Langley Times - Wed. February 8, 2006
City Mayor Peter Fassbender on front page cries: "Bring back the court house!". Yeah, right. The Langley's would save money but not the province. No way, Jose, will this happen. Nice try though.
Page 3 talks about Township spending another half million on adding more Quonset buildings on the northern edge of the Airport lands. While good economically, say good bye to the view to the South while driving on 56th. But, if you look to the North, you'll clearly see the $3-4-5 Million Grandstand. (Have I mentioned that before? If not, see this link).
You know that neat looking little church on Glover in Milner? Well, you better. Your Township Council on Page 3 agreed to spend your tax dollars to the tune of $132,000. Add this to the previous $400,000 given to the Milner Community Association and you now have invested well over half a million dollars for a heritage building. Good or bad investment? You decide.
Page 5 has our MP Mark Warawa going on about how all Langley got was $1 million for the 208 Street overpass from the cheap ole Liberals, and how wonderful the new Harper Cabinet is. Gee, I don't think headhunting former Liberal Emerson with inducements and appointing an unelected Party back room hack to Cabinet and the Senate is so wonderful. Don't you just love MP's who see no evil and hear no evil in their own back yard but throw heaps of manure into their neighbour's yard? Oh and about the measly million dollars the Libs gave Langley, we are waiting with baited breath to see Warawa do better.
Both of the editorials are heavily slanted in favor of Harper's Conservatives because in our opinion, the editor seems to be justifying the inducement and seducement of Minister Emerson and the appointment of non-elected Fortier to Cabinet and to the Senate. The question is: if the Liberals had done this, would the Editor have been as kind to them as he is to the Conservatives? Biases anybody? (No -- Not Bucky).
Simply put, what Harper did is wrong, is arrogant and basically reinforces that the democratic deficit is still alive and kicking with this new Conservative Government. I do not understand why anyone would cast a blind eye to this.
By the way, the Times wins the "We-maxed-out-on-our-ads-in-this-edition" award because there are one heck of a lot of ads in this edition. Trust me, read it on-line and your fingers won't tire as fast!
Langley Advance - Tuesday February 7, 2006
Page 3 talks about Rookie Councillor Bateman's motion to target drug houses just as they are doing in other neighbouring communities. Essentially this means that Township bylaws officers condemn drug houses until they are renovated and deemed back up to snuff again. The high renovation cost will theoretically make owners/landlords think twice about who they lease to. Nothing new here. Why this has been mused about for a year or so is beyond me. Also the editor pats the proud and beaming Rookie Councillor on the back for putting this motion forward. The motion may help, but let's face it, it won't stop organized grow ops that much in Langley. Heck they will just buy and not rent houses with cash.
The joke of the paper in this edition comes from our very own Langley Conservative MP, Mark Warawa, endorsing his squeaky clean boss's move in seducing David Emerson. My oh my, how soon we lose our lofty morals and ethics when we become the government.
The main editorial again touches on the Emerson/Fortier Conservative fiasco. Unlike the Times editorial(s), the Advance Editor tongue in cheek rips the new Conservative government's ethics apart because the new Harper establishment is using tactics that are no better than the Government they replaced. Gosh, we are glad one Editor in Langley calls them like he sees them! In the editorial battles this week, Mr. Groenveld sees all, tells all and wins all.
Langley Times - Sunday February 5, 2006
Page 3 talks about Langley City Cascades Casino temporarily shutting down the Cascades Show Lounge because of parking problems. Our interpretation begs the question does the Show Lounge take away gamblers from the casino? We wonder: will it really be reopened and if it is, will it be the same or downsized?
Also coverage on the impending closure of South Carvolth school which only has 82 students raises the question of how important are the rural areas in Langley. Maybe, just like Superstore, we will eventually only have 1 Superschool in Langley! The school Board will save piles of money then! They could build this super school by the $3-4-5 Million Grandstand!
Page 5 talks about the perennial discussion on a tree protection policy being shifted to development control bylaws. Translation: "yeah come and talk about it but there will essentially be no change and all developers can clear cut to their heart's content except for a token tree or two". (Cathleen is going to be so P-O'ed!"). At least, there will be input sought. So go give your two cents worth, hope for a tree bylaw with teeth and expect no change, as Mayor Kurt Alberts likes to plant tree seedlings only.
The Page 8 editorial is actually pretty good. Frank talks about the average home price going up 18.5% in Langley causing diffilculty for first time home buyers. How about existing home owners, Frank, especially seniors like Muriel Arnason? If the prices have gone up 18.5%, then I guess that Township Council is justified in raising taxes by 20.35% over the next 3 years to keep pace with home inflation (just like they're probably going to do with their salaries). How many seniors in Langley are going to be house rich and tax poor? How many seniors will be forced to sell their homes? Don't believe me go see Muriel's last posting.
Page 21 speaks to the new museum that Township Council wants in Fort Langley. A detailed valuation and analysis of two potential sites will be brought to Council. Wow! This museum is so important to build now at the height of construction cost inflation. Heck, when the bridge is built and the ferry is shut down, Fort Langley will become a shadow of itself anyhow. Please, forget the museum until after 2010. Maybe Council should focus instead on getting the merchants busier in Fort Langley just like Marlene Grinnell did for downtown Langley City. She did not need a Museum to do that.
Aldergrove Star - Thursday February 2, 2006
Cover page by Kurt Langmann talks to the local businesses that are furious that they are paying thousands of $ annually to Translink just because they have parking lots. Langley should get out of GVRD. The combination of their ever increasing taxes along with the Alberts' council tax hikes is more than we can take. Kurt Langmann in his editorial expands on this and calls on Translink to increase services in Aldergrove. Kurt, tell your Translink director, Kurt Alberts!
Letter writer Mike Harvey, writes about the Pension rip-off that our MPs get. Specifically for every dollar they put into their pension we the taxpayer match with an extra four dollars! He says that Preston Manning did the honourable thing and opted out. how about the rest of the MPs? How about Langley MP Mark Warawa? In the real world, we are lucky if an employer matches our pension dollars one to one!
On page 13 the article writes about a "supergroup" which consists of all GVRD Mayors who will meet quarterly. This was set up by Lois Jackson, our new GVRD chair. Scary, real scary. Imagine that - we are already being taxed to death by GVRD and now they have an additional "supergroup" on top of this! Lois says she wants them to monitor the Sustainable Region Initiative. Do you smell Langley being screwed? We do.
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