I hope to resume online participation soon but illness continues to be a problem. I regret not having had a flu shot this season because I’ve experienced the worst case in my […]
Norm Farrell
Before retirement, I worked in accounting and small business management. I have published commentary about public issues at IN-SIGHTS.CA since 2009.
TransLink, another victim of inertia
Malcolm Johnston, a private citizen, has studied and written about rail transit for years. He does not have a lucrative consulting contract to promote Sky Train, the ourdated and costly beast that has for decades been rejected by transit experts around the world. Nor is he paid to promote any competing system.
Ruled by criminals?
Before July 18, 2017, if British Columbia was not ruled by criminals, it was ruled by people who turned blind eyes to criminality. Attorney General David Eby issued a statement that ought to be national news in Canada…
An open letter about Site C
An open letter about Site C by John Gellard: I’m a long time NDP supporter living in the desperate hope that there is something I can say to help persuade you and the cabinet to reverse your decision to proceed with the Site C Dam…
Happy holidays
In-Sights will be inactive for a number of days over the holiday. I thank all our readers and contributors for supporting this site during 2017. In the coming year, I expect to […]
BC Hydro, the next steps
I’m disappointed in the provincial government’s decision to continue Site C. It is not the choice I would have made, were I in a position of influence. However, I understand it. Financial issues […]
From Erik Andersen
In private emails, a number of people with expert economic knowledge exchange ideas about energy in BC. I get copies of some. This example, written by respected and retired economist Erik Andersen, refers to electricity markets in BC…
Transit
Malcolm Johnston is a near perfect example of a citizen activist (sorry Keith Baldrey) who wants to see public money spent with maximum efficiency. He is convinced that legitimate transit planners are pushed aside by spin doctors, consultants and other lobbyists working for vested interests, like the discredited briber, SNC-Lavalin, a BC Liberal favourite…
The prosecution rests
Since 2006, BC Hydro added $20 billion to its assets and paid an additional $12 billion to independent power producers (IPPs). Yet BC Hydro sold less power to BC’s residential and buiness consumers of electricity in fiscal year 2016-2017 than in fiscal year 2005-2006.
Freedom of disinformation
By any measure, BC Hydro was a success. So successful that pirates made plans to plunder. BC Hydro was a decades old operation that delivered power to British Columbia’s residential and business consumers at prices that ranked among the lowest anywhere. Additionally, a steady flow of money moved from the utility to public treasuries. Since 1989, the crown corporation contributed about $20 billion in dividends, water rentals and grants in lieu of property taxes. With assistance of 21st century Liberal governments, politically connected corporations began treating BC Hydro as a machine for dispensing cash.
Save BC Hydro from financial ruin
• In fiscal year 2006, BC Hydro sold more power to BC’s residential and business consumers than it sold in 2017. Efficiencies in how we use power provide the explanation. • In […]
An electrifying agenda
Access to years of BC Hydro’s financial reports provide me with an indisputable record of the utility’s financial destruction. Eleven years ago, one citizen didn’t have detailed evidence but he did have foresight…
Reader’s rant
From a regular reader who has grown frustrated with the amount of self-serving BS that spills regularly into our world: There are too many people who do not produce or add value […]
Site C – Uncertain costs, ambiguous benefits
Most readers will be familiar with Erik Andersen, an expert commentator about economic matters in BC. This is the original text he submitted to the Vancouver Sun after the newspaper published an […]
Be opinionated, first be informed
We examine a reader’s comment and find the assertions made fail badly when tested for accuracy.
Civilized people pay for civilization
Shocking that almost 23 out of Canada’s 50 most dangerous communities are in British Columbia. Thank you BC Liberals, you may have enriched your friends, but you impoverished the rest of us.
Them vs us
Disputing parties in arguments about Site C belong to either of two camps. One is populated by people wanting a share of the billions of dollars to be spent; the other by people who will be forced to pay the huge sums.
Corporate media works for some but not for its audience
When you’re an activist for vested interests, complete and accurate reports are never offered. These might educate low-information voters that have supported BC Liberals for many years.
Site C Twitter recap
A recap of my Twitter comments about Site C.
Economic challenges ahead
Big money earned through illegal activities might have a greater impact than we care to admit and economic stimulus from criminal enterprises may explain why the former government hesitated to enforce certain laws. Over a long time, BC has seen a reduction of jobs in goods producing sectors, particularly in manufacturing, and a significant increase in service sector jobs. I expect we will have to rely more on innovative small and medium sized enterprises for future job growth and that our new government ought to provide increased encouragement to SMEs.
I hope Canada hurries up no tolerance based rules. I also hope this country has at least a clue of…