Residents want answers

[LordEd]

Your belief in the ranchers puts great credibility that their statements are incorrect.

[Cactusflower]

*removed*

[rustled]

All of us should want answers. Seewood mentioned the report from the 2003 fires, and how there wasn't enough money to do what needed to be done.

Our governments have been collecting and earmarking all kinds of money to combat climate change, and dumping it into "green initiatives" to line someone's pockets and make everyone feel warm and fuzzy.

What they should be doing is using that money to deal with the real and ongoing effects of climate change: mitigating risk from flood, fire and other extreme weather risks.

We should all want answers as to why our money's being gambled away instead. More importantly, we should all want our governments to quit gambling and get back to paying for what we actually need.

[LordEd]

It's nothing personal. Just statistical track record.

[Cactusflower]

On this we can agree, rustled. We need to make sure that our governments are held accountable for their actions, or more to the point 'inaction', no matter which government is in power. I have been doing my best to do just that over the many years that I've been a B.C. voter. Can you say the same?

[rustled]

On this we can agree, rustled. We need to make sure that our governments are held accountable for their actions, or more to the point 'inaction', no matter which government is in power. I have been doing my best to do just that over the many years that I've been a B.C. voter. Can you say the same?

Yeah, I've seen some of what you've been up to, and IMO it's been pretty darn ugly. Writing all kinds of things to "hold governments accountable", "as long as it can't be proven false".

For some of us, holding governments accountable isn't the same thing as spreading b.s. about what the government is (or isn't) doing and why they are (or aren't) doing it. Holding governments accountable begins with focusing our efforts in the right direction.

So some of what I do is make a small attempt to combat some of the misinformation people present on forums (apparently to manipulate people into taking sides, as some folk have done here in this thread.) Or simply add another perspective. Others here try to do the same.

[Cactusflower]

^^ What's written on these threads doesn't make any difference to our government representatives because they are likely too busy to be bothered with a bunch of partisan crap from the peanut gallery on Castanet. If you really want to hold the government accountable, you should get in touch with the Premier and the various Ministers in charge of whatever you feel needs to be addressed. If they don't reply to your e-mails, just pick up the phone and call them. The old saying, 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease' still holds true.

[alfred2]

^^ What's written on these threads doesn't make any difference to our government representatives because they are likely too busy to be bothered with a bunch of partisan crap from the peanut gallery on Castanet. If you really want to hold the government accountable, you should get in touch with the Premier and the various Ministers in charge of whatever you feel needs to be addressed. If they don't reply to your e-mails, just pick up the phone and call them. The old saying, 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease' still holds true.

It is well and good , but some of us do not have a pipeline to horgan and his cherry men.

[rustled]

^^ What's written on these threads doesn't make any difference to our government representatives because they are likely too busy to be bothered with a bunch of partisan crap from the peanut gallery on Castanet. If you really want to hold the government accountable, you should get in touch with the Premier and the various Ministers in charge of whatever you feel needs to be addressed. If they don't reply to your e-mails, just pick up the phone and call them. The old saying, 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease' still holds true.

Governments rise and fall based on popular opinion. Popular opinion should be based as much as possible on what is true, not what is alleged, not what is put forward by people with an agenda or an axe to grind.

Fire fighting efforts should be based on what's actually happening on the ground, not the biased opinions of the uninformed who have seized onto whatever those with an agenda are spouting, including those who figure it's ok to spout whatever they wish "unless it's proven false". Residents who are justifiable upset at their losses shouldn't be used for partisan purposes.

[Cactusflower]

When you choose to quote me, at least have the common decency to reply to what I wrote. I suggested that you write or call your government MLAs to address your concerns, whether they be regarding wildfire response or other issues. Have you done so? And if so, have they replied?

[Urban Cowboy]

Your belief in the ranchers puts great credibility that their statements are incorrect.

Couldn't have put it any better myself.

I'll take the word of officials when push comes to shove.

