Langley Free Press

Have a Wonderful Christmas 2011 From Us at LFP

2011-12-22T13:07:00.001-08:00

Lots of Thank You's - Very Light on Platforms & Vision - New Council Inauguration Speeches

2011-12-07T16:47:00.008-08:00

The Langley Township Council's new term was kicked off with this past Monday's Inaugural Mayor & Council swearing in ceremony. This LFP Editor was quite surprised and frankly quite disappointed overall with the speeches made at this first new council meeting of Township Council.

Yesterday I expressed this very concern with our LFP Publisher, Kim Richter, who suggested I give this new council some slack, which I will. We should not forget, that as Times Journalist Natasha Jones says in her article: "In sharp contrast to the hostile atmosphere that dominated Langley Township politics for the past three years, Monday’s inaugural meeting of Township council was an exercise in civility." Very much so. How very refreshing.

I did congratulate Richter on her speech as I also equally do for Councillor Charlie Fox and our new Mayor Jack Froese. These three were the only ones on council who expressed what they each hope to champion in their new 3 year term in office. And only Richter & Froese spoke about the visions that they each had for Langley Township.

I mentioned to Richter that the swearing in ceremony was certainly a great event for the Council members as always, especially for the newest council members and their families, friends and supporters. But it was sadly lacking, in my opinion, in any commitments or vision from most of Council to the Township taxpayers and voters that elected them! This lack of commitment and especially any common vision was the single greatest tragic failure of the previous Green Council. So where was the promise of meat, especially for us Township taxpayers who elected this council?

Upon reading the Langley Advance's Mathew Claxton Langley Advance article, it struck me that he too was perhaps indirectly highlighting the same lack of promise and commitments as well. One reasonably should have expected that three points would have been included in the individual council members speeches:

A brief re-cap of their past accomplishments (especially incumbent Councillors)
Generous thanks to all that supported and helped them get elected
But most importantly to provide an outline, summary and hopefully a vision of what they hope to champion and accomplish in their upcoming three year new term.

As I said the 2nd was overwhelmingly exacted with tons of thank you's and the third was totally absent in this Editor's opinion except for Richter, Fox & Froese. Kudos to those three for that and talking about the future and their concrete commitments to us the taxpayers.

Judge for yourself and watch my edited video with all the council's platforms/promises that I could find and scrape together. I reviewed and edited in as many and all references to ANY visions, promises or commitments made by each and all members of this new council. Quite frankly I had to stretch it to find and to include any promises or commitments from most of this new council. Watch the relevant Council member's promises in this video and Richter's speech/promises can be viewed separately at the top of this posting.

The next and final two LFP videos are just ceremonial footage that shows the new council's entrance and oath signing ceremony highlights and the last shows both Pastor Brent Cantelon's invocation and the Kwantlen First Nation's blessing ceremony.

After Watching the videos in detail, this Editor has eight unsoliticed suggestions to Township Council that could help make this Council a success:

Drop past affiliations/IOU's with the defeated VLN & the so-called 6 pack.
Get a quick grip on any power tripping, personal egos & agendas. There is no "I" in team!
Share the information wealth and duties equally and leave no council member behind.
Use your individual council member's strengths. Never fear or shun them.
Immediately work towards a joint council list of reasonable and doable common goals for this 3 year term and a consensus for a longer term vision for Langley Township
Get taxpayers input and buy in to this council's goals & vision.
Make the 3 year goals a reality and start building on the long term vision.
Always, always, ALWAYS listen to the taxpayers!

P.S. Let's be very clear here. This is the Editor's opinion. Not the Publisher's. This Editor simply wishes there had been more meat and commitment to action in the speeches. It is not a criticism of anyone on the new Council. But it is a criticism of content. I am as thrilled as everyone else is with this new council and I am very hopeful for this new Council's future progress and achievement. But I will always hold any council's feet to the fire. So enough of the fluff. Now get on with the substance of governing. >>>>LFP EDITOR<<<<

LFP Publisher Kim Richter's Son, Sterling Does Street Wrap Art On Granville & Nelson St.

2011-11-28T12:44:00.026-08:00

Municipal Election Results - Nov 19, 2011 Township of Langley Municipal Election

2011-11-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

Below is the Summary Election Results of the Nov 19th 2011 Township of Langley Election

Election Summary Report Nov 19, 2011 Township of Langley Municipal Election

Below is the Poll by Poll Election Results of the Nov 19th 2011 Township of Langley Election

Nov 19 2011 Election Summary by Poll

Mayor Green and his Vote Langley Now Slate Decimated! 3 New Members On Township Council

2011-11-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Preliminary Final results to Langley Township Council Election

Kim Richter Re-Elected with her very happy three children

More info coming tomorrow. Thank you to Joe Zaccaria for sending the photo of the final election results above.

Mel Kositsky's Advertorial Truth Re Nov 19th Election

2011-11-18T10:21:00.002-08:00

Mel Kositsky's Advertorial Truth Re Nov 19th Election

For FULLSCREEN select bottom left button above & to SHARE select button to it's left. PLEASE SHARE!

Last Langley Township Council All Candidates Meeting at Langley Event Center

2011-11-17T01:20:00.003-08:00

Langley Township Council Election Candidates

This LFP Editor has just had enough of the Green VLN slate-mates in unison parroting their ridiculous deception attempt trying to convince us that they are Independents yet also a Slate! It becomes even more ludicrous when they line up and repeat this one after another at every debate. So I decided to finally highlight and point out this inane Green VLN slate attempt to word craft and word weave this B.S. to us, the Langley Township voters, in the above very short 47 second video. I hope you find it as amusing as I did.

Banquet Hall at Langley Events Ctre.

At last night's last election event at the Langley Event Center which by-the-way the Green VLN Slate and slate-mates continually criticize, the Langley Township Election candidates had their final public hurrah before this Saturday's election. One by one they introduced themselves and there after mingled with the audience answering individual questions. This event was organized by an election candidate herself, Sonya Paterson. Good job Sonya. Unfortunately there were far too many empty audience seats. I'm told that the poor weather may have been the issue.

Murray Jones, Suhki Dhami and Kim Richter

There was even a Gang-Green anti-slate protester in attendance who parodied the Gang-Green slate's red stop sign ads. Well known anti Gang-Green VLN slate critic Suhki Dhami wore a sandwich board imprinted with our own LFP designed Rick Green anti-slate stop sign. He downloaded this from LFP and had it blown up onto the sandwich boards. Very creative Suhki.

This picture of Suhki wearing the sandwich boards almost brought tears to this Editor's eyes! One can only Imagine what emotions Gang-Green must have had tonight upon first seeing Suhki wearing the sandwich boards at the all candidates meet and greet tonight. Pictured wearing the sandwich board is the frequent Green VLN slate critic Suhki Dhami flanked on both sides by two election candidates, Murray Jones and our very own Publisher and Langley Township Council re-election candidate Kim Richter. By LFP EDITOR

Get your Own "I Don't Want Slates in Langley" Poster/Sign

2011-11-15T13:32:00.013-08:00

Share your opposition to Municipal slates, especially Langley Township's Rick Green Slate! Print, Share or Email this posting to your own lists of Email, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, etc. friends.

At the bottom left side of this LFP Posting are convenient and simple buttons to automatically Email, Blog, Facebook and Twitter to your friends to more easily share this LFP Posting. Anyone & everyone can then get their own copy of this Langley Anti-Slate Poster to proudly display where you stand on slates.

Get your own poster by clicking on this following link: "I Don't Want Slates In Langley!" Then simply print it out (use keyboard Ctrl & P to print it out after clicking the link). Print it in either colour or B&W. This same poster link is also available on this LFP sidebar on the upper left sidebar by clicking the STOP SIGN and then keyboard Ctrl & P to print it out. This poster/flyer prints out on a full 8.5 x 11 inch standard sheet of paper. If you want, maybe even consider a local printer to get hundreds of flyers or posters!

Keep in mind that the deadline is election day this Saturday & the last candidates meet & greet debate is tomorrow night at Langley Events Center! Bring lots of flyers!

You can then tape these posters to the inside of your windows, car windows, any wall, or just share or hand them out at least to your immediate neighbours, friends, etc. If you wish, Email this link or deliver this link to any T-Shirt provider like Dogs Ear in Willowbrook mall and get a T-shirt, mug, etc., printed! Enjoy and help Langley stay truly independent by going Viral with "I Don't Want Slates In Langley!"

Langley Township School Trustee Candidate Megan Dykeman Featured On CBC National News: "Putting on the Glitz"

2011-11-14T20:31:00.011-08:00

Langley beauty pageant makes the national news! Watch Langley Township School Trustee Candidate Megan Dykeman (running for election this Saturday) who was featured on last night's CBC National News (November 13, 2011) : "Putting on the Glitz" . Mouse Clik "Putting on the Glitz" to view it.

(P.S. On another topic this Editor thanks you the LFP readers, as Langley Free Press celebrated a new high yesterday of over 800 views in one 24 hour period alone! That's about 25000 a month. Thank you!)

Langley Firefighters Support Mel Kositsky for Mayor & Kim Richter as one of the 8 for Council

2011-11-12T23:07:00.002-08:00

The Langley Township Firefighters after extensive research officially published their list that they support for council in Langley Township.Their 4'x8' signs pictured here were sprouting up throughout the Township.

In addition the Firefighters are expected to advertise in the local newspapers as well as drop literature throughout the Township. Before they came to their conclusion the Firefighters had questionnaires that all candidates answered. They also hosted a debate where all the candidates were able to provide their credentials/policies and they also answered pre-prepared questions that they all got in advance. No ambush there unlike at the three community group's so-called pro Green VLN debate. In addition all the candidates were able to mingle-meet-greet the firefighters and guests at that debate. All the council incumbents except for Councillor Bev Dornan and incumbent Mayor Rick green were endorsed. The Firefighters instead endorsed Mel Kositsky for the Mayor position. New candidates Rebecca Darnell, Michelle Sparrow & Dan Sheel were also endorsed.

Who's Really Playing Dirty Politics? Inappropriate & a Totally Rick Green VLN Partisan Candidate Ambush At Tonight's Mayor Debate By Debate Organizers!

2011-11-11T00:52:00.012-08:00

Last night's debate was hosted by three groups: Salmon River Enhancement Society, The Fort Langley Community Association and the new Yorkson Community Association.

There are no words to adequately describe this Editor's disgust at the travesty pretending to be a genuine and legitimate Mayor's Candidate debate held at the Brookswood Secondary school gym. The debate was promoted as a non partisan forum to hear the views of the three Langley Township Mayor candidates on legitimate community concerns: the environment, development and community input to council decisions. The reality was far removed from this description. The event was not a debate but a "Rick Green VLN love-in" by very partisan debate organizers.

While the beginning was innocuous enough with opening statements from the three Mayor candidates, it rapidly disintegrated into a "bash Mel Kositsky and Jack Froese" session as evidenced by the questions posed by the event organizers themselves and their partisan supporters. Every question asked was designed to showcase Rick Green at the expense of Mel and Jack. How sad that legitimate community groups would allow their credibility to be so badly damaged. As a small sample watch the following video.

Discussion by many during the break and after the so-called debate expressed
shock, disappointment and disgust at how slanted and vicious the questions posed by the debate hosts were towards the non Green/VLN candidates. In this Editor's opinion, it seemed abundantly clear that personal vendettas and agendas of organizers may have been the real reason for this so-called debate.

Kudos to both Mayor candidates Jack Froese & Mel Kositsky for behaving like gentlemen in the face of such uncalled for and vicious attacks. The Rick Green VLN slate after the meeting were demonstratively thrilled with how one sided in their favour the debate had been.

Democracy was not served well tonight and even more sadly the credibility of two important community groups that had previously always played a big part in objectively educating election candidates and the voters on key issues facing this community could be so badly and viciously twisted.

Hopefully, public apologies may help repair the damage done to these groups' credibility and objectivity tonight. Otherwise like "Vote Lies Now", can anyone ever reasonably and legitimately believe what they say anymore? How very sad and disappointing. This was nothing more than a staged VLN event to garner local media headlines in the last week before the election. The question is will the local media take the Rick Green VLN bait?

Langley Advance Editor Bob Groeneveld's Take on the Three Township Mayor Candidates

2011-11-10T01:01:00.001-08:00

None Are So Blind As Those Who Will Not See

2011-11-08T22:01:00.011-08:00

What amazes this LFP Editor is that formerly rational people, respected people, old friends and political pundits in the Township (who now fervently write in comments to LFP, the Times, etc.) still desperately cling to a seemingly messianic devotion to a Mayor whose true personality and attributes have been revealed time and again over the past three years by several independent consultants, lawyers and others. Yet these pundits are still willing to throw out the
baby with the bath water to help crown their Czar at almost any cost. Sadly very amazing. The many historical similarities are obvious but using them would probably draw even more rabid comments.

In this Editor's opinion, Councillor Richter has finally simply said that she believes there should be NO room AT ALL for any dishonesty or lies by ANY of our elected politicians. How simple and basic can this message be?

Yet apparently there are those who believe there is an acceptable level of dishonesty for some politicians. So just what is this level and what extent is acceptable then? 1 lie? 3? 10? Big lie? Small lie? Medium Lie? Simple Lie? Compounding Lie? Cover-up lie?

How very sad and disturbing to think that any of us would believe any level of deception is OK.

I agree with Councillor Richter and we should all agree that there should be zero-tolerance of this from ANY of our elected politicians. Otherwise the fragile and imaginary line of truth and reality in the sand will fade quickly and disappear. What will then be the true loss to our community, society and families? How do we ever justify this to our children? Think about it.

A final important closing quote from Councillor Kim Richter: "On November 19th, I hope that Township taxpayers will vote Zero-Tolerance for any politician lying while in a publicly held and publicly paid office."

P.S. I encourage anyone to select any or all portions of this Editorial and re-tweet, re-post, share or simply write letters to the Papers. Go Viral!

Kim Richter Hopes Taxpayers Vote Zero-Tolerance on Nov 19th for any Politician Lying while in Public Office

2011-11-07T23:23:00.026-08:00

Watch all 3 Videos of Councillors Richter, Fox & Ferguson below here in this LFP posting. These three Councillors had the most significant Council responses to Cllr. Grant Ward's Motion calling for a formal Committee of Inquiry into the complete Mayor Green Brownshack Affair. Mayor Green's response was his standard deflection and attempts to ignore the facts.

At tonight's last council meeting of this Langley Township Council before the election on Nov 19th, Councillor Kim Richter voted against any more money being spent by taxpayers for an inquiry as proposed by Councillor Grant Ward to inquire into the Mayor Green Brownshack fiasco. Council voted 6-2 to defer the decision to the new council to decide on an inquiry. Only Richter & Green voted against the motion. Obviously not for the very same motives! Richter essentially said that the Township taxpayers should be the court of final opinion on Election day November 19th . See her video above and a complete transcript of her speech also below where she specifically said:

"The Lidstone Report concluded the Mayor misled several times.

The Mayor misrepresented and his actions were dishonest.

The Mayor was caught.

He was punished.

It’s over."

Richter continued:

"Had the Mayor been honest from the outset, not one dime and not one minute of legal time would have been spent on this matter. ...This matter needs to be left with the electorate for final resolution."

Richter concluded her brief remarks by saying the following:

"On November 19th, I hope that Township taxpayers will vote Zero-Tolerance for any politician lying while in a publicly held and publicly paid office."

Kim Richter Verbatim Transcript On Not Voting for Motion For Inquiry On Mayor Rick Green

Some of the most passionate and sincere commentary this Editor has ever heard from Councillor's Charlie Fox and especially Steve Ferguson. They were speaking to Councillor Grant Ward's Motion calling for a formal Committee of Inquiry on the pertinent details surrounding the entire Lidstone Report and the particulars relating to all matters arising from the Mayor Green Brownshack affair and cover up. This motion was at the end of debate and was essentially referred to the next new council for their decision on holding an Inquiry.

This posting by LFP EDITOR

Why is Mayor Green & his VLN Slate attacking the Langley Events Center?

2011-11-04T14:46:00.002-07:00

Staying true to form, Mayor Rick Green continues to promote “misleading information”. Over the past week, he has been running a series of political advertisements in all the local newspapers in support of himself and his Vote Langley Now (“VLN”) Slate. These political ads definitely contain “misleading
information”.

The Mayor and his VLN Slate ads prominently display the following phrase:

“Paid a settlement of $8.83 million for the financial mismanagement of the Langley Events Centre “no P3 Agreement” fiasco.”

Those are pretty strong words. In this Editor’s opinion, the above statement clearly implies that there was financial mismanagement on the part of the private partners and that they were bought out for $8.83 million because of it. What evidence is there of financial mismanagement? (If I were one of the private partners, I’d be on the phone to my lawyer right now!).

Let’s examine the real facts.

There was never any “financial mismanagement”. The Langley Events Center was a design/build contract for ~ $57 million. It was built on budget and on time.
The Township received $22.5 million from provincial and community partners towards the construction of this facility: $15 million (Province) + $3.5 million (Trinity Western University) + $3 million (Langley School District #35) + $1 million (Langley Gymnastics).
Therefore, the cost to the Township was $34.5 million ($57 million - $22.5 million).
In 2011, an independent real estate appraisal valued the completed Langley Events Center at $100 million.
The agreement between the Township and the private partners was based on the “Chilliwack Model” which specified a $5.53 million baseline development fee and a 20 year operating framework.
The Langley Events Center is ~75% larger than the Chilliwack facility and the private partners left after 2 years rather than the 20 years to which they were entitled.
The $8.83 million settlement was calculated as $5.53 million (Baseline Chilliwack Model) + $3 million (for a 75% increase in facility size over Chilliwack and a private partner exit fee after 2 years of operation rather than 20 years).
The final cost to the Township is therefore $43.33 million: $34.5 million construction + $8.83 million development and exit fee to the private partners.
Bottomline: The Township has a $100 million facility that it paid $43.33 million for.

The Langley Events Center is a major asset in this community (and region) for sports and events tourism. It has literally put Langley ‘on the map’ and is bringing in more revenue every year from significant sports tournaments and conferences which of course all have considerable spill-off effects into hotel, restaurant, and other small business revenues in this community.

You decide: How is an asset costing $43.33 million and valued at $100 million a bad deal for Langley taxpayers? This is a 43 cents on the dollar investment!

After reading Mayor Green’s Vote Langley Now (VLN) political slate ads and reviewing the real facts on the Langley Events Center, one cannot help but ask: Does “VLN” really stand for “Vote Lies Now”?

Can you really believe anything this Mayor and his slate say? And why do they keep attacking the Langley Events Center?

P.S. I encourage anyone to take excerpts in part or in whole of this posting to send or republish this message to others by Letters to the Editor, news articles, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Election candidates feel free to quote the true facts above. Go viral. Help set the record straight & true!

Mel Kositsky Kicks Off Mayoralty Campaign - Says: "This election is all about trust. The trust... has been broken. It can never be repaired."

2011-11-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

Sunday Oct 30Th at 1 PM and for the rest of the afternoon many people wandered in and out of Councillor Mel Kositsky's new Walnut Grove campaign office on it's grand opening to which the public and politicians at large were invited to. Mel is hoping to beat the rookie Incumbent Mayor Rick Green and the political newcomer/challenger Jack Froese to become the next Mayor of Langley Township in what could well be a tight 3 way race.

Ironically Mayor Green praised Councillor Kositsky before Mel himself announced his intention to challenge Mayor Green. Green said he was running a slate against all the incumbent council except for Mel because he essentially only endorsed and
respected Mel. In essence Mayor Green unwittingly endorsed his own competitor and Mayoralty challenger! One of the greatest political gaffes in Township history.

Many believe that which ever of the two incumbent Mayor Green challengers demonstrates the best and most momentum over the crucial next 10 or so days will most likely get a large wave of support by the uncommitted and by those who feel anybody but the incumbent should win.

This Editor has transcribed these Mel's Speech highlights:

"This election is all about trust. Trust is the reason I'm running.The trust in Langley Township has been broken. It can never be repaired."

