Dear editor,
As a small "c" conservative socially, a libertarian economically, and as populist I have found that the usual slate of parties and candidates has largely come up wanting for over a decade now.
We currently have two parties in the B.C. legislature that to all intents and purposes believe in big government with big spending, borrowing, higher taxes, as the solution to all of society's ills. They are statist parties.
The problem is that many of the "ills" they believe can be solved by government were created by government to begin with. So these solutions offered usually don't solve a problem they just compound a problem that was created by a prior "solution," which will then in turn need to be "solved" by another government program.
But the end result is always the same — give government more power, and more money. The problem isn't that government does to much or tries to be too many things to too many people, it's that it isn't large enough and does not spend enough.
If one keeps voting for the same old parties, one can't really expect a different result?
But yet people keep saying, especially those on the right, that they would like for there to be a small "c" conservative option but need to vote for a very statist party to keep another statist party out of office.
This is akin to painting your house red and hoping that it turns green. As Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is repeating the same behaviour and expecting a different result."
While they are far from perfect, the reality is that the only party seeking to turn this province away from this direction seems to be the B.C Conservative Party. I really think they deserve some consideration.
As I mentioned, we currently have two parties in the legislature.
One has massively grown the size and scope of government, government spending, increased the size of the civil service and salaries, imposed record tax increases, almost doubled the provincial debt, engaged in massive boondoggles, been embroiled in scandal, corruption, and sleaze, run five consecutive deficit budgets and brought down at least three "fudgit budgets."
This same party has exhibited contempt for the electorate. They are incompetent, arrogant, vindictive, and petulant towards anyone that dare questions their behaviour. They truly and fully deserve to be kicked to the curb.
Oh and by the way, the other party in the legislature is the NDP.
A. Foster,
Courtenay