[rustled]

When you choose to quote me, at least have the common decency to reply to what I wrote. I suggested that you write or call your government MLAs to address your concerns, whether they be regarding wildfire response or other issues. Have you done so? And if so, have they replied?

Here, I'll bold the part I replied to.

^^ What's written on these threads doesn't make any difference to our government representatives because they are likely too busy to be bothered with a bunch of partisan crap from the peanut gallery on Castanet. If you really want to hold the government accountable, you should get in touch with the Premier and the various Ministers in charge of whatever you feel needs to be addressed. If they don't reply to your e-mails, just pick up the phone and call them. The old saying, 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease' still holds true.

I certainly agree that much of what's written here is partisan crap written by folk who have an agenda. Here's a taste of it:

Back to the coordination of the water bombers. They could take a half dozen of the ones they are presently using on one particular fire, deploy them to other fires throughout the province, and bring in the Martin Mars to handle that one fire. The Mars can cover an area in one fell swoop in less time than it takes several other bombers to cover the same area.Why spend all that precious time coordinating several bombers when you can send one plane to do the job?

Oh, I know there are those who think the Mars should be mothballed and put in a museum, but that's because they were brainwashed by the previous government into having that mindset, and don't know the real reason the Mars' contract was cancelled. It was, as usual, all about the money. Coulson didn't make big enough donations to the governing party. If you want to dispute that, just google the BC Liberals list of donors over the years, look up Wayne Coulson and see how much he donated.

You don't get to pick and choose what people reply to in your posts, and what they don't. If you don't want people to respond to some of what you write, don't write it.

The topic isn't "what certain posters have or have not done to hold the government accoutable". Here's my on-topic reply:

The residents who have lost or have come close to losing their homes and livestock and property have every right to be upset. It stinks that others with an agenda and an axe to grind choose to manipulate emotional situations like this one for partisan purposes.

[Because_They_Lie]

Governments do not rise and fall based on popular opinion.

The government and voices of authority in this country and beyond are trained Liars.

The government and their spokespeople, the media - all liars.

I trust a regular human being before I ever trust the "authorities"

How many governments and media lies will it take for people to realize this fact

You think your vote counts?

OK

[fluffy]

What exactly is that 'ample evidence'? BC Wildfire Service says the wind came up AFTER the controlled burn was set; the ranchers say the wind was blowing WHILE the controlled burn was being set. Both were on the scene at the time. I believe the ranchers; you believe the spokesperson for the BC Wildfire Service. Why do you think that person is more credible than the ranchers?

My "ample evidence" comment was not referring to that situation in particular, I still had some people's infatuation with the Martin Mars in mind. From what I've gathered there's a consensus that while spectacular to watch in action, it is slow, cumbersome, and expensive to operate. When it comes to measurements like gallons per hour delivered or cost per gallon delivered it's quite a ways down the list.

While I don't subscribe to the viewpoint apparent in Because_They_Lie's post, I am well aware that government knows the value of appealing to a largely uniformed public with things like the Martin Mars. I remember a few years back when it was in service in Penticton, I think it was the Garnet Fire, when it was reloading on Skaha Lake. The beach was full of people ooing and awing over the majestic nature of this behemoth as it went about its work, but no one was asking the hard questions about whether or not the water this monster was dropping on the fire could have been delivered faster or cheaper by other means. It was enough that our government had seen fit to hire the world's largest water bomber to save the day. Politicians can often zee value in that over and above the actual operating efficiency.

Edited to add:
Now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't the Garnet Fire. The speed with which the Garnet Fire got ugly after some initial hesitation kind of changed the local thinking on "appropriate first response", and the Martin Mars was brought in on a subsequent local burn. Maybe someone else remembers more clearly?

[Cactusflower]

Why are you bringing up the Martin Mars again? Other than to stir the pot, that is. The topic is "Residents want answers" and what they want answered is, 'why does the BC Wildfire Service start controlled burns in a windstorm?'.