Media

You call that News? Reporting?

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CBC News Vancouver was at the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre as part of being “on the road to visit communities around Metro Vancouver and in the Fraser Valley”. The promotions touted that they would be examining the stories of import to the citizens of the community they were visiting that day.

Did CBC News Vancouver address issues of local import or was their claim of addressing issues of local import simply more media hype?

I can only knowledgably address whether CBC News Vancouver addressed stories of import to the citizens of Abbotsford during their visit to the AE&SC.

During a record setting wet spring Abbotsford was the only lower mainland community to impose water rationing (or in politician speak: watering restrictions) beginning April 1st with the imposition of tighter rationing July 1st.

Given: Abbotsford city council is offering tax holidays to promote growth, even though the water delivery system is inadequate to meet current needs even under favourable (record wet spring) conditions; that council has stated they no intention of bringing needed upgrades to the water delivery system on line before 2018; the large capital cost involved in upgrading the water delivery system and the financial bind/disaster that city council has placed the City of Abbotsford in; the importance of water to the liveability of modern cities.

The issue of the water supply for the City of Abbotsford is of prime, if not the primary, interest to the citizens of Abbotsford. Did this item of considerable consequential importance receive even a mention on the CBC News Vancouver when they visited the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre?

No.

Given: Abbotsford city council has raised fees for sports fields, rinks and other sporting venues such that more and more children cannot afford the fees to participate in organized sports in Abbotsford; the fees for the cities exercise facilities are higher than the fees for private facilities; the city pleads poverty in addressing any of the growing social issues plaguing Abbotsford; that Abbotsford city council acknowledges that the act governing municipalities is designed to prevent the type of agreement entered into between the Abbotsford Heat and the City of Abbotsford but proudly claims to have legally circumvented this prohibition.

Did CBC News Vancouver ask mayor Peary about the fact Abbotsford City Council is purchasing, or at least contributing millions of dollars to the purchase, of a professional hockey team for a few wealthy, and obviously well connected, Abbotsford business people?

Did CBC News Vancouver ask Mayor Peary how or why a mayor would be proud of circumventing the intent of the act legislating municipal governance?

No and No.

Given: even the most cursory research on usage of the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre would reveal that the facility is seldom used; that the usage by other that the Abbotsford Heat is decreasing, tending to zero; that the AE&SC has become, for all intents and purposes a private facility for the Abbotsford Heat.

Did CBC News Vancouver do even minimal due diligence before professing the AE&SC ‘well-used’?

No.

No, No and No, No. Is CBC News Vancouver guilty of false advertising for the claim that they would be examining the stories of import to the citizens of Abbotsford when they broadcast from the AE&SC?

Is No, No and No, No merely further evidence that broadcast television has for years misused the term ‘news’ instead of the more accurate and reflective of reality: ‘stories that will sell the most advertising, maximizing the contribution of the stories department to the bottom line’?

Or does No, No and No, No attest that the over-the-air broadcast stories (aka ‘news’), in its focus on pursuit of profit over useful or needed information delivery, made itself as redundant1 as the over-the-air Canadian broadcast television currently is?

I would answer Yes, Yes, Yes. But Readers must consider the information and decide for themselves.

1Footnote: The over-the-air Canadian broadcast television is a Sunset Industry as it evolved to rebroadcast foreign, primarily US, television programming to Canadians in an era when there were no alternative ways to cost effectively deliver this programming. Cable, internet, phone lines and satellites can now deliver programming, more programming, more efficiently than over-the-air broadcast television. This is why maintaining the over-the-air Canadian broadcast television as it is currently constituted requires a permanent tax subsidy imposed on Canadians by the CRTC. Without this permanent subsidy the industry will be forced to contract and re-invent itself in alignment with the market for over-the-air broadcast television services in Canada.

Caveat emptor, Provincial

Reality begins to set in.

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I was watching the 11 PM CTV news on Saturday September 18 and got a certain satisfaction as well as a chuckle from their report on the anti-HST campaign where the CTV Vancouver news department, for the first time by any mainstream media, began to ask people about the $1.6 Billion that the federal government paid to the BC government to enact the HST and that would return to federal government coffers if the HST were to be repealed.

