BC Election issues

[Urbane]

The two biggest issues in this election are the overwhelming debt, and the equally overwhelming extreme weather events that are caused by climate change. The BC Liberals ignore both these issues, and their ostrich-like followers continue to bury their heads in the sand, completely oblivious to it all.

I agree with you about the debt. The 1990's NDP government gave us 8 straight deficit budgets before finally balancing the books in their last term. We don't want that approach again. British Columbia now has one of the lowest debt loads in Canada and we want to keep it that way.

[Urban Cowboy]

The two biggest issues in this election are the overwhelming debt, and the equally overwhelming extreme weather events that are caused by climate change. The BC Liberals ignore both these issues, and their ostrich-like followers continue to bury their heads in the sand, completely oblivious to it all.

Just keep it up with the insults, it goes far in demonstrating just how mature and superior you really are.

[Anonymous123]

The two biggest issues in this election are the overwhelming debt, and the equally overwhelming extreme weather events that are caused by climate change. The BC Liberals ignore both these issues, and their ostrich-like followers continue to bury their heads in the sand, completely oblivious to it all.

Climate change. I just got back from Vancouver by way of the Coquihalla. Passing through the Merrit interchange I saw literally dozens of heavy trucks labouring up the hill from the interchange. I wonder if they know that this was caused by the MP of the day when the Coquihalla was built. All that extra carbon into the atmosphere just because Harry Lalli led the charge to reroute the logical course of the highway from the top of the mountains closer to Merritt. This will have a negative effect on the climate for generations to come unless an Okanagan off ramp is built where the highway should have been routed to begin with. Face it Harry, no ones stopping in Merritt anyway. Oh, did I mention Harry is hoping to win for the NDP in his old riding?

[rustled]

The two biggest issues in this election are the overwhelming debt, and the equally overwhelming extreme weather events that are caused by climate change. The BC Liberals ignore both these issues, and their ostrich-like followers continue to bury their heads in the sand, completely oblivious to it all.

Climate change. I just got back from Vancouver by way of the Coquihalla. Passing through the Merrit interchange I saw literally dozens of heavy trucks labouring up the hill from the interchange. I wonder if they know that this was caused by the MP of the day when the Coquihalla was built. All that extra carbon into the atmosphere just because Harry Lalli led the charge to reroute the logical course of the highway from the top of the mountains closer to Merritt. This will have a negative effect on the climate for generations to come unless an Okanagan off ramp is built where the highway should have been routed to begin with. Face it Harry, no ones stopping in Merritt anyway. Oh, did I mention Harry is hoping to win for the NDP in his old riding?

Interesting bit of history. Wasn't aware of that.

[Urban Cowboy]

Thanks Harry. NOT!

[lasnomadas]

The Coquihalla highway was built by the Social Credit government mainly because they wanted to show off a shiny new route from the interior to the coast in time for Expo86. The bonus was that the Bennetts would have a shorter route from Kelowna to the coast. Harry Lali is, and always was an NDP MLA, so it would be ridiculous to think that he had anything to do with the Coq.

We weren't born yesterday, BC Lib cheerleaders. Perhaps you should think before you post.

[rustled]

The Coquihalla highway was built by the Social Credit government mainly because they wanted to show off a shiny new route from the interior to the coast in time for Expo86. The bonus was that the Bennetts would have a shorter route from Kelowna to the coast. Harry Lali is, and always was an NDP MLA, so it would be ridiculous to think that he had anything to do with the Coq.

We weren't born yesterday, BC Lib cheerleaders. Perhaps you should think before you post.

ROFLOL! OMG, too funny.

...Original highway plans in the late 1980s were to build a 23-kilometre long stretch of the Connector south and west from Aspen Grove, so it would link up with the Coquihalla at Kingsvale, about 25 kms south of Merritt.

The short-cut would have trimmed almost half an hour off the driving time from Kelowna to Vancouver. But the Socreds didn’t finish the job before they were defeated in 1991, and the incoming NDP government was never a friend of the Okanagan.
They weren’t going to build a highway link that would primarily benefit the Okanagan. Especially not since Transportation Minister Harry Lali represented Merritt. ...

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/opini ... a63ad.html

[hobbyguy]

Sighs. http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/opinion/article_bd686208-23a5-11e6-8ac3-730542ba63ad.html

"Original highway plans in the late 1980s were to build a 23-kilometre long stretch of the Connector south and west from Aspen Grove, so it would link up with the Coquihalla at Kingsvale, about 25 kms south of Merritt.

The short-cut would have trimmed almost half an hour off the driving time from Kelowna to Vancouver. But the Socreds didn’t finish the job before they were defeated in 1991, and the incoming NDP government was never a friend of the Okanagan.

They weren’t going to build a highway link that would primarily benefit the Okanagan. Especially not since Transportation Minister Harry Lali represented Merritt.

He fretted that detouring Okanagan-bound traffic around Merritt might have cost the town a few bucks in gas and chocolate bar sales.

In 2000, fearing they were going to go down to a massive defeat in the next provincial election, the NDP spent $10 million to four-lane 10 km of Highway 5 from Aspen Grove toward Merritt."

