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Why are corporate-backed Smart Meters being forced on British Columbians when they prove to be unhealthy, dangerous, and an invasion of your privacy? Kari Simpson and Ron Gray speak with Sal Vetro, who is turning BC’s successful anti-HST machine against this latest attack on our civil rights. Here are some links you will want to check out! |
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By Terry O’Neill – The Tri-City News
He haunts us still. Gordon Campbell, that is. The former premier may be packing his bags for London, but, for better or worse, he is leaving his tax polices behind.
We all know about the slender thread by which the controversial HST currently hangs. Less well-known but no less significant is Campbell’s carbon tax, which jumped by more than a penny at the beginning of the month and now adds five-and-a-half cents to the cost of every litre of gasoline that motorists buy at the pumps.
Unlike last week’s proposal by Metro Vancouver mayors to levy a two-cent gas tax to help pay for the Evergreen Line, the carbon tax accomplishes little. In fact, it now seems to have been less about improving the province’s environment and more about improving Campbell’s image, so he could cast himself as a Schwarzenegger-worthy green crusader.
While it’s admirable that the B.C. Liberals cut personal and corporate tax rates to offset the extra burden created by the carbon taxes they heaped onto on gasoline and other fuels, the green levies simply aren’t having the effect they were designed to have.
In the key area of automobile usage, for example, the higher pump price caused by the carbon tax was supposed to force B.C. motorists to drive less. But this hasn’t happened, meaning there’s been no benefit to the environment. Instead, British Columbians have simply had to divert more of their income to pay for transportation.
Thanks to Campbell’s machinations, the B.C. Liberal government’s entire energy policy is a mess. He stuck B.C. Hydro with bad deals forcing it to pay astronomical prices for alternative energy, and Hydro’s billion-dollar “smart meter” program is an extravagant and needless exercise in eco-political correctness.
And let’s not forget that, in a misguided desire to see the government become ‘carbon neutral,’ Victoria is forcing public institutions, such as school districts and municipal governments, to buy ‘carbon offsets,’ primarily from private corporations. The Fraser Health Authority, for example, has had to spend almost $1 million on such offsets.
Surely, this money would be better spent in reducing waiting times in the Emergency Room than on a program that amounts to little more than carnival shell game in which the consumer and taxpayer always seem to lose.
By Terry O’Neill –
Published by The Tri-City News: June 03, 2011
FACE TO FACE: Which way will they vote in B.C.’s HST referendum?
There comes a time in some lovers’ quarrels when the aggrieved party’s feelings are so hurt that he or she simply refuses to hear another word, even if that word is an apology, a promise from the offender to make things better or actual evidence of action to set things right.
Welcome to the Great HST Debate.
Understandably, many British Columbians were angered and insulted not only by the manner in which the BC Liberal government introduced the tax but also by the nature of the harmonized sales tax itself.
But many of my fellow taxpayers now seem to be incapable of reversing their opposition to this revenue-generating measure, even though the government has admitted it made many errors in introducing the tax and has taken steps to make things better.
Count my colleague as one of the many provincial taxpayers who is never going to forgive, never going to forget and never going to vote in favour of the HST in this month’s referendum. I suspect his deep-rooted aversion to centrist or centre-right political parties has more than a little to do with his stubbornness.
On the other hand, while I am disinclined to support measures that put the government’s hand deeper into my pocket, I’ve long considered the HST to represent solid fiscal policy and I still believe (as do most economists) that its implementation will lead to more job- and wealth-creation in the province — and that’s good for everyone, consumers and businesses alike.
Now that Finance Minister Kevin Falcon has addressed the tax-paying public’s major concerns about the HST — by promising to phase in a reduction of the tax to 10% from the current 12% and by increasing the corporate income tax rate by 2% — the HST seems to be even more of a win-win.
What’s especially significant is that, under the changes, average British Columbians will enjoy both a short-term benefit (no $350 tax shift) and a long-term one (increased GDP attributable to the efficiencies associated with the HST).
And so I will be voting to preserve the HST.
But if you still have a need to fight against a stupid and destructive revenue-generating measure, take aim at the carbon tax. It deserves to die, sooner rather than later.
