Comments on: Liberals Used, Abused the Media

By: S.R.

S.R. — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:41:38 +0000

MAYBE WE COULD SAVE SOME MONEY BY NOT PUTTING ABOUT A 400 MILLION DOLLAR RETRACTABLE ROOF ON BC PLACE.HOW MANY DAYS IS IT IN USE.?OR
HOW ABOUT SELLING THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER THAT WAS ABOUT 400 MILLION OVERBUDGET.?

By: albe

albe — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 06:40:53 +0000

Let me guess , Olivia may have a point, the media is not owned by a consortium of poor folk,right , it is owned by persons or shareholders which can and probably do have the inclination to donate to partisans which can favour laws that favour themselves, say Quid Pro Quo. Isn’t that the basis for all the speculation of collusion? When is a party donation not a bribe?Or could it be an encouragement. TEE HEE.

By: Patrick Bell (Not the MLA)

Patrick Bell (Not the MLA) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:57:11 +0000

“discovered last week I was NOT invited this year to be a judge at the Webster Awards, where I had volunteered since retirement. Must have stepped on someone’s toes?”

Oh oh, some really fragile egos?

Try teacher’s training…I’m a pretty confident guy, but they ripped me apart

(Response: But I hope you never sacrificed your principles … they are much more important. h.o.)

By: genuine

genuine — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:30:40 +0000

Harvey ,that award and the person who receives it, well let’s put it this way ,all the kids get a trophy for participating and the winner get’s one for participating in this farce, that has fooled no one as you can see by the posts,it’s not what that award was meant for and if I were a journalist ,I wouldn’t attend!Any journalist with any self respect would stay away and boycott ,what there bosses have done to them,to lose the respect of readers is saying something ,maybe they should say nothing and show us their dismay by not attending!!!!maybe there bosses would get the message!!!!But I doubt it ,even there stock nose diving to ten cents a share did nothing ,so it’s not about the money anymore it’s about control,they have all the money and no control over us!

By: A. G. Tsakumis

A. G. Tsakumis — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:29:14 +0000

Firstly, there are some significant dreamers in this stream!
Bill Good and Christy Clark are “right wingers”?!
Um, okay…
Secondly, for something as broad sweeping as the HST to be implemented, it would require at least a six month period of projections and screens over such a rapidly shifting economy. So the fraud extended from far before the election.
Lastly, this is the best damn blog in town. Harvey, your opinions remain clear and crisp and are not steeped in the crap of political correctness.
It’s made the heat in the Okanagan bearable!

(Response: Thanks Alex. I appreciate the support of those who read the blog …because others in politics and the media apparently are not fans: discovered last week I was NOT invited this year to be a judge at the Webster Awards, where I had volunteered since retirement. Must have stepped on someone’s toes? But that will never stop me from Keeping it Real. h.o.)

By: Powell river persuader

Powell river persuader — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:23:41 +0000

Harvey……..
The title of this story :Liberals used,abused the media:
The Campbell Liberals have used abused,the public for 8 years,………
Harvey,I have never seen such anger by the public over the HST and all of Campbell`s election lies,err promises,err suggestions……
There are,if I am correct, there were 6 new ridings and 7 liberals that didn`t run again……..
Which means there are like a dozen new Liberal MLAs who will not have earned lifelong pensions by the time the next election rolls around……
I figure Campbell to resign after the olympics or at least before the next election…..new MLAs must have full email accounts and voice mails at their constituency offices over this HST……….
How many Liberals are prepared to vote against the HST? Campbell will be gone,these newbie MLAs who ran in many neck and neck ridings,are they prepared to be voted into oblivian?
Even if Campbell resigns before the election these newbies will be guilty of association if they back this new tax…….
The people won`t forget this one,this tax will be everywhere,on nursing costs for seniors,every hydro bill,every other utility bill….housing,food,funerals alone could be a 2000.00$$ hit……Best estimations it will cost the average family 2000.00$$ per year….
If I was a new Liberal MLA,what would I fear more,a belligerant resigning Campbell or a one term end to my political carrer with no pension?
The dynamic exists on this Harvey,where do new MLAs hide in the Comox valley or Kamloops or Dawson creek?
Cheers-Eyes Wide Open

