I second that, G West. You

I second that, G West. You took the words right out of my mouth. Something that might make a buck for folks who feather Campbell's nest and he doesn't know all about it? Maybe he has a swamp that he thinks we might wanna' buy, too.

disgusting

And what of the voters who voted in the Reform/Lib MLA for the riding? Does anyone think THEY care?

. Thanks, Rafe. CanWest

.
Thanks, Rafe.

CanWest newsrooms: for god's sake, get on this story!

.

The entire Liberal party ..........

........... has been corrupted by power, absolute power. Lead by Gordon Campbell, who firmly believes that the law of the land is meant foe everyone else except them. The A. G. is utterly disgusting and an embarrassment. The Fraser Valley MLA's are some of the most evil this province has ever seen, yet they are guaranteed to be reelected by a populace that care little but 'what;s in it for me.'

Shades of Germany in the 1930's.

Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition is almost brain-dead, lead by a racist (will not allow white men to run in certain ridings)leader who also cares little but the brass ring of total power.

The media has been co-opted by the Liberal government and like lap-dogs, write Little and investigate not.

Unless there is a mini revolution in this province will decline to a 4 year, winner take all, cycle, turning paradise into 'parking lot' misery.

We live in desperate and evil times.

Excellent Rafe!

"The premier recently vehemently denied these allegations, going as far as to deny ever even having heard of the project, in spite of the e-mails that suggest otherwise."

Does he really think people are so stupid? The guy at the helm of the province hasn't been informed of a hot issue brewing somewhere on his ship? It is not even believable unless you also believe Campbell is a total doofuss.

Wish you were on radio Rafe!

Shut-up Raif. Weaver and Suzuki are fine with it.

Raif, didn't you attend the last great meeting of the minds? Were you not invited, perhaps?

According to such distinguished scholars as UVic Prof Andrew Weaver and world famous enviro-broadcaster David Suzuki, the BC Liberal Govt is now leading the world on environmental issues. Because of the carbon tax.

You have a duty to shutup, Raif, because the kind of thing you're saying could just be used by people like Carole James to look environmentally friendly. And this at a time when she's said she will axe the carbon taxe, a position that Weaver called "opportunism" on the CBC national radio yesterday, and which Suzuki says makes him "ashamed" of Carole James, ... as if she were some kind of personal property or a dependent of his.

MoE Duties Have Changed

They are to assist developers in their efforts, rather than obstruct them. Been that way for some time. So, if a "scientist" doesn't like it, take a walk. It's the "new reality" in the BC Civil Service. "Do as you are told".

Timing is everything

Lets hope the crashing housing market and cedit crisis squash this project.

If it does not proceed because of those reasons expect Scampbell to take credit for it not happening!
Maybe Barry Penner should be interviewed and asked what his opinion is on the enviromental effect of this proposed development--GET HIM ON THE RECORD/NOW !!!

ROBBINS with property owners over MISSION, BC.

Jim Van Rassel
Coquitlam British Columbia Canada
Cell 604-328-5398
www.jimvanrassel.ca

ROBBINS with property owners over MISSION, BC.
Oct 05, 2008

Method-This is a random telephone sample from a local telephone White Pages of 210 Mission residents and owners of property IN MISSION B.C.,-based on a September 30, 2008 article by Kathy Tomlinson of CBC---where 210 ‘property owners' were contacted between Friday October 3, and Saturday October 4, 2008. Respondents were very willing to participate in this poll—and offered their opinion with unbridled enthusiasm. Based on the demographic of Mission property owners and the more one-sided responses/ particularly the support of the BC scientist (and BC Liberal environment minister Barry Penner) in the polling question on Silverdale-and given the higher degree of confidence in ROBBINS strategic calls---I would assess the margin of error ‘statistically uncollaborated’ at about 5% plus or minus- 19 times out of 20 times @ 95% confidence. In other words if we interviewed one in five of ALL property owners in Mission, British Columbia we are certain to a legal standard of care—THAT 1,900 of 2,000 Mission property owners would provide responses similar to this ROBBINS poll---plus or minus 5%. Jim Van Rassel (604) 328-5398 helped with the cost of the poll.

