This editor has spent some time reading Get Moving BC’s latest report on Bridge comparisons between Vancouver and Portland. What was glaringly obvious to me was the lack of author. All the document says is “By Get Moving BC October 2007”. So who wrote it and what were their credentials?
Most organizations hire people to write reports for them and the persons responsible for the report are clearly identified somewhere in the document. Not so with Get Moving BC. Why?
It doesn’t look like Get Moving BC has a staff of any sort – or none that are easily identifiable from their website. There is no CEO or general manager or researcher for example. But there is an “Advisory Board”. Are these people paid? Did one of them write the Bridge Report? If yes, what are their credentials? Are they transportation engineers? PhD’s? Planners?
Was a member of the Advisory Board paid to write the report? If so, how much?
Why the secrecy?
This is STORY Part 3 of 3. See Part 2 of 3 here. See Part 1 of 3 here.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Get Moving BC - Part 2 - Is This Responsible And Ethical Behavior?
LFP was not the first to report the story about some BC Liberal linkages to the GetMovingBC.com website reported previously here in LFP. Further investigation reveals that in May of this year the Georgia Straight reported as well on the Get Moving BC website controversy. Apparently this limited expose was not enough to slow down the efforts of Get Moving BC because since that time as reported by LFP they have been active in polling Burnaby residents, doing studies and churning out press releases. All partisan pro Gateway project focused.
Specifically in the Georgia Straight article, Gateway 40 Network coordinator Donna Passmore told the Straight " she is angered by a Web site– that advertises itself as "grassroots" but is pro-Gateway and the braintrust of Port Coquitlam city councillor Greg Moore and Langley Township councillor Jordan Bateman."
Greg Moore in that same article told the Straight, "he paid $54.10 to register and retain the GetMovingBC.com domain, noting that he has handed the running of the site over to Bateman." The Straight article further quotes Passmore saying "It's the Wizard of Oz phenomenon, where this dazzling spectacle is created, but it comes right down to this little Jordan Bateman."
The Straight also quotes Langley school trustee Sonya Paterson, former President of the Valley Transportation Advisory Committee (VALTAC) , "When I saw it, I thought it was a Liberal Web site that was promoting and endorsing the [Gateway] plan, - "I think they should say what they are really about, although it has been known for a long time in Langley that [B.C. Forests and Range and Housing Minister] Rich Coleman is Jordan Bateman's mentor." Jordan Bateman is Rich Coleman's constituency Vice President and worked for him as a communications consultant in the past election.
Public Eye Online in February reported that Greg Moore was hired by the provincial Liberals in late 2006 as a regional organizer for the provincial Liberals and ran for the BC Liberals party in the last election in Port Coquitlam-Burke Mountain.
In May of this year Public Eye Online again reported that a Mr. Brian Bonney, "abruptly resigned as the operations director for the provincial Liberals and moved on to explore other opportunities." Public Eye Online also reports in the same posting that an,
'email sent to industry members, BC Trucking Association communications coordinator Sandra Azanchi encouraged them to support Get Moving BC, "a non-profit, grassroots organization composed of individuals, businesses and organizations in the Greater Vancouver area advocating a balanced, efficient, and sustainable transportation infrastructure." And who should they contact for more information about this pro-Gateway Program group? Well, if you guessed Mr. Bonney, you'd be right!'
It would seem to this Editor that Get Moving BC has certainly been an instrument for at least these three career BC Liberal party movers and shakers. Is that what they mean by grassroots? Certainly not by this Editor's definition! This whole situation harkens this Editor back to quite a few years ago when a sitting Langley Councillor was caught writing letters in to the local newspapers under an assumed name. The reaction from the press and the public was shock and anger. Is this Get Moving BC website really any different? Is this responsible and ethical behavior that we expect especially from our elected politicians?
This is STORY Part 2 of 3. See Part 1 of 3 here. See Part 3 of 3 here.
...
Specifically in the Georgia Straight article, Gateway 40 Network coordinator Donna Passmore told the Straight " she is angered by a Web site– that advertises itself as "grassroots" but is pro-Gateway and the braintrust of Port Coquitlam city councillor Greg Moore and Langley Township councillor Jordan Bateman."
Greg Moore in that same article told the Straight, "he paid $54.10 to register and retain the GetMovingBC.com domain, noting that he has handed the running of the site over to Bateman." The Straight article further quotes Passmore saying "It's the Wizard of Oz phenomenon, where this dazzling spectacle is created, but it comes right down to this little Jordan Bateman."
The Straight also quotes Langley school trustee Sonya Paterson, former President of the Valley Transportation Advisory Committee (VALTAC) , "When I saw it, I thought it was a Liberal Web site that was promoting and endorsing the [Gateway] plan, - "I think they should say what they are really about, although it has been known for a long time in Langley that [B.C. Forests and Range and Housing Minister] Rich Coleman is Jordan Bateman's mentor." Jordan Bateman is Rich Coleman's constituency Vice President and worked for him as a communications consultant in the past election.
Public Eye Online in February reported that Greg Moore was hired by the provincial Liberals in late 2006 as a regional organizer for the provincial Liberals and ran for the BC Liberals party in the last election in Port Coquitlam-Burke Mountain.
