eNorthernBC Blogs

Page: 1, 2

(12 items) Page 1 of 2

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 at 6:51:06 PM

It's all over but the whinning
I read in the paper today that Dalton is blaming his loss on:
1. Dr Q stole his votes
2. Dr Q distracted the public from the real issues
3. The public was ill informed.

True to form Dalton never took a close look at his own campaign and asked himself what he could have done differently or at least he didn't speculate on that in the press. One of the issues he might have explored is that the voters are tired of his negative views on everyone who doesn't agree with him. Perhaps he would have won more votes by detailing what he was actually going to do rather than slag the incumbent.

I don't think that Dr. Q stole Daltons votes as much as he provided a convenient place for right wingers who didn't want Dalton, to park them. Consider that with the exception of Maurice the other people on his slate Mary and Coralee both got more votes than he did. Why - because they got out a positive message, Coralee more than Mary but... It is no accident that the two people on the slate Dalton and Maurice who treated their opponnants with the least amount of respect were the two that failed to win. Dalton didn't lose because of anything Q did and he didn't lose because the people were uninformed he lost because the majority of the voters didn't want to listen to him whine and chastise people for the next three years. Now if only the Observer will quit asking him his views.

Thursday, May 19, 2005 at 8:21:42 PM

comments (0)

A beginning
It seemed for a brief moment an ecommunity was debating matters of substance. The candidates were debating each other and people on the sidelines were commenting on the questions being asked and the answers being posted by the candidates. It lasted - not along time but perhaps long enough to prove its worth. It might have lasted longer if... well to be fair we don't know why Steve pulled the plug. Perhaps he was instructed to - the exposure can work against as well as for you. Perhaps he decided his time would be better spent else where and doing something different. It is quite possible that he got too busy with other aspects of the campaign. He could have felt that he had no support or not enough here to make writing worth his while or he might have felt that Bob was going to do better in this medium than he could and that a strategic withdrawal would be better than an outright rout. We don't know and won't until we ask.

Pose the question to the community. What could we do to further the concept of an ecommunity. A community where electronic ideas fly from screen to screen and become projects in the physical world when that makes sense or they can live forever in the cyber world.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 6:44:17 PM

comments (0)

Systemic Health Problems Need Systemic Health Solutions
I won't pretend to have all the solutions or to even know all the problems that exist within the health system. But if one accepts that the solution doesn't lie in "throwing more money at the problem", that the problem is systemic then how do we tease out and implement systemic solutions? (The nice thing about Blogs is that they invite comments and foster discussion. Something I say may spark a thought in the reader and result in a comment. Don't be shy)

Coming back to the systemic nature of the problem... Well for 1 thing we hear that the costs are too high and that inflation, the aging baby boomers coupled with longer life spans mean that the costs to health care will continue to increase. Short of killing off large numbers of baby boomers there is no way to avoid higher health care costs unnless we make meaningful structural changes.

I know that some people believe that we need to incorporate (pun intended) aspects of the American system of health care into ours. Some private healthcare, they argue, would be a good thing. If it weren't for NAFTA I might even agree, but with NAFTA an inch given to the Americans will translate into an inch they can legally take a mile.
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/nafta-alena/chap11-en.asp
They virtually control our oil and gas resources. We can't charge them more for electricity or any other energy source than we are prepared to charge ourselves.
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/nafta-alena/chap06-en.asp?#Article601

What are the solutions? Take the shortage of doctors for example, we have been convinced that when we are sick we need to see a doctor. From that assumption the only solution for the doctor shortage is to train more doctors. We probably do need more but docs are expensive to train and are more than happy to move away with the expertise us poor tax payers have provided them with. As an alternative lets look at nurse practicianers lets look at trans-disciplinary teams. Lets ask the question do we really need more doctors or do we need more health professionals working together to provide a more holistic service.

Saturday, April 09, 2005 at 6:51:29 AM

comments (1)

Health Care and the problem with polls
A poll on eQuesnel asks the following question:
Does news about millions of dollars being pumped into the Health Care System make you feel more at ease?
Yes (87) 31%
No (190) 69%
This question though posed long before the really big money showed up presents a bit of an enigma because 69% of respondants are saying that more money won't fix the healthcare system. Do they mean that a Cat Scan for Quesnel won't improve health care here because the problem isn't about diagnostic services. Perhaps this poll means that most people think that most people are efficiently and effectively diagnosed.

More likely, from my perspective, people think that the problems with health care are more systemic and things that can't be fixed by money.

Friday, April 08, 2005 at 5:02:12 PM

comments (0)

Waiting for the writ
It would seem that policy will come out at the time the writ is dropped and that candidates are discouraged from talking about their party's policy prior to its formal announcement. Fair enough but hopefully the candidate will continue to post to the question that have been posted provided that in doing so they don't reveal policy that is being held back for strategic release. Isn't politics fasinating?

Tuesday, April 05, 2005 at 9:05:08 PM

comments (0)

The debates are picking up steam.
Now that Steve has joined the forum the debates are becoming more interesting. The dialogue between the two candidates is beginning to develop as multiple postings take place in some of the threads. As this discussion between the two candidates takes shape voters will be able to hear them or rather watch their views develop. As well, we are beginning to see the side room conversations begin to develop. Although Steve's supporters have yet to find the forum I would imagine that they will reasonably soon. We should be able to befin to see some signs that the conversations taking place by the posters are being influenced by the candidates and that the discussion between the candidates are being informed by the conversations between the posters. If all goes well we should begin to see an interactive process take shape based on multiple discussions.