Question #1
Who-- in your opinion--- would be the best political leader in BC for the good of the economy?
Gordon Campbell 38 %
Carole James 38 %
Question #2
Who-- in your opinion--- would be the best political leader in BC for the good of health care and education?
Gordon Campbell and BC Liberals 31 %
Carole James and BC NDP 50 %
Question #3
Who-- in your opinion--- would be the best political leader in BC for the good of the environment?
Gordon Campbell 24 %
Carole James 56 %
Question #4
Is it your intention to purchase a ticket to any event relating to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler BC?
Yes 01 %
No 97 %
Question #5
Would you be willing be accept less in municipal services if your municipal taxes were lowered as well?
Yes 64 %
No 32 %
Question #6
Would you be willing to accept higher municipal taxes if your municipal services were increased as well?
Yes 72 %
No 25 %
Question #7
A BC scientist who worked for the environmental ministry is warning against a large residential development proposed for Mission, BC. This scientist alleges to have been fired for speaking up against a development by Genstar—called Silverdale. The scientist says the development is not eco-friendly. BC Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell supports the development however BC Liberal environment minister Barry Penner of Chilliwack says the project still has hurdles and hasn’t been endorsed yet. Who do you trust more on this issue?
The fired BC scientist AND environment minister Barry Penner 70 %
Premier Gordon Campbell 22 %
Commentary
Carole James ties Gordon Campbell on the economy, while the BC NDP Opposition leader trounces the BC Liberal premier on the environment. James and the BC NDP receive far more support than Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals-- when it comes to health and education, areas where most of British Columbia’s budget is spent.
According to this survey--- about 1 in 100 respondents who own property in the city of Mission British Columbia, intend to purchase tickets to an event relating to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games scheduled for Vancouver and Whistler. I would estimate that 200-300 tickets of some type will be purchased for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics from property owners in Mission, BC.
Two-thirds of Mission city property owners are willing to accept lower municipal services in return for lower taxes, whether living on more rural properties or suburban type properties—the general complaint is that “services are pretty low anyhow”. More than two thirds are willing to spend more for property taxes if services are increased based on the premise “they (the city of Mission) have already raised our taxes enough where are the services?”
It is fair to say that the Silverdale development in Mission, B.C. is not popular with property owners in Mission. The fact that these respondents already believe the deal is “done” notwithstanding the “glaring omissions in newspaper and news reports” based on “the highway that Kevin Falcon has already built for the development” makes the Premier and his BC Liberal government appear “dishonest” to Mission homeowners and “in the pocket of big developers”.
“How can one BC Liberal not know what the other is doing (??)—they’re all in on it together.”
Respondents to varying degrees commented on the development looking like “another Citadel (Port Coquitlam) clear-cut”, “a mess” or “done without the people of Mission having any input”.
Those respondents who offered that they were on septic tank (rural) were hoping for their properties to be better developed—sewer and water---and “doubted” that increased revenues to Mission city hall from development fees would “benefit them”.
A majority of respondents are willing to take a municipal tax cut on their homes and reduced services because they don’t believe they are receiving sufficient services, which might explain why these respondents are willing to pay more for more services. “They are going to raise our taxes anyhow—so where are the services?”
Some respondents are so angry about the Silverdale development that they are naming politicians-- including locals and provincial ones-- basically using terms and phrases like “crooked” “they are in the developers pocket (and everyone knows it),” and “people in Mission are very angry.” One respondent told ROBBINS that there is a “vigilante” mentality in Mission over the development.
Reading the local newspapers covering the jurisdiction of Mission including the “Mission Record” it would be difficult for an outsider to realize the extent of the anger Mission voter/homeowners are feeling about the Silverdale development and the deep resentment toward local elected officials--- without this surgical poll by ROBBINS.
