What is this obsession with global growth?

From the BBC online news November 15, 2008

(George Bush) Summit pledge to 'restore growth'

Global leaders at the G20 financial summit in Washington have pledged to work together to restore global growth.

President George Bush said that finance minsters would now work on detailed reform proposals and report back.

The actions countries were taking were "beginning to work" in dealing with the financial crisis, said the president.

In their communique, the leaders said they were determined to work together to achieve "needed reforms" in the world's financial systems.

"We are adapting our financial systems to the realities of the 21st century," said Mr Bush in his address at the end of the summit.

At the meeting in Washington, leaders pledged to "lay the foundation for reform to help to ensure that a global crisis, such as this one, does not happen again".

The report above is much as expected from today's 20 country summit on the world's so called financial crisis. And in the heat of this particular international debate not a single commentator, economic pundit, politician or observer has questioned the the need for growth or even growth's worth.

In the natural world we have come to accept growth as something beyond our control - well almost beyond our control - and that tinkering with growth is generally frowned on.

In the world of finance and commerce however we have devised these many national and international systems which governments at a whim can use to slow growth or accelerate growth, but rarely if ever ignore growth. Thanks to the Internet and an electronic media that spans our global community almost every citizen on the planet understands the fundamental mechanisms of money supply and interest rates. Though I think we lost them on the Credit Default Swaps and the Asset Backed Commercial Paper. Sub-prime? Well it speaks for itself; now louder than ever.

So finding ourselves stuck between Iraq and the 1929 depression we find ourselves scratching our global heads and wondering how we may, as a planet, extricate ourselves from what many see as a problem, to wit, the slowing (nay shrinking) world economy. Given that we are all flying the same space ship (earth) it would seem that the ratio of country to country and person to person remains the same. The rich are still rich and the poor (unhappily) still poor. The fed and housed (notwithstanding the mortgage defaults) remain fed and housed. Nothing has changed other than the price we pay at the pump and elsewhere. All that has changed effectively is the rate of growth. The disadvantaged remain disadvantaged, the privileged remain privileged. It seems odd therefore that such immense effort and great expense is being poured into saving one financial institution or the other or one business or the other. The truth is that we have too many banks, hedge funds, mutual funds and private equity groups. The truth is that we have too many business. The truth is that every consumer has too much as a result of consuming almost everything put in front of them. The truth is they consumed themselves (and consequently the world's economy) to a standstill. What then, is wrong with a little fiscal growth rest. Perhaps it is time the economy hit the couch, opened a bag of chips and popped a can of beer - both bought in the good times - and sat back to watch the game on the  LCD flat screen.

It is clear that even the brightest minds are struggling with this. The same minds and thinking that got us into this mess. 'Another fine mess you got us into.' The less summits we have the better. The more summits we have, the messier things will get. Nature will take over and the economy will eventually correct itself - no hurry. The economists and world leaders will pat each on the back for a job well done. Hooray!!

Take you time.....be happy....don't worry......enjoy the bad times while you can, they may be the best times you'll ever have.

Nature Boy

 

Letter published in TIMES November 14, 2008

Albion flats is the wrong area for big boxes
The Times
Published: Friday, November 14, 2008
Editor:

While the fight over Jackson Farm carries on, I see that a new website has sprung up to promote a shopping centre on Albion Flats. We need to think long-term and big-idea. We need to think culture -- historic, aesthetic, economic. I was, and am, strongly opposed to simply plunking down a Walmart in the Albion flats.

I hate the idea of swallowing up all small business prospects in Albion for a generation with an aesthetically revolting big-box store on 20 acres of asphalt, which is what they have in many Walmart locations.

But the idea of an actual, diversified shopping community, with an appealing layout and architecture, where smaller business mixes with anchor tenants, is something different. The Coopers mall at 240th and Dewdney is a good, small-scale example of this idea.
The demand for shopping is obviously there, but does it need to be another terrible, generic, thoughtless exercise in design where a quick dollar trumps other, more thoughtful, considerations?

As for Jackson Farm, I ask these questions: In a land of strip malls and subdivisions, how many significant historic touchstones do we have?

How many areas of historical significance combined with pastoral beauty? Surely enough people recognize the need to maintain and celebrate the few such areas that we have. There are numerous areas in Maple Ridge for potential subdivision development. Why, why, why, does every piece of land have to generate visions of housing? Where there's a will...

Albion still has the potential to be a model for sensible suburban development, but it is on the cusp of being overrun by short-term interests. Think of the possibilities: An appealing, diverse shopping development on the Flats and a gorgeous, historic park within biking distance. Claus Andrup has long put forth, to anyone who will listen, creative and exciting ideas for turning the banks of the Fraser into a quay-style development. 

The possibilities are many and great, but one pleads with the universe that a critical part of any plan will be to contribute positively to the long-term culture of this, and any, local area.
Think different, Maple Ridge.

Geoff Westby,
Maple Ridge

Free Markets - WIKEPEDIA definition

Bush 'n Bull

Well, well. Today we learn that George Bush blames not the free markets for the economic shambles of 2008. Know what? I agree. It is not the fault of the free markets. Simply put, it is the inability of the Federal Bank and the Treasury Department to apply the rules of a free market when the rules are most needed.

In a supply demand world gravity is dominant force. Free Markets are, so to speak, the oceans wherein the piscatorial economic species thrive most and where they are almost exclusively found. Free markets in a word or perhaps two are the natural habitat for supply demand organisms.