"We have had a very difficult time. We had arguments among ourselves over how we are going to deal with that broken trust."

"We need to do a long term financial strategy again...together with a long term growth study and bring them together...and you need transportation as well."

"How do you develop your community, your transportation networks and how do you pay for it? We will be working on that together bringing the best financial minds along with the planning minds. We have wonderful staff. You just have to trust them. That's not going on in City Hall right now."

"It's all about co-operation. We don't agree but Langley City doesn't want to get married (amalgamation/reunification) again, so we have to co-operate and make things work the best we can."

" Key issues in the next term will be the settlement of our (Langley Township) union contracts. Civil servants, CUPE and the fire fighters. Renewal of the RCMP contract and continued orderly growth and planning."

"But more importantly.... Agricultural viability study underway...Heritage conservation study... Economic development strategy... Parks and Recreation master plan upgrade.... Water resources Management plan... They are all up for action in the next (Township Council) term."

by LFP EDITOR

Mayor Election Sign Wars - the Good, the Bad, the Ugly & the VERY Tacky

2011-10-30T17:59:00.009-07:00

The Sign Wars of 2011 have started and obviously as of midnight last night the three Langley Township Mayor candidates were off and running to garner the choice locations in the dark of the night. When it comes to the best sign of any of the contending Mayors the hands down winner is Mel Kositsky. His name is prominent, his web site is clear & prominent. His picture stands out large and in fact is the only one of the three that
has a great picture. "Mel for Mayor - It's Time" logo is catchy short and to the point. The artwork is bold, colourful & very professional. The overall sign graphics is modern classy, professional and dead on. First prize blue ribbon on signs goes to Mel Kositsky. He wins hands down by a country mile. Mel's sign has swag!

Jack Froese's signs come in second and not a close second either. We question why there was no picture considering as Jack is a political newcomer and voters won't be able to put a face on his candidacy. But his sign scores points by having his name larger than anyone else's signs. Name is key but again the huge 'Mel for Mayor' logo is still far more catchy and memorable. Colours are nice but the baby blue is too understated, too soft and easy going and not quite as clear in bringing out the message. Too soft is not a message any Mayor ever wants to portray in this Editor's opinion. Jack's full length body picture in his print ads would have been much more effective on his
signs.

The clear Mayors' sign wars loser is incumbent Mayor Rick Green with this tragic mish mash that essentially says: " don't look at me I'm ugly, busy, boring and hard on the eyes". Why would anyone design it so Rick is in black & Green is in Red? His name and his slate-mate's names are lost in this busy amateurish collage that a two year old would create. Green's name is clumsily off center and the names and sheer volume of writing/information is tiresome, tacky and plain ugly. Whoever designed this sign must have gone to the design school of schlock. The slate-mates should put their graphic designers out of their misery and never use this firm for anything but perhaps graphics for more somber events. I specifically point out the black sign border and the double solid black line through the top third that reminds one of a wake not an election! But then again maybe the designer of this sign foresees the future and is really a sabotaging closet Kositsky or Froese supporter,

Either the Green campaign saw the same issues that this Editor noted above or perhaps simply ego got in the way that caused the Green campaign to re-use their last election's signs too. But tacky still rules the day as stick on coverings were applied to three portions of the old Green signs. Very cheap semi transparent stick ons were used. The above picture to the left clearly shows that you can see the old original elect under the sticker! We can hardly wait to see these cheap stickers droop and start to peel off that will just enhance tacky. The VLN stick on at the bottom covers up something too. Our bet is that this is where it used to probably proudly proclaim that Green was an Independent candidate! What a joke. The B&W head & shoulders picture also looks more like a high school graduation book picture in this editor's opinion. At first I did not recognize who it even was! In a nutshell both signs are knuckle draggers that epitomize tacky.

On another note we found it very interesting insofar as Jack Froese's signs were installed with quality 2 by 4's and most significantly of note is that this is the first time this Editor has ever seen a sign that had the supporting wood painted to match the sign colours. Amazingly the Froese campaign went as far as painting the wood white (see picture above) and even though you can't see it in this picture the small stakes tops were painted baby blue too! Unbelievable but true. This Editor gives Kudos on the details to Jack's team and does make this Editor wonder if this means the attention to detail is a great indicator of him as Mayor or whether he will just be bogged down on unnecessary detail?

This last picture shows you what unpainted wood looks like. This is Green's sign and note the small slats of cheap wood but look closely at the intricate craftmanship of the wood supporting the sign. NOT! This sign and it's support construction screams cheap-tacky once again. Maybe this is an indicator of the true support propping up Green and his slate-mates.

In summary 9.5 out of 10 for Kositsky. 7 out of 10 for Froese. Green's signs were so far below that I leave it up to you to assign a value out of 10. Enjoy.
by LFP EDITOR

Vancouver Sun B.C. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 2011 - Candidates Listing

2011-10-27T14:45:00.002-07:00

To see a listing of all municipal election candidates go to the special online Van Sun Candidates Listing. When you get there hit the tab with the heading "Langley T'Ship" to view a drop down list of the candidates. You can scroll through candidates names and see their profiles and on each profile you can then select the blue button "VANCOUVERSUN SURVEY" to see the info the candidates provided.

After only a cursory view this Editor noted that Councillor Kim Richter filled it out completely. I did not yet check out the other truly independent candidates' profiles. But Mayor Rick Green and his slate-mates continue to attempt their now well known trademark word weaseling and baffle-gabbing political sham-scam. On the profile page under each slate-mates name it lists party and each slate-mate shows the Vote Langley Now party. But in the latter Sun's question: "Are you running with a municipal party or slate? Mayor Rick Green does not answer and his slate-mate Tony Malyk does answer and he says NO! In answer to the very next question : " If 'Yes', which party or slate?" Mayor Rick Green answers: "A Team of Independents not a slate." and to this same question his slate-mate Tony Malyk's answer is blank. Meanwhile the other slate-mates don't answer anything, anywhere.

Plain and simple they are a slate and a party because they are officially registered as such. To try to say they are not is simply not true at all in this editor's opinion and here's that magic word again misleading!

Also interesting is that when the Van Sun asks the question: "How much money do you expect to spend on your election campaign?" , Mayor Rick Green says "$50,000.00" and his slate-mate Tony Malyk answers: "N/A". Of course! It is generally known that the slate-mates are being primarily and largely centrally funded by the behind the scenes REAL MAYOR - Mr. DADDY WARBUCKS!

Langley Township Leads Metro Van's Business Growth Over Past 12 Years

2011-10-25T19:31:00.025-07:00

Councillor Kim Richter on her Facebook today posted this comment about today's front page Vancouver sun about Business Growth in Metro Vancouver. See the full Sun article at this Van Sun Link:

"In today's Front Page Vancouver Sun : Langley Township over the past 12 years has led all of Metro Vancouver by the largest % increase of 159.61% growth in net gain in new business licences and came second only to to Surrey with 4268 new business licenses compared to Surrey's 5571 over the same 12 year period. This growth is in the same period that I have served on Township Council.

Not every new business creates double or triple digit jobs but this certainly means that we have had substantial investment and job growth in the Township as a result. Our Township is obviously looked upon as a good investment based on these figures. Langley City increased by 789 business licenses (a 53.31% change). The Township Council has to continue to work together to be even more creative to help create even many more jobs and much better paying jobs especially for our youth and our mature Langleyites."

See the Scribd growth chart that the Sun shows on page A9 link here.

Municipality's strategic location key to record business growth

Rick Green is the Most Expensive Mayor Ever in the History of Langley Township

2011-10-24T21:27:00.016-07:00

Not only has Langley Township Mayor Rick Green been the highest paid mayor in Langley Township history, but he has also had the highest expenses ever by any Mayor in Langley Township. See the below Scribd document on "Mayor Remuneration & Expenses - 1997 to 2010" . We also understand that he often has Langley Township (Taxpayers) buy tickets to events he never even showed up for. One of them where he was a no-show was a very recent Gala event that cost Township taxpayers $150 a ticket to which he got 2 tickets for $300. This apparently is not unusual.

When Councillor Richter put a motion forward to roll back the Council's and the Mayor's ~50% salary increase in this past term, no one seconded her motion including Mayor Green whose own salary increased from the previous Mayor's salary of $64,922 to $93,722. The Mayor's silence on Richter's motion was deafening especially from someone who talks about 0-0-0 tax increases, but doesn't hesitate to
quietly accept and avoid any public discussion that he got a ~50% salary increase!

Finally add the unneccesary legal fees caused by this Mayor who it is now well proven did "mislead" his council as well as all the lawyers including his own earlier sought out legal opinion on the now infamous Mayor's "Greengate & Cover-Up" affair.

What is the central theme in this election? It is honesty, integrity and prudent use of taxpayers dollars. In this Editor's opinion Mayor Rick Green fails on all three counts. How can this mayor and his "yes men slate-mates" ever be trusted with our tax dollars?
by LFP EDITOR
Mayor Remuneration Expenses 1997-2010 (2)

With Sincere Sympathy To Kim and the Edey Family

2011-10-17T21:48:00.005-07:00

Langley Free Press's Publisher is Kim Richter. LFP will be taking a temporary hiatus out of respect for the loss of Councillor Kim Richter's mother who suddenly passed away in Ottawa just after 7 PM tonight. Kim was called away during the Township council meeting and advised of the tragedy.

This Editor can confirm that Kim was extremely close to both her parents and most especially with her Mother Mary since her father passed away 5 years ago in November. Kim has every year spent her summer holidays with her Mother in Ottawa and the attached picture of her with her mother was taken at the end of August this year. This picture was taken at the Ottawa Airport when Kim was returning to Vancouver and is the last time she saw her Mother. Mary Mabel MacLeod Edey is survived by her sister, her 5 children and seven grand children. She was born in Milestone Saskatchewan on December 1st 1928. She shares the same December 1st birthday with her daughter Kim and Kim's daughter Graecen. We extend our deepest sympathy to the Edey family.
By LFP EDITOR.

Langley Township Municipal Election Candidates (Mayor/Council & Trustees) List in Ballot Order

2011-10-14T17:52:00.003-07:00

Langley Township Election Candidates Ballot Order

Initial curious comments are that Steve Burton is not running for re-election for School Board and that a Mr Douglas Smuland is the only candidate that says he lives outside of Langley, in the City of Surrey.

27 Council candidates running for 8 seats - 3 Mayor candidates running for a single seat - 11 School Trustee candidates running for 5 seats. Let the games begin!

Go to this link to see all the candidates actual nomination papers to see who they got to nominate them.

Langley City Mayor, Council & Trustees can be seen here and the Ballot order is in alphabetical order.

by LFP EDITOR

The Last 2008 Langley's Municipal Election Results in Retrospect F.Y.I.

2011-10-13T09:23:00.007-07:00

Langley Township Councillor - Votes

Jordan Bateman - 9273
Charlie Fox - 7956
Kim Richter - 7906
Bev Dornan - 7663
Bob Long - 7433
Steve Ferguson - 7155
Mel Kositsky - 6935
Grant Ward - 6402
Sonya Paterson - 5934
Dan Sheel - 5331
Glen Tomblin - 4701
Murray Jones - 2908
Janet Megahy - 2759
Sukhi Dhami - 2746

Langley Township Mayor - Votes

Rick Green - 7842
Kurt Alberts - 6588

Langley Township School Trustees - Votes

Wendy Johnson - 6643
Joan Bech - 5902
Steve Burton - 5760
Alison McVeigh - 5403
Rod Ross - 5327
Hattie Hogeterp - 5101
Diane Pona - 5075
Graeme Shepherd - 3781
Kari Medos - 3610
Karen Peterson - 3182
David Petipas - 2878
Michael Parker - 2045

Langley City Councillors - Votes

Gayle Martin - 2079
Terri James - 2052
Rosemary Wallace - 2002
Jack Arnold - 1955
Dave Hall - 1937
Rudy Storteboom - 1849
Darrell Krell - 1298
Shannon Assion - 1034
John Mark Archibald - 918
Marika Van Dommelin - 877

Langley City Mayor - Votes

Peter Fassbender - 2683
Ron Abgrall - 822

Langley City School Trustees - Votes

Rob McFarlane - 1680
Stacey Cody - 1215
Kirsten Shaffer-Charlesworth - 987
Diana MacNeil - 733
Paula Clark - 547
Aaron Fedora - 436
Alex Hagen - 425

Aren’t you fed up yet with word weaselling & baffle-gab politics by Mayor Green & His Slate-Mates?

2011-10-06T09:49:00.002-07:00

The key item of importance at this past Monday night’s Council meeting was how Mayor Rick Green was once again busy word weaselling and baffle-gabbing his way out, as only he can, of his July 2011 decision to support a proposed Translink 2 cents per litre gas tax increase. One has to ask: Just how much more of Rick Green’s political weasel words can this community afford and believe? And what exactly will be the total tax cost to us, the Langley Township taxpayers, if Green and his slate get elected? A 2 cent a litre gas tax for starters unless he changes his mind on Friday at the Translink meeting which this Editor predicts he will most likely flip-flop on and vote against. Quite frankly we hope he does. But he could just as easily flip-flop on this again given any opportunity after the November election!

Just to show you Green’s baffle-gab politics in action, we have 2 videos for you to watch. The first is from Monday night’s Council meeting (October 3, 2011) and the second is from the July 25, 2011 Council meeting.

The first video is a classic politics 101 primer in the slick US-style political technique of back-tracking and butt-covering. In just under 1 minute, Mayor Green delivers an amazing line of political BS reversing his July 25, 2011 stance on the 2 cents per litre gas tax hike all the while managing to keep a straight face. He loses points though because his level of concern is not delivered genuinely ad lib but is instead read verbatim. It makes one wonder if he really believes what he’s reading!

As usual, Mayor Green tries to fool Township taxpaying voters by constantly blaming others for his own lack of good judgement. In July 2011, Green voted with the
majority of his friends and buddies in Metro Vancouver (who keep giving Green $300+ per meeting Metro Van committee appointments). In July, he obviously forgot who really elects him (i.e. the Township voters not his Metro Van cronies) because he was ready to saddle Township taxpayers with 2 cents a litre more Translink gas taxes although he refused to admit it even when asked several times in public and even when his Metro Van cronies revealed how they voted. He again tried to weasel and baffle-gab his way out in July.

In July, Councillor Kim Richter went on CKNW (listen to cknw audio archive link) to defend why the Township should not have to pay more gas taxes. According to Richter, the Township already forks out $40 million a year in both property and gas taxes to Translink yet gets nowhere near $40 million worth of service. Where was Mayor Green in this debate? In fact Mayor Green even voted against his council's request to have him return to the TransLink Mayors' Council and ask for reconsideration of a two-cent gas tax (read Langley Advance story here)! Why wasn’t he defending the Township? Richter’s arguments were also printed in the Langley Times (Langley Times link). We agree that Richter is right: No more taxes for Translink until Langley Township becomes an equal partner. Mayor Green should not be caving into Translink’s threats of building facilities in the township but not opening them, like the park & ride in Walnut Grove, etc. – especially not given what the Township puts into Translink’s coffers on an annual basis.

This coming Friday (October 7, 2011) though, Green will not be able to vote in secret with his Metro Van cronies any more on this proposed 2 cents per litre gas tax hike and that probably explains his tap dance and sudden about face in Monday’s Council meeting. It is an election year after all!

The second video shows how Councillor Richter held Mayor Green’s feet to the fire in July 2011 (just as she has always done with any mayor). Funny, how Green is now finally paying attention. Listen and enjoy.

But above all, remember that on November 19^th, a vote for Green and his slate-mates is doing nothing more than giving Metro Van total control over Langley Township because it is giving Green and his slate literally a blank cheque for 3 years to support his Metro Van cronies at the Township’s ultimate expense.

Don’t we need a truly independent Mayor and Council that stands up for the Township Taxpayers and not for the Metro Van political elite? Can anybody really trust this mayor and his paid for and bought slate-mates with 3 more years? But then again I forgot, Green is not the real Mayor. The real mayor is Daddy Warbucks who is in the slate’s backroom directing and footing the slate’s bills for this election. Be assured, Daddy will make sure the slate he bought and paid for will not be independent at all!

by LFP Editor

Green and his Slate-Mates have not only moved into Township Hall – They are now picking their seats!

2011-10-05T02:24:00.005-07:00

Following up on LFP’s previous editorial and today’s Langley Times article on the Mayor’s slate signing their nomination papers in Township’s Council chambers first thing this morning, this editor can only state the obvious. The Rick Green slate has clearly moved from choosing wallpaper last week to choosing their preferred chairs in Council chambers this week.

Too bad neither of the mayor challengers, Jack Froese nor Mel Kositsky, had the opportunity to beat Mayor Green’s slate to the punch of using the Council Chambers for their political gain. We understand Jack Froese also handed his papers in today but obviously he didn’t have the advantage of early-bird timing, exclusive favourable slate media coverage, or of reserving Council chambers for his supporters like the current Mayor did. Or maybe Jack just thought, like this Editor thinks, it would have been as tacky and presumptuous as holding regular campaign meetings in
Township Hall offices under cleverly disguised names like social media minding.

The only area left now in Township Hall for Green’s slate to invade will be to get exclusive keys to the executive john to go along with picking their seats! That’s probably on next week’s slate social media minding agenda and the Times will likely also have extensive coverage on this too.

On Monday night during the Council meeting, one of the Green slate-mates was observed by Councillor Fox as studiously taking videos and pictures of Council chambers, council seats and council observers - so much so that Councillor Fox interrupted his on camera talk to comment on this particular Slate-Mate’s curious activity. Even though the Slate-Mate in question hastily exited Council Chambers shortly after Fox’s comments, this Slate-Mate was seen waiting for his fellow Slate-Mates after the meeting for the Green Slate’s now regular post-council meeting Slate-Scrum in the dark recesses of the Township Hall parking lot. Most likely, the slate-mates viewed the photos taken that evening, drew straws and fought over who would get the best seats in Council Chambers! Wonder who won the dubious honour of sitting next to the Mayor? Suckers!

by LFP Editor

Mayor Green Moves His Slate-Mates into Township Hall BEFORE the Election

2011-10-01T15:03:00.002-07:00

Wednesday evening Councillor Kim Richter was attending a regular Township monthly commission meeting on the 4th floor of the Langley Township municipal Hall building when she was surprised to hear the Mayor's loud voice addressing a group of people in the Murray Creek meeting room.

This was not especially interesting until she noticed that he was addressing all of his election slate-mates candidates, his election campaign team/organizers, his
prolific 'Mayor-Green-can-do-no wrong' royal letter writers and his slate's paid slick PR people. Even more curious though was the signage on the door specifying a social media minding meeting! Really now? Come on!

The fact that Green is holding court regularly with his slate-mates & his partisan pilot fish is not to be unexpected. Clearly when you are running a U.S.-style, slick, big bucks centrally financed (by the real mayor) campaign to elect a slate you need to hold at least weekly meetings. Especially to discuss how to sell a slate as not being a slate! But to hold these meetings in the taxpayers' township hall only steps away from the Township Administration & Mayor's office (which the Mayor has the key for after hours) is, in this Editor's opinion, just blatantly stupid at minimum or even arrogant, presumptuous and wrong.

Isn't moving the Slate-mates into Township hall before the election just a little over the top? Or Are they just scouting out their office space and trying out the furniture in advance?

Look at the potential benefits though for the Green slate-mate election team. By holding their meetings there if an item comes up it's just a few steps from Township administration offices for them to access to any documentation, photocopying, etc., especially given that the mayor has a key!

A lot more tough questions could be asked like did they pay for the room? And at what rate? How many more bookings do they have? Are the slate bookings bumping community groups? Is the slate getting priority bookings?

No matter who booked the room, the Mayor's slate should under no circumstances have agreed to use the taxpayer's digs for their electioneering! This is just plain bad judgement in my opinion. If they're doing this now under cleverly disguised names like "Social Media Minding" I can just imagine what they will try to get away with if they are elected! Shudder the thought!