In May of this year Public Eye Online again reported that a Mr. Brian Bonney, "abruptly resigned as the operations director for the provincial Liberals and moved on to explore other opportunities." Public Eye Online also reports in the same posting that an,
'email sent to industry members, BC Trucking Association communications coordinator Sandra Azanchi encouraged them to support Get Moving BC, "a non-profit, grassroots organization composed of individuals, businesses and organizations in the Greater Vancouver area advocating a balanced, efficient, and sustainable transportation infrastructure." And who should they contact for more information about this pro-Gateway Program group? Well, if you guessed Mr. Bonney, you'd be right!'
It would seem to this Editor that Get Moving BC has certainly been an instrument for at least these three career BC Liberal party movers and shakers. Is that what they mean by grassroots? Certainly not by this Editor's definition! This whole situation harkens this Editor back to quite a few years ago when a sitting Langley Councillor was caught writing letters in to the local newspapers under an assumed name. The reaction from the press and the public was shock and anger. Is this Get Moving BC website really any different? Is this responsible and ethical behavior that we expect especially from our elected politicians?
This is STORY Part 2 of 3. See Part 1 of 3 here. See Part 3 of 3 here.
...
Monday, October 15, 2007
Get Moving BC - A Partisan Political Trojan Horse?
Today's 'Get Moving BC' slick press release got some unqualified national (Bourque Newswatch - NEW STUDY SHOWS BC BRIDGES INADEQUATE FOR TRAFFIC FLOW) and local media coverage with their clearly partisan one sided comparative report about the existing Portland and Vancouver's bridge lanes. Their press release cover letter was aimed directly against the lower mainland organizations that say no to the Government's Gateway projects and specifically no to the doubling of the Port Mann bridge capacity. This so-called Get Moving BC study got this Editor thinking about some important questions that naturally arise surrounding Get Moving BC,
- Who is Get Moving BC?
- Who started it up?
- Who finances it & WHY?
Langley Free Press can't easily find the real answers to these questions but has easily ferreted out some basic partial pieces of the Get Moving BC puzzle. We will leave it up to others to determine the real final puzzle picture. Get Moving BC's slick website provides some partial leads towards the questions we asked posted on their very own website;
'Get Moving BC was formed to provide a voice for the majority of Greater Vancouver residents who support improving our roads, our bridges and our transit systems and is dedicated to holding governments accountable for a balanced transportation system."
Dialing their posted telephone number, 604-678-5567, provides no answer nor any recorded message at all. The telephone listing search states that it is not a published listing (essentially an unlisted private number). The Get Moving BC domain name web site is registered and listed under domainsbyproxy.com who sell their premium confidential web hosting services under their marketing banner;
"Your IDENTITY is nobody's business but ours"
This web hosting service assures those that registered their website that their anonymity will be held secret! One has to wonder why Get Moving BC sees this as necessary? Why is it nobody's business especially if they are asking for financial donations and volunteers?
The Get Moving BC website's opening statement gives a dramatic clue to what it's secret host or hosts' support, the provincial Liberals transportation policies and the Gateway project! Specifically the front page opening website comment is;
"Enough is Enough! - The provincial government is doing something positive about traffic gridlock in the Lower Mainland,".
So if you were a Provincial Liberal the above statement alone should warm the cockles of your heart because this initially faceless website lavishes praise and comfort on the BC's government's transportation/transit plans! Most specifically the Gateway strategy! Hmm.. wonder if they know about it?
So what faces or names if any are associated with Get Moving BC? Their website has an open ended 'advisory board' of unknowns among which only one is well known to us especially in Langley Township, Councillor Jordan Bateman. Bateman has so many websites on different topics going that this in itself could be the gist of another column if this Editor had the time to ferret out his multiple and diverse hosted web and blog sites.
So who is Jordan Bateman besides being a Langley Township Councillor, former local rural newspaper reporter, self proclaimed media relations expert and an up and coming politico? One of his multiple websites states that he is a long time very actively involved Provincial Liberal, specifically;
" the Vice President of BC Forests and Range Minister Rich Coleman’s Fort Langley-Aldergrove BC Liberal riding association, and acted as communications director during his 2005 re-election campaign."
Curiously Bateman also hosts another transportation website called Langley2020.com! Get Moving BC also gives it's web readers an opportunity to win an Ipod and transit passes if the readers register with the website giving personal contact information that will hopefully lead to supporters willing to distribute their brochures and also additional propaganda by suggesting that readers write in their support for Gateway to the media which is also very conveniently provided! So sign up with Get Moving BC for a chance to get an Ipod or a green transit pass! Naturally they also solicit donations and have a petition that once again blatantly supports the Provincial Liberal government Gateway project. The petition says;
"The provincial government is doing something positive about traffic gridlock in the Lower Mainland, and within the next five years things can get better on Greater Vancouver’s roads and transit systems.
But the long-awaited, desperately-needed transportation system improvements being planned by the provincial government are being put at risk by ill-informed anti-progress, anti-transportation groups springing up across the Lower Mainland.
These groups would rather leave people idling in their cars and trucks for hours and see the cost of our goods and services increase because of gridlock. They would rather keep you stuck in traffic for hours every day than see something being done about the problem of traffic congestion! They’re vocal, they’re holding rallies and they’re lobbying the governments.
