The Hook

We need a lower mainland........

........shadow minister of transportation. James continues to show that she and the NDP don't give a damn about urban transit and urban transportation.

Bob Simpson did a great job

Bob Simpson did a great job in Forestry and hope his successor will also.

Too bad we, here in the Cariboo, have lost another hard working MLA Charlie Wise.

Ed Deak.

Grumpy, what do you want?

No, let me guess. A sketch plan like one of those Patrick Condon puts together showing some kind of tram going every damn place. That's not going to materialize, ever, and everyone knows that. The hard truth is that people want the other guy to take transit so they can drive, and that will only change with rail and bus services that offer sufficient speed, comfort, and frequency that are a more attractive way to travel.

On the matter of Kevin Falcon in Health, I guess there are two theories. One is that Falcon is intended to extensively privatize and to re-open all-out war with the HEU, now that the BC Nurses Union is squarely in the Gordon Campbell column. This will serve Liberal strategic voting interests of granting preference to professionals at the expense of workers.

The other theory is that he's being groomed as Campbell's successor, and this is a chance for him to cool it and become more reasonable.

How about...

Maybe James should assign someone to critique her own role in parliament?

My God, the woman amazes me.

My God, the woman amazes me. Today she has dropped the opposition to the gas tax. This will give Gordo one more thing to laugh at her about. They used to call Paul Martin Mr. Dithers, well BC has a Ms. Dithers. She has changed direction so often its hard to believe she has any solid commitment to anything. A long term commitment for the lady isn't always very long term. Bring it on Gordo, she will complain then fall in line. He sure knows how to control her.

Thanks alive... and to Carole James, MLA too!

Little secret: Carole James is our best MLA, our best Rockette Polak target as you may recall and frankly Carole James is to the BC NDP what Jasmine MacDonnell is to the federal Conservatives. She's always ready too to lob a "weak piece of rhetoric" to get "beat up by a muscle-bound group of facts" like MY MLA would say.

Mary Polak

The woman who cost Surrey ratepayers $800,000 because she and her colleague Heather Stilwell 'hate' homosexuals - and still they vote for her.

Certainly says 'something' about the average Surrey voter all right.

And maybe you'd like to explain this, my friend, about your 'hero'...

http://tinyurl.com/mzgyct

Fair enough G West

I appreciate you finding something new for me to fend off. Keep it up and I'll e-mail the Premier's Media Monitoring squad w/ your resume + my recommendation :-).

Oh and as I listen to "Nobody Does It Better"... I can explain. Read carefully.

#1. This is an issue of curriculum for K-1 Grades. Not access to information in the era of Google, YouTube and Amazon.

#2. The Chair of the largest school board, Mary Polak, was pinned down by a school board that decided as a majority to say no to introducing controversial social issue content at those grade levels.

#3. After run to Canadian Supreme Court, decision was to turn down the books again. Fight's over. Then better books approved by Polak board. Fight's over.

We're doing the homeless?

Here in BC for the Olympics but yet we have a drunk heading up the crack down who hasn't done his AA stint yet? The programs could be even more beneficial if those with addictions weren't treated in the dark ages and provided something different than methadone. Its evil and a deterrent to getting better and should be criminalized to start. As Its Operation Phenoix on those on the downtown eastside as Goverment Propaganda leds the way. And the Province has its birds mixed up because they are the Vulture all right.

True

Carole James is the best gift that the Liberals ever had. One flip flop after another and flipping on the carbon tax has to be the ultimate irony.

No We're doing the NDP

Oh get off the NDP, and lets stick with what the Liberals haven't done for this province? Or have as both leave no one with bragging rights as the Liberals have held a Majority Government for the last eight years and your all going down the tubes because of it. And its a hoot no doubt. As its a given as bye, bye, America the strong and the free trade as USA passes on BC's inferior goods and services. Bye guys, its been a blast as rumour is many of you are going to find your way to the street. Be careful now its a long fall if your in a hurry!!!!
Maybe you can sell to China? Oh thats right they already have cheap junk, and don't need expensive crap made in BC,

Did I forget Suncor Oil?

Yes, lets not forget Suncor Oil in Canada as its bye, bye to the American $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ as Obama is not going to touch anything so controversial with a ten foot pipe.
This gave me goose bumps.......
as its needs to be done as Canada comes clean.
The drug comment was for the other story and somehow posted it here.
James changing here tune, isn't that funny as if its what she believes her BC wants and would make a major difference to the environment then so be it. Its what it takes to be a good leader. And the tax will not have the burnden that is presenting itself as government services and business find themselves unable to keep up with the rising costs. How much more was that to Health Care Delivery? A half a billion? When does Campbell come clean about the deficit for 2008? How debt is the whole government spending is more the question as It gotta be in the billions for sure as its double digits for British Columbians.

