Friday, June 8, 2007

When will they give a damn?

In today's editorial, the Kamloops Daily News asked why the federal government still hasn't indicated that it cares about the situation faced by local homeowners with many pine beetle-infested trees.
"The feds just don't get it on the pine beetle issue. Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn ... and his government colleagues, including MP Betty Hinton, deserve no credit whatsoever for their refusal to come to the aid of homeowners."
The city of Kamloops has coughed up $400,000 to fund the removal assistance program this year, and the federal government matched about half. But they're refusing to fund it any further than August, even though the pine beetle crisis will continue to get worse.

Cited editorial unsigned
Published June 8, 2007
© Copyright The Daily News in Kamloops

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I noticed Nathan Cullen was the only MP that stood up for funding for the flooding this spring. The NDP is the only party that will promote issues like pine beetle and flooding. Hinton Out and Crawford In, ASAP !

Then we can have a representative that actually shows up for parliament, let alone work for the riding.

Anonymous said...

Since the legal reality is it would be illegal for the feds to horn in on any property related issue (check where property jurisdiction falls in the BNA)the obvious reality check is to have provincial "authorities" explain clearly, with emphasis on jurisdiction, just why they seem to feel that this isn't their problem as well as ours.

If indeed this is so, (recent provincial expenditures on diking to mitigate property damage in a potential flood year would seem to validate the concept) then rather than ragging on the feds, perhaps asking a few pointed questions of the provincial Liberals may be in order.

I guess that would be the job of the provincial NDP, but it seems they're distracted on their pension portfolio planning and charitable giving tax dodges.

Anonymous said...

It is not a distinct area of provincial jurisdiction. It is merely financing the province so unless the BC government turns down the money becuase of federal-provincial jurisdiction, which they woouldn't, then it is all fine and legal-like.

But nice Red Herring.

Anonymous said...

"Legal-like"? You been drinkin' Liberal kool aid my friend?

Just because a bunch of buck-passers want to tap dance with the law as provided for in our foundational legal structure doesn't make it alright.

We have mechanisms in place to alter our constitutional structure...trust me on this, political expediency isn't one of the the ammending criteria.

Anonymous said...

Cut down my tree!

I dont live on the North Shore of course where dont have very many of the worthless pine beetle.


Help the upper middle class survive this crisis!