It is no surprise that a handful of self-interested BC business folks are confounded by the rejection and disintegration of their proxy government.
I’m startled though when a representative of the unelected elite feels sufficiently powerful to issue a public warning that promises, even threatens, political change. In Women voters turn their backs on BC Liberals, Globe and Mail reporter Justine Hunter brings us the news:
…The centre-right is split and the advantage goes to the NDP.
“There is a responsibility on both sides to pull together,” [Philip Hochstein, president of the Independent Contractors] said. He directs this admonishment to the party leaders, Mr. Cummins and Ms. Clark. “It behooves both of them to pull together.”
Although neither leader is showing the slightest interest in détente, Mr. Hochstein suggested the people who bankroll the centre-right parties won’t allow this division to continue. “There are many discussions going on throughout the free-enterprise sector on how to make it happen,” he said.
Interesting.
It brings to mind the decision years ago to remove Gordon Wilson and install Gordon Campbell as BC Liberal leader. The “free enterprise” coalition is in much deeper trouble this time around. What are they planning? A coup?
Categories: BC Liberals
in-sights.ca 
Perfect…Leah and others…I'm sure Phil would do quite well in Alberta, Ontario, or perhaps even Quebec. I hear they have a great corruption commission, and their always looking for new “winners”, to investigate. Consider it a challenge…sooner or later we will have our own version here, but why wait?
Entitlement….no can't see that happening here. Face it Phil the socialist hordes are coming, resurgence in the union movement, balanced social responsibility, all the things a true ” capitalist ” can't stand. Time for some new “rules” to balance this equation.
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That could be because the rest of the donations were make by ICBA member companies in order to cover up ICBA's involvement. Maybe they got a dues deduction to compensate for their donation to the LIberals
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The difference between the ICBA and any other union in this province? Essentially…absolutely nothing. Other than the ICBA has a particlarly nasty mouthpiece, who seems to think the citizens of BC owe him something.
Phil…I can hear Ontario calling you…
Buh-bye.
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Why is there so little information about Hochstein and his background and associates available on the web?
What little there is appears to be self-aggrandizing and facile – with very little analysis.
As far as I can tell there is not even an independent entry on the guy filed at Wikipedia. As Simon and Garfinkel put it Phil: 'We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files.'
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Poor old Phil, he is starting to believe his own press releases. I do mean who is he trying to kid. I think he might be suffering from megalamania.
Free enterprize? Not so much. More like corporate welfare-gravy train. Phil & his fellow travellers can take their money & support whomever they want but people have had enough. it doesn't matter how much Phil carries on about the NDP in the 1990s. Everybody knows during the NDP yrs BC did not have the highest rate of child poverty in Canada for 8 straight yrs. People know they didn't have to pay tolls on bridges to go to work. People know there is a scandal about the “give away” of BC Rail. Phil can talk all he wants about BC Ferries, glen Clark & the Fast Cats but we all know about the Fat Cats & Hahn & his million $ salary with totally outrageous ferry rates. People are seeing their hydro go up like never before.
Phil, I have a news flash for you. Maybe your fellow travellers care what you say but the rest of us don't and we are the majority. You are irrelevant as are the people you represent. Just how are you free enterprizers/corporate welfare bums going to force any political party to do as you want. You might try creating a new one but I doubt it will go far.
Cummings may be old but he isn't stupid. The lieberals know they are toast, you just haven't figured it out. You sound like a desperate person trying to hang onto your current job. My advise, dust off the resume.
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Just like the term “Run of River” has been used in an untruthful manor…so is “free enterprise”. There is a very big difference between home grown small businessmen/contractors and the large multi-nationals that are paying Hochstein. If the media were doing their job they would find an awful lot of truck drivers and equipment operators are not all that enamoured with the control handed to the Kiewit’s of the world…a lot of profit is leaving the local area….a lot of hourly rates and benefits are being driven down by Hochstein’s crew. The true “free enterprisers” are finding a lot of support from parties other than the Liberals. How many projects are being pushed thru on the advice of engineering reports produced by the very companies that get awarded the contracts? I like the comments by anonymous 8:41 and Guy in Victoria…..especially the one alluding to sources of funding. Do you mean the ICBA may be in a position to be labelled radicals like those darn environmentalists? Once again the left/right thing is getting played…it has to be one or the other…I personally do not think this is true. Present day times have shown that those at the actual worker level understand balance can be acheived whether union or non-union. However balance at the administraion level (be it union, association, or appointed bureaucrat)….where one is not actually adding value to a good during the course of their daily activity….that is a different thing.
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I can respect other people's opinions even if I disagree with them, even yours Phil,
but unfortunately, I think you're statring to believe your own B.S.
BTW, I think you're slipping. I can't believe you forgot to mention the forced labour on the farming collectives and the next 5 year plan if the NDP are elected.
Your recent ranting shows just how desperate some folks have become.