Sunday, April 03, 2005 at 11:07:39 PM

comments (0)

Its a happening
The schemes that can find life over dinner. Imagine here in the hinter land of BC we have what may be the first ongoing cyber debate taking place. This is not just a debate between candidates for provincial office but a much wider discussion that has the potential to include the electors as well. The candidates will answer questions put to them by posters to the site. The posters will then have the opportunity to post to separate threads their thoughts about what they are reading from the candidates, who of course are free to read those threads and if they choose to be informed by them. Its like a confaluted feed back loop. Its late - I'm tired

Friday, April 01, 2005 at 11:18:53 PM

comments (1)

More Cyber Debate Questions
12. Women's programmes were hard hit during the first few years of the Liberal governments mandate. Now that an election is coming along the government is replacing some of the funding. Can the women of BC served by these programmes trust that if the government is re-elected they will not pull the funding again.
13. The Liberal government and our MLA promised that the gold mine ??? would re-open shortly after being elected. What seems to be the delay? (Research and refine)
14. Mining and for that matter any resource retraction comes with environmental costs. Balancing those costs with the benefits of jobs and economic growth can be a difficult process. Please describe your ideas about how we can improve that cost benefit analysis.
15. The ministry of forests was one of the ministries that experienced big cuts in manpower is it reasonable to assume that the forest companies can be trusted to police themselves given that the forest service itself has been reduced to the point where their ability to monitor forest practices are compromised?
16. The new forest practices act has removed some provisions that have sustained small towns throughout the cariboo. The provision that wood must be milled in the area that it was taken from is no longer in place. Can you describe the benefits and the costs that this policy change will have on the people of this riding.
17. Can you describe your position on the shipment of raw logs out of BC?
18. It seems that treaty talks with First Nations and the subsequent land claims settlements have bogged down in recent years. Can you describe your position on this issue and describe how you would make this position known in Victoria.
19. Oil and Gas development has been a rumoured economic saviour post pine beetle, but solid information is hard to come by. Please tell us what you know about this topic and if there is substance to the claim that oil and gas development is a possibility can you tell us what your party plans to do about it?

Friday, April 01, 2005 at 11:17:51 PM

comments (0)

Cyber Debate Questions
Following are some questions that I would like the candidates to speak to. I would invite others to add to them, comment on them or if the spirit moves you critique and modify them. The questions I pose reflect the things I think are important and I realize that not everyone shares those ideas with me. Viva la difference.

1. After contributing to society all their lives are we meeting the needs of seniors? What ideas do you have for improving the lot of Seniors?
2. Are we doing enough to ensure that children are getting the best start in life we can offer them?
- The province has just completed a school readiness test. This is part of a national research programme to determine whether children entering kindergarten are school ready. What are your ideas for improving the school readiness of all new students? To view results for the Cariboo:
http://ecdportal.help.ubc.ca/atlas.htm
3. In Quesnel some are predicting a bleak future when the pine beetle wood is finally all milled. Some estimates are that our milling capacity will be about 1/3 of our present capacity. Many fewer jobs will be available. What ideas do the candidates have to mitigate this downturn and what will they do to promote those ideas.
4. Some areas of the province seem to be growing beyond the margins of sustainability. A symptom of this for me is the need to ration water which we have seen in the lower mainland and in the Okanagan. Is there a role for government in planning development. Encouraging growth in some areas and discouraging growth in others?
5. In regards to the BC Rail sale or lease. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this agreement.
6. Is $100 million Federal money to mitigate the effects of the pine beetle epidemic? What ideas do you have for how that money should be spent? What would you do to ensure that the Cariboo got its fair share of the money and that the money didn't wind up in the lower mainland?
7. Is the BC Economy on the right track? Can you say that the budget surplus is infact a surplus and that the budget that was introduced will be passed and acted upon.
8. Do parents have any hope that schools will receive a level of funding that will allow for some of the programmes that were lost to be revised. Notably can we expect to see band programmes taught by qualified music teachers and a resurgence of sports?
9. Is there any hope that our two high schools will merge to the point that students from one school can take classes in another.
10. The university/college campass is being built but it would seem that the government did not budget for books lab equipment library books etc. What will you do to ensure that our campass is fully funded.
11. Despite the fact that CNC has operated here for years there continues to be a struggle between Prince George and outlying communities for funding. This would indicate that CNC still doesn't receive the level of funding needed to meet the needs of students throughout the region. What will you do to address this problem?

Thursday, March 31, 2005 at 9:11:22 PM

comments (2)

Questions, Questions those damnable questions
Sorry about that my friend and patron but I did not understand what we could do here until now. Unfortunately I am helping to serve beer at the seniors centre tomorrow April 1 and it is too late now for me to start. I can begin Saturday. We have enough material to fasion 10 questions and perhaps others will come from the other posters. So by saturday PM we will have our ten.

Page: 1, 2

(12 items) Page 1 of 2

Cyber Debates