Research is your friend.

[hobbyguy]

Snap! Too funny indeed!

[Urbane]

Perhaps you should think before you post.

Indeed!

[Urban Cowboy]

The Coquihalla highway was built by the Social Credit government mainly because they wanted to show off a shiny new route from the interior to the coast in time for Expo86. The bonus was that the Bennetts would have a shorter route from Kelowna to the coast. Harry Lali is, and always was an NDP MLA, so it would be ridiculous to think that he had anything to do with the Coq.

We weren't born yesterday, BC Lib cheerleaders.Perhaps you should think before you post.

Given the recent evidence to the contrary of your assertion, I was wondering if you were wishing for a do over now?

It's best to be certain of your facts before reprimanding another to think before they post.

Priceless!

[lasnomadas]

Nothing I wrote was untrue. I was referring to the Coquihalla Highway. You, in your twisted little BC Liberal way, are referring to the Okanagan Connector. And now I'd like to refer to one of Urbane's statements, that BC has the lowest debt load of any province in Canada.

From the Alaska Highway News (on B.C.'s debt):
'The one thing That the BC Liberals have excelled at is building debt and/or contractual obligations. Each household in B.C. owes just under %54,0000 in contractual obligations, substantially more than any other province. BC Hydro alone has added almost $40 billion since 2010 without anything included or Site C, and is the main source of added debt/contractual obligations.'

And from a former Social Credit MLA:
'The BC Liberal government has gone further into the hole by $71 BILLION in the last 4 years.How can you do that with balanced budgets? Easy--don't put the bad stuff like BC Hydro and ICBC into the balancing budget game. Their losses are part of the huge provincial debt, but one can work miracles with a balance sheet. Given the fiscal catastrophe ceated by the Campbell/Clark government, and their lie-infested corruption, they have forfeited any right to a position of public trust, IMO.'

[Urban Cowboy]

Nothing I wrote was untrue. I was referring to the Coquihalla Highway. You, in your twisted little BC Liberal way, are referring to the Okanagan Connector.

Alright you slickster, here's you ranting about the Coquihalla being built to the "interior" so Bennett's (who live in Kelowna by the way) could have an easier drive to the coast.

After which you rant about Harry Lali having nothing to do with it, and ridicule another member.

Evidence:

The Coquihalla highway was built by the Social Credit government mainly because they wanted to show off a shiny new route from the interior to the coast in time for Expo86. The bonus was that the Bennetts would have a shorter route from Kelowna to the coast. Harry Lali is, and always was an NDP MLA, so it would be ridiculous to think that he had anything to do with the Coq.

We weren't born yesterday, BC Lib cheerleaders.Perhaps you should think before you post.

Now the evidence as to what really transpired:

Sighs. http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/opinion/article_bd686208-23a5-11e6-8ac3-730542ba63ad.html

"Original highway plans in the late 1980s were to build a 23-kilometre long stretch of the Connector south and west from Aspen Grove, so it would link up with the Coquihalla at Kingsvale, about 25 kms south of Merritt.

The short-cut would have trimmed almost half an hour off the driving time from Kelowna to Vancouver. But the Socreds didn’t finish the job before they were defeated in 1991, and the incoming NDP government was never a friend of the Okanagan.

They weren’t going to build a highway link that would primarily benefit the Okanagan. Especially not since Transportation Minister Harry Lali represented Merritt.

He fretted that detouring Okanagan-bound traffic around Merritt might have cost the town a few bucks in gas and chocolate bar sales.

In 2000, fearing they were going to go down to a massive defeat in the next provincial election, the NDP spent $10 million to four-lane 10 km of Highway 5 from Aspen Grove toward Merritt."

To sum up, you were caught red handed, yet still lack the decency to apologize to the person you barked at.

For shame!

Current score stands at about 0 and 98 for truthfulness.

Actually anyone who has lived in the Okanagan for any length of time, has heard the story of the shorter route to Vancouver, that was abandoned, solely because of Lali wishing traffic be directed through Merritt. Now we have the rest of the story!

[Urbane]

From the Alaska Highway News (on B.C.'s debt):
'The one thing That the BC Liberals have excelled at is building debt and/or contractual obligations. Each household in B.C. owes just under %54,0000 in contractual obligations, substantially more than any other province.

Rather than apologize for your appalling and embarrassing faux pas you deflect. Contractual obligations are not debt and your little "and/or" just moves us again to compare apples with oranges which is one of your tricks. We've already had this discussion on at least one other thread and it's ridiculous to start from square one again with you as you try to squirm out of your embarrassing situation on here. I'd actually like to see the government spending less money than they are but many of the same people who are now complaining about government debt have been screaming for the last sixteen years about every program in sight being chronically underfunded.

[Urbane]

The point has been made re the faux pas so getting back to the topic of the thread here's a bit more about provincial debt. For those interested, this article from last year, "What provinces can learn from B.C.’s sound finances" offers some excellent info. As the article starts off, "B.C. still faces challenges with its budget, but far and away it has the best finances of any province in the country."

http://www.macleans.ca/economy/economic ... -finances/