For free markets to fully function and for supply demand economics to thrive they need to be left free to make their own way across the globe. Some will make and some will perish; just as it should be.

When the rules are broken and federals officials and legislators panic and feel tempted to put the brakes on or artificially support the free markets through intervention then they ignore their own rules and the consequence of this is that we are left with two philosophies grappling over a single problem. Only the problem can lose.

Paulson's decision yesterday to backtrack on the rules of $700 billion bailout for the US financial institutions could have been avoided if he had not let himself be talked into the bailout in the first place. 'Talked into?" Why yes, it is unlikely that he came up with this scheme himself. A more likely recounting of the truth would have him disagreeing with the bailout and then subsequently proving his point when the bailout had no effect other than to expose even greater woes domestically and abroad. The result then was that European banks and Asian banks followed suit, just at the moment when the US was rethinking the merits of the primary bailout.

The upshot of these poor decisions over the past few weeks is that not being allowed to free fall as free markets should, they were temporarily held up, built up a head, and then accelerated downwards. Now, as one would expect, they will take longer to correct. But correct they will.

There is nothing wrong with Free Markets and Supply Demand rules as long as they are not manipulated. George Bush is right. But at this stage he can put on a red nose and a clown's hat and dance around Time's Square naked and no one would raise an eye-brow - or an interest rate.

FREE MARKET A LA WIKIPEDIA

A free market is a market in which property rights are voluntarily exchanged at a price arranged completely by the mutual consent of sellers and buyers. By definition, buyers and sellers do not coerce each other, in the sense that they obtain each other's property without the use of physical force, threat of physical force, or fraud, nor is the transfer coerced by a third party.[1] In the aggregate, the effect of these decisions en masse is described by the law of supply and demand. 

Free markets contrast sharply with controlled markets or regulated markets, in which governments directly or indirectly regulate prices or supplies, which distorts market signals according to free market theory.[2] In the marketplace the price of a good or service helps communicate consumer demand to producers and thus directs the allocation of resources toward consumer, as well as investor, satisfaction. 

In a free market, price is a result of a plethora of voluntary transactions, rather than political decree as in a controlled market. Through free competition between vendors for the provision of products and services, prices tend to decrease, and quality tends to increase. A free market is not to be confused with a perfect market where individuals have perfect information and there is perfect competition.

Free market economics is closely associated with laissez-faire economic philosophy, which advocates approximating this condition in the real world by mostly confining government intervention in economic matters to regulating against force and fraud among market participants. Hence, with government force limited to a defensive role, government itself does not initiate force in the marketplace beyond levying taxes in order to fund the maintenance of the free marketplace. 

Some free market advocates oppose taxation as well, claiming that the market is better at providing all valuable services of which defense and law are no exception, and that such services can be provided without direct taxation. Anarcho-capitalists, for example, would substitute arbitration agencies and private defense agencies.

While some economists regard the free market as a useful if simplistic model in developing economic policies to attain social goals, others regard the free market as a normative rather than descriptive concept, and claim that policies which deviate from the ideal free market solution are 'wrong' even if they are believed to have some immediate social benefit. Paul Samuelson treated market failure as the exception to the general rule of efficient markets[citation needed].

In political economics, one opposite extreme to the free market economy is the command economy, where decisions regarding production, distribution, and pricing are a matter of governmental control. Other opposites are the gift economy and the subsistence economy. The mixed economy is intermediate between these positions.

In social philosophy, a free market economy is a system for allocating goods within a society: purchasing power mediated by supply and demand within the market determines who gets what and what is produced, rather than the state. Early proponents of a free-market economy in 18th century Europe contrasted it with the medieval, early modern, and mercantilist economies which preceded it.

Composure the clear winner at Webster's Corners last night

We saw it earlier this month in the US presidential race, aside from his other qualities Barack Obama is the master of composure. Washington of course is some distance from Webster's Corners, but composure counts all the same in politics, notwithstanding Adolf Hitler's notable lack of it.

By definition one expects composure from the mayoral candidates. The rule does not always apply however. The incumbent won the last time around notwithstanding a less than composed approach. During his tenure however he learned composure and uses it now to his benefit. The green candidate Sather is blessed with a natural composure that may be attributed to all the fresh air he breathes while researching the woods and fells around Maple Ridge. Uncle Ernie takes composure a step further, almost relaxed he addresses his audience as though they are old friends [many are] and we are all sitting in his living room.

Not surprisingly the council candidates vying for the six spots on council number many more - close to 30 this election period. Also, as expected, for many this is their first time. It shows. Composure is often tossed out the window with the rhetoric, cliches and not too sophisticated tricks of the trade which may seem effective when in the hands of the professionals but look downright silly in the hands of a novice.

One candidate suggested that "....if we can put a man on the moon, then we can fix Maple Ridge......". This is the first time that the citizens of Maple Ridge were exposed to the long-held secret that the UBC Research Forest is in reality a secret NASA outpost where once upon a time scientists worked on the moon lander. They are now working on the the far more complex task of bringing better lighting to the streets of Maple Ridge. One member of the audience [it may have been me] was heard muttering about sending some of the candidates to the moon and leaving them there.

The questions last night revolved around some uniquely local issues focused on 256th Street. New candidates struggled for meaningful answers, incumbents offered stock answers, dragged out, dusted off and repeated; all issues that the old hands went to school on over the past three years. As always the candidates felt they did not get enough time to make their points and as always some in attendance felt that a minute was easily long enough for certain candidates to demonstrate why they are perhaps not suitable for office. Those candidates who could not formulate an answer for a question simply agreed with the previous speaker; ignorance masqerading as accord.