By adding your name to our online petition you are helping to stop these groups and showing your support for improved roads and bridges in addition to more transit. You’re saying that it’s not a situation of “more roads and bridges” versus “more transit.” You’re saying you want a balanced transportation system and that we need improved roads and bridges and transit all at the same time!Act now so your voice will be heard!
Act now by signing our petition."
This petition wording goes much further though because it also now loosely labels with a very broad stroke (without mentioning any specific organizations) the many real volunteer transportation and environmental anti Gateway project advocacy groups as 'ill-informed anti-progress, anti-transportation groups springing up across the Lower Mainland.' !
The Get Moving BC website press release section has the majority of their 7 press releases directly and indirectly hitting on the Liberal's political Gateway opponents with 3 essentially targeting the left leaning Burnaby City's opposition to the Port Mann bridge expansion and 1 that hits on NDP leader Carole James opposition to it as well! Get Moving BC even apparently commissioned a Burnaby residents professional poll that they say proves that 67% of those polled in Burnaby support the Port Mann twinning! Pretty focused on Burnaby I'd say. Why? Recently it even makes a bizarre comment about this past weekend's tragic motorcycle accident that caused two deaths on the Port Mann bridge ; " A twinned Port Mann Bridge would allow traffic to continue flowing even during a serious accident like that which occurred this afternoon." ! All about priorities I guess.
What is particularily curious about these press releases is that none of them have a real contact person. They direct the recipient to their website which also has no real contact person. The advisory board members are listed but not as contacts. Most community groups I know have real contact people especially in their press releases. So why is this one different?
The Get Moving BC website blog section has many blog comments ALL of which are posted, hosted and moderated by a Get Moving BC advisory board member, Jordan Bateman, who as mentioned before is the same Vice President of Minister Rich Coleman’s Fort Langley-Aldergrove BC Liberal riding association, and who was his same communications director during his last re-election campaign!
The opening questions remain, Who is Get Moving BC? Who started it up? Who finances it & WHY? There is some other commentary out there that perhaps the companies and the organizations that build bridges and roads in BC are also somehow behind Get Moving BC, at least financially. I don't know if this is true or not. It could just be an unsubstantiated rumour but it is somehow being financed. After all bus passes may be cheap but Ipods, slick custom flashy websites and especially polls are not cheap at all!
At minimum is it possible that Get Moving BC perhaps is really just a surreptitious partisan political Greek Trojan Horse? It certainly tries to present itself as a valid mainstream caring community focused transportation organization. But they are clearly targeting and countering head on the very vocal and ever growing many Metro Vancouver and south of the Fraser river organizations that have mobilized in favour of light rail transit expansion NOW and strongly rally against the Gateway project. Why?
Think about it and you decide based on the evidence accumulated what the real truth to the opening questions posed are. Whether you agree or disagree with Gateway, at least these community organizations for LRT NOW and against Gateway are open, honest, transparent and are not using any proxy Trojan horse facade! The bottom line is that it would appear to this Editor that highly regarded media even nationally now are obviously printing and resourcing press releases without looking closely at their true sources and biases not to mention credibility.
This is STORY Part 1 of 3. See Part 2 of 3 here. See Part 3 of 3 here. ...
'Get Moving BC was formed to provide a voice for the majority of Greater Vancouver residents who support improving our roads, our bridges and our transit systems and is dedicated to holding governments accountable for a balanced transportation system."
Dialing their posted telephone number, 604-678-5567, provides no answer nor any recorded message at all. The telephone listing search states that it is not a published listing (essentially an unlisted private number). The Get Moving BC domain name web site is registered and listed under domainsbyproxy.com who sell their premium confidential web hosting services under their marketing banner;
"Your IDENTITY is nobody's business but ours"
This web hosting service assures those that registered their website that their anonymity will be held secret! One has to wonder why Get Moving BC sees this as necessary? Why is it nobody's business especially if they are asking for financial donations and volunteers?
The Get Moving BC website's opening statement gives a dramatic clue to what it's secret host or hosts' support, the provincial Liberals transportation policies and the Gateway project! Specifically the front page opening website comment is;
"Enough is Enough! - The provincial government is doing something positive about traffic gridlock in the Lower Mainland,".
So if you were a Provincial Liberal the above statement alone should warm the cockles of your heart because this initially faceless website lavishes praise and comfort on the BC's government's transportation/transit plans! Most specifically the Gateway strategy! Hmm.. wonder if they know about it?
So what faces or names if any are associated with Get Moving BC? Their website has an open ended 'advisory board' of unknowns among which only one is well known to us especially in Langley Township, Councillor Jordan Bateman. Bateman has so many websites on different topics going that this in itself could be the gist of another column if this Editor had the time to ferret out his multiple and diverse hosted web and blog sites.
So who is Jordan Bateman besides being a Langley Township Councillor, former local rural newspaper reporter, self proclaimed media relations expert and an up and coming politico? One of his multiple websites states that he is a long time very actively involved Provincial Liberal, specifically;
" the Vice President of BC Forests and Range Minister Rich Coleman’s Fort Langley-Aldergrove BC Liberal riding association, and acted as communications director during his 2005 re-election campaign."
