Carole's Unions of ODDS
It was quite odd to see NDP Opposition Critic for the Attorney General, Leonard Krog, rise in the House yesterday to demand "campaign financing reform" - especially since he seemed to forget BC NDP Leader Carole James' philosophy: "It is certainly good to have friends. But it is much better to have friends with money" And the NDP do...and how. You see, Carole James and the NDP try to pass themselves off as sweet, innocent wide eyed optimists - you know, like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. But she hangs out with oddly dressed men.
Her friends Jim "the Scarecrow" Sinclair from the magical kingdom of the BC Fed is often found arm-in-arm with George "the Tinman" Heyman of the BCGEU while Jinny "the Cowardly Lion" Sims of BCTF fame comes up the rear.
Just how friendly are these delightful characters? Well, just sit back for this.
According to Elections BC, during the 28 days of the 2005 provincial election, these three unions (BC Fed, BCGEU and BCTF) - along with a few other Toto like friends - allocated over $10 million dollars to get the NDP elected. Never mind that some of the BCGEU activity was deemed illegal by Elections BC or that Jinny's BCTF spent over $5 million of their teachers' money in a failed attempt to get her friends in the NDP back into power. For some context, this is more than DOUBLE what all the other parties spent combined.
Oh! And the above figures do not include other money given or funneled to sweet, innocent Carole as she skipped her way along the yellow brick road to Victoria. You see, money and services given outside those 28 days of the election period or "writ" do not have to be reported. So when the NDP flying monkey army is out there on phone banks, canvassing, breaking into offices, taking money away from nurses or teachers etc. this does not get reported!
Now, when the Unions want to cover their tracks, they form "independent, grassroots organizations" - or as they call 'em, "Good Witches". These groups appear to be good intentioned, until you see that they are run, organized and financed by the Unions with the sole purpose of getting their message out. Makes sense...when your credibility is shot, shout the same rhetoric - "there's no place like the NDP 1990's...there's no place like the NDP 1990's" - using a different name.
Just looking at the Board of Directors of groups like "BC Citizens for Public Power" (featuring our Scarecrow friend who through the BC Fed gave this group a $15,000 "loan", which was not paid back); "BC Health Coalition" (featuring the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion); and the "Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives" who apparently are really, really friendly with the Dippers since the CCPA received over $400,000 in taxpayer money from the NDP between the dark, tornado years of 1993 to 2001, and additional funding from the "Columbia Foundation" whose BOD includes yet again the Scarecrow and the Tinman. Oh! And did we forget to mention that all of these groups share membership lists with each other?
We do not even have time to touch on the fact the it is mandated in the NDP Constitution that Union Leaders MUST sit on the NDP Board of Directors and Union members are given more weight as delegates at Dipper elections.
So, how does our fable end? Well, our Leg operatives tell us that after Mr. Krog's statement in the house yesterday he has a little meeting with Dorothy and her friends sometime this morning. We're guessing that if Mr. Krog is not careful, he will end up like the Wicked Witch of the East...crushed.
posted by BC Poly Blog at 7:52 AM
7 Comments:
I still find it odd that the NDP don't want the Union "third party funding" during an election. Do they really think that the Government would limit funding from Business and Unions without limiting what they can spend as "third party groups"? Everyone knows the Unions out spent both the NDP and BC Liberals in total dollars spent before and during the election.
Much of the Unions "support work" never is declared. So we don't even know what the total is.
The NDP would die tomorrow without the cash from unions. The unions in BC would also die if they did not get some favours from the NDP when they are in power. Hopefully the Dippers do not get back in for many years.
"If she only had a heart", sweet mother Mary, love that photo-shop of Simms and her doppelganger sleaze operatives. I love that movie, my learned friend. I've ran into their counterparts here, like drones for the cause. Union Zombies, empty vessels of the worst sort. Creepy, and then some. How do they convince so many adults to make fools of themselves at the union executives behest? Stupid is as stupid does. The Forrest Gump syndrome. Oh the irony.
Never Again!
The unions collect dues from their members to pay "organizers" to do NDP politics.
They spin lies to convince the troops this is OK and keep them in line. If they repeat them enough the members even believe them.
The press report the "lies" (like funding for Health care and education is cut)and the organisers report what the press say.
A self perpetuating circle.
They like it that way.
Yes, the NDP want to end all Union and Corporate donations. However, what they really mean is no donations to the BC Liberals or the NDP Parties.
You have to remember that third party advertising by the Unions directly, doesn't count as a donation. They would just continue to allow their Union friends to spend to their hearts content.
Remember, the BCTF alone spent $5 million trying to defeat the Liberals. This isn't a donation and legislating an end to corporate and Union donations would not stop this from continuing. In fact it would probable increase.
Be very very afaid.
The NDP will do whatever they can to promote their best interest. Soft money passed through "non-partisan" union linked third party groups go undetected all the time, and Ms. James knows it helps her bigtime.
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