There are many, many new faces among the council contenders and one hopes voters give these eager newbies a shot. We are daily bombarded with the promise of 'fresh ideas' and 'creative solutions' and a 'new approach' and 'time for change'. These are stock themes that are dragged off the shelf and presented to the public every three years. And true, once in a while a new idea emerges and true, in time a new idea or two makes its way into reality's realm; a bridge here, a road there. New ideas, one would think, come from new people. On other hand, experienced councillors may be better equipped when it comes to decision-making.

And experinced councils can lean on their civic memory. Al Hogarth reminded us that we have a fibre optic line running along railway line into to town. He could have embelished on this theme by pointing out that all fuss on Lougheed Highway this week is to do with the extension of the fibre optic network in our downtown. Some fresh ideas do therefore make it through the bureaucratic barriers to the public domain.

A stranger last night put me on the spot (I'm no candidate I whined) and asked me what the issues were for me. I did everything I could to avoid answering the question in a clear, concise, honest, unbiased manner - I even tried to walk away. You could be forgiven in thinking I am a politician in training. The stranger pressed me further. Damn, I thought, this one is good. She may even get a job at the NEWS or the TIMES. Finally she pushed me to the point where I could resist no longer and sadly, as I blurted out my unscripted answer, it dawned on me that I could never run for council as I conceded defeat and answered the question as asked.

The issue for me are: revitalize the downtown (yawn), make our streets safer (zzzz) and of course please, please stop all new development that begins with the 's' word - sprawl (here I dozed off right in front of her).

Curiously none of the mayoral candidates or council candidates mentioned the fact that we are in the midst of a recession-come-depression. Here in the Shangri-Maple-Ridge the world economy has apparently leaped over us. Funny that; not only was Maple Ridge by-passed by the booming economy of recent years, but now we are also it seems going to be overlooked by the recession. Talk about irrelevant; even the good times are bad.

So the candidates had many great ideas for jobs and new business and how we can stimulate our economy by creating a cultural and tourism haven in the Fraser valley, but none of them acknowledged the fact that we are are up to our collective waist in economic excreta. Presumably the hope is that it will all blow over by the end of their term. Now there's something we can all hope for. Not the end of their term, the end of the recession. Duh!!

Jack the bat

Here follows an excerpt from council candidate Tyler Ducharme’s campaign website. It offers an intimate glimpse at the behavioural patterns associated with Jack Athwal, a local landlord. The battles between Athwal, the public and District of Maple Ridge are well documented and show up frequently in the local press. He has been sued (successfully) by the District and is in a running battle with District over a wreck of property on Fraser Street known as Northumberland Court. Northumberland Court has no equal when it comes demonstrating almost ever social ill that befalls Maple Ridge. In short, it is a microcosm of social malaise. Athwal controls this hell hole and refuses to either knock it down, sell it, improve or do anything that will vaguely improve not only the lives of the residents, but the businesses and residents who are affected in the neighourhood.

The piece written by Tyler Ducharme below points to a more serious side of Athwal’s persona. One does not have to read between the lines to recognize that in Athwal the community is up against a psychotic with deep anti-social issues. It is as well that Mr Ducharme reported Jack Athwal’s threats to the local constabulary on November 9, 2008. I am certain that they, and the residents of Northumberland Court will consider Jack the bat flagged for being a very, very naughty man.

“I want to start by thanking everyone for their kind comments today regarding my participation at the all candidates forum at the senior's center. It is quite heartening to hear that as a candidate people appreciated actual answers to questions. While working the downtown area today for votes I spoke with three different people who were at the meeting and all had polite and encouraging things to say.

Someone who did not have a nice thing to say to me today was Maple Ridge's most notorious slum lord, Jack Athwal. His exact words, as I reported them to the RCMP were: "I have a bat … I'm going to hit you". Now I don't know if he actually had a bat in his truck, but he was reaching for something. Suffice to say I've dealt with tough guys like him before and most are way too cowardly to actually do anything. Seems that Jack doesn't care for being called out on what he is, and if that is the case he is going to like it even less when the public pressure campaign against him and city kicks into full gear.

As it stands there is one more all candidates meeting for those of us running for council. I should be able to get in one more full day of campaigning and ideally get in about 8 more hours of campaigning on top of that. Will it be enough? Hard to say at this point, but the electoral voters do seem ready for change. I understand the advance polls were double what they were last election and generally a bigger turn out means that change is on the way. We are losing our medical clinic in Haney and this is entirely the fault of Jack Athwal and a council that will not enforce the bylaws to hold him accountable for his actions in attempting to destroy our community. I don't' think that bodes well for Jack or any of his ilk. The time for abusing an entire community is coming to an end. Not because the prior council did anything to end it, but because the people in Haney, and I think the rest of Maple Ridge, are tired of this abuse going on and the embarrassment it causes.”

Thinking (perhaps not) outside the BIG BOX

In the back of their minds our council hopefuls (mayors have no say as the incumbent has pointed out) probably already know which way they will vote when it comes to the Smart Centres proposal for a big box complex north of the Lougheed Highway in the Albion area.

There are a lot of candidates this time around and the betting is that the majority of them will favour a 'new shopping experience' in the Albion. And in all likelihood the majority of citizens in Maple Ridge will agree that, yes indeed, Maple Ridge is in dire need of a large shopping complex slap bang in the middle of Albion. Why not? Just look at the place; nothing but grass and bog and a handful of scruffy buildings and crumbling greenhouses.