Curiously Bateman also hosts another transportation website called Langley2020.com! Get Moving BC also gives it's web readers an opportunity to win an Ipod and transit passes if the readers register with the website giving personal contact information that will hopefully lead to supporters willing to distribute their brochures and also additional propaganda by suggesting that readers write in their support for Gateway to the media which is also very conveniently provided! So sign up with Get Moving BC for a chance to get an Ipod or a green transit pass! Naturally they also solicit donations and have a petition that once again blatantly supports the Provincial Liberal government Gateway project. The petition says;
"The provincial government is doing something positive about traffic gridlock in the Lower Mainland, and within the next five years things can get better on Greater Vancouver’s roads and transit systems.
But the long-awaited, desperately-needed transportation system improvements being planned by the provincial government are being put at risk by ill-informed anti-progress, anti-transportation groups springing up across the Lower Mainland.
These groups would rather leave people idling in their cars and trucks for hours and see the cost of our goods and services increase because of gridlock. They would rather keep you stuck in traffic for hours every day than see something being done about the problem of traffic congestion! They’re vocal, they’re holding rallies and they’re lobbying the governments.
By adding your name to our online petition you are helping to stop these groups and showing your support for improved roads and bridges in addition to more transit. You’re saying that it’s not a situation of “more roads and bridges” versus “more transit.” You’re saying you want a balanced transportation system and that we need improved roads and bridges and transit all at the same time!Act now so your voice will be heard!
Act now by signing our petition."
This petition wording goes much further though because it also now loosely labels with a very broad stroke (without mentioning any specific organizations) the many real volunteer transportation and environmental anti Gateway project advocacy groups as 'ill-informed anti-progress, anti-transportation groups springing up across the Lower Mainland.' !
The Get Moving BC website press release section has the majority of their 7 press releases directly and indirectly hitting on the Liberal's political Gateway opponents with 3 essentially targeting the left leaning Burnaby City's opposition to the Port Mann bridge expansion and 1 that hits on NDP leader Carole James opposition to it as well! Get Moving BC even apparently commissioned a Burnaby residents professional poll that they say proves that 67% of those polled in Burnaby support the Port Mann twinning! Pretty focused on Burnaby I'd say. Why? Recently it even makes a bizarre comment about this past weekend's tragic motorcycle accident that caused two deaths on the Port Mann bridge ; " A twinned Port Mann Bridge would allow traffic to continue flowing even during a serious accident like that which occurred this afternoon." ! All about priorities I guess.
What is particularily curious about these press releases is that none of them have a real contact person. They direct the recipient to their website which also has no real contact person. The advisory board members are listed but not as contacts. Most community groups I know have real contact people especially in their press releases. So why is this one different?
The Get Moving BC website blog section has many blog comments ALL of which are posted, hosted and moderated by a Get Moving BC advisory board member, Jordan Bateman, who as mentioned before is the same Vice President of Minister Rich Coleman’s Fort Langley-Aldergrove BC Liberal riding association, and who was his same communications director during his last re-election campaign!
The opening questions remain, Who is Get Moving BC? Who started it up? Who finances it & WHY? There is some other commentary out there that perhaps the companies and the organizations that build bridges and roads in BC are also somehow behind Get Moving BC, at least financially. I don't know if this is true or not. It could just be an unsubstantiated rumour but it is somehow being financed. After all bus passes may be cheap but Ipods, slick custom flashy websites and especially polls are not cheap at all!
At minimum is it possible that Get Moving BC perhaps is really just a surreptitious partisan political Greek Trojan Horse? It certainly tries to present itself as a valid mainstream caring community focused transportation organization. But they are clearly targeting and countering head on the very vocal and ever growing many Metro Vancouver and south of the Fraser river organizations that have mobilized in favour of light rail transit expansion NOW and strongly rally against the Gateway project. Why?
Think about it and you decide based on the evidence accumulated what the real truth to the opening questions posed are. Whether you agree or disagree with Gateway, at least these community organizations for LRT NOW and against Gateway are open, honest, transparent and are not using any proxy Trojan horse facade! The bottom line is that it would appear to this Editor that highly regarded media even nationally now are obviously printing and resourcing press releases without looking closely at their true sources and biases not to mention credibility.
This is STORY Part 1 of 3. See Part 2 of 3 here. See Part 3 of 3 here. ...
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Langley School District Business Company AGM On Oct 9 - Report by Susan Semonick - Worse than a Bake Sale…..
Worse than a Bake Sale…..
The following is a presentation made to the School Board on October 9, 2007
On October 3, 2007, I attended the School District Business Company AGM. The audited financial report for the past fiscal year indicates that there was absolutely no revenue generated. In fact, the SDBC had a deficit of $13,771 for 2006/07 and is now showing a cumulative deficit over the past two years of $22,545.
On April 27, 2004 a report was presented to the Board which included the following information.
Initial development, marketing and legal costs incurred by the school district that related to the World Kids project amounted to $307,000.
The revenue projections were:
$ 53,000 for 2003 - 2004
$160,000 for 2004 - 2005
$288,400 for 2005 - 2006
Trustees indicated that the first $300,000 of generated revenue be retained by the school district.