This now opens the floodgates for ALL the other candidates to hold their individual candidate election meetings at Township hall too. Lets see: 30+ meetings a week for 8 weeks. Great revenue generator for the township! Maybe we the taxpayers who own the hall should be charging 10 times the regular rate for politician's use of it (especially when they have Daddy Warbucks (the real mayor) slate financiers behind them)!

In conclusion this is just bad optics and questionable policy in this Editor's opinion. Obviously good judgement did not prevail in the slate's decision to use Taxpayer financed digs for their election campaigning.

The mayor's slate should apologize for their sheer arrogance on this.

By LFP Editor

End "Blame and Shame Politics" Says Township Mayor Candidate Jack Froese

2011-09-24T22:15:00.004-07:00

Last Saturday September 17/11, Debbie & Jack Froese hosted their 4th Annual Fall Festival at their JD Farms location on the corner of 248th St & 52nd Ave in Langley Township. The event MC was Gary Johnson best known for championing the Salvation Army campaign to fund & build the Gateway of Hope homeless shelter in Langley. All of Township Council attended Jack's event except for Mel Kositsky & Mayor Rick Green (no surprise there!). Also attending were MP Mark Warawa, MLA Mary Polak and at least 200+ other people (with many more coming later in the afternoon after the speeches). Polak formally congratulated the Froeses for their contributions to Langley Agriculture as did Deputy Mayor Kim Richter on behalf of Council.

Round one goes to Jack who got all the dignitaries out to his event including 2 local editors. The only dignitary at Green's event was Green (and many would even question that!)

Mayor Candidate Jack Froese's first major campaign speech

In Jack's speech, he said he would end the "blame and shame politics" of the current Mayor if he was elected. He made no bones about the lack of leadership on
Township Council over the last 3 years. (Didn't Green get elected for the first time 3 years ago? What a curious coincidence!).

Meanwhile at the same time on the other side of town, incumbent Mayor Rick Green was holding his own well advertised meet his slate-mates event at the Murrayville hall. In discussions there, Green's slate-mates all lamented about the lack of attendance at their inaugural meet the slate forum. Needless to say nobody obviously really cared to meet with them as attendance was at best mediocre to dismal. No more than 40 people in total were at the Green slate-mate event and given that that there are 8 slate-mates, their spouses, family, slate financier (the real Mayor), partisan lobbyists, the couple of prolific "King-Green-does-no-wrong" royal letter-writers as well as their high paid slick media consultants, Green's slate should have just held it in a cheap motel room. One rented by the hour would probably have been very appropriate.

John Jock Cameron introduces Mayor Candidate Jack Froese

If you think Jack Froese was hard hitting in his comments listen to the introduction given to Froese by John Jock Cameron. Come on John, don't hold back. Tell us what you really think.

Cameron successfully ridicules the desperate and futile attempt by Mayor Green's slate to suggest they are NOT a slate but independents with independent platforms. Cameron held up a slate-circulated document showing an agenda setting up weekly slate-mate meetings to discuss platform! Not a slate? Really? For so called independent candidates, they sure seem to have a lot of follow-the-leader group think going on . They even have a slick professional social media minder who has infiltrated the whole so-far declared field of competition and is managing all the slate-mates' social media so that the Green slate-mates have more time for their joint and common weekly election platform meetings.

Cameron also points out that Green can't get along with anyone on Council so Green's approach is to replace all of Council except him! (Shades of "off with their heads!"). One has to wonder what the shelf life of his slate-mates will be if they dare disagree with Green and his financier (the real Mayor). But, of course, they're not really a slate - they're just a group of like-minded individuals who will always have to say "yes sir" to Green and his financier (the real Mayor). Ah, the sad price of bought and paid for politics.

By LFP Editor

LFP is Back !

2011-09-23T12:54:00.014-07:00

Langley Free Press is back and open again for news, editorials, and debate with a new look, a new Editor and the same irreverant local insight to Langley Politics, News, Gossip & Rumours. Bear with us as the LFP Editor will be constantly updating/bettering LFP's links & sidebar features, etc. But in any event the LFP postings will be starting this weekend.

During this election our LFP Editor will be posting candidate You Tube videos and pictures as we did before with the help of Bob the LFP photographer. We will entertain videos & pictures from others. We even could help you create your own videos. LFP started in 2005 and was on hiatus for the last year but is now back.

LFP as before is seeking more contributing columnists for areas such as school board, environmental etc. I remain the LFP publisher and if you want to join us, do message me in private & in confidence. In the meantime do browse through our past 5 years of LFP postings.

Kim Richter - LFP Publisher & Contributing Columnist

Richter Responds to Bateman - Langley Township Budget 2010 - Another Whopping 4.95% tax hike!

2010-04-13T00:54:00.013-07:00

(Disclaimer - Sorry, turn up your volume on this video as once again the multi million dollar sound system did not work at Township Hall! Also stay tuned - more videos, graphs and info on tonight's budget meeting forthcoming. I just had to get this on first!)

See also Council's Dirty Little Secret? video.
See also Richter and Green's video, who each explain their reasons they were the only two on Township Council to vote NO to another annual 4.95% Tax Hike.
Also stay tuned to LFP for more Budget videos, charts, graphs and commentary coming!

Councillor Kim Richter responds to Councillor Jordan Bateman's inaccuracies and snide personal comments regarding the Township 2010 Budget. Brace yourselves: Councillor Jordan a.k.a. "I've-never-seen-a-tax-hike-I-don't-like" Bateman once again
spearheaded a 4.95% tax hike! Richter sinks Bateman's political smoke screens about increases being due to full time firefighters.

In summary she held up shocking Township-provided financial summary numbers that show:

1. 2003 to 2010 a 99% increase in operating expenditures for fire, police,recreation general government, parks, storm water and transportation. $57 million in 2003 to $113 million in 2010.

2. Full time firefighters started implementation in 2006 with a budget of $6.1 million. In 2010 the fire budget is $13.1 million-an increase of $7 million of the total $46.1 million increase in the total operating budget over the same period. So she asked Bateman where did council spend the other $38 million? Certainly not the Fire department as Bateman and his other council slate pilot fish harp on constantly.

3. Utilities (water, sewer & solid waste) have increased 64% from 2006 ($15.4 million) to 2010 ($25.2 million).

4. Debt has gone from $5.7 million in 2005 to $31.1 million in 2010, representing a whopping 648% increase.

5. To cap this all off Council's salary increased in 2009 by 55% (going from $23,196 to $36,036) while the Mayor's salary went up $29,162 from $64,562 in 2008 to $93,724 in 2009 - a 45% increase!

By the way, despite the 55% salary increase that the council got and did not even bother to mention or publicize, council (including the Mayor) did not today second her motion to reduce their salaries by 4.95% (equivalent to this year's tax increase). 4.95% is a drop in this council piggy trough of a 55% increase!

Needless to say Councillor Kim Richter voted against the budget.

Budget meeting quote of the day by Cllr. Kim Richter - "Everyone of us sitting at this table,..., who got a 55% increase in salary can afford to pay these rates [tax hikes] but there are a lot of people out there in this community who did not get a 55% salary increase and they can't keep on affording to keep on paying tax increases..." Many in the audience were seen nodding their heads up and down when Richter said this!

The signs of a Narcissist (Ottawa Citizen, 20 Feb 2010, Page J2)

2010-02-20T11:27:00.009-08:00

Do you know which narcissists YOU recently elected ? How many of the attached newspaper's criteria apply to them ? Check them off to identify your very own narcissistic Langley politicians! I count at LEAST 2 easily enough without even trying! Hint they are always lobbying hard to get their pictures often in both Langley papers! Both papers easily accommodate!

Bigger Hint, they are both males (over 95% of narcissists are always predominantly male) both are certainly politically self infatuated and ambitious and certainly also clearly dislike each other and will most certainly run against each other as mayor candidates with very ruthless and very characteristic self important and expensive vanity campaigns in
the very next election!

OTTAWA CITIZEN references nine traits of narcissists
"The American Psychological Association identifies nine traits of narcissists, five of which need to be present for a Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) diagnosis: ■ Feels grandiose and self-important for reasons not supported by reality ■ Obsesses with fantasies about unlimited success, fame, power or omnipotence ■ Believes he/she is unique and special and can be understood by and associate with only other unique or high-status people ■ Requires excessive admiration, adulation, attention and affirmation ■ Feels a sense of entitlement ■ Exploits others without guilt or remorse ■ Is devoid of empathy ■ Tends to be envious of others or believes others are envious of him/her ■ Displays arrogant and haughty behaviour."

Narcissism Primer Aid:
Inordinate fascination with oneself; Excessive self-love; Someone in love with themselves;. Vanity; A pattern of traits and behaviors which signify infatuation and obsession with one's self to the exclusion of all others and the egotistic and ruthless pursuit of one's gratification, dominance and ambition; Admiration of one's own physical or mental attributes; Being a normal condition at the infantile level of personality development; egotism or simple selfishness; It is sometimes used to denote elitism or an indifference to the plight of others.

The signs

Ottawa Citizen
20 Feb 2010

The American Psychological Association identifies nine traits of narcissists, five of which need to be present for a Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) diagnosis: Feels grandiose and self-important for reasons not supported by reality Obsesses...read more...

B. C. school trustees to superintendents: We need more information (The Vancouver Sun, 16 Feb 2010, Page B3)

2010-02-17T06:24:00.003-08:00

Wow! Read this Quote:
"Doug Player, a former superintendent in West Vancouver, said the auditor-general’s report suggests senior staff have exceptional influence because many trustees don’t understand the issues. A quarter of them said they don’t have enough time to comprehend the information provided before board meetings.

“ The system needs a significant shock — it needs refreshing,” said Player, adding that the report helps explain, for example, how a district like Langley could accumulate an $ 8.2-million deficit without trustees noticing."

Exactly! HOW can this magnitude error not have been noticed? Does this survey result now provide the Government an easy out to appoint trustees just like on Heath boards? Should they? Or are the wrong type of people just being elected? Or are the local
newspapers responsible partly for not flushing out the best candidates fully for the voters at election time? Lots of questions. I do know that ANY private company's shareholders would have fired their board if a similar Langley deficit happened not to mention a preceding clean sweep off the executive administration as well.

B. C. school trustees to superintendents: We need more information
BY JANET STEFFENHAGEN
The Vancouver Sun
16 Feb 2010

More than a third of B. C. school trustees who participated in a survey last year said they weren’t getting sufficient information from superintendents and other senior staff to make effective decisions at the board table. That concern is highlighted...read more...

Tech Tags: The Vancouver Sun newspaper CANADA & WORLD

Politicians score seats for top events before public (The Vancouver Sun, 25 Jan 2010, Page A1)

2010-01-25T15:09:00.003-08:00

So in an earlier Vancouver Sun article before we read that BC Provincial Liberal MLAs got free Olympic tickets to go to the Olympic events. The Provincial Libs said it would only be used to accompany approved government business associates! Yeah right!

Now we hear that the feds have 1st class olympic tickets without having to wait in line. Meanwhile our whole family after 3 times trying the Olympic lottery for tons of tickets
secured only one nose bleed ticket at a second rate event. Talk about featherbedding!

Are any of our local politicians going and where and how did they get their tickets or are they going with other people's or sponsors tickets? Do ANY of our local politicians get free Olympic tickets or even in my mind worse tickets that they pay for and did not have to enter the lottery for? Or did they get free or preferential tickets and maybe even worse gave it to friends, family or business associates or despicably sell them for unimaginable profits? Who is going to ask this of ALL of our municipal. school board and especially MLAs Rich Coleman, Mary Polak and MP Mark Warawa? If nobody asks its a travesty. Because you all know that if LFP asks them we will never get an answer! Come on guys, get clean and fess up.

Politicians score seats for top events before public
BY JEFF LEE
The Vancouver Sun
25 Jan 2010

The federal government is using its access to Olympic tickets to give priority to politicians, bureaucrats and others who will get some of the best seats in the house during the Winter Games next month. Of the nearly 1,500 tickets that the government...read more...

Tech Tags: The Vancouver Sun newspaper FRONT PAGE

What Grade Does Mayor Green & His 2009 Annual Report Card Deserve?

2010-01-18T22:55:00.021-08:00

Rookie Langley Township Mayor Rick Green earlier this evening at the Council meeting presented his long overdue past year's (2009) annual council achievement report card which is normally proudly presented as somewhat of a taxpayer's pre Xmas present listing of ALL the previous year's Township Council achievements. I don't ever remember seeing it used as a personal political platform justification attempt before. This presentation traditionally is presented by each Mayor in early to mid December and never as a short after thought. This
time after almost 14 months after first being elected to office and at just 10 minutes long it was also the shortest and most unheralded one that this LFP Editor can ever remember as well. In any event watch it below in it's 10 minute entirety and evaluate it yourself.

Mayor Green's presentation seemed to have some very questionable, curious & glaring exclusions that veteran Councillor Steve Ferguson reminded the Mayor of right after the Mayor's speech which immediately eliciting comments from the Mayor like "I will take that criticism.. Clr. Ferguson.." & "I apologize...". Really? See Councillor Ferguson's 2 minute video comments just below as well and you decide.

Even Cllr. Kim Richter asked about the Mayor's speech to clarify who the Mayor's credited "WE" group was amongst one of his achievements list item that essentially was actually started by some key partisan VALTAC members for a south Fraser rail for the valley group that this rookie Mayor has almost exclusively and agaain questionably hitched his own wagon to in 2009.

This specific supposed achievement is interesting indeed in my opinion, since I don't even believe that it has actually met at all yet, never mind accomplished anything! In fact at least two or three other supposed partners PASSED on adding any representative and specifically one (Translink) even sent a letter to the Mayor asking that all reference to Translink logos be removed in the documentation & slide show that was previously being used by the Mayor and perhaps others. These presentation materials were originally used to get buy in by more community partners. But essentially did these materials perhaps imply inaccurately the full involvement & support of Translink and maybe even perhaps others? Did this perhaps help sell the other so called partners that did sign on? If so it did work somewhat though because even Langley Twnsp. council itself signed up! Needless to say, the jury is certainly still out on this so called Council/Mayor's achievement for quite a spell yet! Remember Translink itself opted out!

LFP has admittedly been absent for far too long. I apologize for this. I must admit that this Editor has been silent mainly because of the unexpected shock and great disappointment at this past year's new council leadership & direction and indeed also as a result of feeling betrayed just as I believe many others including Township taxpayers must & should also feel for very good and similar reasons. Promises simply have not materialized. This disappointing track record of leadership in the first year of this new council has spurred me on again to editorialize. Also recently at least one prominent if not more of the existing councillors public false misrepresentation of another councillor and finally simply because of the continuing and at best political pablum from all other's public opinions have again necessitated this LFP Editor's comeback. Again, my apologies for the absence and I will elaborate on all these issues as well in short time. In the mean time I have restarted the comments section and look forward to yours as well. What letter grade do YOU give the Mayor's 2009 report, the Mayor himself and this Township Council? ---LFP EDITOR---

Sonya Paterson Asks Township Council 'Six-Pack' Where are the 'Tens of Thousands'?

2009-09-15T17:53:00.003-07:00

Fort Langley May Day Parade LFP-YouTube of Langley Politicians

2009-05-25T13:46:00.006-07:00

Our LFP photographer attended the Fort Langley May Day parade and captured the following LFP/YouTube videos of parts of the parade. The first video showed some of the local politicians early on in the parade including Councillor Kim Richter and the second video shows her on the sidelines after, looking on to the continuing parade participants.

Stephany's Langley NDP Press Release Supports Mayor Green's Protection Of Passenger Rail Corridor Through Langley

2009-05-06T16:58:00.008-07:00

Township Mayor Rick Green at Monday's council meeting informed his Council of:

"Today, May 4,2009, I am providing Council with the following information relating to the history and protection of our old Interurban Passenger and freight Rail Corridor through the Township and City of Langley."

He further told Council:

"This agreement expires on August 29,2009. Therefore, in order to preserve the rights of BC Hydro and the public I am requesting the support of the Township Council to send a letter to B.C. Hydro requesting their immediate response and assurance that they will renew the Agreement in question prior to August 29,2009."

KUDOS especially to Mayor Rick Green and his Council for supporting their Mayor and endorsing his request on Monday's council meeting to renew the agreement to protect the old Interurban Passenger Rail agreement through the Langley's!

After asking the local MLA election candidates for their support too: "We are asking for
your public support of the Master Agreement's renewal...", the local Langley NDP issued the below Press Release on the topic today to the media which also included LFP, and LFP did not receive any other local candidates' or political parties responses to date:

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release:
May 6, 2009

NDP WILL PRESERVE RAIL AGREEMENT

Langley – Yesterday Mayor Rick Green and his council released a memorandum referring to the ‘long lost’ Master Agreement, which not only defines some land use arrangements between the Province, Municipality and the Railway, but also ensured 33% of the traffic on the line for crown use. In exchange, the CPR is allowed to build rails and use 66% of the rail capacity on the provincially owned land.

“Gordon Campbell has made a mess of transit in the Lower Mainland,” said Stephany. “The BC Liberal plan is an unfunded wish list. It won’t get more people out of their cars, won’t make transit more convenient and it won’t make transit more affordable.”

The NDP will stand behind planning for a comprehensive light rail transit system serving the South Fraser region. It will be closely integrated with the bus and SkyTrain systems. The plan will review options including the interurban passenger rail route.

“Because we stand for a comprehensive light rail transit system for the South Fraser region, we will be very interested in any options that become available to us, including crown use of the interurban corridor and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) rails through Langley,” said Stephany.

In a letter to Kathleen Stephany, Mayor Rick Green asks for the support of the NDP for the renewal of the Master Agreement, set to expire this August. He also requests Stephany's commitment to light passenger rail.

In fact, the only thing that has ever held back the West Coast Express is the fact that the wheelage must be leased from the railway. The Master Agreement allows the province to run of a huge amount of trains on the CPR line at no cost.

“We already own the rails through the remainder of the interurban corridor. This is the first step to establishing an effective, reliable, and cost-efficient community rail service,” added Stephany. “The NDP will definitely extend the agreement with CP.”

-30-
Media Contact: Piotr Majkowski 604-533-3222...

Fort Langley/Aldergrove May 5 Election Debate LFP/YouTube Video Excerpts- Jordan Braun (BC Refed) Takes On Lib MLA Rich Coleman

2009-05-06T01:07:00.022-07:00

Gail Chaddock-Costello (NDP), Travis Erbacher (Green), Rich Coleman (BC LIB) and Jordan Braun (BC Refederation Party) at the Township Hall theatre chambers last night was the best debate to date. Mr. Braun drew the most gasps and laughter from the attending audience to some obvious chagrin of MLA Coleman who right after the meeting had immediate words with Mr. Braun, the very first competing candidate that Mr. Coleman talked to immediately after the debate ended.

Fascinating details and videos continually uploading now. Having reviewed most of the videos the political neophyte, Jordan Braun definitely demonstrated his potential as a budding politician! The recommended videos to watch are so noted below!

May 5th Fort Langley/Aldergrove BC Election Debate
LFP-YouTube Videos -
Braun (BC Refederation Party), Chaddock-Costello (NDP), Coleman (BC LIB), Erbacher (Green),

Re: Carbon Tax - (4:47 minutes long) - Recommend
Re: Transportation - (4:19 minutes long)
Re: Beer Tax! - (2:32 minutes long) - Recommend
Re: Groundwater - (3:24 minutes long) - Recommend
Re: Crime - (4:29 minutes long)
Re: Homelessness - (3:44 minutes long)
Re: 2 Tier Medicine - (3:51 minutes long)
Re: Minumum Wage - (3:52 minutes long)
Re: Economy - (3:52 minutes long) Recommend
Re: STV - (2:53 minutes long)
Re: Cost Overuns - (4:15 minutes long)

Langleys' Election Candidates Debates - LTA & The Chamber - LFP/YouTube Video Excerpts

2009-05-03T21:45:00.069-07:00

Herein below view our LFP-YouTube video clip excerpts from this LTA sponsored debate. On April 27th past, at the Langley Fine Arts School theatre the Langley Teachers Association (LTA) hosted the first ever joint Langleys' MLA candidate election debate. Both Langley Liberal MLAs & Ministers, Coleman & Polak boycotted the debate as covered in our previous posting. All the other MLA candidates from both Langley ridings from the NDP, Green and Refederation parties attended.