In the past - recent past actually - Maple Ridge council and staff fought bravely [bless them] to ward off the advances of that evil empire, Smart Centres, the Darth Vader of retail. Famously Glen Bury of First Pro, as Smart Centres then called itself, asked council in chambers whether Maple Ridge was 'open for business?' Back came the resounding answer 'no'. One felt that the reaction was not so much aimed at First Pro but rather at poor Glen himself; that Hannnibal appoach, while popular among developers, does not go down well in Maple Ridge. 

Pitt Meadows, under the leadership of its own brand of despot, seemed and seems far more in tune with the Smart Centres modus developi. This was demonstrated when it became evident that land was being prepared on the north side of Lougheed for the inevitable big box build in Pitt Meadows - a matter of pride to many folk in Pitt Meadows.

The current retail climate, one would think, will send our local shoppers back to the Loonie Stores and the other little bucking shops that haphazardly litter these two communities. The financial landscape from Wall Street to Walmart has changed drastically, setting back most capital expenditure plans for the foreseeable and, some say, unforeseeable future. Plans that will doubtless include the Albion, which will once more is set to escape the evil empire, perhaps for decades, as this recession [let's be honest and call it a DEPRESSION] has all the makings of a doozy.

What next for Albion Flats? Developers.....start your engines!!

This proposal was made to the District of Maple Ridge early on this Century. It was well-received despite its lofty goals. The along came First Pro which in a typically cynical marketing move rebranded itself "Smart Centres" in a dimwitted attempt to hoodwink those that care, that this bunch of clowns somehow shared the values of Smart Growth on the Ground. Be that as it may, no one was sucked in and Smart Centres were tossed out of Maple Ridge. Not known for being short of ideas Smart Centres took one step west and started buying land along the Lougheed Highway in neighbouring Pitt Meadows. By all accounts things are not now going well for Smart Centres in Pitt Meadows. No problem, the current bickering among politicians in Maple Ridge has opened wide the door to Smart Centres who were quick to spot the gap and here they are again. 

The difference today is that the dice are loaded in the favour of Smart Centres. The only thing between Walmart and Costco showing up in boggy Albion is the area plan anticipated in the current Official Community Plan. The betting is that the Albion area plan will be the first item to hit the council chamber in 2009. The background to this is the new West Coast Express station which will be built near 240th in the east Albion area near Bruce's Market.

Protest though ye may the Albion Ferry will be history by this time next year so farewell Fort Langley, it was nice knowing you.

It is an ill wind.....................................

Big box trouble stalks Maple Ridge under cover of nasty municipal elections

Our local papers have seldom been as interesting as they presently are. The current council members are, to put it mildly, ranged heavily against our Mayor, whathisname?  It seems he has rubbed them the wrong way. And here he had the community convinced that all was fine and dandy up at Haney Place. Cohesion and consensus apparently only masquerading, disguising coercion and obfuscation. 

Given the ferocity of the dissension among the Magnificent Six it is no wonder that the remaining Magnificent One must be feeling a little irked, betrayed perhaps. Truth be known, they never liked him anyhow. It was just not convenient to tell him while he was Mayor; a sort of omission of candour if you will. Imagine if the big spender is re-elected along with most of the current avengers. What an interesting and entertaining three years lies ahead in that case.

Amid the hoohah and night of the long knives one wonders perhaps if the candidates should not pay more attention to the positive aspects of their own agendas and aspirations.

If it gets too messy they may all find themselves out of a job replaced by an entirely fresh bunch of politicians, relatively unblemished by a history of crap judgement or whimsical voting. Sather may find himself as Mayor, surrounded by everyone other than the ones he would prefer to be surrounded by. Without King, Gordon, Speirs and one or two others he could well land up in the same situation as the incumbent now finds himself. On his own he would be faced with seeing off the evil empire of Smart Centres who have chosen this moment to appeal once more to the local consumers by offering the temptation of a big box bonanza on the Albion Flats. The Albion Flats have never been more vulnerable. This time around however it will be a flailing economy that sinks the Smart Centres' less than smart ideas for the Albion. That, and the continuing determination of staff in the Planning Department to 'do' the town centre first before entertaining any fancy-schmanshy schemes for the Albion.

Here, as they say, we go again. We'll be due for a new Official Community Plan soon. I can't wait.

Our best bet is Mr. Daykin surrounded by new, young faces. Faces equipped with articulate mouths. Faces on the front of heads that have open minded brains.  Passion for this or that is fine. But is the community really best served by polarizing passion or cold logic. Whoever wins the local race on November 15 the best advice we can probably offer is "Stop. Think."

 

Mugabe seeks new Obama relations

Obama to Mugabe: "Get to the back of line, idiot."

Maple Ridge Chamber of Commerce hosts 2008 candidates Q&A

One or two candidates had complained earlier in the day that the Maple Ridge Chamber of Commerce gave very short notice regarding this meeting. Not only that, but the all-candidates Q&A meeting conflicted with a fund raiser for another group and many candidates, frankly, would be better viewed attending the (perhaps more worthy) fund raiser. The MC for the Chamber of Commerce apologized for the short notice and, as candidates trickled in late, they each excused themselves by saying that they had been at the other event.

Notwithstanding the fact that when your correspondent arrived a number of candidates were still at the fund raiser and it did appear for a moment that at the Chamber of Commerce meeting the questioners were outnumbered by the answerers i.e. council candidates v. general public and members of the Chamber of Commerce. There is, as an aside, no way of telling who of those attending were members and who were general public.

