So you want to have your say: 2011 Voting Opportunities (BC Specific)
So as you’ve no doubt heard, the Harper Government of Canada fell on a non-confidence vote today. That means, sometime in May, we all get to go vote. And dammit, get out there. I am not convinced that an election will change anything; there is a (slim) chance of a Liberal minority. And when I say slim, I mean anorexic.
But as my friend, @AnthonyFloyd says
My prediction is no substantial change. My hope is rather different.
Anyways, vote dammit. And vote every chance you’ve got. And if you live in BC, you’ve got a few chances this year.
Following the federal election in May, the referendum on the HST in BC is scheduled for June…something. The problem/issue/etc is that it will be a mail-in ballot.
And they’re going to trust Canada Post to deliver the ballots and return them. HA. HA. HA.
<ahem> Pardon me. Just make sure you mail in your ballot. And hopefully it will get delivered. I would hope that those creating the ballot include automatic tracking.
Honestly, I was really hoping this would be an opportunity to explore electronic voting, in addition to the mail-in ballot and at least a few polls for those people who have problems with mail in or electronic voting. And for areas that only get mail delivery a couple of times a week, this could be problematic.
They say they have to look at logistics (duh!) and figure out by when they need to get the ballots out. But I think they could get them out within two weeks, considering the question has already been drafted.
Anyhoo, there’s a third opportunity for BC-ites to vote this year: civic/municipal elections take place November 19. If you’re not up to speed on your civic politics, you should be – the fewest people vote in these elections, yet they’re often the ones that impact us most. Want a speedbump or crossing light installed? That’s municipal. Your property taxes? A large part of that is municipal (and whether you rent or own, it gets worked into the bill). Water, police, fire – they’re mostly all delivered by municipalities. You’re affected a lot more on a day-to-day basis by your local government than you are by federal or provincial levels.
So if you don’t know your municipal politics:
- read your local papers (you know, those free ones that get delivered to your doorstep)
- Attend a local Council meeting or two (you can search for your municipality here)
- Read the Council meetings and agendas of your municipality (again,, use the search above) and get familiar with issues that are coming up
- Talk to Councillors and other elected officials (school board, for example)
Most importantly, vote. It’s the only way a difference will be made.
This is why the budget will fail
The NDP and the Liberals may wax poetic about why they’re not supporting today’s budget (seniors. education, blah blah yadda yadda).
But really, I think they’re mad about stuff like this (photos and captions courtesy Vancouver Sun).
First, the opposition is worried about video game addiction:
Also, they saw what “high-quality Canadian Programming is”…AND THEY DON’T LIKE IT. Why, I’m not sure, but judge for yourself:
Your thoughts on today’s budget?
An Escalating Situation
I live a ways out of Vancouver proper. Specifically, I live in a rural suburb called Maple Ridge. It’s a very pleasant place to live, with housing that is still somewhat reasonably priced for what you get. We like living there, a lot. However, I work in Vancouver and every day, I take a commuter train called the West Coast Express (WCE) that takes me downtown to Waterfront Station*. From there, I hop on one of the Canada Line (similar to a subway for those not familiar) lines and take a short 10 minute ride to a station about a block away from the Employer.
The Canada Line is a skytrain line that runs from Downtown Vancouver to Richmond and Vancouver International Airport. It was built for the Olympics. There is a second, older skytrain line, the Expo Line** which runs to some of the other municipalities around Vancouver: Burnaby, New Westminster and Surrey. There’s also a Seabus (a small passenger ferry), that goes across the Burrard Inlet to North Vancouver.*** All of these lines and the WCE intersect at Waterfront station.
When I get off the train at Waterfront Station, I have to go up a somewhat long escalator, then hang a left to go out to the Canada Line. When I hang that left, I exit into an area where you can go straight to get to the main station and the Canada Line, left to go to the Seabus, and right to go to the Expo Line. Normally, to get to the Expo Line people will hang a hard right and most of them will go down the escalators. People coming in from the main station will hang a left to go either down the escalators or down the stairs; most of them go down the stairs unless they are unable to. It’s all really rather civilized and traffic flows through quite smoothly.