Baloney - get your facts straight

Polak and Heather Stilwell are the 'best' of friends...trust me, I know.

You can ask Ms Polak if you like - they were in this together from the beginning.

Perhaps you've forgotten this:

"On April 24, 1997, Surrey school trustee Mary Polak moved, and trustee Heather Stilwell seconded, a resolution that the Board, under Policy #8800 -- Recommended Learning Resources and Library Resources -- not approve the use of three learning resources (submitted by Surrey teacher James Chamberlain): Asha's Mums, Belinda's Bouquet, and One Dad Two Dads, Brown Dads, Blue Dads. The motion carried four-two."

That's where the whole sordid story started and your 'HERO' was in it up to her eyeballs from the very start.

Maybe you'll be a little more careful what you write around here my friend - you're not dealing with a bunch of Christian Heritage sycophants here. You might like to bury the truth and I’m sure Ms Polak would like to as well – but it’s not going to happen.

Cariboo MLA's

Bob Simpson was knowledgeable on Forestry which made him a reasonable critic. But like most Socialist he was stuck in the 60's and bankrupt for new workable ideas. Hopefully he has something new and positive to offer as aboriginal relations critic. Somehow I can not imagine the NDP being very strong at critiquing the Liberal aboriginal policy or proposing something new. The real question is who will stand up for the rights of the majority in this new era of reconciliation? Charlie Wyse is an empty headed blow hard who was in politics for his own enrichment. It is a good to see him gone. Sometimes the people get it right after all.

G West, great to distract...

I think Bill Tielman needs a wingman and you're it.

Gotta say I'm not a Christian. I also have to note in my research on this (I didn't know Mary Polak, MLA until early this year that well - and wish I did now that so much media has gone offline) that she was taking community input and acting on that. I am a bit disturbed though by a pattern of the SoCon agenda prevailing in Surrey as a libertarian.

You also forget this:

On June 12, 2003 the school board voted 5-2 again to ban the three contentious books from use the classroom. The vote came after six years of controversy and over $1 million in legal costs for the school board. In the weeks leading up the vote, the board held a series of public meetings on the issue and nearly all those who spoke opposed permitting the books in Surrey schools. In making their decision, the board went through a long list of criteria to evaluate the books, and reasons for exclusion included poor grammar, inappropriate content, scope and depth.

SOURCE

Also, Mary Polak reached out after the ruling, "Ironically, the chair of the board, Mary Polak, said she would have approved Belinda’s Bouquet if it weren’t for its light treatment of the complex dieting issue. She says she liked its “morally neutral” depiction of a same-sex family, noting that the family in question was only incidental to the plot and its validity never the subject of debate.

Asha’s Mums, in contrast, features a classroom scene in which the kids discuss whether it’s okay to have two mothers. Polak says it’s inappropriate and even dangerous to present kindergarten kids with such advanced moral questions—especially since the book fails to mention that some people find same-sex families objectionable. ... Polak says she has already convened a special committee to search for the books and she expects a report by the end of June. “There’s no sense dragging it out,” she says. The board even allowed Chamberlain to join the committee a week after it was struck." Note my source please.

Eventually, new & better books were picked and all ended happily ever after for everybody not named Mary Polak. Who is now under fire from NDP smear merchants at this very hour.

G West

I have to apologize. I probably shouldn't have said the last sentence in my comment to you. I withdraw that liner.

Jordan Bateman

G West
Polak and Heather Stilwell are the 'best' of friends...trust me, I know.

Why waste time arguing with Jordan Bateman?

Lower Mainland

Your right Grumpy we need a shadow minister of transportation from the Lower Mainland. Surrey-Newton isn't part of the Lower Mainland is it?

Come on man, do your research. You wonder why people never listen to you.

Me, THE Jordon Bateman

Let me begin with a quote from MY MLA: "Oh, come on. Nobody buys that stuff anymore, guys. Instead, ... let's debate the ideas."

Oh and Bateman's MLA is the Honourable Rich Coleman, MLA.

Rod

You're correct of course - on the other hand, Heather and Mary haven't had an idea since the earth cooled - it's likely to be a long silent interlude.

There was a precendent for a minister like Mary Polak though, can't quite recall her name but I think she was in one of Wacky Bennett's early cabinets wasn't she? Came up with some harebrained scheme she wanted taught in all BC schools as I recall.

Anyway, Mary Polak reminds me a lot of Tilly Rolston - before our time of course but I think she promoted a numbskull version of early sex education called 'effective living' in BC Schools..

I'm quite sure Ms Polak is full of bright ideas for re-making the children of the province and influencing their reading materials.

What?

midnightsimon says "Go Spencer Herbert! Watch this guy, he's got a bright future."

Which is funny because midnightsimon doesn't support the NDP.

Perhaps he though Herbert was a Green.

rac

Kindly observe a little decorum, would you?

