Early Life - Working parents have to make a choice between earning a living for their family and caring for young children. This is unacceptable, as more families are pushed to the brink and forced to cut back on saving to survive until the next paycheque. Under my plan, we would transfer the money obtained by restoring government worker wages to their pre-Campbell levels, and use the money to open up 10,000 daycare positions for preschool children, as well as keeping these spots open for after school care. Preschool would become more available under my program, with government subsidies being available for those who are unable to enroll their child.
Primary/Secondary Schooling - From the very beginning of their school careers, children are taught that the only way to be considered a success by the system is through excellence in scholastic studies. But we don't live in a society of lawyers and doctors. Too little attention is paid to the trades in our schools, as everyone is gently nudged in the direction of becoming another scholar for the universities to mold. What I suggest is a three-pronged approach to the issue; we need more classes in our schools that encourage young people to take an interest in trades, greater awareness as to the personal benefits of the trades must become available, and funding must increase for those students who do wish to become tradespeople. Right now, there is a widespread gap in the number of trades classes a student can take in secondary school, but a vast array of academic classes that may not suit that student. There is almost no information from local trade schools, but we have advertisements from universities half a world away. Worst of all is that there is no support money no scholarships, no bursaries, no anything for lower-income students who wish to pursue a trade. If elected, I will change that and make the trades an equal to academics in our school systems.
Post-Secondary Schooling - Eight years ago, the BC government ended a province-wide tuition freeze for post-secondary schooling. Since then, tuition rates have doubled, financially crippling some students and preventing others from pursuing a higher education. Eliminating this freeze prevents upward social mobility, and prevents the strong academics of some of our students from being recognized and nurtured. If elected, I will reinstate the tuition freeze at levels left by the previous NDP government. I will also replace the federal Millennium excellence scholarships and the current loan system with a new program.
This program will allow all students to apply and obtain loans from the government, to be paid back in full 10 within ten years of graduation, with interest attached. These loans, however, will be forgiven if a student maintains a 90% class average through each semester of their degree.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Policy: Energy
River rights: Independant power projects are an important part of the British Columbia economy, and a moratorium on these vital projects would stagnate our already endangered fiscal position. However; British Columbians gain nothing when their jobs and their natural resources are shipped out of province, which is why I support local businesses being given preference for the rights to IPPs, all other aspects of the bids being equal. Local businesses, with roots in our communities and employing our people to promote our values and economy, can power our way through the recession and into a new bull economy, while protecting the natural resources we hold dear.
Renewable Energy: British Columbians are proud to have such a strong tradition of renewable energy providing for our needs. We proudly say that almost all of our electrical needs are provided by renewable, carbon neutral hydro-electricity. But in order to keep our edge in energy technology, we must expand into new, promising areas of research. The expanding energy needs of our province has begun to make hydro-electricity less efficient, as more rivers must be dammed to provide new energy sources. These rivers can no longer be used for salmon spawning, and entire stocks of pacific salmon die without replenishing their numbers.
If elected, I will work hard to ensure that more is done the ensure that any new hydro dam is built in rivers that will not affect salmon spawning grounds, and to push for renewed interest in geothermal energy to provide where hydro-electricity is not feasible.
Lowering Carbon Emissions: Like most British Columbians, I'm concerned about the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted in the air. I believe the best way, the way that will cost everyday people the least amount of money, is to instigate a cap and trade system on industries as opposed to a straight carbon tax. The carbon tax we have lived with for the past year has done nothing to curb emissions, it has simply strained the pocketbooks of the most vulnerable in society in an already dangerous economic time. Meanwhile, businesses continue to enjoy record profits by passing the costs of the tax onto the consumers.
This is why I support a cap and trade system, whereby businesses and industries will be forced to purchase permits to emit a set amount of greenhouse gas. Under my plan, the allowable amount of permits would decrease by 2.5% of the 1990 levels each year, ensuring that our carbon footprint stays minimal and that new energy sources are used that are pollutant-free.
Renewable Energy: British Columbians are proud to have such a strong tradition of renewable energy providing for our needs. We proudly say that almost all of our electrical needs are provided by renewable, carbon neutral hydro-electricity. But in order to keep our edge in energy technology, we must expand into new, promising areas of research. The expanding energy needs of our province has begun to make hydro-electricity less efficient, as more rivers must be dammed to provide new energy sources. These rivers can no longer be used for salmon spawning, and entire stocks of pacific salmon die without replenishing their numbers.