What it boils down to is this: the entrance/exit to the West Coast Express, the Expo Line and the Seabus are all in the same area. That means there are a LOT of people coming through that area all day long, but particularly during rush hours. It is imperative, therefore that all accesses to these lines are working.
For the last month or so, the escalators to the Expo Line have been broken down. What was happening was this: people coming up the WCEs escalators were forced to stop at the top because of the crush of people trying to get down to the Expo Line by the ONE SET OF STAIRS. There’s one, non-moving, escalator open, but that’s for people who are coming up. The result is that hundreds of people risk getting trampled, because while the people at the top of the WCE escalators are forced to stop (because they cannot move), the escalators themselves don’t stop.
I suspect some people got hurt because in the last couple of weeks or so, they’ve had smurfs**** at the bottom of the WCE escalators and the intersection area up above. The smurfs at the bottom will let some people through, then stop the crowd when they’re told it gets too crowded up top.
Now my issue is not with the safety – that’s been taken care of. My issue is this: how long does it take to fix an escalator at a major transportation hub? Did you need to order the part from Antarctica? Because whether the part is in Europe, Canada, or the US, you should be able to get it within 72 hours. I know for a fact that I can FedEx or UPS a package across the country in 24 hours. So don’t tell me you had to wait for the part.
And the real kicker? If this had happened during the Olympics, it would have been fixed within 24-48 hours.
I’m not sure who exactly is responsible for the escalators at the stations. It probably varies. In the absence of a clear person to talk to, I’m directing this at TransLink. Because all of the systems in that station are owned and operated in part or in whole by TransLink who therefore has an obligation to the service users.
Although TransLink operates much like a private company, it is still funded by public dollars (taxes) and is therefore responsible to citizens like myself. And if this had happened back in February, TransLink would have been all over it because, goodness, we cannot have The World thinking we can’t manage this. Oh no.
But when it comes to taxpayers, well, meh. They’ll put up with it because they have to.
But I’m calling you out @Translink. This took way too long. And the party that promises to do away with you gets my vote.
*called this presumably because it’s on the waterfront. Duh.
**called this because it was built for Expo 86
***where you can go shopping at Lonsdale Quay
****otherwise known as Customer Service Representatives (called smurfs because of the blue jackets they wear)
Let’s talk about tax, baby
So I noticed that when Bill Vander Zalm was pushing for people to sign his HST petition, the pundits seemed pretty supportive. Now that we’re actually going to get to have a say on it, however, the pundits have switched their tactics. Now they’re focusing on on (a) the compositon of the Fight HST group and (b) the allegedly “real desires” of Vander Zalm et. al.
On the first point, the pundits have suddenly started digging up the past. For anyone who remembers, the Zalm came in on a program of fiscal conservatism and in the 90s mixed business with pleasure and was kicked out of office. The Social Credit party then imploded.
Vander Zalm, it should be known, is of the “far-right Christian conservative variety.” And shock of shocks, he’s surrounded himself with the same kind of people. Chris Delaney, the head spokesperson for the fight HST campaign is a well-known far-right Christian conservative.
So you should all know by now that I am not of the far-right Christian conservative variety: I enjoy wine, I used to smoke, I slam Sarah Palin, and I have a well-loved child out of wedlock. I have engaged in my share of debauchery in my lifetime. I am not a fan of the Zalm (although I will use his name for a random rhyme), his values and his peoples’ values. But I agree with what he’s doing in fighting the HST with a citizens initiative petition because I believe in democracy – substantive democracy and being able to voice your opinions at times other than elections. The citizens petition and the referendum next year is a chance to do this.
And the pundits, who two weeks ago, were praising the Zalm for this initiative, are now digging up the past and insinuating that this is the top of a slippery slope to get a far-right Christian conservative party a la Tea Party thriving in BC and eventually in Canada. On Monday, the Bill Good Show had a phone-in pundit saying exactly that: that the petition is about establishing a far-right Christian conservative party and not about getting rid of the HST.
They’re talking about the people in the Fight HST initiative who are of the far-right Christian variety and other political wingnuts, including an Albertan transplant who supports a Holocaust denier. And they’re talking like they’re surprised at this. Oh, and gasp! The Zalm has political ambitions! Danger, Will Robinson, danger!