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ya, grease fires can be dangerous and hard to put out
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Independent Contractors And Business Association? I've seen oxymorons before, but that title is a classic.
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I am so offended by Hochstein that I just matched Christy's belated cheque to the Liberals with my own to the NDP…Take the $550.00 challenge, whoever you support.
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Guy in Victoria… the reason that you can no longer get a list of the Contractors is because of the FightHST folks. During the Referendum on the HST the Independent Contractors were bankrolling the Pro Side, with no financial limitations being imposed by the …… BC Liberal Government. Those who were AGAINST the HST, bloggers especially, turned their blogs to have a closer look at just WHO these Independent Contractors were….. the ICBA, Phil in particular, stopped the public from knowing who the contractors were. I guess the Phil just hasn't got around to making the change back, now that the HST is headed for the trash heap.
As to just how much Phil's crowd…..association has Contributed to the BC Liberals coffers since 2005, the FRPS Data bank at Elections BC stated this: For This Search: $82,360.00
Small change, its a wonder that they've had so much pull with the BC Liberals, unless of course…..
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Phil Hochstein is the biggest union basher in the world and the biggest hog of them all the the public trough. One of Gordon's last acts was to appoint Phil to a board position with the Port Authority (and it has been argued that he is not qualified for the position). Yes he loves to bash unions but is the greediest hog and he also doesn't believe in democracy as his other campaign challenging the validity of the anti-HST referendum shows.
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Now it is out. The Conservatives are just the Libs in drag. Still controlled by the same puppet masters and ready to do their masters bidding, even if it means destroying the province.
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Oh Well.. It's just sour grapes on Phil's part. He's been bent on self promotion since he apparently got kicked out of the plumbers' union…cry me a river du dumas arsch! cry me a river.
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Good of Phil come finally clean on who's really running the show in BC. Otherwise we the the citizens might still be labouring under the delusion that we actually live in a democracy. Nice of him to tip his hand like that – he must feel supremely confident.
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I just hope Phil doesn't set his hair on fire over this. The whole province could go up in that inferno…..
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Free enterprise…sounds like “lets see how we can rip “Joe” public off, and make ourselves rich”.
Well if we keep up with the same nonsense, as for the past 10 years, that is exactly what you will get. Pity the so called “intelligetia”, do not realize where this all ends! Everyone loses. The average person, in this province is so far in debt, they will never get out. Folks, the money train eventually stops! Free enterprise” does not mean, “confiscate by any means”, the resources of the province, make them available to the “corporate world” and let the profits go to a select few.
Let's not mention, the “regime” you have “installed” to do this. “Corruption” is what it is. Denial of it, is even worse. To support it, is the height of arrogance and stupidity!
Time for a “regime” change, let alone to question the ideology, of “free Enterprise”, as practiced by Kleptocrats.
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Hey Philip Huckster! Such a dilema you're facing eh! How do you decide who to bankroll now? Do you direct ICBA funds in the guise of donations to the faltering Liberals (in name only of course) or the burgeoning Conservatives? Or do you hedge your bets and contribute funds to both? That could be an expensive proposition, unless of course you decide to contribute less to both your BFFs and spilt the lucre 50:50. I'm sure Cummins and Co. would appreciate the gesture, but it just might spark the ire of Her Royal Heinous. Careful.
BTW, where y'all from Phil? Can I call ya Phil? 'merica? Yer 'merican style negative smashmouth ad campaign must be costin' the good folks over at the ICBA a fist full of greenbacks too. Skuzin' my crassness, but I have to ask — how much? What's that you say? State secret? Oh…yeah…right! Very RIGHT.
Regarding the gender issue and lack of support for Clark among women — well — who better to judge the character of a woman, or lack thereof, than another woman?
P.S. Norm. Who's that a picture of? Looks like he could be the president of the local Brotherhood of Teamsters. OMG! Is that Jimmy? Where on earth did you find him?!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn69FiWVcSw
FYI: David Lindley's (with Hani Naser) version of this Danny O'Keefe classic is outstanding (couldn't find it on You Tube though)
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It's interesting that Philip Hochstein & his Association are trying to paint a dark picture of the NDP. Has anyone ever tried to join the ICBA with paying dues which in some cases can be thousands of dollars a year ? And what do you get for these dues ? Well you can join in the discounted medical plan, there are hotel & gasoline discounts etc. And of course you get an Association that will spend hundreds of thousands supporting the Liberal party and plenty of advertising attacking the opposition. Does this sound more like a Union ?
If you go to their website try & get a list of members. Unless you are a member they don't seem proud enough to name the businesses that are members. What's the reason behind that. And why do you think the ICBA is trashing public employees during contract negotiations ? Could it be that they want to avoid any attention to the taxpayer funded projects they worked on that always seem to go over budget by as much as 73%. Have they found a way to beat the Zero mandate ? Hypocrites.
Guy in Victoria
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Will the free enterprise coalition please go and suck eggs.
You have already sucked everything out of us, now it is time to change track.
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