Further below also are excerpts from the 2nd debate. Specifically the April 30th Chamber of Commerce/ Real estate Board Langley debate as well that was attended by all three election candidates, Liberal Mary Polak, NDP Kathleen Stephany and Green Ron Abgrall. It was held at Langley's Kwantlen campus College auditorium, .

April 27th Langley Teacher's Association Debate Vid-Clips By LFP:

Opening Host Remarks & Intros (Video 1:00 Minute)

Rafe Mair, former Socred minister and radio host at debate & excerpt re Liberal debate boycott. (Video 1:12 Minute)

Both Langley NDP Candidates respond to Audience Question Re Liberal Debate boycott. (Video 3:31 Minutes)

All candidates responses on BC child Poverty:
Kathleen Stephany - Langley NDP - (Video 1:34)
Travis Erbacher - Ft. Lan/Aldergrove Green - (Video 1:22)
Gail Chaddock-Costello - Ft. Lan/Alder NDP - (Video 3:01)
Jordan Braun - Ft. Lan/Alder BC Refederation - (Video 2:24)
Ron Abgrall - Langley Green - (Video 4:45)

All candidates responses on Education:
Kathleen Stephany - Langley NDP - (Video 0:49)
Travis Erbacher - Ft. Lan/Aldergrove Green - (Video 2:02)
Gail Chaddock-Costello - Ft. Lan/Alder NDP - (Video 3:00)
Jordan Braun - Ft. Lan/Alder BC Refederation - (Video 4:11)
Ron Abgrall - Langley Green - (Video 2:49)

All candidates responses on BC Rivers & Environment:
Kathleen Stephany - Langley NDP - (Video 2:03)
Travis Erbacher - Ft. Lan/Aldergrove Green - (Video 2:13)
Gail Chaddock-Costello - Ft. Lan/Alder NDP - (Video 2:21)
Jordan Braun - Ft. Lan/Alder BC Refederation - (Video 4:38)
Ron Abgrall - Langley Green - (Video 4:24)

Langley Riding Election Candidates Debate of April 3oth At Kwantlen University
(Note the microphone/audio system were not operational on debate night at Kwantlen so apologies for these 4 videos sound quality)
Mary Polak, Kathleen Stephany & Rob Abgrall - Langley Kwantlen Election Debate - Re: Overpass Mufford & Glover (Video 6:00)
Mary Polak & Kathleen Stephany - Langley Kwantlen Election Debate - Re: Port Mann Bridge (video 3:20)
Mary Polak, Kathleen Stephany & Rob Abgrall - Langley Kwantlen Election Debate - Re: Ground Water Legislation (Video 4:10)
Mary Polak & Kathleen Stephany - Langley Kwantlen Election Debate - Re: Economy (Video 3:05)
...

First Ever BOTH Langley Riding's All Candidates BC MLA Election Debate Boycotted By Coleman & Polak

2009-04-28T02:47:00.007-07:00

From 7pm to 10 pm last night April 27th at the Fort Langley Fine Arts School Chief Sepass Theatre the first ever 'All Candidate Debates' for BOTH Langley Ridings of all the candidates took place. Many people including guest host Rafe Mair commented that it was 'despicable' that two candidates refused to attend. Specifically both Langley Liberal MLAs and Ministers Rich Coleman & Mary Polak chose to boycott the debate. The debate was sponsored by the Langley Teacher's Association and curiously less than 5% of the agenda covered education!

Many people including Rafe commented very negatively on the absence of both Liberal candidates. Some of the words used to describe their boycott were arrogant, despicable, smug and snubbing. It's curious to note that even our local Langley municipal election candidates attend CUPE and International Association of Firefighters sponsored debates for municipal elections. So why won't out Langley MLAs/Ministers?

So it is indeed a very controversial and questionable decision not to attend the debate. Rafe Mair even commented that if he had boycotted an election debate when he was a cabinet minister in the then ruling Socred government, the Premier then would have been furious. He also pointed out that this was another reason that he recommended the public also vote YES for the STV because he bet the two Liberal cabinet ministers would most likely have certainly attended if we had STV! See the Langley Times news report here with more details.

SEE LFP YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE

Rail For The Valley Protests Along Highway #1 Overpasses & Stephany Interviewed

2009-04-15T13:35:00.017-07:00

The below two videos and above picture slide presentation highlight this past Saturday April 11th Day of Action held all along Highway #1 at as many overpasses as possible. Members, friends and supporters of Rail For The Valley, a prominent south Fraser valley advocacy group that wants to bring back passenger rail to the valley organized the event to get more public visibility. Locally in Langley, Sonya Paterson organized the event and was filmed at the 208th street overpass. Local NDP candidate Kathleen Stephany who is running against Liberal MLA Mary Polak, attended the event to show her support and was interviewed by Sonya Paterson in the video below.

Double click Videos to enlarge videos.

LFP YouTube Videos of Township Council Debate Re: 5% compounded Annual Tax Hike Over 5 years That Majority Voted For Monday Past

2009-04-09T15:33:00.020-07:00

Last Monday April 6th the Langley Township council again took it 3 major steps forward to raise taxes by 5% for this year and each and every year for the next 5 years in total by giving the budget bylaw 1st, 2nd & 3rd reading! Final reading will be on April 20th! So, Another record breaking (history repeating itself?) Langley Township Council cumulative tax hike! The following LFP YouTube Videos of this council debate is as follows:

Clr. Kim Richter Objects strongly with 5% tax hike (1:29 minutes)
Mayor Rick Green Speaks against 5% Tax Hike (1:18 minutes)
Clr. Bateman questions Mayor's .93% hike and Clr. Ferguson squabbles with the Mayor over finance committee yet again (2:34 minutes)
Mayor Rick Green's rebuttal to what he says are 'fear & scare tactics' around the budget process (1:40 minutes)
Actual vote for 5% tax hike for each of every 5 years to come with only Mayor Green & Clr. Richter who vote against the 5% hike and Clr. Fox also votes against it to because he wanted only 3.95% tax hike. The rest all vote for the 5% with Clr. Dornan absent (0:21 seconds)....

Township Council Votes For 5% Tax Hike AGAIN for Each Year of next 5 years! & Our LFP Cartoonist, Prost's Perspective

2009-04-08T15:39:00.016-07:00

April 8/09 Langley Times:"Township taxes jump five per cent" by Al Irwin
April 9/09 Langley Times: "The tone for tax increases is set" by Editor Frank Bucholtz
April 10/09 Langley Advance: "Add five per cent more to taxes" by Heather Colpitts

The Gold-Plated “Era of Entitlement” Has to End - And A Current Case Study Example

2009-04-05T12:45:00.004-07:00

Note to Langley Township Council: In case you haven’t noticed, there is a recession out there and it’s now being felt in Langley as shown previously in LFP. When are you politicos going to realize this?

We know that the majority of the current Township councillors derive most of their personal income from the public teat (i.e. Councillors Bateman, Fox, Ward, Ferguson, etc.) but this is no excuse to ignore the financial pain
being felt by many Langley Township taxpayers who don’t have the same luxury of a guaranteed annual income compliments of the taxpayers.

On March 24, 2009, Councillors Bateman, Ward, Ferguson, Long and Dornan agreed to send a preliminary budget increase of 5% out to the public.

Since then, the firefighter's and sports group's “partisan political enforcers” have again been whipped into an overtime frenzy. They have sent many letters/emails to the local papers and council saying: “YES! WE WANT A 5% TAX INCREASE”. One has to wonder why.

Have you ever seen anyone in Langley purposely asking for a tax increase unless there was some hidden agenda?

What garbage and misinformation have these well-meaning citizens been fed? By whom? And for what ulterior motives? Do these groups even realize that they are being politically manipulated? (Or do they even care as long as they think they have political power?)

Mayor Rick Green was elected on a platform to control and restrain taxes. Shortly after he was sworn in as Mayor, he appointed a Finance Committee. This committee was comprised of very qualified members of the public who spent 7 weeks (in between childish outbursts from Councillors Ward and Ferguson) reviewing Township financial records.

The Finance Committee recommended that a .93% tax increase was feasible and obtainable this year with NO CUTS to current Township service levels.

Councillors Bateman, Ward, Ferguson, Long and Dornan have purposely chosen to ignore the Finance Committee’s advice. They did not once raise any of the recommendations put forward by the Mayor’s Finance Committee before they voted to send a 5% tax increase to the public. Why?

Also interesting to note is how the Mayor’s Finance Committee spent 7 weeks reviewing the budget in detail (and recommended a .93% property tax increase) yet Township Council spent less than 6 hours before deciding that a 5% property tax increase was OK to send to the public.

So who really controls Langley Township Council? Is it the public? Or is it Township Administration and its [provincial Liberal] lackeys on Council?

You decide but here’s one last example for you to consider.

On March 23, 2009, Langley Township Council received a report from Township staff recommending that Council approve a Mowing Maintenance contract for 2009 to 2011 for $1,075,839 (the “Gold Medalist”). The “Silver Medalist” price was $811,388. Staff recommended the “Gold Medalist” (a $1+ Million price package). The Langley Times this week reported about this very contract debate between Councillor's Richter & Fox and is scheduled to be finally considered again on this Monday's council meeting again.

The difference between these two price packages (on grass cutting alone) is equivalent to a ½ percent annual Township tax increase. This cost difference alone could be applied to much needed service enhancements in other areas like better snow removal or more full time firefighters.

So why are we, the taxpayers, paying more for a service we already have when we could get the same service for less price and still have money left over for other services we really need (like better snow removal)?

This is just one more example of why the Township is well renowned for its gold plated “Culture of Entitlement” and one more example of why we need a Council that works for the people who elected it instead of those arrogant back room BC Liberal lackeys who think they run it all.

P.S. Monday we will see what Council votes on this mowing contract. Bet the Gold plated Group of Six votes for it? We have asked an expert for his comments on this bid process and the above bid summary document about the above Mowing Maintenance RFQ 3PRE09-302 that the Township of Langley requested and got bids for. He pointed out a few interesting things.

He first found it curious that the two Township Evaluators had different points given under the price evaluation column for only the last 4 high bidders and the exactly same points given for the 3 low bidders. How can that be? After all bid price is bid price isn’t it?
Secondly he was concerned that it would seem that the actual bid price was far less than 20% or at best one fifth of the DECIDING criteria ranking of the whole bid consideration as to who got the work! In other words price is not an object or criteria that ranks in importance with the Township of Langley it would seem! And why not? After all they can every year go back to the taxpayers for another 5% tax hike!
Third it obviously seemed that experience with the Township gave what would seem a very unfair advantage to only one bidder because it appears only one bidder has had Township experience. Our expert said imagine if all Township contracts were awarded with this criteria. We would most likely always have premium prices and ever less competitive bids coming in and invariably always use the same contractor . He also pointed out that in other than Langley's jurisdictional government bids this was proven often as an easy way to take care of close friends at times.
Fourth he questioned how the point evaluation scheme had the exact same points given to all the bidders for experience and references yet the two evaluators had big variances in Equipment evaluations. Why the difference here?
Fifth who were the evaluators and did they clearly before receiving bids specify their evaluation formula and specific points awarding details to all the bidders?
Finally our expert says that there has been a long documented history especially in Governments that have led to very questionable biases and much worse allegations of corruption around these similar subjective bid evaluation methods. Many of which have gone to court for both civil and criminal reasons. Use of only two evaluators he frankly says is ludicrous and dangerous and puts an inordinate amount of pressure and stress and unfortunately perhaps opportunity on these two public servants.

In a summary our expert says that especially in government public bids he would never recommend this process. Low price bid should always be the only final criteria. He suggests if concerns about service levels are feared that instead a clearly articulated penalty process be established to handle those in default that would return money or exact appropriate penalties for gaps in promised service. Or he suggests that a performance bond perhaps be part of the bid to recompense for contract breaches.

Another suggestion is that perhaps the Township split the service area into 2, 3 or even four zones to then have better future comparisons and alternate ready emergency back ups and this would certainly require far less equipment by any one super mowing contractor while spreading the wealth around as well and staying away from any real or perceived bias. At worst case, he says if absolutely necessary, that all bidders be invited to first pre-qualify to bid and that they be weeded out (forgive the pun) in this process first and then the contract goes to the low bidder. But again our expert says that this process is also fraught with questionable risks and issues as well, but it is a better compromise.

The bottom line is that this case clearly documents that The Gold-Plated “Era of Entitlement” Has to End and that it is NOT and never has been about cutting the essentials like Fire and Police portions of the Township budget. There is obviously lots of fat or grease that can be skimmed out of the constant 5% annual tax increases other than in protective services! It's time to stop looking and pointing at the must haves like Fire & Police and start looking at the nice to have as demonstrated in this mowing contract case study....

Ribbons fly in fight to save fertile farmland (The Province, 05 Apr 2009, Page A13)

2009-04-05T12:41:00.001-07:00

The final battle looms. Will ALC give final Approval to the Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass to Nowhere? Kudos to Elisabeth Robson and her green ribbons!

Ribbons fly in fight to save fertile farmland
Brian Lewis
The Province
05 Apr 2009

Ask long-time Langley Township resident Elisabeth Robson about the quality of farmland in her neighbourhood that the proposed Mufford/Glover Road overpass will destroy, and she opens the family photo album. “Look at this,” she says, showing a...read more...

Tech Tags: The Province newspaper News

KUDOS to Langley Times For Asking Tough Questions About 'Perceived' ALC Conflicts of Interest RE: Mufford Overpass Decision

2009-04-02T17:56:00.013-07:00

KUDOS to Rachel McHollister of the Langley Times, the TIMES EDITOR and the Langley Times for their article today (probably Friday in Print) on this very significant topic we also posted about on LFP. Stick to it Rachel & Frank until you get proper answers!

The Times specifically reports; "The Times contacted the executive director of the Agricultural Land Commission, Brian Underhill, on Monday." about his comments on appearance of a possible conflict of interest regarding the Mufford Overpass ALC decision that Commissioner Tomlinson ruled on in light of his campaign donations to the B.C. Liberals including Councillor Bateman and Ferguson who both supported the overpass too.

The Langley Times reporter is referring to the Dec. 16, 2008 B.C. Supreme Court ruling that laid down new guidelines for conflict of interest of commissioners of the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC). See more about this in our previous posting here.

The Times reporter goes on to say that despite saying he would respond to her questions immediately that instead: "Since then, The Times has tried to contact Underhill three times, but he has not responded to the messages nor has he been available."

See the whole Rachel McHollister Langley Times article here.

Well done. Journalism to be proud of! Reads just like big time Globe & Mail & Vancouver Sun investigative and probing journalism of questionable pertinent issues that taxpayers should get answers to!

P.S. See here for Elections B.C. Political contributions System search result re: any Tomlinson donations. Any names can be entered and searched at this site....

Should Langley Township Council Keep Hitting Taxpayers with big ~5 % Annual Tax Hikes ?

2009-04-02T13:00:00.020-07:00

Canada has lost nearly 300,000 jobs in the last four months, including 82,600 jobs in February according to Statistics Canada!
As you all know Langley Township Council majority decided to once again approve a 5% tax hike for public input and this will likely be ratified at their April 20th meeting as previously reported here in LFP.

We think that this LFP spreadsheet which reflects the dismal outlook of our economy insofar as job loss announcements may be of help to this council in their final decision of whether they stick to a 5% tax increase that they approved for public input.

Remember that this council also said that the Mufford overpass plan was just "preliminary ' too for input as well and even despite overwhelming opposition to it, essentially the same majority of 6 councillors voted for the 'preliminary' design anyhow! So how different will this be for the 5% tax increase proposed by majority of Township Council for public input?

This Editor is betting that they will most likely stay somewhere between Councillor Fox's proposed 3.95% to the 5.00% sent to the open houses. This range will be way above the cost of living increase and way above the Mayor's Finance committee proposed 0.93% tax increase! Another Langley consecutive historically high cumulative tax increase!

So for assistance to the 6 on council who in this Editor's opinion seem to have no limits to their constant tax & debt increases and their constant flamboyant spending spree, we have the following 'Reality Check' resource guide that we hope will help these 6 on council realize what economical times we live in! Maybe, just maybe, this reality check will help keep in check their constant spending spree and tax & borrowing hikes! Not just for this budget but for every few thousands of $ they spend and throw around at every council meeting seemingly too!

Check back here often, because we at LFP will constantly be upgrading the spreadsheet's "Running Job Loss" figures. We will also post the same spreadsheet link on LFP's sidebar too. So tell your taxpaying neighbours to check this spreadsheet to see how many more are losing their jobs and how many of us are forced to tighten our belts. Yet this Langley Township Council in spite of this continues to raise our taxes, increase our debt and spend like there is no tomorrow!...

$1 Billion B.C. Rail Sale To C.N. By B.C. Libs - Lawyers Say Premier Met With Kinsella & C.N. Rail Chair Prior To Sale!

2009-03-31T06:28:00.010-07:00

The Globe & Mail reports that "Mr. Kinsella was paid $297,000 by BC Rail between 2002 and a 2003. There is also reference to a bonus of $201,512 to Progressive Holdings (Kinsella's firm), but it was not clear if that was an additional payment." They also report that "Mr. Kinsella got a call from David McLean, head of CN, saying "the deal was at risk" and asking for help." Mr. Patrick Kinsella was former BC Liberal Party 2001 & 2005 campaign co-chair and B.C. Liberal insider.

Journalist and commentator Bill Tieleman on his blog in detail says, "Defence lawyers in the B.C. Legislature raid case made a bombshell allegation Thursday that Premier Gordon Campbell met with BC Liberal 2001 election campaign co-chair Patrick Kinsella and David McLean, CN Rail's Chair, to discuss the $1 billion B. C. Rail deal before CN was announced the winning bidder." Bill also plays 20 questions on his blog as well here with "What did BC Liberal Party insider Patrick Kinsella do for BC Rail for $297,000 - let's play 20 questions".

Meanwhile according to Bill Tieleman , "Premier Gordon Campbell, Attorney General Wally Oppal and Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon state they can't say anything about Kinsella's B.C. Rail role because it is "before the courts" when B.C. Rail and Kinsella released statements and Kinsella is not under any investigation related to the David Basi and Bob Virk trial, the two government aides facing corruption charges."

LFP previously reported on this with links to the Province Michael Smyth editorial and Vancouver Sun Vaughn Palmer editorial. All the links and stories in this posting are an excellent primer on this whole affair and highly recommended reading....

Land commission, pushed by court, has new rules (Times Colonist, 24 Mar 2009, Page A1)

2009-03-26T17:57:00.011-07:00

ALC Commissioners MUST "recuse themselves from any decision that involves their neighbours,relatives or business associates, according to new conduct rules." ! "Colin Fry, commission executive director said, “We believe it’s a lesson learned on the appearance of bias and how it’s defined.” He further says, "It will be up to individual commissioners to declare their conflicts, said Fry, who added he’s “very confident” they will do so because of a recent “refresher course” on the subject."

So should ALC Commissioner Mr. Tomlinson recuse himself from his previous and and future decisions on the Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass To Nowhere now based at least on 'appearance' especially after the refresher course? Many thanks to LFP reader Mr. Holcombe for this lead. Thanks! See full Times Colonist article below. Click either picture of newspaper or read more for full content.

Land commission, pushed by court, has new rules
ROB SHAW and LINDSAY KINES
Times Colonist
24 Mar 2009

Agricultural land commissioners, who decide the fate of farmland across B.C. and Vancouver Island, must now recuse themselves from any decision that involves their neighbours, relatives or business associates, according to new conduct rules. The...read more...