Any subsequent revenues were to be shared 50/50 with the School District Foundation.
To date, the net revenue for the School District Business Company (SDBC) is as follows:
$ 0 fiscal year ending June 2004
$ 214 fiscal year ending June 2005
-$ 8,988 fiscal year ending June 2006
-$ 13,771 fiscal year ending June 2007
By any measure, this venture has been a failure. The only thing that appears to be rising is the deficit.
This year’s annual report notes a strong shift in the market and that without significant additional investment to support the implementation of World Kids in classrooms and/or modify the product, it is quote…. ”unlikely to achieve any significant market penetration”
The report further states:
“In order for the SDBC to seek opportunities and to develop business partnerships for materials developed by Langley it necessitates the investment of time, expertise and capital. The intent was for the SDBC to generate any funding required from the sale of WK materials in Korea. Any planned activity by the SDBC in any other area has been deferred until such time as the work can be funded through revenues generated.”
Trustees should know that an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with a secondary investor has not resulted in any significant revenues since being signed over two years ago in August 2005.
The SDBC currently owes the school district $68,000 in addition to the initial $300,000 start-up cost incurred by the district. A loan and security agreement between the school district and the SDBC stipulates that any outstanding amount from the $100,000 line of credit that the school district has extended must be fully repaid by June 30, 2008.
How does the SDBC realistically expect to repay this debt on time if ever?
The SDBC clearly does not have the time, expertise or capital to be a successful venture in this fiercely competitive market. When will this district get with the times and realize that the SDBC is not working because in today’s world of business you need to put in a 24/7 effort in to succeed. You do not have this and you do not have the finances. Business analysts have already stated that Canada is losing out in this area and we are in the same sinking boat.
At last year’s AGM, the president of the SDBC clearly stated that if things had not turned around by the end of this fiscal year, he would be the first to recommend dissolution of the company. As the sole shareholder of the SDBC, when will this Board put forth a motion to dissolve the SDBC? Surely, the Board must realize that this will never be a successful endeavour.
I ask the Board…
How long are you going to let this situation continue? In my opinion, ISP funds should be used for direct student services.
When will this situation become intolerable for the trustees that you will no longer be able to sit there without making a motion to remove this financial burden from the students who are paying for it?
When did the Board meet and discuss this issue as a whole or has it been the decision of one (the Chair)? The Board, which represents its constituents, has seven members with an equal voice, correct?
This year the District has shown a $33,000 surplus when it was over $240,000 last year. This surplus is on the decrease yet the Education Ministry assures us we receive enough money to educate our children. Therefore, it must be the management of our money that is the problem. I plead with you to dissolve this company and place these resources back to the students where they belong.
You are closing schools, disrupting communities and creating stressess that are not necessary if simple actions are taken. I hope we can count on you to do the right thing. Do something that will start to help the situation instead of exacerbate it.
I look forward to a written response to all my questions.
Thank you for your time
Susan Semonick
Supplementary Comments re my presentation
This is something that does not affect students but does create money for direct student services. If the Board would take my suggestions and implement them they would not be talking about reconfiguration and closure for at least two more years, which would allow for a better transition plan. It has been stated that closing schools only recovers $250,000 to 300,000 back into the budget annually. They are suggesting creating a middle school that will cost more (no definite or even estimated costs presented anywhere) and are not sure if it will work. They are only hoping it will. How does that better our situation?
The public should realize that, in the midst of all of this, the trustees will be receiving another raise in December. Does anyone care? Take care of your pennies and keep your schools open. They should be doing everything else necessary before closing schools and contemplating reconfiguration.
Respectfully submitted by
Susan Semonick ...
The following is a presentation made to the School Board on October 9, 2007
On October 3, 2007, I attended the School District Business Company AGM. The audited financial report for the past fiscal year indicates that there was absolutely no revenue generated. In fact, the SDBC had a deficit of $13,771 for 2006/07 and is now showing a cumulative deficit over the past two years of $22,545.
On April 27, 2004 a report was presented to the Board which included the following information.
Initial development, marketing and legal costs incurred by the school district that related to the World Kids project amounted to $307,000.
The revenue projections were:
$ 53,000 for 2003 - 2004
$160,000 for 2004 - 2005
$288,400 for 2005 - 2006
Trustees indicated that the first $300,000 of generated revenue be retained by the school district.
Any subsequent revenues were to be shared 50/50 with the School District Foundation.
To date, the net revenue for the School District Business Company (SDBC) is as follows:
$ 0 fiscal year ending June 2004
$ 214 fiscal year ending June 2005
-$ 8,988 fiscal year ending June 2006
-$ 13,771 fiscal year ending June 2007
By any measure, this venture has been a failure. The only thing that appears to be rising is the deficit.
This year’s annual report notes a strong shift in the market and that without significant additional investment to support the implementation of World Kids in classrooms and/or modify the product, it is quote…. ”unlikely to achieve any significant market penetration”
The report further states:
“In order for the SDBC to seek opportunities and to develop business partnerships for materials developed by Langley it necessitates the investment of time, expertise and capital. The intent was for the SDBC to generate any funding required from the sale of WK materials in Korea. Any planned activity by the SDBC in any other area has been deferred until such time as the work can be funded through revenues generated.”
