Trust, communication and cooperation are vital elements in a workplace, particularly when staff is small, financial stakes high, and tasks important. But, what happens when trust is broken and wrongdoing discovered? Well, […]
Wrongdoing? Nevermind!
If your house is burglarized and cherished possessions stolen, don’t call police. Cost of an investigation is likely more than the cash value of items stolen. That’s might be the advice you’d receive from a Liberal member of the BC Press Gallery…
NFOI – no freedom of information
We’ve seen that organizations make political contributions directly and through lobbyists. We know they use subsidiaries, affiliates and nominees but EBC makes little effort to report connections. In a report by Corporate Mapping Project, Teck Resources seems to have contributed $1.5 million to BC Liberals. However, a more complete listing provides a much larger number: $2.8 million. Even that is incomplete. It is important to know the benefits flowing from Teck to the Liberal Party but we must keep in mind the benefits flowing to Teck. That company was reportedly responsible for $743 million of a $1.2 billion unfunded liability for mine cleanups.
Piled higher and deeper
Mr. Baldrey wants people unfamiliar with online journalism to imagine the Internet largely provides “outrageous, libelous, threatening and inaccurate” commentary. One reason he might want to sell that false image is that he worries about mainstream media losing readers to the online world. Baldrey also may not like to be criticized and held accountable for his expositions. Keith, if you aim to be respected, don’t be an extension of vested interests, treat all sides with doubt and wariness and don’t only advance interests of the powerful. Be prepared to make them uncomfortable, if deserved. Be transparent about potential conflicts involving you or colleagues, be knowledgeable and impartial…
Pay to play
I’m planning an article about campaign financing and the ludicrous conflicts of interest that exist when a government that manages public resources and taxation extracts millions of dollars in contributions from corporations […]
Stonewalling the Auditor General
According to the Canadian Press, B.C.’s clerk of the legislature Craig James is not happy with Auditor General John Doyle. During a Victoria gathering of Canadian legislative officers, a private meeting was […]
Elections BC and the charade of secrecy
Shortly after 11 am Friday, August 26, Acting Chief Electoral Officer Craig James delivered HST vote results to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Clerk of the Assembly and the Attorney […]
Lifetime appointment starting at $250,000: a fine reward
Charlie Smith at the Georgia Straight wrote Craig James helps minimize sting of B.C. Liberal government’s HST loss: By releasing the numbers on a Friday in late August, James chose one of the […]
Rewarding work, if you can get it and keep your day job – Rerun
I rerun this piece again because a month has passed and I’ve heard nothing from Elections BC nor has the NDP Official Opposition replied to my request for comment about Mr. James […]
Sometimes they deserve vitriolic attacks
Last August, Acting Chief Electoral Officer Craig James sniveled: I have been frankly saddened by the vitriolic attacks that I and my office have been subjected to in the past week. Complaints should […]
Elections BC action is "nonsense"
From BIV Business Today: Acting chief electoral officer Craig James was mistaken when he decided not to send the citizens’ initiative petition against the HST and its accompanying bill to a legislative […]
in-sights.ca 
Blair Fix at _Economics from the Top Down_ also wrote two very good papers on the converion of housing into…