Premier Campbell is no longer able to hide from his development past, and the people’s perception is that he only cares about “development at any expense” and “without regard for the people living in Mission.” As one Mission respondent said “I saw the Premier (Campbell) on television in a backhoe or machinery knocking down the (Coquihalla) toll both—it reminded me of how he’s destroyed the province.” Another old timer said “I never voted Social Credit—but I can tell you WAC Bennett would be rolling over in his grave over what Campbell has done to BC.”
Another respondent said “where I live it is almost impossible to access the highway—the planners don’t care---it’s the new development that matters—and they don’t care who they step on to get it done.”
Our question about Olympic event ticket sales--- currently underway--- triggered some angry responses who said “who except the rich can afford this” (Olympic tickets)? Other sentiments were echoed by this response “the Olympics are the developer’s games.”
Mission residents have Gordon Campbell’s BC Liberals number methinks— (but Vancouver may (or soon will) have their money) as there is no sense in Mission that everything is A-OK, the angst and anger is palpable—and was particularly impressive given that only 5 potential respondents rejected taking the poll.
The situation in Mission BC relating to the Silverdale property exemplifies the problems citizens are experiencing throughout the province. No accountability from local government or the media which purports to cover it. Sadly, this occurs at all levels everywhere in the province—and no-one has fleshed out the extent of this overall dysfunctional and corruption in BC better than ROBBINS-our polling firm which has quickly become the most important broker of information between people and government. Cheaters in government and corporations won’t want ROBBINS to check them out—but elected people who want a fair a true depiction of what the citizen’s really want will be delighted that ROBBINS is available.
The Mission Silverdale experience reminds me of Coquitlam and the Burke Mountain development. $350,000 of Coquitlam taxpayer money was spent on a consultation process wherein the developer--- Wesbild--- went to enormous lengths to present itself as eco friendly including provision for extensive low impact development (LID) (see ROBBINS—BC polls—Burke Mountain). A third party with a smaller interest in the region--- Progressive Development owned by Milan Ilich of Richmond—a huge donor to Gordon Campbell--- went to city hall late in the summer (when no-one is paying as much attention), and got Coquitlam city councillors Richard Stewart, Lou Sekora, Doug McDonnell, Brent Asmundsen, and realtor Mae Reid to vote AGAINST any low impact development--- on a mountainside watershed--- if you imagine such a transparent case of bending over (backwards if you like) for big developers.
Herculean efforts by ROBBINS, and Coquitlam city candidate Jim Van Rassel forced another city council vote in Coquitlam—where a watered down version of the original eco friendly development for Burke Mountain was the result. To date, the Burke Mountain development looks like a savage clear cut (and folks we don’t profess to be tree huggers).
Conclusion:
The province of British Columbia is being run by developers for the benefit of developers at the expense of the satisfaction of the citizens no longer mollified by rising house prices. With the news of economic uncertainty and Wall Street “big wig” bail-outs—the people are less concerned about saying WHAT THEY ACTUALLY THINK.
It isn’t pretty.
It’s our opinion the BC Liberal government and Premier Gordon Campbell work for these developers doing their ‘bidding’. One has to wonder how the Premier isn’t aware of the issues relating to the development, or how Environment minister Barry Penner who lives in nearby Chilliwack doesn’t know that Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon has already constructed the highway from Silverdale.
This political assessment is supported without any doubt by the responses in our ROBBINS Mission poll---there is little doubt that the BC Liberal MLA in Mission is going to lose his provincial seat---as Campbell seats in the BC Legislature diminish by 6 from Burnaby to Mission/Maple Ridge and including Surrey---at this very moment in time. The question remaining is: Will Mission residents/homeowners/taxpayers rid themselves of the city council they apparently have so little regard for—or will they simply not vote (voting rates in municipal elections are embarrassing low—incumbents must love this).
The new political reporting in the province of British Columbia isn’t the mainstream newspapers, it isn’t the radio fluff or Gordon Campbell TV—its ROBBINS—and this Mission poll is proof enough of this.

