Taxpayer funding political parties is Horgan's gift to Libs

[Gone_Fishin]

I didn't mention unions in my comment because it was clear to me that the party that governed this province from 2001 to 2017 were funded by corporations, not unions.

Sounds like some research was in order before that comment was made.


CRANBROOK FIREFIGHTERS UNION LOCAL 1253 2005/04/27 $500.00 4 ROBBIE TAYLOR MURRAY ENGLISH BENNETT, BILL CANDIDATE BC LIBERAL PARTY EAST KOOTENAY 1999
CRANBROOK FIREFIGHTERS UNION LOCAL 1253 2009/04/24 $500.00 4 ROB TAYLOR DARCY KENNEDY BENNETT, BILL CANDIDATE BC LIBERAL PARTY KOOTENAY EAST 2008

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2008/02/13 $1,000.00 4 LIONEL RAILTON GARY KROEKER BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2009/04/24 $10,000.00 4 LIONEL RAILTON GARY KROEKER BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2014/06/17 $900.00 4 LIONEL RAILTON WAYNE MILLS BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2014/08/27 $1,000.00 4 LIONEL RAILTON WAYNE MILLS BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2015/05/31 $4,500.00 4 LIONEL RAILTON WAYNE MILLS BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2015/05/31 $3,500.00 4 LIONEL RAILTON WAYNE MILLS BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2015/07/17 $2,500.00 4 LIONEL RAILTON WAYNE MILLS BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2015/08/14 $500.00 4 LIONEL RAILTON WAYNE MILLS BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2016/05/06 $5,000.00 4 WAYNE MILLS HERB CONAT BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2016/05/31 $1,000.00 4 WAYNE MILLS HERB CONAT BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2017/05/03 $950.00 4 WAYNE MILLS HERB CONAT BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 115 2017/05/04 $1,000.00 4 WAYNE MILLS HERB CONAT BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PAINTERS & ALLIED TRADES 38 2014/08/27 $2,000.00 4 PATRICK BURNS DAVID HOLMES BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PAINTERS & ALLIED TRADES 38 2015/07/17 $2,500.00 4 PATRICK BURNS DAVID HOLMES BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PAINTERS & ALLIED TRADES 38 2016/08/12 $4,000.00 4 PATRICK BURNS DAVID HOLMES BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PAINTERS & ALLIED TRADES DISTRICT COUNCIL 38 2009/05/25 $2,000.00 4 PATRICK BURNS DAVID HOLMES BLACK, IAIN CANDIDATE BC LIBERAL PARTY PORT MOODY-COQUITLAM 2008
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PAINTERS & ALLIED TRADES DISTRICT COUNCIL 38 2010/07/29 $2,000.00 4 PATRICK BURNS DAVID HOLMES BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY

UNION OF BC PERFORMERS 2006/09/21 $300.00 4 HOWARD STOREY ROB MORTON BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
UNION OF BC PERFORMERS 2011/05/27 $350.00 4 ALVIN SANDERS JACKSON DAVIES BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
UNION OF BC PERFORMERS 2012/04/10 $350.00 4 ALVIN SANDERS JACKSON DAVIES BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY

VANCOUVER POLICE UNION 2005/11/04 $1,000.00 4 TOM STAMATAKIS MATT KELLY BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
VANCOUVER POLICE UNION 2006/10/30 $1,000.00 4 TOM STAMATAKIS MATT KELLY BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
VANCOUVER POLICE UNION LOCAL 12 2013/04/05 $800.00 4 TOM STAMATAKIS MATT KELLY BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY
VANCOUVER POLICE UNION LOCAL 12 2014/04/14 $900.00 4 TOM STAMATAKIS MATT KELLY BC LIBERAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY BC LIBERAL PARTY

WHITE ROCK FIREFIGHTERS UNION 2013/05/22 $1,000.00 4 KEN MOLLAN ANDREW CRAM HOGG, GORDON CANDIDATE BC LIBERAL PARTY SURREY-WHITE ROCK 2008
WHITE ROCK FIREFIGHTERS UNION LOCAL 2407 2009/05/05 $500.00 4 SCOTT BOOTH KEN MOLLAN HOGG, GORDON CANDIDATE BC LIBERAL PARTY SURREY-WHITE ROCK 2008

[Rwede]

^^^ LOL! Beauty post!

