Sometimes there are editorials or journalistic pieces that grate on my nerves because they give the impression of stating as fact the writer’s opinion of what has, is or will happen. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and that I will never deny, but to state that that opinion is the only one and the ultimate truth is as misleading as FOX news.

In the January 19th edition of the Peninsula News, under the heading of “Recall desends into ugly farce” Tom Fletcher of the Black Press group wrote just such an article prompting this response from me.  Way too long to be published I am sure but I had to say it.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/peninsulanewsreview/opinion/114133009.html

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I really must protest that you are publishing such biased drivel as written by Tom Fletcher for your January 19th Edition under the heading of: “Recall descends into ugly farce.”.
It is of course perfectly OK for Fletcher to have his opinion on any matter, even if it is unbalanced in anyone else view, it is still his opinion.  Would you have anyone on staff who has the opposite view to balance this out?  It is also regretful that such pieces are written as if they are the only truth instead of one reporter’s opinion and version of perceived “facts”.
 
Fletcher’s view of the recall of Ida Chong seems to be that of any good party membership paying B C Liberal supporter who believes that no cabinet minister or MLA is to blame for anything specially the HST because, after all, it is only the people who object to it, and we all know the people do not matter in BC.   If the people should get mad enough to object and say, “wait a minute here” , then it is up to the Fletchers of the BC media to try to put out that fire. 
Ida Chong is a good MLA?
Has everyone forgotten her role in the Coleman donation of crown lands  to Western Forest Products and the re-zoning of them?  Who held that up until it was too late?   Is that what makes a good MLA or is it what makes a good servant to the Premier?  How does she, as a local resident, really justify claiming more for her meals than many people make in a year here in BC?   This is not only about the HST this is about people’s dissatisfaction with their elected employees.
I do not approve of hate mail in any form but, contempt breeds contempt so that such action could easily be a result of extreme frustration; in today’s manipulative world it could also be the action of paid party puppets. It is to be regretted that Graig James has been subjected to this, but perhaps this “mild-mannered legislature clerk” should have also abided by the rules and forced Campbell to act under the law of BC and recall the legislature to appoint a new Chief Electoral Officer instead of leaving him, James, holding the bag. Whole thing stinks of manipulation to me.
Then come the Tea Party type attacks.
Hysterical complaints against Vander Zalm and Delaney about Big Corporate Media and about “the Fight HST clown car of conspiracy theories”:
Europe taking over Canada? when the proof of CETA, as much as we know about it, is there to be read by anyone who can read. If European companies do not have a say in local Camnadian purchasing even at the municipal or school board levels, including the right to bid to control our local water supply, then “no deal” by Europe.  Looks more like another Harper give away to me than a conspiracy theory.
World government? If its for the people and by the people  I have no problem. If it’s corporate world government then I do have a problem as the world would then be run by the bottom line, with people as pawns and totaly expendable.
 
Read the reports Fletcher before you label these as a conspiracy theory.
 
As far as BC Hydro is concerned Fletcher obviously has not examined the finances of BC Hydro or he could tell they are very nearly broke by the ridiculous costs and policies loaded onto them by Campbell.  If there is an economist of any note at the Black organisation let him refute the figures. Google “Face to Face with Jack Etkin and Eric Anderson”.  Go on line amd look at the annual reports. How does Fletcher explain the constant rise in hydro costs occurring in every household in BC?  How much has it gone up in the last 6 months and how much will it go up in the next 6 months?  It has nothing to do with supply, it is all to do with debt incurred by Campbell dictate through the ROR projects and exhorbitant prices paid for unused power from them. I would be careful what you say about Rafe Mair,  Fletcher, he IS a real BC supporter and I have never heard him talk of Campbell damming the Fraser River.  Chuck Strahl of the federal government has the power through the Navigable Waters Act to make that happen, not Campbell.
 
It seems to me that Fletcher, who has the pulpit to preach from, is one of those who believes that Campbell is a god and we are sooo lucky to have had him to ruin our Province for us.  Sugar coat the facts as much as you wish but our economic deficit position, outsourcing to relieve the province of income through profits (or less costs because no profit has to be made), unemployment, closing of businesses of real size, child poverty, First Nations relations in a shambles, homelessness, health care creaking, seniors in financial and health trouble, education under funded, foreign owned fish farms destroying wild salmon stocks, forests being cut to export raw logs as we no longer have the ability to process them here in BC, a Green Plan which includes drilling for oil and gas off our coast inspite of the fault lines here and the constant seismic activity in the whole area, destruction of the water sheds in NE BC by the hydraulic fracking process, out of control mining for coal, gold and copper and the resulting toxic water from them too, environmental policy in a shambles or even non existent now , and finally the growing mistrust of the people of BC towards their MLA employees in Victoria.  Does this indicate a healthy province left by a god?
 
I am an old man who tries to speak up for my grandchildren as I really fear for what we are leaving them, not only on the planet, but also in the way we treat each other.  What we are getting from all our elected employees is lies, hateful and vitriolic talk and this example is spreading outwards to encompass way too many of us causing distrust, fear and even hatred of our fellow man.
Where is your hope for the future Fletcher?
 
Jeremy Arney