The venue at Thomas Haney is cavernous so the combination of all candidates and the audience did little to fill it. None of the three Mayoral Candidates were present. Perhaps they lingered at the aforementioned fund raiser hoping to snag a vote or two. Or perhaps it was just that evil mix of rain, wind and a cold fall night that kept the Mayoral Candidates away from the Chamber of Commerce meeting. And what a meeting it wasn't.

A town is just a town, after all. It is easy to exhaust the questions: what is your vision for Maple Ridge; what can we do about crime, homelessness, drug abuse, vandalism; can we improve transport; how can we attract more business; what have we done; what should we do; and of course, why do you think you rather than anyone else at the table can do it? If the questions sound familiar it is because they are. Ditto the answers.

Densification and revitalization of the downtown core and business area has been on the table for several decades now. True, it is given more airtime in 2005 and 2008 than at any previous electoral discussion. It is as though the candidates are piling into the discussion three years at a time. Your erstwhile correspondent would like to have heard a question regarding demographics.

Anyone interested in macro or micro economics will be aware that the answers to most of the run of the mill questions submitted at these meeting every three years is simply demographics. Gender, age, education, marital status and to some extent ethnic background and whether or not one is new to Maple Ridge or not. And in this consumer society, let's not count out income and occupation, white collar, blue collar or simply no collar at all. For an interesting Chamber of Commerce Meeting hire an expert in demographics. He or she will have the questions, the answers and perhaps even a glimpse at the future to offer.

The dreary thing about demographics is its relationship to time; birth, population movement and death (death can be unpredictable at times) move at a slow pace. And it these fundamentals that determine for instance the success or failure of a plan to say, densify our population in downtown Maple Ridge. And as we grow so do the the seedier aspects grow happily in the shadow of our loftier aspirations. More people, more crime, more homelessness, more drug abuse. Managing growth is all we can hope for from the elected officials. It is brave and kind and good of them to stand for office. To the articulate, and more than one of them rose to the occasion in the gloom of this meeting last night, hopefully go the spoils. To the less than articulate (and I suspect they know who they are) one hopes that office will be denied.

It did occur me last night that had I not attended last night it may have caused me to make one or two poor decisions. I departed the meeting with a somewhat altered slate than the one I arrived with. It pleased me that what I heard and saw caused me to change my mind and my vote. In this era of change, after all, change is seen as a good thing. This community of 73,000 would be better off it more voters dragged themselves out to all candidates meetings to hear what the hopefuls have to say. If not you are more or less voting to keep things just as they are. On reflection. "keeping things just as they are" would perhaps be an appropriate tag line for Maple Ridge's now familiar "Deep Roots. Greater Heights." The District of Maple Ridge, at least from what this correspondent has observed these past 15 years, is more about the roots than the heights.

From a friend in California

One sunny day in February 2009 an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he'd been sitting on a park bench.

He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, 'I would like to go in and meet with President Bush.' The Marine looked at the man and said, 'Sir, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here.'

The old man said, 'Okay' and walked away. The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, 'I would like to go in and meet with President Bush.'

The Marine again told the man, 'Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here.' The man thanked him and, again, just walked away. The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same U.S. Marine, saying 'I would like to go in and meet with President Bush.'

The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, 'Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Bush. I've told you already that Mr. Bush is no longer the president and no longer resides here. Don't you understand?'

The old man looked at the Marine and said, 'Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it.'

The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, 'See you tomorrow.'

Trouble at Mill, Mall and Hall

Vitriol in every guise, one reads, has slipped out from the whispered mutterings and under the breath innuendo up in the District of Maple Ridge's sacred corridors of power and now spills naked on the pages of our beloved local paper, the NEWS.

Clearly not all is well up at the Hall. The larger than life Mayor of our hamlet is receiving a very public spanking from the six council members who he claims are party to the most cohesive council since the 12 apostles. When it comes to walking on water, healing the addicted and the poor and homeless, or dividing the Lougheed thus making room for a wondrous light rail system or turning farmland to....er...farmland and green space to....er....green space....then Mister Cohesive is the super hero for you.

"Foul" each council member howls choir-like or solitary around the kitchen tables or in the local SBX. A nauseatingly expensive promotional campaign set the standard for all. The message in the  ads is clear: "Spend $100,000 and you too can be Mayor" Many candidates are shocked by the amount of money being thrown at the incumbent's campaign, but not nearly as shocked as they are by the content. If I read correctly between the line then our current council are stunned to learn that the Mayor is responsible decision taken these past three years and they in their state of mindless cohesion are responsible for all the worst decisions - at least that is what the incumbent mayor seems to be saying. Confused? So you should be.

Maple Ridge has lost its way. Is that possible? It would take a genius to mess up so simple an organism as this. Cohesion and confusion are not spelled the same way, nor do they share even vaguely any semblance of meaning. Deception and sleight of hand are not well obscured by the smell of snake oil wafting around our village this November.

There is a very strong possibility that the incumbent will prevail on November 15. There is also a strong possibility that many council members will be returned to their seats up at the Hall. Were this to happen then Maple Ridge is guaranteed three years of whatever the opposite of cohesion is and a continuation of what confusion most certainly is recognized for being - not good for a growing community.

Do we really need a community that will waste three years of its time in an atmosphere of confusion and uncertainty. The incumbent promised he would not run for a second term. It is every voter's duty to see that the incumbent first wish comes true and that he does not confuse us with a second term.

 

A South African perspective on President Barack Obama

SOUTH AFRICA, JONAH FISHER - BBC

In the last two months of the US election campaign South Africa's president has been deposed and its main political party split.