In a recent column, Vaughn Palmer writes that Delaney is indeed the new spokesperson for a right-wing party and:
…this is Delaney’s fourth party in the past dozen years. Should Vander Zalm join (he expects to be courted of course), it would be the sixth or seventh vehicle for his political ambitions.
Imagine that. A former politician with political ambitions who is still plugged into the group that got him to power in the first place. In other news, water is wet and it rains a lot in Vancouver in November.
(Sidenote: Sir Winston Churchill flipped between parties several times and was elected under both parties – the difference is, he only had two parties to choose from)
At the same time the pundits are chastising the NDP for going along with the Fight HST campaign and helping out with it because the far-right Christian mentality does not match up with NDP traditions. And yet, a couple of weeks ago, no one was touching this with a 10 foot pole. You know why?
Because the NDP, as the official opposition, was doing its job the best way it could. With something this big, you don’t look a gift horse (a political champion) in the mouth who’s willing to foot the bill. And if you go far enough, grassroots is grassroots, regardless of if it’s of the left or right variety (the former Reform Party of Canada actually attracted quite a few grassroots left-wingers; many farmers now who voted Reform now vote NDP federally).
So, why are the pundits doing this? Because two things sell: sex and fear. While politics in BC is weird, it is often unsexy and downright dirty. So the pundits go to fear. The message? “If you vote in favour of this initiative, you’re allowing for the establishment of a far-right Christian conservative party.”
And to that I say you’re wrong.
Because this is not about the HST, it’s not about the Zalm or his cronies, and it’s not even about the Premier (shockingly, I agree with Gordon Campbell on this). This is about democracy, and democracy is about choice.
Your first choice: to view the initiative as:
- The top of a slippery slope to the establishment of a far-right party, or
- A chance to have a say about what’s going on.
- Another weird episode in BC’s weird politics
- A and c
- B and c
Your second choice:
- To vote on the initiative when it comes around – to have a say on what really affects you
- To not vote on the initiative – and grouse about the tax burden
I’d encourage you to view the initiative positively – as a chance to have a say. Too often, we miss the chance to really have a say on what matters. The initiative is a chance to choose to have that say rather than just complaining about it in between.
More importantly, this initiative has a chance to fundamentally change the political landscape – to show politicians that this can succeed and that they are not impervious to citizens’ wishes between elections.
And to hell with the pundits.
Power to the People
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or in a province other than BC), you know that the Hated Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) has been in place since the beginning of July.
(Incidentally, did you know that the deposit on pop bottles gets HST?)
And unless you’re one of my eleven or dedicated readers, you know that I don’t like the HST.
Let’s put it this way: I get the economic theory behind it. The benefit to the consumer is a form of trickle-down policy that expects the savings experienced by business will be passed on to the consumer. I also think most forms of trickle-down policy are wrong; what they expect doesn’t happen. Hey, even Alan Greenspan admitted he was wrong to believe that business had the morals he expected. Oh and he admitted that trickle-down Reganomics didn’t work. (That’s a video link, btw – it’ll open in a new window).
I am, when it boils down to it, a student of democracy. I work in a field where I some of the things I do provide people the opportunity to exercise their rights to share their opinions with their government between elections. I studied transitional democracies and how people, through civil society, change their governments. Free elections, while necessary, are not sufficient conditions for a democracy. In between elections people need to have reasonable access to make their wishes heard by elected officials. This is why I was ecstatic when, years back, there was recall legislation approved. It’s my belief that, since people elect their representatives here and in the process give them a job, it’s also their right to fire them. In any democracy it’s important to remember that the electorate is the boss, and the politicians merely represent them (and somehow, over time, this has become reversed, but that’s another post entirely).
In BC, former premier Bill Vander Zalm* launched an anti-HST petition and a constitutional case against the HST. After 700,000 people signed the petition, Elections Canada approved the petition under recall legislation. After a court case was fast-tracked (and don’t even get me started on that one because I’ll never shut up – in that case the courts made the only decision they could if they wanted to uphold the tenets of democracy). The petition then went to a joint committee of the legislature for a decision on whether to allow a free vote in the legislature or send it to a non-binding referendum (a plebiscite, if you will).
