Committee!"<br /><br />It sounds like the lackey MLA for Boundary-Similkameen got a Saturday night phone call from his political master.<br /><br />From now on when Gordon Campbell wants John Slater's opinion, he will give it to him.<br /><br />What a useless suck-hole John Slater is.<br /><br />Chris Delaney said that Slater’s riding had one of the highest levels of support on the anti-HST petition, with over 40% of registered voters signing - thousands more than actually voted for him.<br /><br />John Slater tried to cover his sorry ass and pretend to be something that he's not and he got slapped right back down.Paulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-9903116577522312132010-08-16T02:01:34.312-07:002010-08-16T02:01:34.312-07:00I did a little surfing over the last couple of day...I did a little surfing over the last couple of days to see who the members are of the six business groups that brought forth the court challenge to the constitutional validity of the FightHST Initiative.<br /><br />The groups are the BC CHamber of Commerce, Coast Forest Products Association, Mining Association of BC, Council of Forest Industries, Independent Contractors & Business Association and Western Convenience Store Association.<br /><br />First of all, I found some interesting and or disturbing members of some of these groups. I found it disturbing that the BC Lottery Corporation is a member of the Convenience group, BC HYdro is a member of the Mining group, the Corporation of the District of North Cowichan and the District of Mission are members of Coast Foret Prod.<br /><br />The interesting thing I found is that Heenan Blaikie, LLC is a member of the Independent Contractors group. They are the only law firm I spotted as being a member of this group, and they are the legal firm that is handling the court challenge brought forth by these associations.<br /><br />I also found it interesting that when I accessed the BC Chamber of Commerce site and tried to use their link to see who their corporate members are, I found that it had been disabled. Curious to say the least.<br /><br />I am also going to provide a partial list of companies that are members to one or the other of these associations for information interest only. I would not suggest that they should be boycotted, but as they say, knowledge is power.<br /><br />The Partial list is:<br />7-Eleven Inc.<br />Canadian Tire Store<br />Esso<br />Husky Energy<br />Mac's Convenience Stores<br />Petro Canada<br />Bic Inc.<br />Cadbury Adams Canada<br />Coca Cola Bottling Ltd.<br />Direct Cash ATM<br />Frito-Lay Canada<br />Nestle Canada Inc.<br />Red Bull Canada<br />McDonalds Restaurants<br />White Spot Restaurants<br /><br />This list is just some of the more noted companies. The Independent Contractors membership would fill a small phone book on its own, and no doubt wold that of the BC Chamber of Commerce.<br /><br />One other thing that I found interesting is that Jock Finlayson questioned the right of some unions contributing money to the FightHST Initiative. His rant was that union dues are for such things as negotiations and other sundry union business. Yet his group, Independent Contractors & Business Association, must also pay dues of some sort in order to belong. Did his members authorize him to spend their dues to fund the court challenge? Also, did the members of the other associations authorize that their dues be used to mount this court challenge? I guess it all boils down to whose ox is being gored.<br /><br />As for Craig James and his decision to thwart the democratic process, thank you. Thank you for fanning the flames. You have single-handidly succeeded proving the point that we do not live in a democratic province. You have also shown that you are unworthy of your current position, as acting chief electoral officer, by your cowardice to face the media.<br /><br />CamCrankypantsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-92183985592964808572010-08-15T22:45:03.354-07:002010-08-15T22:45:03.354-07:00Herr Diktator has managed to get MLA John Slater t...Herr Diktator has managed to get MLA John Slater to retract and not accept the petition from Zalm. <br /><br />Why am I not surprised.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-26013638605763099012010-08-15T22:32:16.544-07:002010-08-15T22:32:16.544-07:00Apparently John Slater MLA for Boundary-Similkamee...Apparently John Slater MLA for Boundary-Similkameen<br />is going to accept the HST position because in his own words he is afraid of losing his job. Another new low for the BCLibs<br /><br /><br />http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/top_story.php?id=287042&type=LocalAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-4312323643907548822010-08-15T22:23:38.687-07:002010-08-15T22:23:38.687-07:00A huge thanks to Terry Hand for his generous effor...A huge thanks to Terry Hand for his generous effort with the HST initiative! I have signed up for the next step and that is the recall Ron Cantelon event. We must evict this a$$ hole from politics before he ruins this province any further and collects his million dollar pension.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435367521078186829.post-1343208393722721492010-08-15T00:43:41.114-07:002010-08-15T00:43:41.114-07:00I have always maintained that our political system...I have always maintained that our political system is not a democracy. It is really just a democratic dictatorship. The rules of engagement, so to speak, were drawn up by politicians, for politicians.<br /><br />Political parties act no different than the UN Gang, Red Scorpions or the Hells Angels. The leader dictates and their minions just rubber stamp whatever they are told rubber stamp. The electorate can just go and pound salt. The real rude awakening to this is that it matters not which party rules the roost. The results always lead to the same end.<br /><br />As I see it, until political parties become non-existant, we will never have a true democracy. Political parties are only accountable to their financial backers. Politicians that get elected under a poltitcal party's banner seem to be only accountable to their party. Where does that leave the electorate? The answer is the back of the bus, when we are even allowed to board, that is.<br /><br />We definitely need to oust the BC Liberal Party for a myriad of reasons, but ultimately we need to find a way of changing the system. The status quo just doesn't work.<br /><br />CamCrankypantsnoreply@blogger.com