Trustees should know that an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with a secondary investor has not resulted in any significant revenues since being signed over two years ago in August 2005.
The SDBC currently owes the school district $68,000 in addition to the initial $300,000 start-up cost incurred by the district. A loan and security agreement between the school district and the SDBC stipulates that any outstanding amount from the $100,000 line of credit that the school district has extended must be fully repaid by June 30, 2008.
How does the SDBC realistically expect to repay this debt on time if ever?
The SDBC clearly does not have the time, expertise or capital to be a successful venture in this fiercely competitive market. When will this district get with the times and realize that the SDBC is not working because in today’s world of business you need to put in a 24/7 effort in to succeed. You do not have this and you do not have the finances. Business analysts have already stated that Canada is losing out in this area and we are in the same sinking boat.
At last year’s AGM, the president of the SDBC clearly stated that if things had not turned around by the end of this fiscal year, he would be the first to recommend dissolution of the company. As the sole shareholder of the SDBC, when will this Board put forth a motion to dissolve the SDBC? Surely, the Board must realize that this will never be a successful endeavour.
I ask the Board…
How long are you going to let this situation continue? In my opinion, ISP funds should be used for direct student services.
When will this situation become intolerable for the trustees that you will no longer be able to sit there without making a motion to remove this financial burden from the students who are paying for it?
When did the Board meet and discuss this issue as a whole or has it been the decision of one (the Chair)? The Board, which represents its constituents, has seven members with an equal voice, correct?
This year the District has shown a $33,000 surplus when it was over $240,000 last year. This surplus is on the decrease yet the Education Ministry assures us we receive enough money to educate our children. Therefore, it must be the management of our money that is the problem. I plead with you to dissolve this company and place these resources back to the students where they belong.
You are closing schools, disrupting communities and creating stressess that are not necessary if simple actions are taken. I hope we can count on you to do the right thing. Do something that will start to help the situation instead of exacerbate it.
I look forward to a written response to all my questions.
Thank you for your time
Susan Semonick
Supplementary Comments re my presentation
This is something that does not affect students but does create money for direct student services. If the Board would take my suggestions and implement them they would not be talking about reconfiguration and closure for at least two more years, which would allow for a better transition plan. It has been stated that closing schools only recovers $250,000 to 300,000 back into the budget annually. They are suggesting creating a middle school that will cost more (no definite or even estimated costs presented anywhere) and are not sure if it will work. They are only hoping it will. How does that better our situation?
The public should realize that, in the midst of all of this, the trustees will be receiving another raise in December. Does anyone care? Take care of your pennies and keep your schools open. They should be doing everything else necessary before closing schools and contemplating reconfiguration.
Respectfully submitted by
Susan Semonick ...
Monday, October 08, 2007
Only 3 From Township Council of 9 Attend Inauguration Of The New Township IAFF Local!
A couple of weeks ago a very important event happened in Langley Township that has gone unreported. The attached pictures and story were kindly sent to LFP.The innaugral firefighter charter of the newest North American Chapter of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) was celebrated at Township Hall 4, the first full time firefighter staffed hall in Langley Township.
Pictured from left to right are 3 Metro Vancouver firefighters who also live in Langley Township and are members of Langley Township's CFAST (Citizens For A Safer Township), Langley Township Fire Chief Doug Wade, Township Councillor Kim Richter, Lorne West - a Township resident and IAFF 6th District Vice President, Tony Crawford - a Township resident and City of Langley IAFF President, and Andy Hewitson - President of the newly formed IAFF local in Langley Township.
Township Mayor Kurt Alberts unveiled the charter along with Lorne West, Andy Hewitson and Chief Wade. After the ceremony apparently the IAFF members insisted on getting a group photo together with Councillor Kim Richter along with the charter. One senior IAFF member was heard to say that;
"Richter should be unveiling the Township IAFF charter, not Alberts, because there would not have been any full time firefighters in the Township yet if it wasn't for her."
This Editor is amazed that only Cllrs. Richter And Ward joined Mayor Alberts at this charter unveiling reception. This did not go unnoticed by the attendees and many considered this a 
snub. Just this week the Vancouver Sun reported that one of the highest proportion of firefighters that work in Metro Vancouver (formerely GVRD) also live and vote in Langley. Not to mention that many say that the IAFF support has been instrumental in getting many a Mayor & Councillor elected (such as in Surrey). CFAST, if you remember in the last Langley municipal election had a web site promoting full time firefighters in Langley Township and published ads endorsing Township council members. They were particularly supportive of Richter and her efforts for public safety. This Editor wonders if CFAST and the IAFF will endorse her team and her for Mayor come next November?
snub. Just this week the Vancouver Sun reported that one of the highest proportion of firefighters that work in Metro Vancouver (formerely GVRD) also live and vote in Langley. Not to mention that many say that the IAFF support has been instrumental in getting many a Mayor & Councillor elected (such as in Surrey). CFAST, if you remember in the last Langley municipal election had a web site promoting full time firefighters in Langley Township and published ads endorsing Township council members. They were particularly supportive of Richter and her efforts for public safety. This Editor wonders if CFAST and the IAFF will endorse her team and her for Mayor come next November?Thursday, October 04, 2007
Richest City in Quebec/Canada and Biggest Liberal Stronghold Chastises Dion - He's Toast!