But 14 years after South Africa elected its first black president, Barack Obama's bid to follow suit has remained front page news.

In a country acutely aware of race and its role in politics Mr Obama appears South Africa's overwhelming preference.

On election day itself one newspaper proclaimed "Obamania: World Wants Illinois Senator in White House".

That preference appears to be based more on symbolism than any evidence that Mr Obama will mean a real change in bilateral relations.

In fact it's possible that America's next president may be less favourable to Africa than his often derided predecessor.

George W Bush is widely credited with increasing foreign aid for Africa and for South Africa in particular, his support of HIV/Aids-related projects has been welcome.

Mr Obama has promised to double foreign aid - but his running mate Joe Biden has already suggested that the global financial crisis may mean that commitment not being met.

President Bush is also credited with the African Growth and Opportunities Act which allows African countries like South Africa to export selected goods into the US tariff free.

With the Democrats enjoying closer ties to the trade unions and a recession imminent there may now be pressure on President Obama to take a more protectionist stance.

Elect and protect (click on this headline)

On November 15 vote for Tyler Ducharme if you have any interest at all in improving life in the downtown area of Maple Ridge and Haney.

Vote Ducharme - it will do ya no harme!!

More bus images from Oct 30 2008 between 11:20AM and 2PM

A bus comes calling

As a regular user of the West Coast Express bus service I was surprised to discover yesterday that they now make door stops (with the help of an old Cedar tree of course).

The bus missed our place by about 15'. Thankfully the injuries were minor. This is a dangerous part of the Haney By-pass as anyone who attempts to cross it at Calaghan will tell you.

I wonder if we can get council to get us a set of lights there. Naaah.

 

Maple Ridge Municipal Elections - Candidates seem unified on issues

If one is to believe the local media [and of course one is] then it appears that the three mayoral candidates and indeed all the council hopefuls are all on the same page when it comes to almost every issue of any consequence in this dormitory community. It is safe to say that everyone agrees that Maple Ridge is by every definition the sleepy hollow of the Fraser Valley; not that there is anything wrong with that.

Given this universal consensus of opinion among our politicos the citizens of Maple Ridge will or may be tempted to make their choice less on the views of the candidates and more on whether the candidate can deliver on any one of the short list of aspirations we all share:

• keep it green and keep it clean (the ALR)
• reduce one and increase the other (residential tax base v. business and commercial taxes)
• densify whenever and wherever you can (the downtown areas now newly defined)
• make Maple Ridge more attractive to business
• get that public transport system a step closer to reality (light rail along the Lougheed)
• do all we can to stop or at least slow down sprawl (happily excessive inventory in our single detached homes will take care of this problem for many years to come)
• Drug dealing, prostitution, violent crime, petty theft and vandalism (just knock down Northumberland Court on Fraser Street and get a court order for its majority owner to do some sort of community service. Perhaps if he just left town that would be service enough.)
• Haney Place Mall (see point above)
• Valley Fair Mall (keep up the good work)

And so on and so on. Next year we will head back into the bull markets globally, though it will only be felt in 2010. The two bridges will begin to impact Maple Ridge though no one really knows how; perhaps the effects have already been factored and we will see little change.

It would be awful to see the same old faces on council of course. Politics is grimly predictable though in Maple Ridge and it is unlikely that we will see a 'bench change' of any significance. One thing is for sure, who is elected next Mayor will be well known to all. There are a few new faces running for council and they are all being very nice to each other right now. Let's see how long the peace lasts. For a lasting peace I am going to vote for Ernie Daykin. Either of the other two candidates will bring their own, unique brand of chaos to the Chamber. 

It would be nice to see a council more engaged in the day to day affairs of the District rather than just presiding over a conveyor belt of subdivision applications; we deserve better. Fortunately the recession will lessen the  flow of development permits being issued  (for the moment at least). But don't worry, they'll be back in 2010 and 2011. In the meantime the green-keepers can sleep at night. And pick-up trucks will be among the 'best buys' at our local dealerships (see Dodge and Ford) for some time to come.

The Farmers' Market will expand and may even sport locally grown produce one day though I am not holding my breath.

It is a shame that we do not have some exciting candidates like junk-yard Dave and that adult store guy whatshisname running this time around. Local tourist attraction Linda could make a clean breast of things and throw her bra into the ring. We have all sorts of interesting people who could make election 'more funner' to use the vernacular. But fun is not for us; consensus rules the day. Gordy says so, so you better believe it!!

 

November 5, 2008 - THE HEADLINES

LANDSLIDE VICTORY PUTS FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT IN THE WHITEHOUSE

and

BARACK OBAMA WIN DELIVERS LARGEST SINGLE-DAY GAIN TO WALL STREET WITH INTERNATIONAL MARKETS FOLLOWING HARD ON HEELS 

Surrealism - A form of art in which an attempt is made to represent and interpret the phenomena of dreams and similar experiences.[Oxford Dictionary]

The 2008 race for the presidency of the United States is awash in dreamlike qualities that warrant interpretation by all concerned.

And, as it happens, when the USA is the subject of discussion, all indeed are concerned. Is there a being on the planet left untouched (or should one say unscathed) by what happens in that country? That country so far away for many, yet irritatingly near to all.

The world watches with disbelief as the presidential campaign rages. The funds to float each candidate alone are stunning - more so if one understands that these are the very funds that find their genesis in such instruments of fiscal tomfoolery as the now infamous credit default swaps ("CDS"). A financial instrument once hidden from public scrutiny, now understood by even the most rudimentarily educated citizen. The CDS, a national ponzi scheme, cheque kiting on an international scale. And that, it seems is just the beginning of this unseemly fiasco.