I'd post a bazinga meme but it would just get reported by the snowflakes.

Horgan lied to everyone's face about this. That's a fact.

Horgan has likely breathed his last gasp as premier with this moronic theft of taxpayers' money.

It's up to voters now to petition Weaver to put his money (not ours, his) where his mouth is, and vote down the NDP on this stupid, blatant rip off of taxpayers.

What will Weaver do? Cling to his chair while Horgan kidney punches him, or be the honourable man he professes to be, and vote his conscience and the will of his constituents on this one?

[Cactusflower]

I didn't mention unions in my comment because it was clear to me that the party that governed this province from 2001 to 2017 were funded by corporations, not unions.

Sounds like some research was in order before that comment was made.


CRANBROOK FIREFIGHTERS UNION LOCAL 1253 2005/04/27 $500.00 4 ROBBIE TAYLOR MURRAY ENGLISH BENNETT, BILL CANDIDATE BC LIBERAL PARTY EAST KOOTENAY 1999
CRANBROOK FIREFIGHTERS UNION LOCAL 1253 2009/04/24 $500.00 4 ROB TAYLOR DARCY KENNEDY BENNETT, BILL CANDIDATE BC LIBERAL PARTY KOOTENAY EAST 2008
*snipped for length*/ferri

Since you seem to have gone to a lot of trouble doing this research, why didn't you include the corporate donations to the BC Libs as well? Could it be that the comparison would have diluted your comment?

[Veovis]

Since you seem to have gone to a lot of trouble doing this research, why didn't you include the corporate donations to the BC Libs as well? Could it be that the comparison would have diluted your comment?

You quite severely typed "I'm sorry, apparently I was mistaken in my previous statement" wrong.

Or did you feel that rationally admitting such would dilute your zealotry?

[Cactusflower]

Okay, "I didn't mention unions in my comment because it was clear to me that the BC Liberals were funded MOSTLY by corporations, not unions."

There........is that better?

[hobbyguy]

It really is funny seeing the NDP partisans try to deflect away from the fact that the NDP also receive significant corporate donations - like the fat ones they got from the IPP industry. (Who also donated to the Green Party - but as "individual" donations from executives.)

Taxpayer funding of political parties is simply unethical and undemocratic. Of course Marxism itself is fundamentally anti-democratic.

Taxpayer funding of elections is another matter. Dump the political party stranglehold on politics - drop the "party" donations to $100/year and taxpayer fund election campaigns for ALL candidates. Flesh that out, and political parties, lobbyists, and professional provocateurs all go largely by the wayside.

In the meantime, the BC NDP have been exposed for the shallow thinking money grubbing hypocrites that they are.

[Cactusflower]

One more time, HG. I am NOT an NDP partisan. Unlike you, who continuaIly defends your party of choice,I have been able to see the mistakes the NDP and the Socred/BC Liberals have made over the years. And I have pointed them out from time to time without using degrading terms like 'morons', 'idiots', 'snowflakes', 'commies', 'Marxists', etc.

[LordEd]

I have been able to see the mistakes the NDP

Link?

[Cactusflower]

Right after you provide the link to your criticism of the BC Liberals. The biggest mistake the BC NDP made was when they underestimated the dastardly, devious methods Gordon Campbell used to discredit them. Links can be found in the archives of any BC news medium.

[The Green Barbarian]

Okay, "I didn't mention unions in my comment because it was clear to me that the BC Liberals were funded MOSTLY by corporations, not unions."

There........is that better?

Nope.

[LordEd]

http://www.google.com

[The Green Barbarian]

The biggest mistake the BC NDP made was when they underestimated the dastardly, devious methods Gordon Campbell used to discredit them..

No, the biggest mistake they made was being so incredibly lazy that they couldn't even come up with a platform.