An award-winning journalist, a writer with Edmonton’s Report Magazine and Toronto’s Catholic Insight magazine, and co-host of RoadKillRadio.com, Face to Face columnist Terry O’Neill is a long-time Coquitlam resident who sits on the board of the Coquitlam Foundation and chairs the finance committee of St. Joseph’s Catholic parish.
Is Province Columnist Ethan Baron a Bigot?
By Kari Simpson, Co-host of RoadKillRadio.com
June 2, 2011
Is Ethan Baron a media bigot? Yep. Here’s the proof: It’s clear from his musings of May 13, 2011 in the Province newspaper that he willingly presents himself as a self-declared, gay activists’ toady.
His bizarre attack on John Cummins resonates with similar delusions, also hysterically declared as fact, by gay activist and NDP MLA Spencer Herbert about a 12 year-old email written by BC Liberal candidate Mark Dalton. The media ‘reporting’ that ensued was beyond amusing, and made the witch-hunts look almost childish in comparison; but far more educational was the silence that instantly gonged after RoadKill Radio issued a news release suggesting Dalton should sue Herbert for defamation.
It seems that Herbert’s skills in reading and publishing facts are as non-existent as Ethan Baron’s—and many other members of the media. Herbert, when confronted with the libel-laced facts, found an appropriate-sized gag ball, placed it where it belonged, and choked.
Clearly though, Mr. Baron is skilled and possesses some abilities; for example, he is provably fluent in propagandist gayspeak. Like other prominent media blabbers (e.g., Bill Good, Rafe Mair, Mike Smyth) he parrots the factless retro-yack of yesteryear.
It seems these gaydumb toadies cum laude have been left off the email lists of the sexmania trend-setters. Well, let me help you!
Ethan, don’t you know that ’way back in 1999, Gareth Kirkby, then managing editor of Xtra West, publicly declared his “choice” to have sex with men? Then there are Stan Perky’s personal insights, which he so generously broadcast over CKNW in 2000. Rafe Mair, admitting his own ignorance on the subject, had stated:
All right. Stockwell Day raised the issue: as a matter of fact he did it right here on this show where he said that ahhh homosexuality was a matter of choice. Eeee! Great human cries came thereafter, mostly from the non-gay community I think, trying to be liberal like me, saying oh no, no, no, this is something that you’re born with. You’re telling me, Stan, two things; first of all in may or may not be an acquired taste; and secondly what does it matter?
Stan Persky replied; “That’s right…”
Gasp… shock! Quick, Ethan! Call the bigot patrol; you need to slime Persky! Oh wait…he’s gay!?!
It’s time to grow up, Ethan; the world has changed. In case your demonstrated ignorance includes not knowing who Stan Persky is, I’ll help you: Stan is a prolific homosexual writer from North Vancouver. In the off-chance you want to know Stan better, I suggest you read Autobiography of a Tattoo; in part it details his European sexual escapades with male prostitutes—all of ‘legal’ age, of course (wink, wink)—that he indulges in when on a break from his teaching position here in BC.
You can also check out his opposition to criminalizing the creation and possession of child porn.
And then there’s his classic piece, ‘Recruit, Recruit, Recruit’, published in the Vancouver Sun. I am sure Google will be helpful—you do know how to do a Google search?
For the record, I like Stan and Gareth; they’re refreshingly honest—you should try it.
Now, concerning the politics of gay propaganda: I think any political leader or strategist, who analyses the cause of the obliteration of the NDP in 2001, should easily conclude that these issues—namely truth, respect for all people, and parental rights in education—matter deeply to British Columbians. The Burnaby parents provide a current example, one I suggest will be a factor in both the November election of school trustees in Burnaby, but even more resoundingly in the next Provincial Election.
I believe educational choice—including a voucher system, protecting parental rights in matters involving state intrusion into the family, over-zealous social workers, the Infants Act, and the ideological abuse of the classroom by activist teachers—will prove to be pivotal issues.
As for John Cummins: yes, of course the new BC Conservative leader wimped; and if anything makes him unsuitable to be the next Premier of BC, it won’t be his factual, if awkwardly-spoken, comments about choosing one’s sexual behaviour; nor his provable comments about one group being given special status before the BC Human Rights Tribunal. No, it will be his willingness to be led astray by backroom political strategists who don’t know how to talk the language of common-sense, civil-minded British Columbians. But the greater indictment against him is his willingness to be bullied by gullible gaydumb media bigots like you, Ethan Baron.