Iggy, Canada needs you now to take over or we will waste much more on the ill fated Afghan war! The Quebec City of Westmount's local community paper chastises Liberal leader Stéphane Dion in today's editorial! Shocking!
This comes from a community that has the highest average income per person in the nation and the highest amount of movers, shakers and millionaires.
You have to understand that Westmount is the predominantly wealthy English enclave/ghetto on Montreal's west island where millionaires live and even former millionaire PMs like Pierre Trudeau lived. When this epitome and bastion of federal Liberals rails against someone like Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, you know he's finished in Quebec. And if your party is finished in Quebec, it's sadly finished as well in the next national election. Not even boy wonder Mark Marissen who sadly engineered Dion's Liberal takeover can salvage the day at this juncture!
By the way the poor Langley Dion Liberal candidate (cannon fodder) whose name nobody remembers will have the worst showing ever in this riding if anybody knows where the heck what's his name is! Talk about where's Waldo! Another great job of Langley Liberal team building by local Liberal riding president Al Peterson and his LP communications guru Sam 'politics' Kirk! Much more sad is the fact that it will be another cake walk for Langley conservative MP Mark Warawa, another stellar and effective Langley rapid transit champion! NOT! Not in your dreams! All too sad for Langley....
This comes from a community that has the highest average income per person in the nation and the highest amount of movers, shakers and millionaires.
You have to understand that Westmount is the predominantly wealthy English enclave/ghetto on Montreal's west island where millionaires live and even former millionaire PMs like Pierre Trudeau lived. When this epitome and bastion of federal Liberals rails against someone like Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, you know he's finished in Quebec. And if your party is finished in Quebec, it's sadly finished as well in the next national election. Not even boy wonder Mark Marissen who sadly engineered Dion's Liberal takeover can salvage the day at this juncture!
By the way the poor Langley Dion Liberal candidate (cannon fodder) whose name nobody remembers will have the worst showing ever in this riding if anybody knows where the heck what's his name is! Talk about where's Waldo! Another great job of Langley Liberal team building by local Liberal riding president Al Peterson and his LP communications guru Sam 'politics' Kirk! Much more sad is the fact that it will be another cake walk for Langley conservative MP Mark Warawa, another stellar and effective Langley rapid transit champion! NOT! Not in your dreams! All too sad for Langley....
Surrey Mayor Watts and Mike Harcourt Demand Rapid Bus/Transit NOW - Where's Township Mayor Kurt Alberts?
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts quoted in The Province says waiting for Gateway in 2013 is too long to wait for Rapid Bus service saying waiting until then is "totally unacceptable." Also former Premier Mike Harcourt says on CKWX 'forget about doing more studies, the time is now' to start building rapid transit to the Fraser Valley.
Meanwhile where has our very own Langley Township mayor Kurt Alberts been on this issue? Where is he now? We know he sat on the Translink board for years. Where are his demands to better our transit crisis in Langley? Every Langley poll each and every year and and many others scream out the need for faster & better transit in, to and out of the Langleys! Where's Waldo?
...
SFPR Environmental Approval Parked Due To Concern Re: Effect On Burns Bog, Largest Carbon Sink Near Any Major City!
A 25-year-old plan won’t work in today’s worldBrian Lewis
The Province
04 Oct 2007
Public concerns and questions during the B.C. government’s environmental review of the proposed $1-billion South Fraser Perimeter Road have overwhelmed the Environmental Assessment Office to the point where it’s temporarily “parked” the project. This,... read more...
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Langley Township Taxpayer Alert! - New Fiasco To Keep Langley City Blooming Nice?
Today's Langley Times front page reports a suddenly out of the blue, botanical garden proposal that comes to Township council October 15th that will border Langley City on Fraser Highway! Why not? The Township council good ole boy's club loves spending our money on restaurants/bars, private golf courses and also not to be forgotten rampantly over budget, incomplete and vacant grandstands! Heck it's well known that the good ole boys thrive on non budgeted spur of the moment ridiculous purchase and spending decisions. Why should this be any different?
What should alert the taxpayer that the fix is probably already in are early warning keywords such as;
-City of Langley Mayor Fassbender involved,
-the Langley City Rotary club involved,
-private meetings with Mayor Alberts on the topic,
-well known political backer of Township mayor Kurt Alberts, Eric Bysouth involved.
This Editor has been told for your interest's sake that Mr. Bysouth has moved from the Township to Langley City! Remember Mr. Bysouth who was also on the Mark Warawa conservative executive and has been a frequent political letter writer and was also known for his annual biased Township Council report cards.
This Editor wonders out loud if this botanical garden on the City's border will help maintain and grow Langley City's only single important strategic focus. Specifically, winning the 'communities in bloom award' perpetually! Just in case you are wondering what their second most important focus is, it is screwing the Township council old boy's club on joint funding ventures! Which brings to mind the old proverb, 'killing two birds with one stone'!