[LordEd]

Actually in browsing my last 10 pages of posts, I don't see anything where I directly criticized the NDP either. I usually argue against arguments that don't line up with my thinking.

[hobbyguy]

https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/the-bc-ndps-finance-reform-bill-is-just-a-magic-trick/article36392928/

Regardless of the source, some key points made in this opinion piece:

"There's no doubt about the goal: to limit the influence of money on politics. There's a lot more room for doubt about whether it will do so.

The bill's problems start with its most basic feature, the $1,200 annual contribution limit. For a well-off married couple with adult children who happen to share their parents' political views, there's an opportunity to donate thousands of dollars a year, easily affordable for the well-to-do, but entirely out of reach for most citizens. The $1,200 is better than no limit, but those with money will still have more influence than those who do not."

SNIP

"The answer for the problem of too much private money in politics is not more public money. Elections ought to be about giving citizens the right to choose their politicians; this bill instead turns them into a highly regulated state-subsidy scheme."

"But there's a deeper problem. The NDP say its legislation will take $65-million in private money out of politics. That begs the question: where will the money go? The answer is that it will find other pathways to influence."

SNIP

"In addition, so-called "social welfare" organizations may also participate in political campaigns and elections as long as that is not their sole activity. These include such well-known fixtures of the U.S. political landscape as Planned Parenthood and the National Rifle Association. These organizations are hugely successful and influential, they raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars and here's the important fact: they are not required to publish donor lists.

Readers of Jane Mayer's 2016 book Dark Money will be well-schooled in the strategies wealthy Americans have developed to influence politics in that country. Mayer's research focuses on rich conservatives such as the Koch brothers, who have spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the years to support conservative ideas and politicians. Similar stories might also be told about fund raising to support liberal causes. It's called dark money because there are no disclosure requirements. It's sobering stuff."

"Here in British Columbia, our election campaigns are already highly regulated.

During elections, campaign spending is limited and donations must be accounted for. Third-party election advertising is also highly regulated. Between elections, however, there is no limit on what citizens, corporations or organizations may say or do or spend to disseminate their views, whether in private conversation or on billboards or TV screens. Not only is there no restriction on how much may be spent, there is no requirement to disclose where the money came from.

The complex regulations introduced by the NDP's bill do not touch this activity. But the effect of their scheme will be to drive private money away from publicly transparent donations to parties, campaigns and candidates and into the invisibly funded advocacy organizations who will be increasingly able to influence our political discourse."

SNIP

"More fundamentally, will money disappear from politics? No, but we will know less than we do now about where it comes from and how it is being spent."

SNIP

"Tell voters who is donating and to whom, and let voters decide what to do about it. The outrage over the fundraising practices of the former governing party is a big reason they are no longer in government.

That's democracy doing what it does best"

Geoff Plant takes a very Libertarian view of what needs to be done to get big money out of politics. Basically, just let people know who is funding what.

I suppose in a sense, he is correct, as thinking about the notion of government funded election campaigns as I threw out there (as opposed to party funded) there is even a loophole in that - social media, which can be used remotely and is very difficult to trace back to who is paying whom to do what.

And what to do about all the organizations from "institutes" through to "leadnow" bloggers that get funding from outside the province and outside the country to influence our politics?

[Rwede]

The biggest mistake the BC NDP made was when they underestimated the dastardly, devious methods Gordon Campbell used to discredit them..

No, the biggest mistake they made was being so incredibly lazy that they couldn't even come up with a platform.

The NDP's laziness continues with their theft of taxpayer dollars to fund their vile party.

Rather than put the effort into gaining support and donations through developing good ideas, they simply lay around on the couch and charge the taxpayers instead. The NDP has always helped themselves to campaign financing from the public purse.

BTW, did the NDP ever pay back that illegal $460,000 of taxpayer funds they diverted through Lali's constituency office to fund the party's election?

Second BTW, did the NDP ever pay back the >$1,000,000 that Stupich stole from the charities to fund the party's election?

The answer to the two BTWs is - negatory.

Disgusting.