Kari Simpson Co-hosts RoadKill Radio
and can be heard at RoadKillRadio.com
Show #103, Part 3, audio only:
by Terry O’Neill
Is gambling good for B.C. or bad for British Columbians?
Drive by Coquitlam’s Boulevard Casino at any hour on any day of any week in any month of the year and you’ll see a parking lot full of cars driven by folks who have gone inside to part with their money in amusing and diverting ways.
Losers always outnumber winners by a wide margin — that’s the nature of the gambling beast. But since no one is forcing any of the players to try their hand at the slots or poker, I don’t see much wrong with the way the casinos do business.
But I do have a larger concern…
Click here to read the full Tri-City News editorial, or
Click here to view / download a PDF file of the entire text.
FACE TO FACE: Should oil tankers be allowed off B.C.’s north coast?
Most British Columbians want to see oil-tanker traffic banned off the northern coast of B.C. and so it’s no surprise that many politicians running in the current federal election are of like mind.
To me, however, it’s clear that, until the wind blows at reliably brisk pace (which it doesn’t), and until the sun shines steadily upon our roofs (which it certainly doesn’t in the Tri-Cities), and until rivers flow at a reliable rate (which they never will), and until nuclear power plants are made safer and more acceptable to consumers (which may yet transpire), the world’s best, most reliable form of energy will continue to be carbon-based… Click here to read the entire article or click here for a PDF version.
In-studio guest Chris Delaney, leader of the new BC First Party, said on the March 1 broadcast of RoadKill Radio that corporatist policies of the Campbell government are behind the announcement that BC Hydro needs to raise rates 50 percent over the next five years.
“It’s combination of issues,” said Chris Delaney. “The Liberals’ 3P policy, and their commitment to privatization; run-of-river; the ‘green’ agenda…
“There’s nothing as green as hydro power, in terms of emissions. The only problem with ‘run-of-river’ is that they’re giving it to GE and other American companies…. And the price they pay for it is double what’s on the market… Sometimes, BC Hydro is paying nine times as much…
“I have to give credit to Rafe Mair and others, who have been on this issue for a long time…
“We think they (the BC Liberals) re trying to destroy the company, then unload it. They mean to set it up to become a loss… They did the same thing with BC Rail.”
Kari Simpson asked, “Shouldn’t BC’s resources be for British Columbians? Why sell them off to American companies?”
Chris Delaney replied: “It shows the influence of the big business lobby on the Liberal Party… I’m not anti-corporation—there are benefits. But the greater benefit of the province’s resources should come to British Columbians…
“Why would you sell BC Rail to an American company? Why wouldn’t you sell it to CP? They sold BC Rail for $1 billion; but it’s been estimated that the value of the right-of-way alone is over $7 billion.”
click here to listen/download RKR archived show
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Kari Simpson, Co-host of RoadKillRadio.com has written to BC’s Provincial Health Officer (PHO), Dr. Perry Kendall, after he refused to appear on RoadKillRadio to answer questions regarding the H1N1 Vaccine—questions specifically addressing the at-best-questionable testing of the vaccine, and whether British Columbians can truly provide “informed consent” when they agreed to the vaccination.
The questions refer to the vaccine manufacturer’s own information, contained in their Product Information Guide (PIG). This leaflet was published Oct. 21, 2009 by GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of the ASO3-Adjuvanted H1N1 Pandemic Influenza Vaccine.
In her letter to Dr. Kendall, Mrs. Simpson asks:
Question 21 – Hypothetically speaking, if a PHO does not fulfill the duty to provide crucial information to the citizenry, thus resulting in thousands of men, women and children ignorantly subjecting themselves to a medical procedure/experiment that the PHO knows (or should know) is unproven and potentially dangerous, in your opinion should he or she:
a. Advise the public of the facts and resign
b. Resign
c. Continue to communicate information that fails to provide the facts, thus knowingly endanger the lives of British Columbians.