Yesterday the Committee recommended and the government agreed to send it to a referendum next year.
This, eleven readers, is history unfolding before our eyes. This is the first time ever that a citizen’s petition has succeeded and the first time the recall legislation has succeeded.
Yes, the referendum will be expensive, up to $30 million and a free vote in the legislature much more efficient, both in terms of time and money. But democracy is not cheap.
But this is your chance to help make history. Even if you don’t care about whether the HST is in place or not, you need to vote next year. Yes, it’s non-binding, but if most people in the province are against it, the referendum sends a strong message to both provincial and federal governments about the HST.
For people who don’t vote because they believe their vote doesn’t count and politicians don’t listen, this is your chance to demand that they listen. The corporations that support the HST don’t have a vote; you do. It’s people that elect politicians, not corporations.
The referendum, in many ways is better than a vote in the legislature. By and large, MLAs, whether it’s a free vote or not (and all money bills are technically free votes) will vote with their party. There is no guarantee, in my opinion, that MLAs would exercise their right to a free vote for fear of repercussions by their party.
So vote. Show your MLA who’s boss and what you want.
Because the Onion says it better than I ever could
Growing increasingly wrathful, God continued: “Can’t you people see? What are you, morons? There are a ton of different religious traditions out there, and different cultures worship Me in different ways. But the basic message is always the same: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Shintoism… every religious belief system under the sun, they all say you’re supposed to love your neighbors, folks! It’s not that hard a concept to grasp.”
“Why would you think I’d want anything else? Humans don’t need religion or God as an excuse to kill each other—you’ve been doing that without any help from Me since you were freaking apes!” God said. “The whole point of believing in God is to have a higher standard of behavior. How obvious can you get?”
“I’m talking to all of you, here!” continued God, His voice rising to a shout. “Do you hear Me? I don’t want you to kill anybody. I’m against it, across the board. How many times do I have to say it? Don’t kill each other anymore—ever! I’m fucking serious!”
Upon completing His outburst, God fell silent, standing quietly at the podium for several moments. Then, witnesses reported, God’s shoulders began to shake, and He wept.
So today, on that day 9 years ago when the 20th Century officially ended, I could tell you where I was, or I could rant about the hypocrisy of the idea of freedom of religion, and make cracks about burning holy books.
But instead I’m going to ask: can’t we just all get along?
Post-Partum Depression, Depression and Living
A year ago, I dragged myself to the doctor to deal with post-partum depression (PPD) which manifested as anger and anxiety. Honestly, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The thought that you’re not in control of your own mind is something else. Coupled with the anxiety, it was a good recipe for now-daily panic attacks.
I knew I was a good candidate for PPD – depression runs in my family. My dad was diagnosed as clinically depressed years ago. He was put on Effexor which helped him, and at that point it was the antidepressant of the day. It’s also one of the strongest ones out there and the one of the hardest to get off. When he found this out, he weaned himself off, saying, “I don’t want another monkey on my back.”
His medication of choice, by the way, is scotch: two drinks before dinner.
Honestly, I think it was more the idea that he wasn’t in control of his own mind that scared him off.
And it’s here that we get to the difference between “mind” and “brain.” The way my doctor explained it was it was largely a biochemical reaction – brain chemistry is out of balance and Zoloft helps regain that balance.
For years, I had suffered “episodes”: I’d have a day, or two, or three, or seven where I just wasn’t motivated, was sad and just couldn’t deal with life. Then I’d go and sleep for about 12 hours and I’d be better for a while. “Awhile” varied: it could be months, weeks, or a day. And I thought this was how people lived their lives – that everyone needed a reset once in a while. Because for me, this was normal – at least since my mid-teens. As I got older, another coping mechanism became wine: for about a year before getting pregnant, it was not unusual for me to have a glass or two, or three at night after work. Once in a while, I expect this is okay – but when it’s every day, it starts becoming a problem.
And then I got pregnant, gave up wine and had a baby.
