From: "Moe Lyons" <meadow@netidea.com>
Subject: [KCUTS] Growing Credibility Gap
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2003 23:58:51 -0800
The following has been added to my website.
---David Schreck
See <http://www.StrategicThoughts.com>
Growing Credibility Gap
Growing Credibility GapWill there be a lasting credibility gap as a result
of the sale of BC Rail? Gordon Campbell's book of election promises, the New
Era Document, said he would not sell or privatize BC Rail. Instead of saying
he changed his mind, Campbell is insisting that by keeping the right of way,
rail bed and track, he isn't selling the railway. Few believe that;
legislative debate revealed the lease is for 90 years with an option to
cancel after 60 years during which time neither the government nor the crown
corporation have any liability for anything to do with the property and
rights they supposedly own. This means CN has every right, obligation and
privilege of an owner.
The credibility gap widens when the language used in other promises is
examined. The government website contains a partisan document titled "New
Era Review", http://www.gov.bc.ca/bcgov/down/new_review.pdf. Complete with
attacks on the NDP, the document reiterates the BC Liberal party election
promises and, together with commentary, categorizes each promise as either
"done" or "in progress". The document belongs on the BC Liberal party's
website, not on the government site, but wherever it is, it provides an
opportunity to examine more deceptive language and denials of broken
promises.
Promise: "Pass a Community Charter to outlaw provincial government
"offloading" of costs onto municipal governments, and to give local
governments greater autonomy and better planning tools to reduce pressure on
property taxes."
Reality: Bill 75, the Streamlining Act, strips local governments of autonomy
and eliminates their ability to plan.
Promise: "Honestly balance the budget, without cutting funding for health
care or education."
Reality: The government suffers from "money illusion". The money it provides
is inadequate to buy the same bundle of real health and education services
that existed prior to the New Era.
Promise: "Establish service plans that include measurable performance
standards and targets for all programs that are annually audited and
published, for all taxpayers to see."
Reality: Targets, such as lowering infant mortality, have been eliminated
and replaced with measures of cost controls; measurement of outcomes has
been replaced with an accountant's balance sheet.
Promise: "Protect private property rights to prevent government from
expropriating assets without fair compensation."
Reality: Government stripped forest companies of tenure rights, limited the
amount of compensation and prohibited legal action.
Promise: "Restore an independent BC Utilities Commission, to re-regulate BC
Hydro's electricity rates."
Reality: In Bill 85, government made it law that "the commission must, when
setting rates of the authority, comply with any regulations, including,
without limitation, any general or special directions, made by the
Lieutenant Governor in Council under this Act."
Promise: "Not sell or privatize BC Rail."
Reality: Tell that to the CN shareholders!
Promise: "Make the Workers' Compensation Board more responsive to workers'
and employers' needs."
Reality: Benefits to injured workers were cut by 9%.
Promise: "Pass real comprehensive ground water legislation to improve the
quality of British Columbians' drinking water."
Reality: Nine months after the recommendations from the independent Drinking
Water Review Panel were received government finally introduced Bill 61, the
Drinking Water Protection Amendment Act, 2002. Bill 61 only changed a few
provisions of the NDP legislation, and the changes went in the opposite
direction from the recommendations of the Panel. Instead of an independent
agency, power is firmly vested with a cabinet minister.
Promise: "Ensure that major capital spending decisions and land use
decisions involving the Agricultural Land Reserve, new parks, land claims
and tenure reform are decided by Cabinet in public, and not behind closed
doors."
Reality: Staged cabinet meetings are glorified public relations stunts. Any
real debate and decisions happen behind closed doors.
Promise: "Give school boards multi-year funding envelopes, to improve
long-term education planning and budgeting."
Reality: The envelopes constantly change so that no one can count on the
current year let alone two years from now.
Promise: "Develop an Intermediate and Long-Term Care Facilities Plan that
addresses the needs of our aging population and frees up existing acute care
beds."
Reality: Residential care facilities are being closed and the money is being
reallocated to lower level "assisted living".
Promise: "Establish a Rural and Remote Health Initiative to ensure all
families get the care they need, where they live, when they need it."
Reality: Wait lists have grown and regional hospitals, hours away, are
replacing local hospitals.
Promise: "Fund health regions at a level necessary to meet the needs of the
people who live there, regardless of where a service is provided."
Reality: Beds are closed and services are contracted out so the Minister can
earn a bonus awarded for balancing the budget.
Promise: "Fulfill BC's obligations under the Canada Health Act to properly
fund and provide access to all medically necessary services."
Reality: "Properly" must be a weasel word because thousands of people on
wait lists aren't getting the service they need when they need it.
Promise: "Stop the endless bureaucratic restructuring that has drained
resources from children and family services."
Reality: Regionalization is creating chaos and has been repeatedly
postponed; a further $70 million in budget cuts is slated for the Ministry
of Children and Families.
Promise: "Stop the expansion of gambling that has increased gambling
addiction and put new strains on families."
Reality: Government has budgeted for a 45% increase in gambling revenues
over three years.
Promise: "Enhance training, resources and authority for frontline social
workers to properly protect children at risk and improve services to
families."
Reality: Government has laid off line level child protection social workers.
The government has not only broken many of its campaign promises, but it has
twisted the meaning of words in efforts to deny the obvious. The Campbell
government has a major credibility gap.
________________________________________________
© 2003 David D. Schreck.
Articles appearing here may be quoted elsewhere provided that attribution is
made to David Schreck, StrategicThoughts.com
Full articles may be reprinted with attribution and the preservation of this
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____________
THANKS FOR THE EDITING: Errors occasionally make it through the email and,
thanks to readers, are quickly fixed on the site. Unfortunately, errors
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