Tech Tags: Times Colonist newspaper Front Page

Lfp's Poetry Spot - Featuring "bad poet" - WE ALL GOT SCREWED

2009-03-26T14:30:00.004-07:00

WE ALL GOT SCREWED - by 'bad poet'

We went to a meeting-many hundreds and I
Looking for changes-oh how we did try

But there was no way of changing the minds of those six
Cause those councilors there were all up to their tricks

A number of people- there must have been eight
All had enough gumption to step up to the plate

To try and persuade the powers that be
This is not a good project-oh why can’t you see

The good people of Milner will suffer I’m sure
And the rest of us surely will wind up as poor

But Bateman and Ward and Foxy don’t care
As long as Mayor Green looks foolish up there

Thery’d vote for the devil if they though it would help
Its all Mayor Green’s fault they constantly yelp

As Ferguson said in the paper today
We’ll teach him a lesson and keep him at bay

So they voted the same with a smirk and some chatter
To teach all us people our opinions don’t matter

So in summing this up I’d never beleived
The utter contempt Jordan Bateman received

While our good Mayor Rick Green got a standing ovation
And it looks like to me a good election foundation

bad poet

Editor's Note: 'bad poet' is a satirical political poet very welcome here on LFP! Hey LFP readers, CLUE - read Bad Poet poems slowly, one line at a time for the best rhyming lyrical poetry effect! Hilarious and all meant in jest as satirical political comedy/commentary! Anyone else want to tryout for LFP's poetry spot? Submit yours too!...

'Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass To Nowhere' 2nd Langley Township Council Decision (6-3) LFP - YouTube Video Highlights

2009-03-25T15:47:00.020-07:00

The following are the LFP video highlights of the Township Council Meeting that for the second time voted 6 to 3 to go ahead with the controversial Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass To Nowhere also really known as the Mufford-Glover Overpass. Only Mayor Green & Councillors Richter and Kositsky voted against the overpass. (Videos will be loading all day and highligted as they come available online.)

Langley Township Council Approves For Public Input Another Record Breaking 5% Tax Hike !

2009-03-24T16:57:00.027-07:00

Langley Township Council this afternoon in their budget deliberations meeting ignored the Mayor's finance committee 0.93% tax hike recommendation and barreled ahead with a 5% tax increase that will be going to the public at open houses April 1st & 2nd before they ratify the tax increase at the April 20th council meeting after getting the public's input.

The 5% tax increase was moved by Councillor Bob Long and seconded by Councillor Grant Ward. Voting for the 5% tax increase as well were Councillors Jordan Bateman, Steve Ferguson, & Bev Dornan. Voting against the 5% tax hike were Mayor Rick Green & Councillor Kim Richter. Councillor Charlie Fox voted against the 5% because he only wanted a 3.95% tax hike! Councillor Mel Kositsky was absent from the meeting.

See the attached Council time lines and LFP commentary to the right in the attached document for more details and clarification. Double mouse click on document to better view it.

Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass To Nowhere A Done Deal - Council Votes 6 to 3 AGAIN!

2009-03-23T22:37:00.012-07:00

You can view the LFP-YouTube Videos at this Posting Link

The 6 Langley Township Councillors still do not realize what they have now really accomplished. For the 3rd time they have ignored a full house of taxpayers as well as overwhelming petitions, letters, emails, etc. They have now awakened a SLEEPING GIANT. For the first time in a long time they have galvanized a broad assortment of the community around one goal.

' TAKE BACK LANGLEY '

' FROM THE SELF SERVING LANGLEY POLITICIANS ! '
I have been asked to invite LFP readers and any taxpayers who want to help to Take Langley Back, to confidentially send their email address, name , phone numbers and address to:
takelangleyback@gmail.com

Talk of taking action collectively and strategizing is now spreading like wildfire that will just grow in intensity until the people see definitive change. So get involved and help 'TAKE LANGLEY BACK', Even if it takes months or years. This is exciting and this is real grass roots. Congratulations Township Taxpayers!

Letter To LFP From Wally Martin Re: ALC Commisioner Donation to Clr. Bateman's Election Campaign - A Conflict of Interest?

2009-03-23T00:19:00.010-07:00

Dear Editor

Do political campaign contributions come with strings attached?

Does John Tomlinson own a condo in Whistler?

The recent disclosure that John Tomlinson of the Agricultural Land Commission provided a large donation to Councillor Jordan Bateman in the last election is very disturbing.

Jordan Bateman has clearly stated his views on the agricultural land in the Milner valley and it would appear that it is going to push the Bateman/Falcon agenda through in spite of fierce opposition from the farmers in the area. Why is it that Tomlinson refuses to stand up for the farmers? It would appear to be a serious conflict.

The timing of the Tomlinson donation, November 23 2007, is when Councillor Jordan Bateman held his fund raising raffle. Was the Tomlinson donation one of the "raffle prizes"?

I did file a written complaint with the Gaming Enforcement Branch in regards to this "raffle prizes" matter and I am still waiting for a written reply. I did receive a phone call from the Gaming Enforcement Branch and I was told that they did not want to embarrass MLA Rich Coleman since Coleman was attending the raffle as a special guest. I will again demand that the Gaming Enforcement Branch deal with this matter in the light of this new disclosure of information.

One would almost assume that if you are closely aligned with Rich Coleman, Jordan Bateman, Gordon Campbell, and the BC Liberals that you can ignore the rules. I recall Bateman describing some of these people as "heavy hitters".

The fact is that John Tomlinson will be instrumental in deciding the fate of Langley farmland by building a road through the middle of the Milner valley, a proposal supported by Councillor Bateman, that is being forced upon the residents and farmers in Langley by the BC government.

Councillor Ferguson and the previous Mayor Alberts also both received Tomlinson donations. Ferguson seems to be arguing that the truckers are more important than the farmers.

All this has generated a great amount opposition in the community. This will be remembered as a dark day in the history of Langley.

Wally Martin ...

Overpass Opponents Take Protest To MLA Mary Polak's Office Against The Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass To Nowhere

2009-03-22T21:06:00.017-07:00

Monday evening at 7 PM March 23 at Township council meeting (4th floor Presentation Center) they will again debate the motion to reconsider the Langley Township's previous 6 to 3 VOTE to build the Overpass that clearly the vast majority of the Langley taxpayers disagree with! BE THERE TO SUPPORT the reconsideration!

And now a Message from those that were at the protest:

Please forward to your friends.
Please pass the following link on to your family and friends regarding the news story that appeared on CTV last night. Langley citizens and farmers held a protest at MLA Mary Polak's office Friday, March 20th

See this link to CTV news and select Friday March 20th news and then move to time to the start of the story about Langley, it starts out with the general story about organizations promoting their message at 11:50 minutes into the broadcast, our Langley protest story starts at 12:56. The whole news clip is about 18 minutes long.

Wally Martin says " They are talking about building a highway and overpass through British Columbia's best farmland!"

Sonya Paterson says "We personally believe Mary Polak can lose her riding."

Watch the news broadcast, but more importantly send it on to your friends.

IF you have not signed the letter to Tony Pellet, please do. Print it out, sign it, mail it yourself or bring it to Council meeting on Monday March 23, 2008 when the 64th Ave/ Mufford Crescent overpass motion is brought back to the table. Please come out to show your support.

Please consider printing out the Petition and having your family and friends sign it. All you need is 15 signatures on one page. We need your help.

Thank you,
Sonya Paterson
604-888-2066

Wally Martin
Princess and the Pea B&B
604-533-5569...

Lfp's Poetry Spot - Featuring "bad poet" - 5 DAYS TO GO

2009-03-19T01:06:00.006-07:00

5 DAYS TO GO - by 'bad poet'

There’s 5 days to go till the next council meeting
The crowd will be huge- will there be enough seating
The debate on this issue gets hotter than hell
And that old Blog to Nowhere’s not going so well
As Bateman and Charlie and Dornan will find
Their support of this issue we will all keep in mind
We won’t forget Stevie he’s not off the hook
And Sir Councillor Ward and Long we will cook
Mayor Green and Ms. Richter and then there is Mel
They did the right thing-we all think the’re swell

So lets recap all that’s happened last week
It looked for awhile like things were real bleak
But there’s lots of support from near and afar
As people get ready with feathers and tar
The township’s abuzz with talk of support
From the Otter Co-op I’m pleased to report

There’s T-shirts for sale that say save our land
For those to wear proudly who will take a stand
At the meeting of council next week at the hall
So bring your best friend we’ll all have a ball
And the best part for me will be watching Mayor Green
And maybe that Ward guy won’t cause a big scene.

bad poet

Editor's Note: 'bad poet' is a satirical political poet very welcome here on LFP! Hey LFP readers, CLUE - read Bad Poet poems slowly, one line at a time for the best rhyming lyrical poetry effect! Hilarious and all meant in jest as satirical political comedy/commentary! Anyone else want to tryout for LFP's poetry spot? Submit yours too!
...

Horny Toad Sources The Township Engineering Poll That Cost Us $9500.00 ! Re: The "Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass To Nowhere"

2009-03-18T13:39:00.011-07:00

The Langley Township Taxpayers paid $9500.00 for this poll commissioned by (poll can be read and printed out from this LINK) The Township of Langley Engineering Department. Our Guest Columnist, Horny Toad, in his previous posting right here on LFP, said that his neighbor, who has a PHD in statistics, polls etc. from UBC said that in his opinion, the poll is basically “sh*t". Thanks once again to H. Toad for getting the poll to LFP and we definitely owe you a much coveted LangleyFreePress.com hat for your efforts. As said before citizen journalism at it's best by H. Toad! So was your $9500 of Township taxpayer money well spent, Mr & Mrs Langley Taxpayer?

LFP's Langley Municipal Elections $ Versus Votes Analysis

2009-03-17T13:06:00.017-07:00

To Better View Above
DOUBLE MOUSE CLICK ABOVE SPREAD SHEET TO ENLARGE IT
and Then Your Also Able to Print it out as well
More detailed analysis of City & School Board & special Interest Group financials to come,
RIGHT HERE.
(Preliminary Spreadsheet replaced with Final version above. If any further errors are found please advise us about specific error.
Thanks. --- LFP ---)

Wear "Save Our Farmland" T-Shirt To March 23rd 7pm Langley Township Council Meeting

2009-03-16T14:59:00.006-07:00

This is YOUR final opportunity to keep the Langley we love and say NO to destroying farmland, NO to the overpass and NO to the heavy rail traffic cutting through the heart of Langley!The council meeting is in the Council presentation theater on the 4th floor at 20338 65 Ave.

By the Way, I guess to be fair Wally says he is also offering this "Pave Our Farmland" T-Shirt for those who I guess want more frequent & longer heavy trains and overpasses and long term Township Taxpayer debt to accommodate these trains. Again call Wally for these too.

Taxpayers Line Up Outside Otter Co-Op To Sign Up Saying NO To The Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass To Nowhere

2009-03-14T11:57:00.037-07:00

UPDATE Mar15 @ 9:30pm - Sonya Paterson has informed LFP that at their booth outside the Otter Co-Op yesterday and today in only 10 hours produced the following amazing results. How can this Council ignore the overwhelming evidence AGAINST the overpass?

527 Petition signatures against the Overpass
417 Letters addressed to the ALC Against the Overpass
483 Overpass Surveys completed

Since 10 am , Saturday March 14, as well as Sunday till 3 pm at the Otter Co-Op at a booth outside the store, Langley taxpayers have been lining up non stop to either sign a petition against the overpass or sign a letter against it addressed to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) . People are also filling out a survey on their thoughts on the overpass. Also See this other 2:51 minute video of the event.

The organizer, Sonya Paterson says that they will be there until 3 PM today. The Otter Co-Op is just south on 248 th Street at the Fraser Highway intersection. Among the many people helping her man the booth and answering questions are Wally Martin, Darlene Jonnston ,the Blackhall's from Fort Langley, the Omelaniec's , members of the Davis & Mufford (generational Langley farming families), Irene McKaig and more.

The ALC admits the overpass negatively affects prime farmland and the Otter Co-Op client base serves Langley's agricultural community more so than any other and the response there so far today has been phenomenal. On Monday night, March 23rd the Township council will be asked to reconsider it's decision to proceed on the overpass. The Township Council voted last Monday 6 to 3 in favour of the overpass with only Mayor Green and Councillors Richter and Kositsky opposing the overpass.

Sonya Paterson is encouraging all of the taxpayers to attend the Monday March 23rd evening Langley Township council meeting at 7 PM to support the Mayor Green motion to reconsider the overpass. This is a the final opportunity to keep the Langley we love and say NO to the overpass and NO to the heavy rail traffic cutting through the heart of Langley!The council meeting is in the Council presentation theatre on the 4th floor at 20338 65 Ave. ...

ALC Says: Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass To Nowhere "Will Adversely Impact Agriculture" - (P.S. 10 Fold Debt Cost Increase Coming!)

2009-03-13T01:07:00.020-07:00

The Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) in its November 26, 2008 ruling letter admits right from the start of its conclusion that the Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass To Nowhere,

"..will adversely impact agriculture..." !

See, the actual 5 pages of the ALC decision further below. Also it specifies the seven (7) ALC terms and conditions that MUST be met for this agricultural land use application to go forward. The key question in the ALC conditions is how does this proposal " enable agriculture in the area affected in the road project to be more agriculturally productive following the project than it now is prior to the project." ? In addition what penalties are there if not met, and at what cost to meet them (are they at all presently budgeted for in the $51 million or is this another cost overun?) and what cost implications are there as well (i.e. The additional eight (8) conditions that Township Council put on this prior to approving it) ?

It is curious to note who moved the ALC motion (shown on Page 3 below). It would also be curious to ask whether or not this individual has current or past political connections to Councillor Jordan Bateman, President of the Fort Langley/Aldergrove provincial Liberal constituency association, MLA Rich Coleman, MLA Mary Polak and MLA/Minister of Transportation Kevin Falcon who recently vetoed any other overpass plan but this one (See Falcon's "build it or lose it" letter here).

To view or print the complete 5 page ALC decision double mouse click each of the following page links. (Some may take a few minutes to upload especially the context map).

10 Fold Increase In Annual DEBT COSTS
Coming Next Year !

In 2009 the annual Langley Township debt servicing cost will be $223,000 per year. In 2010 thanks to the addition of this "Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass To Nowhere" project among others the annual Langley Township debt servicing cost will increase by more than 10 fold to $2,486,000 per year! Thank you to all those good spendthrift B.C. Liberals who made this historic debt increase happen in Langley Township. Surely there must be some Liberals in Langley and Victoria who don't like to increase spending, taxation and debt!....

Guest Columnist: Horny Toad - Researcher Extraordinaire On Township Overpass BS Poll!

2009-03-12T23:49:00.012-07:00

And speaking of the questions on the telephone poll conducted by Synovate I now have a copy of the polling questions and results as commissioned by the engineering dept. I emailed the mayor last night at about 8.30, he got back to me at 9.30 , I phoned his secretary this morning and had a copy by email this afternoon. (as an aside, I emailed Clr. Bev Dornan 2 days ago and got no reply at all)

I read this poll and had some questions so I took it to my neighbor who has a PHD in statistics, polls etc. from UBC. His comment was that the poll is basically “sh*t". I said OK, but can you be more specific.

In fairness to the mayor or anyone else who is not an expert in polling (including myself) knowing the questions and agreeing to them is irrelevant if you don't understand the intracasies of polling..

First of all 401 household heads were called.

The first question was:

“Are you aware of the proposal to build a new road and overpass at 64th Ave/Mufford and Highway 10 to allow car traffic to be routed over the railway track.”

64% (256) said yes and 36%(144) said they were not aware. My expert neighbor says those 144 who knew nothing of the overpass should have been told “thank you” and disregarded. But they were allowed to continue on in the questions asked in the poll. This becomes important later on. Also this question is somewhat misleading because the overpass in nowhere near Highway 10, in fact it will be almost ½ mile north.

The next question was:

“Overall, do you support or oppose the plan to build the overpass or do you not have an opinion either way?”

49% said they supported it.

My question here is “how many of the 36% who said they knew nothing of this overpass were included in the 49%?”

They then went on to ask various questions as to why or why not you support or oppose it.

Question number 5 then asks:

“Now that you’ve heard some of the reasons for and against the overpass, would you prefer to see the project go ahead or be canceled.”

So they took the 36% who said they knew nothing about the overpass and told them the pros and cons( at least that they decided were cons) and then asked them to make an informed decision. This is ludicrous. How can you take someone who has not even heard about the overpass and ask them "do you think it will use too much farmland" and expect an intelligent answer.

One of the other reasons my friend condemned this poll is because of the use of "double barreled" questions.

For example one question says do you agree:

"the overpass will improve safety by separating rail trafffic from car traffic AND enhance emergency service response times".

There are really two questions but you may not agree with both yet you can't say yes to one and no to the other".

If you take the people who were polled (401) and look at the 49% in favor (196) compare that to the number of questionnaires collected at the open house(I THINK the number is between 3-400 but not sure) and take Jordan's figure of 75% against that works out to 225-300 against.

The other thing to keep in mind is that of the 64% who indicated they were aware of the overpass there would be varying degrees of knowledge ranging from “they heard about it” to “they were very informed”.

On the other hand those who went to the open house, if they weren’t real interested and informed before would certainly be very knowledgeable when they filled out the questionnaire.

So you tell me which group represents the citizens of the township.

Mayor Green was right when he called this a sham!

Researched and submitted by
Horny Toad - 03.12.09 at 10:36 pm...

B.C. Rail paid Liberal insider (The Province, 12 Mar 2009, Page A9)

2009-03-12T10:50:00.001-07:00

Does something stink here folks? See also the Victoria Times Colonist story and the Vancouver Sun Vaughn Palmer editorial all on the same story. Remember the RCMP legislature raids and the now famous so called 'Basi Gate' court case that in this Editor's opinion has been stymied at every junction with on going procedural wrangling that has delayed this whole case for what seems like ages so far with considerable assistance it would seem from the provincial government. What are they trying to hide? What and when is the stink going to reveal itself and it's sources? Note the desperation to keep a lid on all of this until the election is over.

B.C. Rail paid Liberal insider
Michael Smyth
The Province
12 Mar 2009

Patrick Kinsella, a friend of Premier Gordon Campbell and one of the most powerful string-pullers in the B.C. Liberal party, has made a killing on government contracts since guiding his pals to power in 2001. Kinsella was co-chairman of the Liberal...read more...

Tech Tags: The Province newspaper News

Township Council Votes 6 to 3 to build Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass To Nowhere & Clr. Grant Ward Calls Mayor Green's Speech Outrageous and A Sham

2009-03-10T04:00:00.018-07:00

A more detailed LFP report coming right here as well as the following linked LFP YouTube videos including Councillor Ward once again going for Mayor Green's political jugular! Final news/editorial posting with labeled and referenced links will be completed shortly and added. This LFP posting's Videos that will be linked are these four below:

Glover Overpass Actual 6-3 vote In Favour to Build It - (View Video 0:15 seconds)
Clr. Bev Dornan's Says Why She Votes Yes To Glover Overpass - (View Video 2:11 minutes)
Clr. Grant Ward Calls Mayor Green's Speech Outrageous and A Sham and then criticizes the Mayor's actions with his own version of the Mayor's time line events- (View Video 3:46 minutes)
Mayor Green's Statement Why He Says NO to Glover Overpass. The speech that Clr. Grant Ward above calls a sham and outrageous! - ( View Video 6:15 minutes)...

Bateman/Falcon Liberal Overpass Project & Land Cost Overruns Are ALL Township Taxpayer's Responsibility!

2009-03-10T02:10:00.019-07:00

We have further below linked this posting's news summary to the most relevant and we think shocking top 5 LFP YouTube videos of Monday's council segment when Translink VP Sheri Plewes answered Council's questions.

On Monday afternoon just before the Langley Township council voted 6-3 (only Mayor Green & councillors Kositsky & Richter voted no to the overpass design) to go ahead with the Glover overpass project, Translink VP Sheri Plewes (she is one of only 12 senior Translink execs.) was at the Township Council meeting and answered several questions, clarified points and provided an interesting background to what happened in the decision process on the overpass.