On behalf of British Columbians, Mrs. Simpson also asks this question concerning data collection:
“GlaxoSmithKline states in the PIG on page 23:
“‘Children 6—35 months: 0.25mL/dose (NO clinical data are available for influenza vaccines with ASO3 in this age group)’
Question 3 – Have you—in keeping with your legislative mandate to “provide information” and to “report”—stated anywhere on the public record GlaxoSmithKline’s admission, as quoted above concerning 6-35-month-old babies and toddlers, that “no clinical data are available for influenza vaccines with ASO3 in this age group”?
Question 4 – Have you, on the public record, warned parents that their children were being used in an experiment? If so, please provide details of where and when this has been stated or recorded.
Question 5 – Some media personalities (e.g., Christy Clark on CKNW) have called those who may refuse to inject this toxic, experimental concoction into their bodies, and/or their children’s bodies, “bad Canadians.” Do you agree with her? Or is she being irresponsible?
As RoadKillRadio co-host, Kari Simpson interviewed Dr. Christopher Shaw, a neuroscientist and a Professor at the University of British Columbia, about the HI1N1 vaccine. Dr. Shaw has researched the available data—what little there is—and told RoadKillRadio he has concerns about “the lack of testing and the efficacy of the vaccine.”
Dr. Shaw, when asked, said he would welcome the opportunity to appear on RoadKillRadio with Dr. Perry Kendall. (Click here to listen to Dr. Shaw on RoadKill Radio.)
Nov. 17 Kari Simpson contacted Dr. Kendall’s office to request an interview with PHO Dr. Kendall, in person or by phone, whichever suited him best. The proposed show date was for Nov. 24, a full week later.
Ms. Simpson received a return call within minutes, advising that Dr. Kendall was unavailable. Ms. Simpson then offered: “Any Tuesday then, pick one.”
The answer was: “Dr Kendall would not be able to do that long of an interview” (45 minutes).
Ms. Simpson, wanting to accommodate Dr. Kendall, then offered to shorten the time, or pre-tape the interview, or have another spokesperson from his office on the program. She was advised that she would be called back.
Jeff Groot, a senior public affairs official with BC Healthy Living, contacted Mrs. Simpson asking what the proposed interview would be about.
Mrs. Simpson advised him there was growing concern about the information being asserted by Dr. Kendall about the H1N1 vaccine’s safety, in light of the lack of testing. She also explained that issues around informed consent should be explored.
Mr. Groot said Dr. Kendall would not appear, but was willing to respond to written questions; he provided an e-mail address.
Ms. Simpson has written to Dr. Kendall, including a total of 23 questions that need to be asked and answered promptly. She has requested that he respond by Dec. 1, 2009. His responses will be featured on www.RoadKillRadio.com, which is accessible at that address live every Tuesday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., with previous programs archived for access at any time.
A copy of the questions sent to Dr. Kendall can be seen here.
Dr. Perry Kendall
Provincial Health Officer, Province of British Columbia
via Jeff Groot’s (Senior Public Affairs Officer) e-mail: jeff.groot@gov.bc.ca
November 23, 2009
RE: Questions about the H1N1 Pandemic and the H1N1 Influenza Vaccine
Dear Dr. Kendall:
We appreciate the opportunity to submit these important questions to you on behalf of British Columbians. We regret that you were unavailable to appear personally on RoadKill Radio.Com, despite our willingness to accommodate your schedule in any capacity that worked for you or anyone else from your office.
Mr. Groot, Senior Public Affairs Officer for the Ministry of Healthy Living, has assured me during our telephone call that you will answer these questions relating to the H1N1 vaccine so the public can gain a better understanding of the governmental decision-making that has taken place during this so-called “pandemic.”
According to your government profile, The Health Act outlines your role as the Provincial Health Officer (PHO). As senior medical health officer for British Columbia (BC), your responsibilities are said to include:
• advising the Minister and senior members of the ministry on health issues in BC and on the need for legislation, policies and practices concerning those issues;
• monitoring the health of the people of BC;
• providing information and analyses on health issues;
• reporting to the public on health issues, the need for legislation, a change of policy, or practice respecting health in BC.