Glen P Robbins
604-942-3757
www.robbinssceresearch.com

Sce research

My favorite pollster and most accurate!

I am glad your on the side of the people,keep on telling the truth,hats off to you JIN VAN RASSEL

Any thing new on John Les

Any thing new on John Les and some sudivisions? Some folks get into po;tics to improve their income. as one fellow once said"You can tell when those types of polticians are lying , its when their lips move". Wonder if the folks in the valley will ever catch on to the fact that the ones making the big bucks arn't them, its the guys they blindly vote for.

Huhhh???

Another Robbins poll...

It doesn't get any better than that! :)

Budd Out

Budd, I've come to expect, at best, ill-informed comments from you, but this one of yours achieves what my father would have called "lower than a snake's a##" status. Shut up? That's the best that the Fox News fascists can come up with. If you don't have a thoughtfully considered rebuttal, then save it for the slavish corporatist love-in at the "National Post."

Romeogolf: You're Not Thinking

The remarks were intended as satire. You're really not very bright, are you?

BC EAO

Why do you think most refer to the BC environmental assessment office work is called an approval process rather than an assessment process!?

And this goes on whoever is in power.

BC EAO - MAY NEED IMPROVEMENTS BUT AS GOOD AS ANY

If employees of the environmental NGOs in Vancouver want to disband this office and privatize its work to various companies and non-profits in Vancouver, that's really just a classic fight over incomes and where they'll be paid, to civil servants in Victoria or to private sector contractors and consultants in Victoria.

The Act may need strengthening and going a more American litigation based route is inevitable in my opinion. But the BC EAO is at least as good as anything Ottawa has on offer, and is probably better than most others in Canada, even after Premier Gordon M. Campbell and his people have eroded some of its authority.

An SFU grad student did a quickie paper a few years ago in which he stated that the BC EAO had never rejected an application. It's a clever piece of propaganda. In point of fact, it's correct, they have never rejected an application. As the grad student and the NGO types who peddle this quote know, they've never approved one either. That is Cabinet's job either way, just as it is with the Federal process.

Tackly little smears like this are enough to tip off a reasonable person that the complaints from the ENGO community are indeed motivated by a desire to transfer that agency's work and incomes from the bureaucrats to them, and to Vancouver from Victoria.

Mission

I am pleased to see this poll up and Mr. Skywalker raises two of the questions that ironically best convey the sense of confusion property owners in Mission have as this relates to taxes and services. When we originally designed the questions we intended to see some type of 'logical' response-the questions are pretty clear and they are in a sense inverted one to the other. However, the outcomes are not as I (or likely anyone else) would have predicted. These two questions--more than any of the others--reflect best what Mission is about. The justaposition of a community of property owners many still rural with a massive development dropped right in the middle. The people aren't sure if they are coming or going on the issue of taxes and services. This type of incongruence will prevail in circumstances where communication and direction are unclear--which is apt to happen particularly if lack of clarity is the desired intent.

Thanks again Mr. Skywalker.

Mission council has to go

Mission council has actively participated in the bullying of ministry scientists and has colluded with Genstar to reduce environmental protection for the area. They allowed the developer's consultants to create the environmental base map which determines which areas are to be protected, (ignoring the obvious conflict of interest), and even went so far as to allow these consultants to write their own terms of reference for the environmental studies. These terms enabled Genstar's consultants to decimate the stream setbacks we used to have with our streamside protection regulation bylaw. Ministry scientists objected to the planning process and their concerns were ignored. Most recently, Mission council entered into a legally binding agreement with Genstar designed to guarantee Genstar its zoning long after this council is long gone. It is time for all citizens to take back control of their communities and send a strong signal to council's everywhere that such betrayal of the community will cost them the municIpal election (Nov.15/08). You can support Mission residents at the public hearing Oct. 21, 6:30 at the Best Western.

The nuttery continues...

Budd Campbell:

People in glass houses, Budd…

First, what NGOs are you referring to? None were mentioned in the article. The criticism came from within the Ministry. Second, who wants to privatise the EAO? Is it something to do with those pesky Freemasons again? Third, I see you’ve cooked up a new conspiracy theory. On a previous thread you were falsely claiming that environmental NGOs being controlled by a secret cabal of real estate agents and property owners the West Side. Apparently you now abandoned that particular, uh, “theory”, and now subscribe to the idea that the reason they criticise certain projects is that they want to supersede the Ministry of Environment? Of course, both your “theories” are patently absurd and idiotic. You’ve made it clear that you are unwilling to address the arguments made by NGOs on their own merit, so you resort to this slander. Is it because you are unable to address them, or because you know that they are right?

If by “reasonable person” you mean an old man from Maple Ridge who’s completely off his nut, then yeah. Otherwise, not so much.