(See Video #1 of 5 - 3:19 minutes long) Translink VP Sheri Plewes is introduced by Mayor Green and gives some background on why an overpass redesign won't fly. She essentially said that the provincial government, ditto Minister Falcon we assume, was funding a quarter of the overpass project and as such since the ministry, Falcon, made it abundantly clear that it was do or die on the proposed overpass it was then decided by Translink and hence all the other partners essentially that they had no choice but to go along with the Provincial Government! She also said that there was a strong "desire to move ahead". I guess! But WHY we wonder?

(Play Video #2 of 5 - 3:43 minutes long) Translink VP Sheri Plewes was asked her opinion by Clr.Richter on the point that Richter disagreed strongly with Minister Falcon's CKNW interview of last Friday where Falcon suggested that there was public consultation over 2 and a half years on the Overpass. In reality it only started in mid December at best and was essentially a done deal with no other options. Essentially Plewes did not dispute Richter's summary at all. Later on Clr. Mel Kositsky also states that the same disregard for any real public input essentially in his opinion meant that the so-called preliminary overpass design was really for all intents and purposes always THE "final design" and obviously misleading for all . But most importantly Plewes when directly asked by Clr. Richter who would be responsible for any and all project cost overruns, Plewes confirmed that ALL overpass cost overruns will be the complete sole responsibility of Langley Township and essentially Township Taxpayers only! So let's get this straight. Minister Falcon says that his final, oops preliminary, design must go ahead come hell or high water, yet the clear obvious vast majority of Township respondents don't want this design, but will have to pay through the nose if it goes sideways! Does this sound fair to you? Any bets on the chances of the overpass going over budget like most of the other township major projects?

(Play Video #3 of 5 - 3:16 minutes long) Translink VP Sheri Plewes answers Clr. Kim Richter confirming that all land purchase overpass cost overruns will be the major responsibility of Langley Township! Also Richter asked Plewes what the design benefits especially insofar as east west transportation really were. Plewes answered saying that was a question best asked of Township engineering and not her. The Township director of engineering then answered Richter's question which is in the next video #4 of 5 just below.

(Play Video #4 of 5 - 3:16 minutes long) Langley Township Director of Engineering answers the Clr. Richter question as to what the design benefits are after Translink's VP Sheri Plewes said it was a question best answered by the Township engineering. LFP suggests that any evaluation of this answer are best left to the LFP readers and as to whether they feel the arguments for the overpass benefits are valid and where they sit on a scale of 1 to 10. You score the benefits with 10 outstanding and 5 mediocre and 1 being minimal to say the least!

(Play Video #5 of 5 - 3:16 minutes long) Translink VP Sheri Plewes is thanked by Mayor Green for her attendance and her efforts on behalf of Langley Township, as well as an implied running the political gauntlet so to speak and then the Mayor provides a short backgrounder and clarifications on Plewes involvement with the Mayor over the past few weeks....

Lfp's Poetry Spot - Featuring "bad poet" - THE FINANCIAL WIZZARDS

2009-03-09T23:29:00.003-07:00

THE FINANCIAL WIZZARDS

Bateman never met a dollar he didn’t like to spend
Especially when directed by coleman his friend

No matter the interest and all of the rest
If his name can be on it that’s really the best

Now fergie the teacher, a misnomer of sorts
His whining and crying when giving reports

Says mayor is a meanie and tells him a lie
So he can’t make the meeting oh how he can cry

A real piece of work is councilor Ward
Don’t call me Grant just call me “my lord”

So they passed the rail thingy I’ll bet they are proud
Cost overruns,who cares, don’t say it out loud

Its not a P3, a financial disaster
But the’re spending the money it seems a lot faster.

5 million-9 million, gee it seems kinda funny
First thing you know it will seem like real money

While we’re scratching and clawing to save a few bucks
The 4 big time spenders shovel it off of the trucks

bad poet

Editor's Note: 'bad poet' is a satirical political poet very welcome here on LFP! Hey LFP readers, CLUE - read Bad Poet poems slowly, one line at a time for the best rhyming lyrical poetry effect! Hilarious and all meant in jest as satirical political comedy/commentary! Anyone else want to tryout for LFP's poetry spot? Submit yours too!
...

Lfp's Poetry Spot - Featuring "bad poet" - THE FOUR STOOGES

2009-03-09T00:19:00.008-07:00

THE FOUR STOOGES

We had an election in two thousand and eight
After years of more taxes that wasn’t so great

A man named Rick Green promised much more for less
Most people sure liked him especially the press

He won the election, that man named Rick Green
His election committee- a well oiled machine

But alas and alak joy was cut short
As councilor Ward showed his lack of support

For within a few day of the election results
Concilor Ward started hurling nasty insults

He told our new mayor- hey listen up bub
You’d best not be going against our old club

We had it real cozy with the mayor from the fort
And were not fond of changes-we’ll cut you off short

So with fergie and foxy and Bateman on board
They set out to stir up a lot of discord

The financial committee –now the Mufford rail thing
Four financial blind mice –what next will they bring

Will they vote for the people for whom they should act
Because if they don’t next time they’ll be sacked

bad poet

Editor's Note: Wow! Great! A satirical political poet on LFP! How innovative! Can we expect more Bad Poet? Very creative though, thanks for the chuckle! Hey LFP readers, CLUE - read Bad Poet poem slowly one line at a time for the rhyming lyrical poetry effect! Hilarious and all meant in jest I'm sure as satirical political comedy/commentary! Anyone else want to tryout for LFP's poetry spot? Submit yours too!
...

Bateman/Falcon Overpass To Nowhere And Gateway mega-projects running into opposition (The Province, 08 Mar 2009, Page A12)

2009-03-08T11:50:00.024-07:00

The public is overwhelmingly anti BATEMAN/FALCON's Langley Overpass. Even our Langley Times Editor (Kudos - he also now points his finger clearly to Clr. Bateman's symbiotic Liberal/Coleman relationship that pretty much guarantees his compliance with anything Provincial Liberal!) is not enthralled with the decision that council has to make.

And Minister Falcon is absolutely WRONG & INCORRECT (I'm being polite and not using the words, big fat lie!) when he strongly infers on this Friday's Bill Good radio show that the previous Township Mayor spent 2 and a half years of "consultative process" before our new Mayor Green supposedly 'AGAIN' wants to "go back to starting the consultative process over" ! There was no consultative public process in the whole two and half years! See the CKNW audio vaults for Falcon's erroneous and/or misleading answer to a taxpayer questioning his Langley overpass tactics and decision. Again there was NO public input in the past 2 and a half years! NOT until way after the election! The only open houses and real public debate was initiated finally under Mayor Green's council and NEVER, EVER by the previous Mayor's council! Is this the democracy, consultative process and transparency that Minister Falcon and his desperately wannabee Mayor or MLA or whatever, Clr. Jordan Bateman espouse as "consultative"? Or do they mean secretive behind closed door "consultative" with a final ultimatum financial gun pointed to the Langley Taxpayer's head?

What people don't understand is that the Clr. Bateman's 'Gang of 4' led council's run away financial fiasco train (forgive the pun) is still hurtling towards even more out of control financial decisions. His 'Gang of 4' have still not come to grips with the world wide recession, scratch that, depression! As proof, watch the, I predict, continuing Bateman's 'Gang of 4' sabotaging and hijacking of the Township budget process with I again confidently predict they will forcibly be trying to push the Township budget again to at least the standard Bateman annual 5%+ (oops-- 4.99%--lol) annual compounded increases! Just spend, spend, tax & borrow! Bateman's 'Gang of 4' ever increasing Taxpayer's past hit list consists of, to name just a few, moving record high tax increases, record project cost overruns like the Grandstand, driving the LEC at least $5 million over it's initial budget without even a proper P3 contract, taking Langley into higher & higher levels of debt and now pushing for an overpass to nowhere, that we must again go into massive debt for. Adding insult to injury this overpass still leaves the Langley bypass plugged with the increasingly massive long heavy trains to come FOREVER I might add while bisecting the heart of the Langley's with a ribbon of dirty, loud and increasingly longer and frequent steel heavy trains!

Maybe our expensive Tourism Langley can figure out how to make this a tourist attraction like building another Bateman Grandstand to view the colourful train graffiti perhaps as they go by every 20 minutes for 20 minutes?

Finally and most importantly, the Township is going to borrow an additional $9 million for our share of the BATEMAN/FALCON overpass that we are FORCED to borrow (due to the sponsered Clr. Bateman continued year after year spending spree) at an annual debt repayment burden of $767, 000.00 for each and every year for the next 20 years for a grand total of $15,344,000.00 NOT the original $9 million! Did you know that the $767,000.00 annual debt repayment for the BATEMAN/FALCON overpass is equal to well over to an annual 1% tax increase to Langley Taxpayers! Can we really afford the Bateman 'Gang of 4' council any more?

And Folks, we have yet to be told the details of what the Liberal gifted Langley Events Centre annual operating cost that WE the Township taxpayers will be paying for each & every year too! I can hardly wait for this secret to get out of the bag and the political spin from the financial fiasco Clr. Bateman's 'Gang of 4' financial wizards!

In any event this Editor NOW predicts this vote:

The YES Side: Bateman, Fox, Ward, Long, Dornan
(Dornan the only remote possible swing vote? Meanwhile watch the 'Gang of 4' try to mitigate their decision in the voter's perception that they will still lobby to reroute heavy trains out of the Langleys (Fox's B.S. Motion!) ! Watch for Them all say we can't turn down $40 million but we will valiantly fight to reroute heavy rail! Yeah right, B.S.! What a joke because this is just a smokescreen to mitigate compliance to the Bateman/Falcon overpass to nowhere when they know full well that approving the overpass even more so guarantees NO CHANGE to heavy rail routing! What a scam)

The NO Side: Green,Kositsky,Richter,Ferguson
(Ferguson the only remote possible swing vote? Remember Fergie was pretty low on the last election tally and the long list of historical Langley families and their contacts, not to mention 600 petitioners, is enough of a serious concern to force Fergie breaking temporarily from his Gang of 4? But just temporarily! Gee, How do you spell political expediency or survival? )

LFP Prediction is 5 - 4 YES to the Overpass!

ENJOY THE OVERPASS TO NOWHERE !

Gateway mega-projects running into opposition
Brian Lewis
The Province
08 Mar 2009

The full impacts from two proposed Gateway-related mega-projects directly linked to Deltaport’s expansion are beginning to register at street level. As of Friday afternoon, for example, a small group of protesters were on their fifth day of a...read more...

Tech Tags: The Province newspaper News

Langley divided over increased rail traffic (The Province, 01 Mar 2009, Page A17)

2009-03-01T11:28:00.001-08:00

LFP Prediction is that the Councillor Jordan Bateman's Liberal influence will force ahead with the overpass as submitted. Vote will be 6-3 to build it. Guess who the 3 are and who the 6 are!

Langley divided over increased rail traffic
Brian Lewis
The Province
01 Mar 2009

When the Township of Langley’s eight councillors and Mayor Rick Green hold their regular meeting tomorrow, they’ll face a highly irregular challenge. It’s not every day that a single council meeting has such potential to impact the community for...read more...

Tech Tags: The Province newspaper News

Letter To The Editor : Pam Omelaniec's Open Letter To Councillors Ferguson & Ward

2009-02-26T12:10:00.004-08:00

I sent the following letter to all of the local media. As yet it has not appeared in print.

" You all know me and I know you. In fact Sam and I have supported you all, in particular you Councillor Ferguson. Steve we were on your Campaign Team when you ran for Mayor so I am more than just a passing acquaintance and Councillor Ward, Sam and I have known and respected you for years.

You all know we were members of Rick Green's Campaign Team but I am not flag-waving for Mayor Green I am saying that I, together with hundreds of Langley Township residents are bitterly disappointed in the way you have been conducting yourselves and representing, we, the Langley Township electorate.

The idea of an in-your-face confrontation with an elected official with the Press primed at your side and armed with a tape recorder is abhorrent. If you try to tape a phone conversation to be used later it is not legal to do so unless you have informed the speaker of your intent and received permission to do so.

Did you tape conversations when you were planning to spend millions of our tax dollars behind closed doors. I think not.

You cannot change the November election result. In fact you are insulting everyone who voted for change in Langley by acting like we don't count. If it is your intention to carry on political sniping and causing a furor at every opportunity to score personal brownie points, I suggest you think again.

Langley needs strong united leadership with constructive criticism not a pack mentality of hyenas. How can we believe in your good judgment on issues like the one you are making on the Mufford overpass?

I urge you to have a good look at your behaviors. You may not like what you see because we the Electorate sure don't. I thought we were all pretty good judges of character but you have really let Langley taxpayers down."

Pam Omelaniec

Edited By LFP EDITOR...

Vecchiato's Voice - On Contentious Issues in Langley - Mufford Overpass & Brown Pit

2009-02-25T14:16:00.011-08:00

Winter brings stasis to life. Community events dwindle due to the glorious northern weather. However, the two issues that seem to dominate the pages--not including the issue of a middle school in Aldergrove--are the Brown Pit reopening and the Mufford Crescent overpass.

I avoided the overpass open house. I really am not sure of the motivation behind this, except to get federal funds. As a parent, I'm a Flip City patron, and have no problem getting there via the By Pass and Glover. However, I won't why anyone would dare turn left from Mufford to Glover. Mel Kositsky had a good idea, telling people to go up 208th. What disturbs me is that funds are earmarked for projects they want, not ones that the taxpayers might want. I know I can hear the civil servant whine in chorus about consultation and open houses, but funds should not be prearranged for a specific project. Change is inevitable, and perhaps the best argument against the proposed plan has been Mr. Mufford, whose livelihood this affects. I also would like to applaud Wally Martin to point out the core issue: more trains right through the middle of a growing suburb. The South Fraser Perimeter Road and Deltaport Expansions are disasters in an already damaged ecosystem, despite numerous protests. Rafe Mair referred to Gordon Campbell as an autocrat, and he couldn't be more descriptive. Perhaps if Campbell studied Mussolini, he could also get the trains to run on time so that we'd know when to avoid any rail crossings.

Regarding gravel extraction, one of the residents near Brown Pit, Bob Moats, sent the following letter to speak out against the "done deal" gravel extraction. Perhaps it is in his and other residents' favor that it is an election year. With his permission, his letter is reprinted below.

Dear Editor

The BC Liberal government proposes to “Rape Mother Langley” but promises to study it first.

The proposed mining of Brown Pit in Langley Township for provincial Port Mann and freeway construction gravel is an unconscionable act which cannot occur without every aspect of community, water safety and environmental integrity being devastated. This is in spite of a long standing moratorium on gravel extraction in the Township of Langley.

Our community group has just learned that “the plan” calls for 1 million cubic yards of gravel removal. This makes their claim of no damage to the aquifer, water quality and community and leaving this ALR land in improved agricultural shape when finished an untrue statement. Let me explain:

Let’s put size in context:

My home is a 6.4 acre lot bordering the south 700 feet of Brown Pit (the area that still has gravel). The foot print of 1 million cubic yards is 1/3rd the volume of the Giza Pyramid whose base covers 13 acres (exactly double my lot) and attains a height of 450 ft. So the ground footprint of the excavation of my north border would be 700 feet long and 400 feet wide (the pit itself isn’t that wide so it would have to go deeper than the 50 – 100 ft deep to round out to 1 million cubic yards. This is a frightful image.

The damage to the Hopington aquifer would be stunning. All the oil and other toxic material dripping from machinery would travel for miles in the gravel (any one remember Walkerton). The gravel is God’s water filter and with the extraction the gravel would be gone. The natural filtering process destroyed – the damage incalculable.

I have questions and so should you all.

If the provincial government is so incredibly comfortable turning their back on fair play on the Cambie Street corridor and in Delta – would we expect to be treated differently? Should we be comforted by “we’ll do a study” (surveying for the freeway ramp is done as are 4 test wells). Is surveying part of the pre-study process? Do they as we suspect consider this a “done deal”.
With a gargantuan hole 700x400x50-100 feet deep does anyone believe that they will “restore it for agricultural use”? That is being economical with the truth – more precisely a lie. Such a fill project would be virtually impossible – whose quality soil would they steal to fulfill this pipedream?
We recently (last 2 years) were subjected to the filling of part of the old pit. They hauled for weeks making our roads unsafe and dumping illegal material (hog fuel) into the old pit. They contaminated adjacent wells (hog fuel) and when finished it didn’t make a dent in the old gravel evacuation space. Restore to agricultural use indeed!
Is the ALR protecting our bread basket or are they a thinly veiled Liberal rubber stamp? We’re told that this project has preliminary ALR approval – how can that be possible if anybody is doing their job or had a functional conscience.

Our group is methodically gathering facts and information and the more we gather (1 million cubic yards) the more frightened and outraged we become.

Many people are concerned about this issue. Many more facts are still hidden from us but we will find them. Meanwhile I will not stand quietly and idly by while unprincipled people in government without a conscience commit a premeditated Rape of Mother Langley.

Bob Moats
Langley Township

LFP EDITOR NOTE: You can view Bob Moats on our LFP YouTube video on the overpass and Brown Pit.

Cathleen Vecchiato has been an outspoken environmentalist for many years. She is the recognized champion of the environment and a community activist in Langley and other adjoining communities. View her full bio and read all her LFP postings at this link. Editor-LFP......

Langley Free Press Editorial Rebuttal To Langley Advance Editor's Unbalanced View.

2009-02-24T03:04:00.011-08:00

Bob Groeneveld: I, the LFP Editor, disagree completely with your editorial in today's Langley Advance.

My rebuttal to your editorial consists of 5 points. I hope you will give them some consideration. They are as follows:

The people elected Mayor Green for his message of financial responsibility and change, yet you seem to want him to just become a simple traffic cop of the council meetings. Why? If the Mayor is not permitted to drive the agenda against an obviously hostile group on council, how can this community ever hope to move forward in the next 3 years?
Why did you rub the former Mayor's central campaign slogan: "...through cooperation and working together" in Mayor Green's face? Rick Green was elected. Kurt Alberts wasn't. Questionable ethics here? Or did you miss the message?
Why aren't your editorials EVER equally chastising of what the "gang of four" is doing? Can you not see it? Aren't their sabotaging efforts worthy of an editorial? Or is your view clouded because of affiliations?
Some are quick to say that the political and municipal advertising has nothing to do with the editorial comment. Should we believe this?
Are you doing this simply to "sell" more controversy/papers? Shame on you if you are because all you are really doing is feeding the dysfunctionality. But then again you have had 9 years of pablum fed to you so maybe you are just doing this to shake things up a bit. Too bad the new Mayor is your scape goat. I could have easily thought of others on council.

Mayor Green isn't perfect but then again neither was Mayor Alberts. You gave Mayor Alberts more than a fair chance (like 9 years worth). Why won't you extend the same courtesy to Mayor Green who has only been in office for 3 months?

Are you paying attention, Editor Groeneveld?...

Langley Advance Editor Slaps Mayor Rick Green's Knuckles!

2009-02-24T00:12:00.009-08:00

Langley Advance Editor Slaps Mayor Rick Green's knuckles! As well as the two councillors, Grant Ward and Steve Ferguson, all for squabbling in public. Advance Editor Bob Groeneveld is quoted in the Langley Advance saying:

"Now we've got a mayor and a couple of councillors playing Petulant Patty over the public purse. While the two councillors involved in this latest bout of bickering need to stand in the corner and think about how they might have handled the situation differently, the chief responsibility for this one falls squarely on the shoulders of Mayor Rick Green."

View the full Editorial titled "Quit Squabbling" by Langley Advance Editor Bob Groeneveld. He further essentially admonishes them for squabbling when fiscal concerns world wide and in Langley certainly call for better behavior and focus on the taxpayers business.