I trust that you are familiar with the Product Information Guide (PIG), a leaflet published by GlaxoSmithKline the manufacturer of the ASO3—Adjuvanted H1N1 Pandemic Influenza Vaccine. On page 2 of the PIG (October 21, 2009) it states:
Health Canada has authorized the sale of Arepanrix H1N1 based on limited testing in humans under the provision of an Interim Order (IO) issued October 13, 2009.
Question 1 – Have you read the Product Information Guide Published by GlaxoSmithKline?
Question 2 – Where in the public record have you advised British Columbians that the testing for this vaccine differs from the usual rigorous standards applied to vaccines, due to the “pandemic” categorization of H1N1 as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO)?
I applaud GlaxoSmithKline for clearly stating in their PIG that testing of this vaccine is in some cases minimal, and in others so deficient that “no clinical data” were available. An example of this is found on page 23 of the PIG concerning dosages for children 6—35 months. It states:
“Children 6-35 months: 0.25mL/dose (NO clinical data are available for influenza vaccines with ASO3 in this age group”
Question 3 – Have you—in keeping with your legislative mandate to “provide information” and to “report”—stated anywhere on the public record GlaxoSmithKline’s admission, as quoted above concerning 6-35 month old babies/toddlers, that “no clinical data are available for influenza vaccines with ASO3 in this age group”?
Question 4 – Have you, on the public record, warned parents that their children were being used in an experiment? If so, please provide details of where and when this has been stated or recorded.
Question 5 – Some media personalities (e.g., Christy Clark on CKNW) have called those who may refuse to inject this toxic, experimental concoction into their bodies, and/or their children’s bodies, “bad Canadians.” Do you agree with her? Or is she being irresponsible?
On page 22 of the PIG there are some assertions that warrant clarification. Under the heading “Interactions with this vaccine” GlaxoSmithKline responsibly states:
“There is no information on the administration of AREPANRIX H1N1 with other vaccines.”
Question 6 – Have you—in keeping with your legislative mandate to “provide information” and to “report”—stated anywhere on the public record that there is “no information available” about the interaction of this vaccine with other vaccines?
Question 7 – Have you at any time asserted that the vaccine is safe, knowing that the majority of British Columbians have previously received vaccines and the interactions of these combined compounds have yet to be tested?
The term “pandemic” incites considerable concern and in the past the established criteria warranted such a response.
Question 8: Where in the public record have you enlightened or educated British Columbians about the WHO redefining the criteria of the term “pandemic” in 2003, by eliminating terms that once justified global concerns but now define only a fluid, ill-defined and changeable terminology?
As a Public Health Officer (PHO) you are legislatively mandated to inform and educate. Public confidence in our medical system is in part rooted in the public’s ability to trust the PHO.
Informed consent, which I note is required by law and is a right of each individual, is defined by the patient being fully aware of both the risks and potential benefits of any medical procedure. A medical doctor, Dr. Roby Mitchell M.D., has gone very public in the United States in retracting his advice to health care professions to get the H1N1 vaccine citing their right to informed consent. After researching the vaccine, he in good conscience and as a professional, had to advise his patients of the facts and risks of the vaccine.
Question 9 – What are you doing to insure that those who are getting the H1N1 vaccination are making their decision based on informed consent?
The BC Centres for Disease Control has published a guide called ImmunizeBC, a guide supposedly designed to assist individuals in educating themselves about vaccines including the “Pandemic Influenza A/H1N1. I have reviewed this document. Question 7 in ImmunizeBC asks: “Is the vaccine safe?” The response states:
Yes. Vaccine safety is a priority. Clinical trials of the adjuvanted vaccine in adults have been conducted and other trials in other age and risk groups are being done.
All results to date indicate safety of this vaccine. The non-adjuvanted vaccine which can be used in pregnancyand in children under 3 years old is formulated the same way as seasonal vaccines and is expected to have the same safety profile as seasonal vaccine.
Question 10 – In consideration of GlaxoSmithKline’s own admissions contained in their own PIG as it relates to the vaccine, do you, in your capacity as PHO believe that the BC Centre for Disease Control is providing factual and accurate information concerning this vaccine?
I refer again to the ImmunizeBC guide. Question 16 in the guide again refers to the safety of the AS03 vaccine. It asks: “Is the AS03 adjuvant safe?” The response asserts:
“The ASO3 adjuvant has been tested in over 45,000 people around the world and has been evaluated by Health Canada as part of the review of the related A/H5N1 avian influenza pre-pandemic vaccine. No safety concerns regarding the use of the adjuvanted vaccine have been seen.”