Poor grammar

"The $2 billion housing development by Genstar would impact severely on precious salmon habitat and diverse fish and wildlife while producing major..."

Please Mr. Mair, you impact something severely, or you have a severe impact on something. Do not combine the two.

move to remove government scientists goes even deeper

Forcing a government scientist out of his position for doing his job foreshadows what is on the horizon - transferring environmental assessments to industry. Stephen Harper's conservatives already tabled changes to the Fisheries Act which would allow private consultants, hired by industry, to conduct the assessment once done by DFO; BC Liberals have already replaced streamside protection regulations with riparian area regulations which do the same thing, ie, give developers the write to determine stream setbacks based on an assessment by their own consultants, and guess what? The setbacks which use RAR methods are ALWAYS smaller than the SPRs. Check out the report from the chair in this annual report from the Urban Development Institute which outlines organized lobbying against Streamside regulations and the species at risk act. www.udi.bc.ca/Publications/UDI/UDIAnnualReport2005.pdf
As an aside, the environmental chair of UDI, Dr. Malik, is genstar's lead consultant in Silverdale.

Jimmy_laroux

When a transparently false smear is being circulated, in this case asserting that the EAO has never rejected anything, you know very well that the people circulating that smear have some material self-interest in mind.

If you believe you make youself look sophisticated by adopting a pose of studied naievete about the completely materialistic nature of these people, fine. The kind of faux environmental schtick you're into is pure urban, fashion-plate politics, nothing more than a personal marketing brand designed to optimize your odds in your corner of the dating circuit. Claiming any degree of genuine committment to your supposed cause is utterly laughable.

As for my age, what's your beef? I guess if you have no intention of ever growing up, ridiculing people for being over 50 is about as smart a game as you can come up with.

LOLBUDD

Budd Campbell:

Is this some sort of subtle self-reference? Am I to infer that your own transparently false smears indicate a material self-interest?

Truly, you disappoint me Budd :( Nothing but ad hominem fallacies and personal attacks. But then I suppose it's inevitable that if you're both intellectually dishonest and have not the slightest clue what you're talking about, you'd have no other option but to cast aspersions on those environmental NGOs with whom you disagree, in a sad attempt to discredit them, rather than directly addressing what they have to say.

And here we have yet another ad hominem attack:

Ha ha! Ouch :) Now any one with a concern for the environment is just looking to get laid? You just keep digging yourself deeper, don't you?

To be honest, Budd, I think that you're losing your touch. Your other conspiracy theories were a little more entertaining. Involving sex in them is just so pedestrian, so vulgar. What about something involving space aliens? Or the CIA?

Is this my cause?

I apologise, Budd, and retract my earlier comment which made reference to your advanced years. You are not a crazy old man from Maple Ridge, you are simply a crazy person from Maple Ridge, your age and sex being of no consequence. A crazy person from Maple Ridge "with some material self-interest in mind". Is that better that?

Not everyone, Jimmy

Now any one with a concern for the environment is just looking to get laid?

No, not "any one", just the fakers.

Poor old Budd...

Your lunatic accusations and dishonesty laid bare, the only reply you can muster is a childish taunt. But that's about as sophisticated and argument as I've ever heard from you, anyhow. Poor, poor Budd.

Jimmy_laroux: How sophisticated

Jimmy, it's really stupid of me to reply to you, I know. I admit it. But I just want you to know that I think you're a very, very sophisticated person.

Quote:I just want you to

Thank you. It's very sweet of you to say so, Budd.

And now for something completely different....