Meanwhile former school trustee and Township Councilor candidate Sonia Paterson, in the same Advance newspaper essentially encourages Councillor Ward & Ferguson to get counseling on how to conduct themselves in public meetings!

Funny I don't remember the previous Mayor having such a short honeymoon. A sign perhaps of things to come?

The Mayor & two Councillors won't be very happy with this Advance editorial!!!!!
I guess the media bloom for Mayor Green is now really over. Gee, its not even been the end of the first 100 days in office yet for the new Mayor!...

The "Langley Politics Foursome" (4-Sum) Think They Drove A Hole In One! LOL!

2009-02-22T17:13:00.021-08:00

We will henceforth be regularly posting the latest Langley politics game in town. It's the hottest and newest political mind game in Looney Langley and is very loosely based on a political version of golf. The star players of the group we will be highlighting regularly henceforth are the "Langley Politics Foursome" (4-Sum). They are none other than Councillors Grant Ward, Steve Ferguson, Charlie Fox and their political wannabee Foursome's strategic team captain, mentor and scorecard keeper, Councilor Jordan Bateman.

The games duration is a tournament of 36 holes and since November, we are still not yet even on the 4th hole so far a little over 3 months after this term's Tournament began! But that has not stopped the games being played by the "Langley Politics Foursome" (4-Sum) . No Sirree! In fact Clr. Ward was first off the tee essentially throwing the rule book out just days after the game started in November crying foul and jumping up and down on the fairway because he could never fathom how his favorite previous golfing buddy, his former golf slate team captain and the previous 36 hole Tournament Chairman was ever booted from the tournament by the onlooking gallery of voting spectators last November! On November 15th, 2008, all the Langley Township Tournament gallery taxpaying spectators elected their club's newest roster of players including the tournament's new chairman and independent player, Mayor Rick Green.

Clr. Bateman though was not far behind Clr. Ward's Golf Game Chairman rules protest when he boldly called the newest player and Tournament Chair, Mayor Green, for so called illegal public airing of the contract details of their newest ~$50 million sports club building! After Mayor Green corrected and chided him, Bateman promptly made sure to correct that statement by telling everyone he did not say that at all. Rather rookie political sports commentator, Langley Advance reporter Claxton, misunderstood what he had really said. Wow.... glad Bateman cleared that up so that we will always now have to question any other written word by the political Golf game commentator in question. I guess because it was never refuted to the best of my knowledge. But then again Claxton and the Langley Advance never officially renounced their statement either to the best of my knowledge!

Last week while still on the 3rd fairway two more 4-Sum team/slate players revealed themselves when they spent well over an hour going over whether a report from a competing player would be submitted on the 2nd or 3rd of March. Yes folks, Clr. Charlie Fox and Clr. Steve Ferguson (student of Political Golf I guess?) essentially officially added their names on the same 4-Sum scorecard as their teammates, Clrs. Ward and scorecard keeper and team leader, Clr. Bateman! Believe it or not they then argued for over an HOUR about this ONE day's difference in providing a report on the Langley Club's finance's and budget committee . At the same time 4-Sum team member Clr. Ferguson argued with player Green about being left out of supposed private clubhouse get togethers. This of course was argued over by the two players for what again seemed an eternity.

Meanwhile, Clr. Fox at this very same meeting seemed to be angry because of 24 inches of information!??? Many said this was just another challenge to gauge the strength of the golf game's Tournament Chair and his rules, but Fox even insisted on distributing the picture of the 24 inches of documents that hearkened this commentator back to the famous photos that George W. Bush publicly as well pointed to as proof positive by illustrating pictures of Weapons of mass destruction in his ill fated attempt to sell his story with his CIA satellite photos. Good one Charlie I can now absolutely relate to the message you were trying to get across!!!

Suddenly yesterday another fracas over the political golf game rules exploded once again. You guessed it, Clrs. Ferguson & Ward again challenging the tournament chair,Mayor Green, with a tag team approach so aggressive indeed, that many thought that perhaps these two forgot that this was political golf, not political tag team wrestling! Even their scorekeeper made sure to distance himself when his blog sit in said he was far away and essentially not involved in this game diversion! Yeah right! This time they again argued loudly over their attempt to say the rules are not being followed by Tournament Chair and Player Mayor Rick Green. Clr. Ferguson again says he is being left in the dark which makes this writer wonder out loud how long it would take him indeed to find the light switch in any dark room? Heck even Clr. Ward is heard to be so inconsolable that he even insists that Mayor Green not use his first name at all but address him as "Councillor"! Remember he is still probably not at all over the fact that his previous team captain and tournament chair is no longer there! Probably never will be either!

The "Langley Politics Foursome" (4-Sum) are also always accompanied by at latest count 3 caddies who are very reticent to be identified and prefer to avoid the limelight for obvious legal & political reasons. One, a failed wannabee politico is working the Langley Politics Golf Course Fire & Sports lobby control angle, the second is their recorder and documenter, and the third is their technical guru in charge of internet technology and video audio conversions. So successful in fact that he seems to be beaming with pride over his recent technical conversion success vociferously promoting his accomplishments!

The 4-Sum so far have focused their gaming skills against only two other competing players who are, to the 4-Sum's chagrin, constantly at par, often have successful birdies and definitely more than one hole in one in the early part of this game so far. It's only three holes after all into this term's game after all. With 33 holes remaining to be played in this unique Langley Politics game before the viewing gallery public audience votes in and out a new roster of players, we look forward to providing our continuing tournament coverage and will specifically continue highlighting the "Langley Politics Foursome" (4-Sum) because frankly they need the EXPOSURE along with their trusted caddies. It's clear that the hidden and secretive back room caddies combined with their obvious lack of political gaming talent remains their handicap. Stay tuned for the continuing 'as your stomach turns' saga of the infamous "Langley Politics Foursome" (4-Sum)! Only available here on Langley Free Press - your only reliable source of "Langley Politics Foursome" (4-Sum) Gaming Center coverage!...

Langley School Board Chair Joan Beck & Trustee Stacey Cody Change Their Minds and Defeat Motion To Delay Aldergrove Middle School

2009-02-17T23:43:00.013-08:00

In the very same Aldergrove Secondary School gymnasium that saw last weeks Aldergrove PACs' Town Hall meeting to rescind Trustee Wendy Johnson's last meeting's successful passed motion to delay the Aldergrove middle school implementation, two Trustees (Joan Bech & Stacey Cody) flip flopped from their last meeting and joined trustees Burton, McVeigh, Ross to rescind Johnson's delay and reinstated the go ahead for the middle school Betty Gilbert elementary in Aldergrove. Only Johnson & Mcfarlane voted not to rescind, 5 for to 2 against. Following are videos that show each trustee's comments on their decision and the actual vote itself.

***NOTE ALL VIDEOS ARE IN PROCESS OF UPLOADING***

Stacey Cody does flip- flop and reverses her previous decision to delay implementation. and apologizes. See Video 3:12 min.
Joan Beck does flip- flop and reverses her previous decision to delay implementation and quotes people who told her she screwed up. See Video 0:43 min.
Alison McVeigh votes to rescind previous decision to delay implementation and says she is frustrated and disappointed to be in this position tonight again. See Video 3:27 min.
Rob McFarlane votes against rescinding previous decision to delay implementation and says he is not convinced about middle schools yet. See Video 3:57 min.
Wendy Johnson votes against rescinding previous decision to delay implementation and says she is not convinced about Grades 5, 6 & 7 becoming middle school in September and also the long term risk of losing ACSS high school. See Video 2:44 min.
Steve Burton votes to rescind previous decision to delay implementation and says he is not sure why others quote the New York Wall Street Journal critical about Middle Schools in the USA. See Video 4:31 min.
Rod Ross votes to rescind previous decision to delay implementation and says it is a wonderful thing when leaders say they screwed up and applauds those on council who flip flopped. See Video 2:25 min.
Actual Vote Taken 5 for & 2 (Johnson & McFarlane) Against. See Video 0:42 min. ...

Susan Semonick On Schools - Langley Middle Schools - Let's Get It Right For The Kids' Sake!

2009-02-16T11:28:00.008-08:00

Having heard and read as much as I can about the current issue in this district, there are several questions that come to mind that I think need answers.

1. Regarding the school timetable, which would sync with the high school, the blocks are roughly 77 to 80 minutes long. This is a long block even for high school students. Will these blocks be broken up into two sessions, or other shorter time frames when teaching?

2. How will the grade 8s (in the 2009-2010 school year) receive the additional 23 minutes of instruction per day?

3. Do parents understand that for the 2009-2010 school year, the current grade 7s will be attending ACSS and will NOT be attending the middle school because there is no space for them until the following 2010-2011 school year?

4. The current enrolment of Grade 4 at Betty Gilbert Elem. (next year’s Grade 5s) is 35 students. Will they be in a single class next year? What about class size and composition issues?

Betty Gilbert 32 42 50

Parkside 57 64 67

Shortreed 38 35 35

Total 127 141 152 Capacity 387

Roughly 4 grade 5 classes, 5 grade 6 classes, and 5 grade 7 classes for the first year of BG Middle school operations (a transition year)
The district is expecting another decrease in enrolment next year so perhaps they are anticipating just enough declines for a snug fit for 2009 – 2010.

5. Do parents understand that the school will be “very full” and there will likely be at least one permanent class in the gym, library, and/or computer lab? I was told that there would be no portables added to Betty Gilbert Middle.

6. How does the district believe that the French Immersion program can be sustained at the secondary level with only one class feeding into it? Is the district truly anticipating increasing the FI program to two classes per grade? How will this affect the regular English program in terms of funding? Does the district intend to subsidize the FI program by running smaller classes to accommodate less than full class enrolments (60 students per cohort)? What about declining enrolment and maintaining a viable FI program for the long term in this area? Is this just a stop gap remedy?

7. Do parents understand that for the first year of the middle school operations (2009-2010), students will NOT be attending ACSS for their exploration classes? So just what exactly is being planned for 2009-2010 in terms of delivering the exploration courses to the grades 6 and 7s?

8. Will the SEA’s who will be escorting the students to ACSS in the second year of operations be the same ones that are attached to students as part of their duties? Or will additional SEA’s be hired? If this is the case, why not less costly noon hour supervisors?

9. The elementary schools may not close if early Kindergarten eventually becomes a reality. The secondary school is another matter. ACSS capacity is 1100. Current enrolment is 925.
In 2009-2010 there will be 141 fewer students when the grade 7s stay back at Betty Gilbert to be in middle school. ACSS will be emptier still. What are the plans to use that extra space? Is this sustainable?

I hope that the parents of these students directly involved will find this informative and relative to the situation.

Contrary to what some have been saying, this is not just about Aldergrove and their students. The recent motion was to do a district wide review regarding middle schools. It is about middle schools across the district. Moreover, according to a couple of trustees, it is an all or nothing proposition.

This is a concern for all Langley parents and community members who care about what may happen to their child and/or grandchild's education. No one should get angry with other Langley residents who can foresee the impact this might have on the young minds and hearts they have in their care and are also voicing their opinions. What the Board decides to do will affect all Langley students....

Wally Martin Starts On Line Petition To Get Trains Out Of Downtown Langley

2009-02-15T13:00:00.006-08:00

Call Your Friends & Neighbours NOW, To Google Langley Free Press, To Sign the Petition!

Wally Martin launched an on line petition called GET THE TRAINS OUT OF DOWNTOWN LANGLEY, late on Friday, February 13.

Wally's action was prompted by his ongoing passion to have what is the very best for the Langley community.

He and his wife operate the oldest hotel in BC, the 5 Star Princess and the Pea B&B, located at the Murrayville historic 5 Corners.

Together for the past 20 years they have worked tirelessly to promote tourism for themselves and for Langley.

As train tracks and roads destroy farmland they fear that Langley will slowly disintegrate into a large scale industrial wasteland and that is something that concerns them deeply.

Recent announcements of increases in train traffic through the middle of Langley as well as the public outcry about the increase of train traffic prompted him to create a petition to all levels of government to reroute the trains away from the heart of Langley and back to the original mainline railway corridor that follows both sides of the Fraser River.

He believes that this is a very viable alternative to what is presently being proposed.

Wally states, "In the 1800’s we could build a railway over 3000 miles from Ottawa to Vancouver using simple manpower, horses and hand tools. Surely with today's equipment the rerouting of 20 or 30 miles of track is a piece of cake."

Wally invites anyone to sign the petition at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/wally68/

Editors' comment: LFP has an ad link on our sidebar to your right to get to Wally's online petition....

Mayor Green Mad at 'Threatening' Letters (The Province, 12 Feb 2009, Page A10)

2009-02-12T09:38:00.003-08:00

Referring to Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon's unusual personalized letters delivered late Friday afternoon (see previous LFP posting) to each member of Township council, Mayor Rick Green comes out publicly today in the Province saying: "The letters are threatening. They are not appropriate." and that: "There are always other options.", obviously very strongly suggesting that he will not be supporting the overpass as presently proposed. Mayor Green has generated a lot of press recently in all the major newspapers including today's Globe & Mail as well with extensive quotes from Mayor Green on the recent gangland flurry of shootings in the Langley area as well.

--MOUSE CLICK PICTURE OF PROVINCE PAGE FOR BEST VIEW BELOW--

Mayor mad at 'threatening' letters
BY KENT SPENCER STAFF REPORTER
The Province
12 Feb 2009

Langley residents wont be bulldozed into accepting the B.C. government's design for a rail overpass, says Township Mayor Rick Green. Green said yesterday he is not intimidated by a letter from Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon, threatening to...read more...

Tech Tags: The Province newspaper News

LFP Barred To Do Video News Report Of Aldergrove PAC's Public Town Hall Meeting!

2009-02-10T20:28:00.014-08:00

Langley Free Press feels honoured. For the first time ever, we have drawn enough attention that our reporter/photographer was censored! What a tribute to the fact that LFP must really be making a difference and having an impact! Despite the fact that we were asked by more than one member of the taxpaying public to attend and record this public event put on by a public group at a publicly advertised town hall meeting in a public school, the organizers of this so-called public event went out of their way to specifically censor our public reporting. We are indeed humbled!

So let's see, the Aldergrove PAC's, 4 of them apparently, advertise where ever possible about a public town hall meeting held in the Gymnasium of a public High School, ACSS, tonight 7 to 9 pm. They even have set up tables marked for the press and all the local Langley newspapers were present. The Press were taking pictures of the event. Suddenly, two male event organizers tell our Langley Free Press photographer that LFP is not permitted to take any videos of this so called public meeting at all. In fact, they even physically push our camera lens back toward our own LFP photographer telling him to take videos of himself after it is revealed that their whole discussion was being videotaped as well. (Isn't February 25, 2009 Anti-Bullying Day in BC Schools according to CKNW's campaign? What an example to set!).

The two event organizers had specifically walked directly over and said all this right after they were seen talking to one of the controversial school board members (who as a matter of fact has had some interesting experiences previously with press videos as well although never on LFP nor never even republished here on LFP!). These organizers (if in fact they were) further say that they were told that LFP was going to be taking videos and was not permitted to do so unless LFP got permission from the approx 15 head table speakers. Interestingly, when the moderator started the meeting, people were asked to turn off their cell phones but no mention was made about not videotaping. If CTV, Global or CBC camera crews were there, would they have been told to turn off their cameras? An interesting question indeed!

Curiously, the other press where permitted to be there as well with cameras and to report on the event. So why was LFP told not to video? It makes this Editor really wonder what the real issue is here. It certainly doesn't seem to be openess, transparency, democracy and free speech!

The other thing that comes to my mind is that despite all the first hand witnesses who talked to the press about the tragic Vancouver Airport Taser death, none of the reports, news reports nor the RCMP reports came an iota close to revealing what a simple cell phone video ultimately described and revealed.

So the story here on LFP is not the event but that this public meeting was censored. By who? and Why? What's the real agenda here? The fact that LFP was specifically barred from being welcome to video the very publicly advertised so-called public Town Hall meeting is very, very odd. In conclusion, just how public was this meeting? Or was it really just a grandstand opportunity for the organizers behind one of the school board slates who incidentally just happened to be endorsed by the Aldergrove MLA too!

By the way, anyone attending this meeting is encouraged to send us your reports and letters on it. We will publish them. And, if you happened to take a few videos on your cell phones - even better. Send those too!...

Langley Taxpayers Send Council Loud Message - Don't Bully Us Into 64th Street Liberal Overpass

2009-02-10T00:02:00.044-08:00

Hundreds packed Langley Township Hall tonight with 39 speaking to Township council eloquently and passionately against the 64th Ave/Mufford/Glover Overpass. Only three speakers supported the proposed overpass. The youngest speaker was 10 and the oldest speaker was 84! Both were against the overpass as proposed.

Over and over the same message was delivered by the speakers that Council should not be 'blackmailed' or 'coerced' with a proverbial 'gun to our heads'. They were referencing late Friday afternoon's Minister Falcon's sudden and surprising letter to Mayor & Council essentially saying take it (their design) or lose it ($40 million of outside funding)! LFP reported on this letter in the previous LFP posting.

In fact some opposing the overpass like long time Langley resident Roy Mufford even wore pink "Bullying Stops Here" T-shirts to make their point. Still conspicuously silent just as in the "Where's Waldo" game, our Langley MLAs were, are and most likely will remain AWOL on this very controversial issue.

Speakers videos at the Overpass public hearing:

Pam Omelaniec - Video is 2:37 min - Railroaded & a certain Cllr. glares
Sam Omelaniec - Video is 2:47 min - Remove heavy rail out of Langley
Don Nundal - Video is 2:16 min - His father was Mayor of Langley
Terry Lyster - Video is 6:06 min - Ex Township Planning Director says No
Ken Cannon - Video is 3:51 min - Very Funny & great presentation
Bob Moats - Video is 3:28 min - Back of the Napkin planning & Brown Pit
Doug Preddy - Video is 2:34 min - We don't need a major overpass on a minor road
David Davis - Video is 5:19 min - Over 100 years of family farming there says no
Gary Tingley - Video is 1:43 min - Yes to overpass and yes to trains
Dan Mooney - Video is 6:19 min - Yes to overpass, eloquent other side of the argument
Guntrum Zell - Video is 4:23 min - Expropriate Langley City Land for the J Overpass
Terry Lyster (2) - Video is 2:18 min -If you still worked for council what would you advise?

Roy Mufford (1)- Video is 4:55 min - Preliminary design my @@@, A done deal!
Roy Mufford (2)- Video is 5:15 min - Re MP Cummins letter saying NO to overpass
Roy Mufford (3)- Video is 5:44 min - Roy answering Cllr. Richter's questions
Roy Mufford (4)- Video is 1:17 min - Roy Questions contd

Roy Mufford is a significant and integral member of VALTAC, the first and the longest running Langley based Interurban light rail advocate and transportation volunteer advocacy group. Roy comes from a long, well known & much respected family rich in Langley history of Muffords that started farming and grew up alongside hand in hand with Langley Township. In fact Mufford crescent is named in tribute of the Mufford's and their contributions to Langley. Roy Mufford is THE must listen to expert in the transportation field in Langley. His abundant knowledge of transportation history along with his VALTAC organization of experts and their combined in depth knowledge of the interurban, it's history and the current issue surrounding them remains unrivaled. Roy & his organization VALTAC, designed and suggested the now "J" overpass scenario which was outrightly turned down by both Minister Falcon and City Mayor Fassbender.

Minister Falcon Says Build It Or Lose It! NO CHANGES ALLOWED! re: Mufford /Glover/64th Overpass

2009-02-06T16:56:00.031-08:00

BREAKING NEWS ! What a coincidence! On the Friday night at 4:36 pm, just before Monday's most controversial Township Council public meeting, Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon sent a letter to Mayor & Council (SEE HIS LETTER HERE) , which says that if the Township does not go ahead with the proposed 64th street overpass (preliminary design my ass!) that the funding will be re-allocated to other Provincial projects! His letter was INDIVIDUALLY addressed to each member of council to we can only guess get maximum impact. Wonder who suggested this idea!

