Get Moving BC - Part 2 - Is This Responsible And Ethical Behavior?

LFP was not the first to report the story about some BC Liberal linkages to the GetMovingBC.com website reported previously here in LFP. Further investigation reveals that in May of this year the Georgia Straight reported as well on the Get Moving BC website controversy. Apparently this limited expose was not enough to slow down the efforts of Get Moving BC because since that time as reported by LFP they have been active in polling Burnaby residents, doing studies and churning out press releases. All partisan pro Gateway project focused.

Specifically in the Georgia Straight article, Gateway 40 Network coordinator Donna Passmore told the Straight " she is angered by a Web site– that advertises itself as "grassroots" but is pro-Gateway and the braintrust of Port Coquitlam city councillor Greg Moore and Langley Township councillor Jordan Bateman."

Greg Moore in that same article told the Straight, "he paid $54.10 to register and retain the GetMovingBC.com domain, noting that he has handed the running of the site over to Bateman." The Straight article further quotes Passmore saying "It's the Wizard of Oz phenomenon, where this dazzling spectacle is created, but it comes right down to this little Jordan Bateman."

The Straight also quotes Langley school trustee Sonya Paterson, former President of the Valley Transportation Advisory Committee (VALTAC) , "When I saw it, I thought it was a Liberal Web site that was promoting and endorsing the [Gateway] plan, - "I think they should say what they are really about, although it has been known for a long time in Langley that [B.C. Forests and Range and Housing Minister] Rich Coleman is Jordan Bateman's mentor." Jordan Bateman is Rich Coleman's constituency Vice President and worked for him as a communications consultant in the past election.

Public Eye Online in February reported that Greg Moore was hired by the provincial Liberals in late 2006 as a regional organizer for the provincial Liberals and ran for the BC Liberals party in the last election in Port Coquitlam-Burke Mountain.

In May of this year Public Eye Online again reported that a Mr. Brian Bonney, "abruptly resigned as the operations director for the provincial Liberals and moved on to explore other opportunities." Public Eye Online also reports in the same posting that an,

'email sent to industry members, BC Trucking Association communications coordinator Sandra Azanchi encouraged them to support Get Moving BC, "a non-profit, grassroots organization composed of individuals, businesses and organizations in the Greater Vancouver area advocating a balanced, efficient, and sustainable transportation infrastructure." And who should they contact for more information about this pro-Gateway Program group? Well, if you guessed Mr. Bonney, you'd be right!'
It would seem to this Editor that Get Moving BC has certainly been an instrument for at least these three career BC Liberal party movers and shakers. Is that what they mean by grassroots? Certainly not by this Editor's definition! This whole situation harkens this Editor back to quite a few years ago when a sitting Langley Councillor was caught writing letters in to the local newspapers under an assumed name. The reaction from the press and the public was shock and anger. Is this Get Moving BC website really any different? Is this responsible and ethical behavior that we expect especially from our elected politicians?
This is STORY Part 2 of 3. See Part 1 of 3 here. See Part 3 of 3 here.
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