The CDS system of bailing out debt, bucket by bucket between our esteemed institutions is just the birth place for a system which - had the man in the street known - would have been shown the abortionists table many years ago.

Greenspan - an appropriate name for the man who presided over the the spanning of more green than any other before him, can now be seen and heard publicly saying I told you so while we scratch our heads saying 'told us what?'And Bernanke, shaky of voice, stares blankly into the CNN lens yet continues spanning, stretching, eking out every morsel of debt from every tidbit of credibility that debt for paper will allow. Wondrous.

Yet, were it not so, where would we all be - those of us fortunate to make up the 10% of the world that eats, sleeps and works without apparent stress (well, that's how it used to be) or strain.

Are we to take the US seriously? Perhaps we should have 4 years ago and 8 years ago and 12 years ago and 16 years ago and so on back to the days of confederation. Historians can doubtless point to events that lead this nation, great as it was once, to the point now where it is simply a parody of itself. A self-mocking goofy-kid, spoilt, gluttonous yet disarmingly friendly and reaching out as if to say; sorry man, I did not mean to piss you off.

How do so many decent folk come together to represent a national oaf?

The lies, the deceipt, the fear, the greed, the humpty-dumpty fragility of politics in the US mesmerizes all but the brain dead. Lurching from bravado to tears, from war to remorse, from bully to samaritan, from destroyer to saviour - where will this journey end? Even the enemy, unseen as he is, knows that this USA cannot be undone. Unwound perhaps, but not undone. Chastised for sure, chagrined with ease, scolded for sure; bothered, buggered and beset upon no doubt. Stunned, oh yes. Only to rise on the wings of its beloved eagle, dragging that flag behind it in its talons, up, up, up into the blue skies above California and Arizona and beyond. A flip of the dollar 'heads you win' and whammo, the US is back in business. You know it.

Addicted to war and debt, a few years in detox and the US will emerge from the next 4 years of democratic rule to our head-shaking disbelief, in glory once more, ready to topple into the next partisan abyss.

It is not oil. That would be be too simple. They put a simple man there to disguise a simple myth these past 8 years. What it is, is the a need for recognition. The US wants us to know that it is relevant. And like it or not, it is.

Jeffrey's Bay 1964

Bosco sliding right at Paardeneiland in Cape Town circa. 1964.

One of the earliest groups to visit and surf the now fabled J Bay was this group of bums including a guy called Bosco, sitting back to camera.

Deja pooh.......

With less than a week to go to the US election and with Nov 15 2008 looming in our local election here in Maple Ridge it is tempting to think that perhaps the next four years and three years will somehow be different from the past - fat chance.

It is refreshing though to see some new names on the candidate list. One is tempted to vote only for those names that one does not recognize or heard very little of.

This Morden chappy seems like an interesting fellow. On the hand we certain names which frankly should have been archived years ago. Each candidate wants the same, so it is more about who can deliver rather than what is to be delivered. Morden's wish list seems to reflect that of all the other candidates, a sort of man for all causes:

• Enhance Transit and Roads (yay)
• Economic development (yay)
• Create local employment (yay)
• Expand and balance our tax base (yay)
• Address Crime and Homelessness (yay)
• Enhance Arts and Culture (yay)
• More Local Shopping Opportunities (good luck with this one, unless you mean more Loonie stores)
• Respect for Environment (yay)

Did he leave anything out?

Al Hogarth's message is curious: "I am still listening." Some clever git wrote underneath Al's message:"Why didn't you hear me the first time."

Gord has had so much to say these past 3 years that he has finally relented and says in his campaign advertisement: "Time for you to have your say." 

Craig Speirs has strung a series of cliches into meaningful sentences in his state of the environment address to his loyal subjects. And Sather goes tripping over a list of hobbies that reach all but nauseating lows.

It is all great fun of course, but one does hope to see some fresh faces in council next time around.  

Hopefully in this welcome housing downturn the District of Maple Ridge will be able to focus on the simpler aspects of municipal life and less on the the frantic antics of our developer-realtor community. We have enough inventory for years to come so need to waste any further time with applications on subdivisions or ALR applications. A broke economy will keep us safe from sprawl. The important thing now is to keep the recession going for as long as possible.

Quiet times ahead. Excellent!!

A Thank You

Lunatic Surfer or Destiny, Donald Paarman, 2008 A biography; this book tells the story of so many more lives than its central figure, South African surf icon Donald Paarman. Further, it manages to grind out between each crude or poetic page aspects of the world of surfing between the 1950s and 1980s and up to this present day which only those who ‘were there’ may understand. How familiar surfers are with the term ‘you shoulda been here yesterday.’ For those of us fortunate to have been there yesterday, Lunatic Surfer or Destiny is a ‘must read.’

Paarman seemingly carves from his raw life moments of intense despair, self-doubt, naivety and joy. In the same way as he may have paddled into a 15’ monster at the Kom Outer or Supertubes so did he paddle into life, not always certain where the ride would end; a disaster on a rocky beach or screaming cut out just moments before disaster struck.

To some readers this story may read as a piece of fiction, a reflection of an LSD, booze and dope fuelled brain clinging on to some vague memories from the past and stringing them in a rudimentary way together in a contrivance of myth-making and legend. To those who rode the same wave the story of Donald’s life may seem somewhat (Whaaaat!) matter of fact. Many of us may be tempted to think there but for the grace of Goddo go I.

