Numbers are imprecise but in normal times, 10 to 12 thousand patients are in BC Hospitals. Around 1,500 of those are discharged each day and replaced by new people needing treatment. If 75% of now vacant hospital beds were occupied and a pandemic surge occurred, the current number of empty beds would be restored within three days. Trends experienced elsewhere show there will not be a massive single day spike…
Labels – a poor substitute for informed comment

First published in February 2011. I still agree with the thoughts expressed and continue to believe that corporate media serves us poorly in political reporting. The genesis of a preceding article, Drive-by […]
Government we collectively deserve

A significant week just passed. Great days for some; difficult moments for others. Like many observers of British Columbia politics, I was surprised by the election result. Believing facts clear and the […]
$1.28 billion over the next four years

Hansard, May 14, 2012 Adrian Dix: My question is to the Minister of Energy. The government’s energy policy has stripped away B.C. Hydro’s ability to capitalize on the high water flow as […]
One hand washes the other

Phil Hochstein and his Independent Contractors and Businesses Association have had a symbiotic relationship with British Columbia’s governing party for more than a decade. ICBA provides financing and political support; in return, […]
Policies are pointless if routinely ignored
BC Liberals paid $6-million in public funds to Dave Basi and Bob Virk as part of enticements to end the BC Rail political corruption trial. The criminal court action had been embarrassing […]
Mainstream media no longer sole gatekeepers

In the government’s sale disposition of BC Rail, there are compelling indicators of massive fraud. Even worse, senior provincial officials interfered with investigation and prosecution of these crimes. Having directed the asset disposal […]
Schools help fund Encana’s foreign investments

Carbon deal represents a massive transfer of public money from British Columbian schools, hospitals and taxpayers to an already profitable private gas company. …it is ludicrous to force the public sector, which is responsible for less than one per cent of greenhouse gases emitted in the province, to subsidize big polluters who pay no penalty for the majority of their greenhouse gas emissions.
“I don’t understand why I just can’t go home,”

Ron Winter on the Vancouver Island Granny Snatching story: By way of an update I am about to tell you how badly things there have gone since media attention focused on Broadmead and […]
Particle board cabinet under micro-thin veneer
Will McMartin wrote this a month ago in The Tyee about Finance Minister Colin Hansen: “Hansen was true to his word — he didn’t set out any ‘new directions.’ A new direction […]
The NDP has a trio of quality leadership candidates

Georgia Straight quotes academic political scientists Dennis Pilon and Peter Prontzos saying that Adrian Dix has the greatest potential to get people excited again about politics. Carlito Pablo’s story bring into focus what I’ve […]
Drive-by punditry
Succinct comments from a few of BC’s mainstream pundits indicate that Adrian Dix is the NDP leadership candidate who most worries their cohorts, the BC Liberals. In politics, little time is wasted […]
Palmer gives us laugh lines and party lines

Vaughn Palmer remains respected by many of his colleagues in the mainstream media. At times though, I wonder if he stood too long near the mosh pit at an early eighties Motörhead […]
Dix sets a distinctly different course

It is no surprise to anyone but Monday, Adrian Dix entered the BC NDP leadership race. He is a strong candidate, probably the one that most worries BC Liberals. Their strategy, demonstrated […]
Inaccurate reporting in the Globe & Mail, what a surprise

After looking at the Globe and Mail headlines this morning, I planned to write about Sean Holman’s contribution. However, Ian Reid at The Real Story beat me to the keyboard. Reid makes the […]
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