The people they interviewed on camera both felt that it was better to keep the HST than to return the $1.6 Billion to the federal government. The report also cited emails from people who had signed the anti-HST petition asking how they could get their name off the petition now that they were aware of the $1.6 Billion consequence of repealing the HST.

Of course the organizers of the anti-HST, are trying to obscure the reality of the $1.6 Billion dollar cost by speaking of negotiating with the federal government even though there is nothing to negotiate as the purpose of the payments to BC were specifically for the purpose of inducing the BC government to implement the HST.

The first payment was tied to the introduction of the HST legislation, the second was tied to the day the HST came into effect and the final $475 million is payable on the first anniversary of the HST becoming law.

Clearly the federal government made the $1.6 Billion payments to the BC government for the enactment of the HST and is entitled to a refund if BC violates the agreement by repealing the HST; the same contract law that applies to individuals and corporations applies to governments as well.

There is no need for the federal government to negotiate if the HST is repealed in BC. If BC reneges on its HST agreement with the federal government they can reclaim, would be entitled to reclaim, any monies due them by the simple expedient of reducing transfer payments to BC by the amount they are owed.

Since the federal government makes transfer payments for healthcare and education exceeding the $1.6 Billion level they don’t need to ask the BC government for repayment, they can simply deduct any monies due the federal government for repeal of the HST from the transfer payments.

That is the reality of the consequences of repealing the HST and no matter how Mr. Vander Zalm, Carole James, the NDP and the anti-HST campaign wiggle or obfuscate this will remain the reality.

Which one hopes will leave Carole James and the NDP to explain how it is that they propose to increase spending on education and healthcare at the same time they are advocating, championing, cutting the $ 1.6 Billion in federal HST funds out of the BC budget.

And Mr. Vander Zalm et al to explain why it was they failed to address this major consequence of repealing the HST as part of their anti-HST campaign.

Mental Health, Poverty

Johnny Winter – Livin’ the Blues

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It had been so long since I had been able to go to a venue to enjoy a musician I liked live that I had forgotten the sheer pleasure, the joy, to be found in great music played LOUD. Played at a volume where the music hammers into and through you and sets your very core to vibrating in tune with the music.

From the moment that Johnny Winter’s band of Paul Nelson (guitar), Scott Spray (bass) and Vito Liuzzi (drums) were introduced and began to play – before Mr. Winter joined them on stage at the end of that first number – you knew you were in for a treat for the ears and the soul.

The first notes they played drove all thoughts but ‘man, are they tight’ out of your mind and made for an evening of spectacular music.

It was not the quality of the music that was the most impressive part of the evening. You expect great music from Johnny Winter. What strikes you is the seeming effortlessness with which Mr. Winter displays his mastery of the guitar, calling forth the musical sound that affirms him as a virtuoso.

From the opening notes played by the three members of Johnny Winter’s band to the final notes of Highway 61 the evening was a musical tour de force that left you energized, with a huge smile on your face and a joy that could be heard in your voice.

Nanaimo’s Mr. David Gogo’s solo acoustic blues was the perfect opening act for the evening. His solo acoustic performance allowed him to demonstrate his own mastery of the blues and the guitar without competing or being contrasted with Johnny Winter.

Switching back and forth between his two acoustic guitars Mr. Gogo demonstrated why he has ten albums under his belt and an impressive list of nominations and awards.

Mr. Gogo’s set was such that the first thing I did upon returning home was to go online to the Library to see which of Mr. Gogo’s ten CDs were available to be reserved, taken out and listened to.

It was a greatly enjoyable evening of outstanding music enhanced by the venue, Mission’s Clarke Theatre, were there were nothing but good seats.

One of the reasons that poverty grinds away at the spirit is that the revitalization of one’s soul and spirit that simple pleasures such as this evening of great Blues music with Johnny Winter and David Gogo provide is beyond one’s reach. While the price was incredibly reasonable for the music delivered by the performers, it might just have as well have been $10,000 for its lack of affordability on my budget.

The pleasure, joy, relaxation and memories provided me by the evening’s music came to me courtesy of an early Christmas present. Meaning that whatever else happens Christmas 2010 is already a great success in terms of gifts.

Thanks to Mr. Winter, Mr. Gogo and Mr. Earl for a most joyful, exhilarating evening of Smokin’ Blues.