By: Cliff B

Cliff B — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:56:53 +0000

I agree that the media and journalists were used and abused by the BC Liberal government. But in all honesty, journalists let it happen. Journalists and the media owners have been on snooze control ever since 2001 when it comes to the BC government. Your bosses didn’t want the hard questions asked and you journalists went along. Even the CBC was asleep.
Convention centre over runs, Baski-Virk case – the latter a carbon copy of Nixon and his tapes. In both situations, you journalists did not ask the hard questions. Those few who did were marginalized. Had this been happening to an NDP government, all hell would have broken loose. And I’m not making excuses for the politically incompetent Clark government.
I see a parallel with journalists in BC and their relationship with the BC Liberals and the USA media who were lap dogs for Bush after 9-11, going along with Afghanistan and Iraq. American journalists went along with the politics – Canadian media are still supporting Afghanistan. The journalists may have been awakened from a Rip Van Winkle sleep over the HST, but I doubt it.
Your mea culpa on behalf of journalism is a bit late. I respect that you have made this confession. How many of your colleagues feel the same as you? We’ll see how hard the journalists go after the BC Liberals in the next few months. We’ll see if any of your colleagues have the desire or ability to more critically examine the BC Liberal government.
My guess: journalists will soon be snoozing again. They can’t or won’t connect the BC Liberal dots from 2001 to the present, nor will they delve too deeply on the HST. In some cases their bosses won’t let them. In other cases, the road most travelled is most comfortable.
I should also add that while I am critical of journalism and journalists, I am well aware that the power rests with the editors, publishers and owners. Sometimes journalists are the meat in the sandwich.

(Response: Most interesting analysis …but I’m afraid I do not see my blog on this topic as a “mea culpa” in any way. First, not sure if you realize I have now been retired more than three years (yikes!) … no longer an active working reporter. BUT I ALWAYS asked the tough questions … on any story and of any political party … and no one at any level of management at BCTV/Global EVER told me to pull back or go easy. They, in fact, loved my hard-stories … so sorry if that doesn’t fit completely with your preconceptions or conclusions. And I have no prouder proof to back that up than the fact that, even though I had personally known Gordon Campbell since the early 70s when he was just assistant to Mayor Art Phillips ..and throughout his own political career .. he made no phone call or sent any kind of note congratulating on my retirement (as many others did) when I left. So I clearly didn’t fit the on-side almost blanket caricature you seem to attribute to the media.
But I do agree with many of your other comments .. and blame management for not choosing to assign reporters to aggressively go after enough political stories under the Liberals … no doubt turning off voters and viewers. h.o.)

By: genuine

genuine — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 18:56:01 +0000

I mentioned ,the relationship between,the harper federals and campbell provincially,when I stated that baird speaks to campbell via phone calls nightly and likes the way things are done here ,for the love of God, People, (notice only the capitol letter’s in what I have respect for!)harper is keeping things secret from us now with a minority,just imagine what he would do with a majority!As for the media ditto izzy and lenny have lot’s in store for us,I wish in the future for a truly free press!

By: Ruaridh

Ruaridh — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:33:04 +0000

I would be more inclined to ask the question less why the HST was carefully screened from the electorate and possibly the government’s own officials and more to the advice provided by the government’s economic advisory committee. This group may or may not have strong ties to the federal government.

Is BC’s admininstration now run to suit federal timetables ?

(Response: I suspect its run to cope with the burgeoning deficit …and a philosophy that says hit the taxpayers in the early years of a term and then give them a bit back towards the next election. h.o)

By: Circus Bear

Circus Bear — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:22:27 +0000

“Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.” ~ Robert .A. Heinlein

The modern media lost all credibility when the profit motive was introduced into the management of media outlets. Anyone who maintains otherwise is a fool.

Politicians are simply professional liars. The really successful ones convince the masses they are to blame for the politician’s crimes. The unsuccessful ones become civil servants or reporters.

(Response: There is nothing wrong with profit ..our economy is based on it; and where states have tried non-profit economies (from each according to his ability and to each according to needs) the world has always ended up with dictatorships, corruption and incompetently run infrastructures. What is needed is return to profit based more on quality performance and product, and not just acquisitions, dispositions and greed. h.o)