If elected, I will work hard to ensure that more is done the ensure that any new hydro dam is built in rivers that will not affect salmon spawning grounds, and to push for renewed interest in geothermal energy to provide where hydro-electricity is not feasible.
Lowering Carbon Emissions: Like most British Columbians, I'm concerned about the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted in the air. I believe the best way, the way that will cost everyday people the least amount of money, is to instigate a cap and trade system on industries as opposed to a straight carbon tax. The carbon tax we have lived with for the past year has done nothing to curb emissions, it has simply strained the pocketbooks of the most vulnerable in society in an already dangerous economic time. Meanwhile, businesses continue to enjoy record profits by passing the costs of the tax onto the consumers.
This is why I support a cap and trade system, whereby businesses and industries will be forced to purchase permits to emit a set amount of greenhouse gas. Under my plan, the allowable amount of permits would decrease by 2.5% of the 1990 levels each year, ensuring that our carbon footprint stays minimal and that new energy sources are used that are pollutant-free.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Bullying in schools
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/record/2400.html April 9th
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517470,00.html April 22nd
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/08/florida.school.assault/index.html May 8th
Quite a little record we've set for ourselves here. In literally 30 days, we've managed to ignore bullying to the point where one child is raped and two others commit suicide. We've managed to tell ourselves that its not really that bad, that its always some other school district in some other area of the country, that nothing like this ever would happen where we teach, administrate and live. Well, you're wrong. Three times now, the youth victim and his parents demanded that something be done, and three times nothing was done because the bullying was homophobic in nature, and thus no one wanted to be involved in protecting "the fag child". But do you know what the sad part about this was? These children never identified themselves as gay, these were healthy, heterosexual young men with a life of potential waiting for them, and now two o them are dead and one will be changed for life. These people, who are legally bound to do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety of their child charges, should be sued and fired for their gross neglect. We have seen time and time again that staff and students alike would rather ignore the issue or blame the victim rather than act and potentially save a life.
Its time to take a stand. Starting today, I will be collecting letters to send to every state legislator, congressperson, member of provincial legislator and member of parliament in North America. It is my goal that by shedding light on these disgusting acts, we can rally support and make sure that this never happens to another child again. I'm asking you, the reader of this, and anyone else you know, to please help me by writing a short letter that will be sent to these important people. It can be anything, personal experiences from bullying, your own impassioned pleas, just something, anything, something we can share to show the solidarity of our beliefs that this cannot continue and that the life of a child is the MOST important thing in the world, and must be safeguarded as such.
Thank you all, God bless and when you come home at night and begin to complain about the horrors of your mundane life, think of the people above, and others like them, who no longer have that power.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517470,00.html April 22nd
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/08/florida.school.assault/index.html May 8th
Quite a little record we've set for ourselves here. In literally 30 days, we've managed to ignore bullying to the point where one child is raped and two others commit suicide. We've managed to tell ourselves that its not really that bad, that its always some other school district in some other area of the country, that nothing like this ever would happen where we teach, administrate and live. Well, you're wrong. Three times now, the youth victim and his parents demanded that something be done, and three times nothing was done because the bullying was homophobic in nature, and thus no one wanted to be involved in protecting "the fag child". But do you know what the sad part about this was? These children never identified themselves as gay, these were healthy, heterosexual young men with a life of potential waiting for them, and now two o them are dead and one will be changed for life. These people, who are legally bound to do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety of their child charges, should be sued and fired for their gross neglect. We have seen time and time again that staff and students alike would rather ignore the issue or blame the victim rather than act and potentially save a life.
Its time to take a stand. Starting today, I will be collecting letters to send to every state legislator, congressperson, member of provincial legislator and member of parliament in North America. It is my goal that by shedding light on these disgusting acts, we can rally support and make sure that this never happens to another child again. I'm asking you, the reader of this, and anyone else you know, to please help me by writing a short letter that will be sent to these important people. It can be anything, personal experiences from bullying, your own impassioned pleas, just something, anything, something we can share to show the solidarity of our beliefs that this cannot continue and that the life of a child is the MOST important thing in the world, and must be safeguarded as such.
Thank you all, God bless and when you come home at night and begin to complain about the horrors of your mundane life, think of the people above, and others like them, who no longer have that power.
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