This Editor predicts that this will all come at probably the Township tax payers great expense in the end. Pun intended! How soon we forget the wonderful co-funding experiences of the City and Township on shared community facilities as well as shared police services funding. The game score so far in this is City - 100% won and Township 100% lost! Another stellar opportunity to keep it up boys. No pun intended!
If Langley City wants a botanical garden so much why not locate it in the city besides the proposed homeless shelter which may help mitigate the immediate city neighbours anger about the shelter! Not to mention the garden can also host over flow homeless at times as well especially when the busloads of homeless from east end Vancouver are "relocated/hidden" in Langley during the Olympics!
So watch the Township meeting and see if the good ole boys on Township council once again jump into this new spend, borrow and tax adventure! My prediction is they will spend a little now to study it (which really means to get more justification materials) followed by another outflow of big tax bucks at a later date. This editor if I were taking bets on who will move the motion on the Mayor's behalf to take action on this proposal would at this time issue these pay out odds;
1-1 Grant Ward
2-1 Mel Kositsky
2-1 Charlie Fox
3-1 Howie Vickberg
5-1 Bob Long
5-1 Jordan Bateman
100-1 Kim Richter
Who knows! - Steve Ferguson
Place your best guess on odds on the comments as well and stay tuned!...
What should alert the taxpayer that the fix is probably already in are early warning keywords such as;
-City of Langley Mayor Fassbender involved,
-the Langley City Rotary club involved,
-private meetings with Mayor Alberts on the topic,
-well known political backer of Township mayor Kurt Alberts, Eric Bysouth involved.
This Editor has been told for your interest's sake that Mr. Bysouth has moved from the Township to Langley City! Remember Mr. Bysouth who was also on the Mark Warawa conservative executive and has been a frequent political letter writer and was also known for his annual biased Township Council report cards.
This Editor wonders out loud if this botanical garden on the City's border will help maintain and grow Langley City's only single important strategic focus. Specifically, winning the 'communities in bloom award' perpetually! Just in case you are wondering what their second most important focus is, it is screwing the Township council old boy's club on joint funding ventures! Which brings to mind the old proverb, 'killing two birds with one stone'!
This Editor predicts that this will all come at probably the Township tax payers great expense in the end. Pun intended! How soon we forget the wonderful co-funding experiences of the City and Township on shared community facilities as well as shared police services funding. The game score so far in this is City - 100% won and Township 100% lost! Another stellar opportunity to keep it up boys. No pun intended!
If Langley City wants a botanical garden so much why not locate it in the city besides the proposed homeless shelter which may help mitigate the immediate city neighbours anger about the shelter! Not to mention the garden can also host over flow homeless at times as well especially when the busloads of homeless from east end Vancouver are "relocated/hidden" in Langley during the Olympics!
So watch the Township meeting and see if the good ole boys on Township council once again jump into this new spend, borrow and tax adventure! My prediction is they will spend a little now to study it (which really means to get more justification materials) followed by another outflow of big tax bucks at a later date. This editor if I were taking bets on who will move the motion on the Mayor's behalf to take action on this proposal would at this time issue these pay out odds;
1-1 Grant Ward
2-1 Mel Kositsky
2-1 Charlie Fox
3-1 Howie Vickberg
5-1 Bob Long
5-1 Jordan Bateman
100-1 Kim Richter
Who knows! - Steve Ferguson
Place your best guess on odds on the comments as well and stay tuned!...
Monday, October 01, 2007
Vecchiato's Voice - Oct 1, 2007 - How Do Politicians Live With Themselves? - Stand Up: Reflections on Gateway
At some critical moment in your life, you will feel absolutely right in what you are doing and in what you believe.
...
Such is the feeling I gained while standing in the rain in front of the Westin, holding a soaked placard that read "Save Not Pave." On the stage before us was an energetic woman crowned with white hair who had just been released from prison. Her name? Betty Krawczyk, who was welcomed with warmth despite the wind kicking in from beneath the Lion's Gate Bridge.
Beside me stood a costumed devil whose sign read "Highway to Hell." Neither of us knew the lyrics, but we knew we were doing what was right, and what was true.
Further to my understanding of the world as it is, I later watched former Vice President Gore clips from his visit to Vancouver, then another clip of Premier Gordon Campbell trying to issue forth rhetoric that could never match the truth; a man trying to embrace the sight of visionaries, but who lacked any vision as it was blinded by the dollars in contracts. The same clouded vision afflicts many municipalities, groping for immediacy as they sprawl and contribute to our never-ending life of comfort without quality.
A writer once said that you cannot treat your reader is if he were stupid; the only successful model was the "Dummy" series. I believe our politicians relies on our assumed stupidity or tired apathy without creating a dummy series of their own. Or are we stupid?
Is it about roads and highways, bridges and ports, Olympics, and increasing the population at the expense of what we hold dear? Some may say they are doing this for their children and grandchildren. Me? I'm doing it for me. I have to live with myself and look in the mirror.
How, then, Mr. Campbell, or you mute MLAs or you, the control-thirsty municipalities with blue-print ethics, do you look in the mirror each morning? Or do you pay someone to do it for you?
Cathleen Vecchiato, ChairFraser Valley Conservation CoalitionLangley BC
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