Talk about putting a gun to this Council's and to this community's heads! The timing is curious and one again wonders where are the Langley Waldos on this issue and what knowledge/involvement they had with this letter and when? The Langley Waldos are of course our Provincial Liberal reps like MLA Coleman, Polak and of course Coleman's protege and constituency riding president, councillor Jordan Bateman.

The sword of Damocles in this case is ~$42 million of funding that is being threatened to be withdrawn! Conspicuous timing and tactics to say the least don't you think so? So, will you still be voting for Coleman & Polak this spring? The Falcon letter was faxed at 3:34 pm and emailed to Council at 4:36Pm, the latest possible Friday afternoon timing before the Monday council meeting! Thanks to Councillor Kim Richter for emailing LFP the letter.

Also for your information late polling occurred this past week of many Township residents. The polling firm apparently identified themselves and when they were twice asked specifically who commissioned this poll, the answer twice was that it was the Township of Langley. Apparently this was not true! It is thought that the poll is actually commissioned by the Roberts Bank Rail Corridor Program Group, (the project consortium). In addition the only two answers permitted to the specific poll question was agree or disagree. There was absolutely no opportunity given for any third option such as "yes, but at a different location or design" in their poll!

The Total Langley funding from others of ~$42 million is said to be ALL at risk if Minister Falcon as threatened pulls out the province's support for anything but this design! The budget allocation sharing for this Mufford/64th overpass was previously agreed to be shared as follows:

$ 2.7 Million - Feds
$12.5 Million - Province
$24.7 Million - Translink
$ 1.8 Million - Ports
$ 9.3 Million - Township of Langley
$51.1 Million TOTAL

The Total allocated and budgeted dollars for for rail improvement provisions from Roberts Bank through to Langley is to be shared as follows (includes the above 64th /Mufford overpass $51.1 million):

$75 Million - Feds
$50 Million - Province
$50 Million - Translink
$50 Million - Ports
$32 Million - Rail
$50 Million - Local Municipalities
$307 Million TOTAL

Brown's Pit Elicits Provincial Langley MLAs Disappearing Act (Re: The Province Article, 05 Feb 2009, Page A13)

2009-02-05T12:04:00.003-08:00

Have you noticed that on any and all major Langley issues that our Langley MLAs Rich Coleman & Mary Polak seem to pull off a traditional disappearing act with no comments nor any help on any real controversial issue. Not a peep on the LEC P3 fiasco nor on the Liberal's tragic plans for Brown Pit either and the list goes on. This silence is even more deafening with the upcoming May 12 provincial election! Not mentioned in this Lewis article is that Councillor Kim Richter got this motion approved at Monday's council meeting against the Provincial Brown's Pit plan;

"Whereas opening the Brown's Pit for gravel extraction will create considerable difficulties in the surrounding neighbourhood and could significantly and adversely impact water quality and quantity in the Hopington aquifer; therefore
Be it resolved that the material from the Brown's Pit delegations of January 19, 2009 be referred to staff for a report and a recommended action plan to stop the re-opening of this pit for gravel extraction."

Rural community wants gravel to stay in pit
Brian Lewis
The Province
05 Feb 2009

No doubt the election-bound B.C. government wants as much positive spin as possible from yesterday's announcement for the new $3.3-billion, 10-lane Port Mann Bridge. But given what they're up to in nearby Langley Township in relation to this...read more...

Tech Tags: The Province newspaper News

Welcome To LA Freeway World !

2009-02-05T12:00:00.003-08:00

Yup! This Pic sure looks like Los Angeles don't it? But it's the new $3.3 billion 10 lane Port Mann bridge replacement written about in today's Province & Sun. Now don't get me wrong, this Editor agrees with expanding the bridge but damm it why did they not simply just add an inexpensive LRT right NOW as well over the bridge through to at least 200th St. to make it way more palatable? The Vancouver yuppie bike advocates will be steaming about this one!

Kim Richter Acclaimed To New Kwantlen Polytechnic University Board of Governors

2009-02-04T21:33:00.015-08:00

Langley's four term Township Councillor Kim Richter has recently been elected by acclamation by the ~ 850 faculty professors at Kwantlen Polytechnic University as one of the 15 member Board of Governors. See the press release here. Other Langley related Governors are local lawyer Rebecca Darnell & Amrik Virk, an inspector with the Langley Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment. Kwantlen University serves approximately 10,000 students in 4 campuses in Langley, Surrey & Richmond.

Richter's Request To Respond To Desperate Taxpayer Request Voted Down By Township Council

2009-02-03T13:37:00.014-08:00

In the previous recent Township Council meeting a long time Langley resident, taxpayer and local business operator/owner pleaded desperately with the Township Council to look into simply doing some inquiries to ultimately help him with gaining a short visitation access to his court seized property to simply collect some of his personal possessions.

Mr. Paul Houweling provided Township Council a long and detailed list of legal documents in which he claims that he has now exhausted any and all formal avenues of redress. His frustration finally brought him to Township Council as a last resort. In fact when he made his delegation request to council for any and all assistance, he said that he was now at his wit's end and at the point that he was even worried about providing even for his families basic needs due to the legal actions that culminated in his seizure of his property and his personal belongings, still on his previous property.

He said the bureaucratic systems to date had all but literally, financially destroyed him and his family so far and he pleaded with the Township Council to at least look at his case and see if they could as a last resort at least possibly assist him in getting access to his seized property to at least collect some of his personal belongings that he said are critical for him to rebuild his life.

"There for the sake of God go you or I ! " <--- LFP EDITORIAL COMMENT
Actual Council videotapes of the motion and debate can be viewed here---> Part 1 video is 5:31 minutes long and Part 2 video is 1:03 minutes long.

All of The Langley Township council except for Councillor's Richter and Kositsky voted down and against Richter's motion to get a report from the Langley RCMP on the matter. In fact Cllr. Bob Long & Steve Ferguson even argued that although the Langley Police are a sub contracted direct service paid for by Langley Taxpayers and are under the Township Council's purveyance (remember Langley policing is the single largest budget portion of the Township's annual operating budget!) that this council should NOT be involved in his request at all. Both Long & Ferguson said that they had not read the complete documentation given to them from Mr. Paul Houweling either.

Councillor Ferguson went so far as to even compare this desperate request from Mr. Paul Houweling with a police issued driving infraction! Neither he said should be interfered with essentially. He also said that Mr. Paul Houweling was well know to him personally and in the Langley community. In this Editor's opinion by default aren't they are basically closing the door on any or all requests by the public when it comes to the Langley Police services? Councillor Ferguson even went so far as to essentially say that getting a simple Langley Police report on his desperate matter was too costly an expense (WOW - WHAT caring? - WHAT Priorities?)

Councillor Richter's motion was a very short simple, reasonable and caring request that even she said may not possibly go anywhere to assist him but that she felt it important to at least inquire about. Her motion specifically said;

"I move that Council refer Mr. Houweling's delegation request to the RCMP to address his concerns as best as they can and report back to council."

She later added that her motion was;

"..in no way shape or form is this motion asking, ordering or intending to order the RCMP to conduct an investigation. It's simply asking the police to look into the delegation request made last week and report back whether or not there is any concerns that are valid and justifiable."

and finally Richter says;

"I think that's our (council's) job, to help the public, and if we are not going to help the public we probably shouldn't be sitting up here ( Langley Council table)."

This Editor was told that Mr. Paul Houweling in his delegation request also told the councillors that he had talked about his issues with Langley's RCMP top cop in charge, Superintendent Janice Armstrong and had asked her to attend the same evening council meeting when he made his delegation request to Township Council. In fact she DID attend that evening meeting and even sat right beside Mr. Paul Houweling in the audience! The superintendent rarely if ever attends the council meetings to be just an observer! Yet this Council in it's once again questionable wisdom chose to not even look at his desperate issue!

Kudos to Councillors Richter & Kositsky. Shame on the rest of Township Council.

In closing all this Editor can say in summary again is "There for the sake of God go you or I ! " and as Richter said, "...if we are not going to help the public we probably shouldn't be sitting up here ( Langley Council table)." ...

Letter To The Editor From Susan Semonick Re: School Board Aldergrove Decision Right

2009-01-24T15:22:00.008-08:00

The motions approved at the last Board of Education meeting are warranted on the financial end of things. I know from the last consultations in the Aldergrove area that a majority of parents felt they were being forced down a road that they knew little about, but had no choice. Trustee Joan Bech was in attendance at these forums.

A small group of parents who are involved in the PACs have been sold a bill of goods.

Anyone with a bit of brain knew this motion would be at the top of the agenda; that is, if we were to believe anything from the election propaganda. Even though personalities are in play here, look beyond that. You will see this is an attempt to correct how the past board has conducted business.

This was the first official public meeting of the new board since taking the oath of office. It appears that Trustee Wendy Johnson is trying to follow through on her promises. I know that that is a shock for many; however, she did top the polls with those promises.

The cost for fruitless forums, if the format stays the same, I believe is more than $10,000 an event.

I hope the best for Betty Gilbert and Aldergrove Secondary students. All we are hearing lately is about the gangs, killing, and organized crime in your area. It seems this community may be in crisis in more ways than one.

With the low mortgage rates, maybe it is an opportune time for the families to move to areas that meet the needs of their children. Or for the majority to become more visible and state what they feel would be best for the children overall.

The enrollment figures suggest there are more people against the middle school concept than there are for it. Betty Gilbert is down 81 students this year.

The trustees, when asked to attend the PAC meetings, at that point should have realized that maybe a community forum was required. It looks like Johnson is the only one that has realized this. This would have enabled everyone directly involved to be in the same room to exchange information, and to move forward positively.

Trustees Steve Burton, Alison McVeigh and Rod Ross have to realize that business practices will be more open than before, much as the Township council is now adjusting to. Financial accountability will be at the forefront of the discussions, instead of being discussed in some back room with only the clique in attendance.

Good on you Wendy, for taking the first step to improving decision-making practices in this school district. Hopefully the follow-up motions will be done with more process, and no malice towards each other.

Parents in Aldergrove, take a breath. They will not cancel your French immersion program overnight — it will still be there.

Getting an additional year to have staff trained and prepared for what may be implemented to improve the education of your children could be a godsend. It may be time to extend your listening ear to ones other than those you have been already been listening to.

The old board did practice “divide and conquer” tactics. Hopefully, the new board will practice transparency and communication as a whole before decisions are made that will affect your children. The forum format must change, to improve anything this district has attempted in the past. Hopefully, DPAC is on top of this.

Susan Semonick,

Langley

Editor’s note — A poll on The Times website, as of Friday morning, had 28 people supporting the board decision to delay the middle school, and 27 opposed. You can vote at langleytimes.com.
Editor's note: See Advance story on original Aldergrove School Board vote at this link. ...

Mayor Green's Election pledges a tough row to hoe (The Province, 22 Jan 2009, Page A9)

2009-01-24T13:44:00.010-08:00

The Province refers to the constant challenges to Mayor Rick Green from incumbent Councillors like Grant Ward, Mel Kositsky, Steve Ferguson and especially Jordan Bateman (much rumoured to be savouring the next challenge to Green for his Mayor's chair) who are constantly it seems at odds with Mayor Green's new directions. What or who are they trying to protect by their stubborn refusal to try new things one has to wonder?

The Province posts comments as clear evidence to this fact;

"To this day, some remain shocked over his win — including a few on the eight-member council, where all but one is an incumbent. Consequently, the rookie mayor who campaigned on the need for change, an end to higher-than-inflation tax increases, and a call for fiscal responsibility, joins a council that’s joined at the hip with the past."

TO BETTER READ the whole PROVINCE ARTICLE doubleclick Mayor Green's Picture BELOW

Election pledges a tough row to hoe
Brian Lewis
The Province
22 Jan 2009

community and faced three-term mayoral incumbent Kurt Alberts, Green scored perhaps the biggest upset in November’s civic elections. To this day, some remain shocked over his win — including a few on the eight-member council, where all but one is an...read more...

Tech Tags: The Province newspaper News

Kudos To Langley Advance's Editor On LEC's P3 Financial Fiasco Champion, Cllr. Bateman & Lots Of Wacky Politics

2009-01-19T10:32:00.013-08:00

Langley Advance's Editor, Bob Groeneveld, often writes witty and sardonic (scornful, mocking; disdainfully humorous) editorials. Last Tuesday's (jan 13) was especially sardonic. In the same paper he wrote two interesting editorials "Cost Unsharing" and "Whacky Politicians Fun Game". Groeneveld editorials are traditionally humorous and often require a good understanding of our local issues and politicians to get the full gist of his as I call it, sardonic editorials.

The Whacky editorial is vintage Bob that this LFP Editor just loves it's unique wit and word crafting. He describes his version of "whacky politician" and goes on to set the rules for the game he coined with descriptors like; "But you've also got to be careful: no points are scored if it turns out you've "whacked" a politician who wasn't really the whacky one. Sometimes it's the whacker who's the whackiest." Then he brings it full circle to make his local political targeted specific point about;

"And then, a surprise pop-up by Councillor Jordan Bateman... MP Mark Warawa... Mayor Rick Green's letter earns a legitimate whack... Bateman Oooh! This is fun!"

He makes his point beautifully in his sardonic style as usual.

His second editorial, while not in his sardonic style is very surprising insofar as it is the first time that this LFP Editor has seen the Langley Advance actually question any of Councillor Jordan Bateman's words and actions, ever! In his editorial he points to questionable Township financial issues for the first time this Editor can remember as well and says; "food for thought for Township taxpayers, whose share in the LEC costs have already risen from $15 million to significantly more than $22 million."

Much more surprising though is the first ever expressed questions about his former colleague and protege, Cllr. Jordan Bateman (a previous Advance reporter)! His final question asks if one should question if Cllr. Bateman's "vociferous defense" of everything LEC of late could be merely a smokescreen for partisan Provincial Liberal purposes? WOW!!!! Specifically Groeneveld says;

"But why is the province not expected to pull its share of the feds' missing $5 million? If MLA Rich Coleman's $15-million share wasn't a real partnership investment, didn't local taxpayers have a right to know that from the get-go? Or was the government "grant" not an "investment" in real financial terms? And is the vociferous defense - and associated finger-pointing - by Councillor Jordan Bateman, who has close political ties to Coleman, aimed at deflecting questions about the province's responsibilities?"

In any event this in this LFP Editor's opinion is a milestone and kudos to the Langley Advance for finally asking tough questions even when it is as close to home as his former alumni reporter. This is the professional journalism job that all three local newspaper's should be doing. It should have been done on the $3-4-5-6 million Grandstand boondoggle too and never was. Not even to this day! One has to wonder what took so long though. In any event it is welcome. Late, but very welcome.

What perplexes me in addition has been the well known recently developed mutual admiration society club between The Langley times newspaper and Cllr. Bateman as well with Bateman's public excuse of blaming a recent so called "misinterpretation" on the Advance reporter Matthew Claxton. These certainly would have gotten my goat by now in any event too! Finally, and the most interesting is that both of the partisan pro Cllr. Bateman blog sites have totally ignored these two Bob Groeneveld editorials!...

Councillor Kim Richter Talks Of Lack of Safe & Adequate Langley Township Snow Removal (Snows Die-Hard Part 4of4)

2009-01-13T15:38:00.019-08:00

At the Jan 12th Langley Township Council meeting the staff presented information about the present policy, status and statistics of snow clearing in the Township. A Lengthy round table discussion resulted with most councillors discussing snow removal, concerns and questions they had. It was then moved that staff take these sundry and scattered comments and come back with replies and recommendations to address the present snow removal policy . All voted in favour except for Councillor Richter who essentially thought staff should have be given very specific measurable terms of reference by council to immediately work to improve all snow removal in Langley. Keep in mind that typically when a Township Council item is referred to staff it is usually a tactic to stall or deep six or literally kill any motion referred!

Later when Cllr. Richter spoke to her motion about an immediate implemented standard of snow removal it was moved to ALSO refer it also to staff for a report. Bob Long & Mel Kositsky did not vote for her referred motion and both said essentially that it was far too costly and impossible to clear all township roads. Richter disagreed with their point and as this 48 second long audio clip shows the large observing audience gave Cllr. Richter a loud round of applause after her short speech. So how long before a report comes back if ever this winter?

But this Editor wonders why the council can't just give direction to definitively clear the streets within a certain specified time and manner. Why again the namby panby referral to staff? Pet projects like Cllr. Jordan Bateman's Langley Events Centre and the $3-4-5-6 million Grandstand have no problem getting millions of extra dollars. Cllr. Bateman had no problem adding a quick $1.2 million to the Grandstand fiasco. But they all don't think they can afford safe and clear roads! Go figure! A problem of proper priorities perhaps? Never mind finding cash for golf courses and restaurants!

At yesterday's Langley Township Council meeting Cllr. Kim Richter first said:

"I appreciate and recognize that the staff (Township) did the best it could...it (the poor snow removal) is not a reflection on them (Township staff) but a reflection on the policy in place."

Richter then said:

"I don't think we should be trying in any way shape or form to say this (present Twsph. snow removal policy) is an acceptable practice. It is not. We really need to change the policy."

Snows Die-Hard Part 1of4
Snows Die-Hard Part 2of4
Snows Die-Hard Part 3of4
...

Politico's Snow Removal Email Broadcast Messages Infuriating (Snows Die-Hard Part 3of4)

2009-01-12T11:57:00.008-08:00

From: Maureen French
To: Mayor and Council
Cc: news@langleyadvance.com ; Aldergrove Star; Langley Times
Sent: Sun Jan 11 23:33:33 2009
Subject: LACK OF 'Snow Removal'
Just a few points that I may not have sent to all of you.

If it's decided that property taxes need to be increased to cover the increase in snow removal, that's fine, as long as snow removal covers EVERYONE who's paying taxes for it. I've paid my snow removal taxes for 2008. The excess snow removal costs for 2008 should have been taken from an emergency/unplanned expense fund for the current year. Then determine if taxes need to be increased for future years.

A further, and most important, point: I think you guys are forgetting how many essential service workers live in these un-cleared subdivisions. People such as police, firefighters, air traffic controllers, doctors, paramedics, etc. If these workers can't get out to work, who will be there to do their jobs? I am one of these workers, so don't ever complain about any airport, or aircraft delays if you aren't clearing the street for us to get out.
Does the township of Langley not have any regard for the provincial emergency standard of 72 hours? Many Langley residents were left on their own for a lot longer than that! (Only Kim Richter has addressed this. The rest of you haven't even responded to it. Why?)

If people can't get out of their driveways or streets then it doesn't matter how much snow removal is done on the main roads. WE CAN'T GET OFF OUR OWN STREET'S TO GET TO THE MAIN ONES. If I can make it out of my subdivision without any snow removal done, then I can make it around Langley without the main streets done.

It is so frustrating to see the Mayor, and some of the councilors, sending mass reply emails that don't address the problem properly. I have heard so many different reasons and excuses from the Township for the lack of snow removal; all of which are pretty lame.

Reason 1 - Not in the budget. The situation this year was an extreme circumstance that should have received some emergency or special last minute funding. If my furnace breaks unexpectedly, replacing it probably isn't in my budget either, but it still has to get fixed ASAP.

Reason 2 - Not enough equipment or manpower. There are LOTS of private contractors that would have been delighted to be paid by the township to clear the side streets.

Reason 3 - The current policy doesn't cover the side streets. When it was apparent over the holidays that residents were upset about snow removal the mayor and council should have had an unscheduled meeting to address the problem, rather than continue with their holidays and deal with it a couple weeks later. The policy could, and should have been amended. It's pretty sad how mayor and council have been blaming the engineering department, and the engineering department has been blaming mayor and council. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. We shouldn't have to be sitting here writing emails about it after the fact, and fighting over how and who needs to fix the problem. It should have been dealt with 2 weeks ago, not now.

Maureen Pottinger
Snows Die-Hard Part 1of4
Snows Die-Hard Part 2of4
Snows Die-Hard Part 4of4 ...

Langley Free Press

Have a Wonderful Christmas 2011 From Us at LFP

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