Question 11 – If you agree with this assertion, that this adjuvant is “safe”, please detail the test you rely on for determining what is “safe”.
According to the GlaxoSmithKline PIG leaflet, several million Canadians could be adversely affected if injected with this vaccine. Under their own classifications:
“Common” (may occur with up to 1 in 10 doses) adverse reactions include: injection site bruising, itching. Then there is also fever, swollen lymph nodes, feeling sick, diarrhea. This means that if 32 million Canadians are vaccinated, 3.2 million are expected to have adverse reactions.
Question 12 – Should Canadians seek medical treatment for these types of reactions?
“Uncommon” adverse effects are projected at a rate of 1 in 100 doses. These include: Dizziness, feeling unwell, unusual weakness, vomiting, stomach pain, uncomfortable feeling in the stomach, belching, inability to sleep, tingling, numbness of hands or feet, shortness of breath, chest pains, rash, itching, pain, stiffness of muscles, muscle spasms. If 32 million Canadians were to be vaccinated, we can expect 320,000 Canadians suffer with these concerning symptoms/complications.
Question 13 – Should Canadians seek medical treatment for these types of reactions and/or symptoms?
“Rare” (may occur in 1 in 1000 doses)—If 32 million Canadians are injected with this vaccine, 32,000 may experience these reactions: Allergic reaction causing dangerous decrease of blood pressure, which if untreated may lead to shock. Other reactions include: Fits, severe stabbing or throbbing pain along nerves, low blood platelet count resulting in bleeding/bruising.
Question 14 – Should Canadians seek medical treatment for these types of reactions?
“Very Rare” 1 in 10,000 doses = 3,200 Canadians. These lucky, hopefully “informed” Canadians can look forward to Vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels which can cause skin rashes, joint pain and kidney problems) and Neurological disorders such as encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the central nervous system), neuritis (inflammation of nerves) and a type of paralysis known a Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS).
Question 15 – Should Canadians seek medical treatment for these types of reactions?
Question 16 – If you answered “Yes” to any of the above scenarios as projected by the vaccine manufacturer, what would the estimated (ball park) costs be to our medical system?
Projected cumulative total of probable adverse reactions if all Canadians are vaccinated: more than six and three-quarter million!—not including deaths from the vaccine (which, in 1976, were reported to be more than the number of deaths from the swine flu itself).
Question 17 — Are people who get the vaccination allowed to drive themselves home, even though these estimates project that more than 3-and-a-half million people will have reactions, a quarter to half of which (e.g, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, etc) would render them dangerous to others on the road?
Question 18 – What is the projected number of illnesses and deaths from H1N1 flu if no one is vaccinated?
I have spoken to a number of British Columbians about the vaccination, they seem to be unaware of GlaxoSmithKline’s stated and acknowledged risks associated with the vaccine. Most are shocked and feel betrayed when they read for themselves the truth about this experimental vaccine. Others are angry.
Question 19 – Who in BC is responsible for informing individuals about the known risks associated with this vaccine?
Question 20 – Have you published any statistics associated with the reporting of adverse reactions to the H1N1 vaccination? If so where?
Question 21 – Hypothetically speaking, if a PHO does not fulfill the duty to provide crucial information to the citizenry, thus resulting in thousands of men, women and children ignorantly subjecting themselves to a medical procedure/experiment that the PHO knows (or should know) is unproven and potentially dangerous, in your opinion should he or she:
a. Advise the public of the facts and resign
b. Resign
c. Continue to communicate information that fails to provide the facts, thus knowingly endanger the lives of British Columbians
Question 22 – Do you personally own or have shares in, directly or indirectly, any stock, or other material interest in any pharmaceutical corporation?
Question 23 – Are you as PHO required to disclose any (or any potential) financial conflicts of interest prior to accepting this office?
Thank you for your willingness to answer these questions. On behalf of many Canadians and British Columbians, I look forward to your responses to these important questions, and sharing them with our audience.
Yours sincerely,
Kari Simpson.
Co—Host RoadKill Radio