The following is from an interested observer:

The end of the article says "more digging is required". Yes, indeed, and while I'm by no means a supporter of the Genstar development I'm a little stunned at the blithering nonsense - and distortion - coming from the scientists interviewed and by the reporter....where do they FIND these people? - first off there's THIS:

Here's what he says about what is known as Silvermere: "From California to southern British Columbia, it is the only ecosystem of its type [in an urban area], because of the large run of salmon." In his report of 2003, he said, "The scope of this project [Silvermere] is considerably out of line with the environmental and ecological values associated with this particular landscape and the extensive amount of damage it will cause,"

Readers might be interested to know the following:

Silvermere is an artificial lake (see below) and doesn't have a salmon run. If there's salmon in it they're evolved; that lake is dirtier than any fish farm water - this I know personally as I swam in this lake as a kid - warmer than our sloughs and channels of the Stave River proper over by the dam - and while it's shallow and warm it's also an open sewer - I'm sure there’s been health improvements in the years since then, but I recall being out in the middle of the lake (where a tall kid like me could still touch bottom, it's so shallow) seeing a turd a few inches from my nose; at the north end of the lake banks of sewage foam backed up against the pad of created land built near the foot of Keystone Road. Point is, if there's fish in that lake, I wouldn't eat them...

The salmon run they mention must be the Stave River run, which bypasses Silvermere completely and dead-ends on the rock bars and the marsh/forest channels that fan out into the Stave Lowland below Ruskin Dam. That run is a reconstructed run; the ancient Stave run was destroyed in the 1920s with the building of Stave Falls, Ruskin in 1930, and Hydro spent lots of energy/money on remediation, apparently quite successfully (cf: Terry Glavin, when I asked him). The anticipated redevelopment of Silvermere may impact water quality in the Stave proper, but no more so than the mills, huge trailer parks, and leachates from the power plant. One trailer park close to the Hydro town site is on IR land, from family experience I learned it was outside municipal sewage controls; mind you, there used to be a drain pipe down the bank below the carpenter shop (now gone, in the 10500 block of Wilson/287th) that had a nasty smell; we were all on septic so I don't know what THAT was...

Now, the fundamental point about Silvermere being drained to build a bigger causeway out to the island - Hullah's Island, we called it, after Ned Hullah, the realty millionaire recluse who still lived out there and who, on a few occasions, I delivered the paper to. Whenever it was, Hullah was able to acquire drainage rights to a quarter of the Stave Lowland, which was a clay fen like those to the west of Silvermere where you'll sometimes see cattle grazing and which otherwise is a grass-and-mud flat. This is what Silvermere was when Hullah excavated it, and the island is the dredgings from what is now the lake - which is no more than 8' deep by the way, maybe slightly deeper in a few "holes" but it was excavated flat. It's odd sometimes, Silvermere might get lower than the backed up waters of the Stave on the other side of highway or the island’s causeway; but it backs up too.......

It's the half-factual nature of the opposition's complaint and the reportage that bothers me. Is no one aware this was an artificial lake? That it refers to an artificial island, built from the previous excavation? I guess my concern there is that the nice landscaping job - the island was something of an arboretum, designed and planted as such; if they're going to make the island bigger, the forest will have to be ripped out, or mostly. This is petty in comparison to the rapine of Silverhill (here meaning the hill rather than the community; most of Silverdale is on the slopes of Silverhill) but changes in that area have already changed it a lot; clear-cut private properties to "open up the view" and so on.

The Stave Lowland, if you look at a good topo map, is an old oxbow, like Hatzic Lake; the island was augmented upon the "eye" of the horseshoe/oxbow....its natural state is those forested islands and marsh-fens that you see in the other 3/4s of the lowland...

"Silvermere" is the brand-name also and only and not used by locals; we called it Hullah's Lake......

The Donatelli family is still really entrenched in Silverdale, I haven't heard anything from sources in Mission but while they're anything but mafiosi they do have a really organized, concerted way about them, that clan; some maybe got bought out by Genstar but I don't think so; it was a long buyout program in the area, sort of blockbusting; Genstar acquired the hold Hills Ranch, which crests the top of the hill, back in the '70s....( a friend lived in one of the farmhouses ,which was surrounded by gigantic blackberry brambles and invisible from the air......

I'm all for stopping Genstar from raping the home turf; but I wish the other opponents would line the ducks up before beginning to shoot them......

But ah, who knows, Genstar may have its hands in too many investment pies and may melt before the month is over; faith in real estate as an investment, as any kind of security, is evaporating as we speak; BC's real estate bubble derives from fantasy and escapism and denial; but our realty markets are fed by those beyond; between Genstar taking a hit, or one of the banks backing them....that's what could bring down the project......sloppily-written scientific reports won't....