Until I gave birth, sleeping was my coping mechanism. Diet too, but more sleeping. This was fine and doable when I didn’t have a baby, but with the sleep deprivation of new parenthood, I went into a downwards spiral until one day I was driving home and considered plowing the car into a concrete median just so that the responsibility would be someone else’s. That afternoon I called my doctor.
A month later, the cloud lifted. A year later, I feel better than I have felt in years. I have mental clarity, focus and my drive is coming back. I have the occasional mini-episode, but they’re not debilitating like they used to be and are often fixable with a walk or a swim rather than having to sleep for 12 hours or take a day off work. For me, the answer is one pill, once a day before bed.
So what am I saying? If you think you need help, you might. It probably can’t hurt to go ask. And it’s okay – it’s not your mind. It’s a biochemical reaction in your brain. Like Katie said when I came out about this, “If you were diabetic, you’d take insulin, right?”
Author’s Note: I wrote this yesterday, before this twitterstorm about this article on AOL. The really offensive comment has been removed since the twitterstorm. Basically the expert they asked said that post-partum depression is situational, and people get depressed because they can’t hack their situation. When she was called out she actually responded that all depression is situational:
Generally speaking, I don’t buy the chemical imbalance theory for any depression; I believe people just don’t want to deal with real life issues and the fact that sometimes life is simply depressing and damn difficult. It isn’t about chemical imbalance but tough times and our own issues.
(Shamelessly stolen from Pretty Babies’ post, linked above)
And it is attitudes like that, from other women no less, that make it necessary for us to speak out, and not give depression the power it has had through silence. It’s time to break the stigma, like I said above. Depression is chemical. Some people benefit from counseling, other from anti-depressants, and some people need both.
If you want to read more about this, Her Bad Mother has been far more eloquent on the subject than I ever could be; she takes my “depression sucks, but you can get better and it’s okay to ask for help” and gives it a voice that can be heard all over the internet.
Given it was a year ago yesterday that I finally overcame my own prejudices and asked for help, and this occurred today, I felt I had to chime in. Because I’m fairly certain that for me, it wasn’t only post-partum depression – it was an ongoing depression. That pill I take every night makes me a better mother, and a better person because I’m not so wrapped up in my own misery I can’t focus on anything else.
And for people out there that want to think otherwise, go ahead, think it. But this is what works for me and my family. This is what helps me go beyond existing to living.
You can still enter my A&D Diaper Rash Products giveaway here
Happy HST Day! I mean, Happy Canada Day!
Happy Canada Day! Have a donut for breakfast!
But if you live in BC and buy that donut at the Great Canadian Institution that is Tim Horton’s, that donut will cost you 7% more (or so) than yesterday. Because our ever-lovin’ Premier’s gift to us on Canada’s Birthday is the Hated Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). So instead of paying just
(Note: you cannot buy day-old donuts and get away with paying yesterday’s tax. And really, day-old donuts?).
Anyways, because of the HST, we got hit with property taxes and a special levy when our strata suddenly had to accelerate our complex’s roof replacement and purchase materials and services for it in June. Ouch.
Anyways, for those BC-ites that are interested, our ever-lovin’ government has put up a handy-dandy list of what is affected by HST and what is not (I’m not going to go through the hypocrisies I see in it related to green initiatives because that is another post in and of itself).
Note, that’s not an exhaustive list. Generally speaking, at the grocery store, processed foods are subject to HST, and “natural foods” are not.
So that cow’s milk you’re buying is apparently raw, because homogenization and pasteurization are not considered processing foods, but that soy milk you buy because your partner/kid/elderly aunt is lactose intolerant? Is considered a processed food. The cow’s milk isn’t subject to HST but the soy milk is.
Now if that doesn’t twist your noodle, take a look at this one.
Because the HST combines two previous taxes (GST and PST) it’s deemed more efficient by economists. The theory is:
And in that same article, Gordon Campbell claims that
Really? No? REALLY?
One of the interesting things about the HST is that the tax rate actually drops on a few items. One of these is liquor. Until yesterday, taxes on liquor in BC were 15%. The HST drops it to 12%, which is a savings of 3%, which will be passed on to consumers, right?
WRONG.
