"Vote Nader!" - George W Bush
"Vote Green!" - Gordon Campbell
For that one brief second we were all equal. It didn't matter your status or political leanings, the second we found out the leader of our province, Gordon Campbell of the BC Liberals, got arrested in Maui for drinking and driving we all thought the exact same thing: He's sooo done.
Remember, this is fresh off the heels of Glen Clark getting no less than five months of front-page coverage for building a sundeck. Even the staunchest of supporters had to admit it looked bleak.
However, the moment was fleeting as the spin quickly removed any doubt that Gordo did wrong. Heck, his lies that he would take steps against drunk driving even convinced Mother's Against Drunk Driving to turn a blind eye to an honest mistake. Then again, he lied about BC Rail, he lied about ripping up contractsthe list goes on and depressingly on.
So it is armed with those super powers of deception that we enter next week's election where you have two choices: you can vote Liberal to sell BC Hydro to an American company (sorry, Bermudan for tax purposes), or you can vote for the NDP.
But what about Green? I'm sorry, the only space I have this election for the Green party is to say this: like it or not, you're Nader. You're nothing more than a vote-splitting patsy for the Liberals.
Unfortunately, this election comes down to what almost every North American election comes down to. One side there are those that believe the people should own their water, hydro, hospitals and schools. Then on the other side there are those that believe government should only be there to ensure the corporations get paid. You can spot them easily: they're the ones with that damn "why the hell should my taxes go to pay for that?" attitude.
That mantra became law with huge tax breaks going to those earning over $400,000 a year. Everyone was convinced that there had to be, as the headlines read, "Short term pain for long term gain".
Now, I too believe that there are things we can do without and there is certainly some waste that can be trimmed, but never in my life could I imagine anyone cutting funding causing the closure of woman's shelters. In budget terms they are literally run on pennies!
This is not a mixed message, when you close a woman's shelter you're sending a very clear message to the community: "Sorry girls, you made your bed now sleep in it." Or, going back to the mantra: "You talked back to your drunk husband and paid the price." Why the hell should my taxes pay for that?
Make no mistake people, this is not a movie. The evil people aren't going to be visited by three ghosts and see the error of their ways.
Next week the decision is simple. Do you believe that our water, hydro and health care should be controlled by American companies? Yes? Vote Liberal No? Vote NDP.