Jeez

That was a mess - sorry.

Should have been:

There was a precedent for a minister like Mary Polak ....

My bad!

And Rod, I finally remembered,

It wasn't Tilley Ralston I was thinking of at all, it was Agnes Kripps... she's the natural ancestor of Mary Polak.

I'll see if I can did up something about her looney ideas when I've got a moment.

As I recall she got all uptight when anyone used the word 'sex' in a conversation.

She, again, this is from memory, wanted to pass a law that would replace the word sex with the word BOLT...I think it was an acronym for 'Biology of Living Today.'

I'm sure there must be a Fotheringham reference to the crazy old bird somewhere on the internet.
;-)

Agnes Kripps

G West
There was a precendent for a minister like Mary Polak though, can't quite recall her name but I think she was in one of Wacky Bennett's early cabinets wasn't she? Came up with some harebrained scheme she wanted taught in all BC schools as I recall.

I think you mean Agnes Kripps, who along with Ralph Loffmark, defeated John Laxton and Norm Levi in Vancouver South in the and Dr Ray Parkinson in BC's 29th General Election, held August 27th of 1969.

http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1871-1986_ElectoralHistoryofBC.pdf

See actual pdf page 318

Langley Township Councillor Jordan Bateman is one of the more problematic Fraser Valley politicos on a number of issues, including farmland preservation and highway/overpass route selection, and as well as being closely attached to Rich Coleman, is a big booster of Mary Pollak and a devoted disciple of Kevin Falcon. Jordan and company have been furiously trying to undermine anything positive that the new township Mayor Rick Green has tried to do, all in the name of total obediance with regards to the Liberal Cabinet's supposed heavyweights.

BTW, why is it that so many political heavyweights in this province are mental midgets?

Rod Smelser....

Here's a bit of political trivia for ya.

The MacKenzie Royal commission recommended the abandonment of BC Rail's expensive and partially completed Dease Lake extension in 1978.

Which former WAC Socred cabinet minister appeared on NDP TV commercials endorsing Dave Barrett and the NDP during the May 10, 1979 election?

That same Socred cabinet minister was endorsing Dave Barrett's vision for extending the BC Rail line "North to Alaska".

Who was it? None other than Socred Ralph Loffmark.

And on which TV station were those pro-NDP TV ads aired?

KVOS TV, Channel 12, Bellingham. Funny that.

Thanks Rod -Yep - it was Agnes Kripps

I did manage to find a Fotheringham quote about her too:

...there was the celebrated Agnes Kripps, a gushing Social Credit of yellow coiffure who one day aroused snoozing MLAs with an earnest speech explaining there were too many sniggers about the word "sex" in sexual education, it was embarrassing to children and she proposed replacing it with an entirely new phrase--Biology of Living Today--or Bolt.

There was a thunderous clatter as MLAs of all parties sat up with a start. "I'm bolt upright just listening to you," cried an NDP backbencher. As poor flustered Mrs. Kripps tried to flounder on, a Socred shouted, "It's okay for the bolts, but what about the nuts?"

Mrs. Kripps, in tears but refusing to quit while she was behind, attempted to silence the hilarity all about her by pleading to the chair: "Mr. Speaker! Mr. Speaker! Won't you please bang that thing of yours on the table!"

nuts and bolts...

A little levity is always in good order...
:) Thanks, G West!

mental midgets and other cautions

Be careful not to include the crafty Ms.Polak in the mental midget column... the woman is despicable, but she is sly.

I am convinced she has few issues with homosexuals in reality... which makes her championing of the homophobic cause on the school board even more disgusting than it would be if she was a run of the mill bigot.

As I have said before, she is a crass opportunist.

She has manoeuvred herself thus far, and will manoeuvre herself further if she can. I am convinced her opposition to the books was nothing but a calculated move intended to further her political career. Horrible.

Watch how she handles the dead baby from Hazelton.

I am sure you will notice immediately that this woman must not be underestimated. She is not partisan in the usual sense, she is ruthlessly devoted to self-aggrandizement.

If you watched her handle the meat regulation file during the last session, you will see that she is really quite talented at politics.

That doesn't make her "honourable" in any respect... just makes her someone to watch closely, especially now that she has been promoted.

As for mental midgets... pretty much all of the old bunch (new MLAs I need time to evaluate) except Hanson, Polak, Falcon, Coleman, Campbell, de Jong, Abbott...

As for the new MLAs - I think Kash Heed will be the biggest let down of all of them. The guy showed himself to be remarkably thick throughout the election campaign.

"midnightsimon says "Go

"midnightsimon says "Go Spencer Herbert! Watch this guy, he's got a bright future."

Which is funny because midnightsimon doesn't support the NDP.

Perhaps he though Herbert was a Green."

Or perhaps I support good MLAs and don't see advantage in blind partisan politics?

Novel concept, I know!