The BC Liquor Control board which sells liquor to liquor stores is raising its wholesale prices by 3%, under direction from the Minister of Finance, Colin Hansen:
So let me get this straight: private businesses, and small businesses are expected to pass on their material savings to consumers, but a government regulatory body isn’t.
Hypocrisy, much, Mr. Premier?
How’s that one twist your noodle?
BUT if you buy wine in BC directly from a winery, that 3% savings will occur because they’re selling their own product. So if you’re looking for wineries, check out my Glocality page.
Oh, but wait, in the long run, this will be good for us. Really. The Premier promises that
And it’s going to be so good, that some companies are taking Bill Vander Zalm and BC’s Chief Electoral Officer to court to try to stop the anti-HST petition (that gathered more than enough signatures to be considered by the legislature and was delivered to Victoria yesterday)
Really? Companies are trying to knock down a citizen’s initiative petition and trying to tell the Chief Electoral Officer he doesn’t know his job? Really?
Democracy, anyone? Last I checked, people elected governments, not companies. And to allow companies to bring a case against a citizen’s initiative petition strikes at the heart of democracy, and shows just how much gall these companies have.
So, Happy Birthday, Canada. BC-ites, you’ll be paying for it.
Crossposted at Wet Coast Women
Administrative Note/Navel gazing
I am alive. Really. I promise. But the whole working-full-time-and-having-a-baby-at-home-while-partner-is-quitting-smoking*-and-finding-some-sort-of-work-life-balance thing is putting a cramp in my blogging time. And since I spend all day in front of a computer, it’s kind of the last thing I want to do when I get home.
ANYWAYS, what we’ve been up to lately:
Thing the Firste
One set of grandparents were visiting last weekend for father’s day. It was great. We went to the Greater Vancouver Zoo and I have a ton of photos on my camera, but don’t have time to get them posted right now. The Poptart walked most of the way. What I want to know, is: how the hell did I become mother to a toddler?
Thing the Seconde
I attended a networking session yesterday and my old boss was there (really my former boss’ boss, but whatever).
The problem with seeing someone after not seeing them for awhile is realizing how much you miss them. I nearly started crying when she hugged me. I miss her terribly, both as a person and a manager. She always inspired me to do better, and she managed to do it again at this event.
And she said it was okay to have other things to prioritize, especially when you have a family. Specifically, she said, “You can have it all, you just can’t have it all right now.”
Thing the Thirde
I have been doing a bootcamp for the last 5 weeks. Apparently, it is a beginner bootcamp, but when we’re doing deadlifts and then I can’t walk properly for a couple of days, I question that. Especially when I start eyeing the Poptart’s stroller at the Zoo and wonder if it’ll hold my weight.
But I liked it and will probably sign up for the summer session as well. I’ve also been shredding for the last couple of weeks and have made it to level 2, and ohmygod. My obliques. They hurt.
So, what have you been up to? You’re probably in my reader, but I have over 300 entries to read. So it’ll be awhile before I get to that.
*It has been a week since he had a smoke, so we’re over the worst of it. And I am so proud of him.
PSA: Oh, that Hated Sales Tax (The HST)
It’s no secret that the Campbell Liberals (and really, a lot of them are old SoCreds – and for those that remember, the irony of this will become apparent shortly) want to implement the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in BC later on this year.
Former Social Credit (SoCred – oh the irony) Premier Bill Vander Zalm has received permission to launch an official Citizen’s Initiative Petition against the HST. If it receives 10% of signatures from registered voters in each electoral district, the decision on whether to implement the HST will have to go to a referendum or it must be scrapped.
Now you may have already signed some online petitions against it, and that’s great. But in order for your opinion to count, you MUST sign the Citizen’s Initiative Petition.
To sign the petition, you must be a registered voter and go to the appropriate place or contact your local canvasser.
Now, my own opinion? I’m signing as soon as there’s someone in my electoral area who’s collecting signatures. I think we have enough taxes and the HST will be revenue-neutral, apparently, because businesses get it all back at the end of the year. I don’t think businesses will pass on lower prices to the consumer – why would they when they can turn more of a profit?
And I don’t enjoy the prospect of paying HST on my strata fees. So I’m saying:
Contacts and locations to sign the petition can be found here.