For this reader Lunatic Surfer or Destiny hits home personally at many levels. As children Donald and I competed in swimming competitions at Christian Brothers College. My secret name for the school was Christian ‘Bothers’ College as the Christians bothered me daily. We must have started surfing roughly around the same time as we both stopped swimming at roughly the same time and surfing took hold of our lives and the lives of so many kids in Cape Town. I only had one rule, when Donald was in the water I would get out. This was because I got my more pleasure watching this genius at work at Long Beach, the Kom or J. Bay than I did from my own inept attempts at surfing.

To this dayI can see in my mind’s eye his almost lackadaisical style as he astonished his audiences on the beach with his elegant style and unbelievable recoveries from some situations from which it seemed he stood no chance of ‘making it.’

Lunatic Surfer or Destiny reminds us of the many characters who populated our young chaotic lives; the Bokhorst brothers, Thys and Frank (Murphy). John Whitemore (Oom), Ponting lad and Paul Botha. Interestingly, and perhaps typically for Donald, he frequently alludes to people in the book who he may admire less, but does not expose. I know for instance who was at the wheel of the boat that injured his brother with its propellers. It happens too that we know who it was who scammed him out of his dug profits and took off for France to marry and live happily ever after. There are many instances like this and it says so much for Donald that he remains silent when he could voice indignation.

Poetry and imagery follows the reader throughout. When Donald talks about the smell of the ocean in the damp Catholic Church in Camp’s Bay anyone who has smelled that smell can smell it once more, as though it was yesterday.

The quest for truth theme runs throughout and this reader paused to reflect that the title for this book may have been Catholic Boy Lost in a Sea of Goddism. Sweetly Donald tells us what he has learned and why he continues his search, but he tells us in no uncertain terms that no longer is he lost. Bravely he subjects the ANC to some very basic truths in so refreshing a style that it is hard to argue with his view of South Africa. Tragically he portrays not only his own life as a driverless bus, but to some degree as the once sturdy Viking Family of Catholics ages so to the flaws widen in some places and love consolidates in others.

Lunatic Surfer or Destiny astounds in one way. Given the lifelong addiction to dagga, LSD and drink how on earth did Donald manage to remember everything in such fine detail? If you want to test how difficult this is just ask Chemical Clive what he had for breakfast. As a wannabe writer this reader has yet to pull off of full-blown publication and I am thankful to Donald and his supporters for this biography as it stands as possibly the least pretentious, accurate and complete account of a wonderful era. Thank you Donald, you truly are THE MAN.

Claus “Bosco” Andrup
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Canada

Ernie Daykin for Mayor

This November vote for Ernie Daykin as our new Mayor of Maple Ridge.

Tyler Ducharme for Council.

Old blood mixed with new blood makes 'just right' blood.

GO FOR THE POSITIVE.

Bailout - hard to know

Just a guess. Hard to know. But here goes.

This little blogger held that Congress was right the first time to vote 'no' to the bailout.

A little bit of politicking and bullying in Washington and shazzam the vote is reversed a few days later.

This little blogger remains stuck on the notion that the first 'no' should have been the call again. No, no, no to bailing out debt with debt in a falling GDP. 

The markets looked modestly north at the time of the 'yes' vote today and then bless my cotton socks if they didn't head south before the close.

The question to which we will never know the answer to is; how much worse would it have been if the vote had been 'no' on the this Friday October 3, 2008. This little blogger's guess is that the result would have been roughly the same. In other words the US congress has just tossed another $700 billion into the socialist abyss.

Well, blog me to tears!!! How many decades or hundreds of years will it take to learn the basics.

 

$1.2 Trillion single day loss defines "New Order"

To the Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney boys the notion of a 'new order' seemed once to be a grand idea. It seemed appropriate to them and their supporters that the US should head up this new order with a handful of puppet-states like the UK propping up the theory with great enthusiasm. 

Now, only a few deficit-laden months from his retirement to the farm (he is about ready for the farm) we are finally sharing the grand vision he and his friends had in store for us.

Thanks Georgie, thanks a lot.

Is there room on the farm for the rest of us?

The world.

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind.

BIG MISTAKE

The USA, through the conduit of its leaders, has taken it upon itself to save the world (so it says) by saving itself.

How noble.

Give it a while and lets see where this takes us (the world).

Tough love follows shortly as it is unlikely that the world (that would be 'us') is likely to step in to the breach when the US debt machine grinds to an inevitable halt sometime soon - winter 2009 or early 2010.

The banks should be allowed to go down with the rest of the so called 'system' - the world can survive quite cheerfully without the US. It is arrogant to think otherwise. No offense guys, but hey, enough already. 

Alfred E. Newman

Rumour mill

Robson to run for second term.

Furrowed brows mean nothing

The worried looks on the faces of the incumbent and the two candidates belie their intentions.

The massed congress and senators staring questioningly into the cameras belies the survivor in each one of them.

When someone, anyone, stands up and says: "I'll take a 50% pay cut if it will help my country." Then the political and economic leadership may, at a stretch, regain some of its credibility.

Searching as they are for some technical solution to this man-made fiscal fiasco is tantamount to searching for a pardon. How can US electorate pardon the unpardonable? One means them no disrespect of course, but it is their country, their politicians, their views and their vote.

No matter how long he may plan or how bitter he feels or how well-financed and supported he is, Osama Bin Laden would be hard-pressed to wreak as much havoc on the United States through acts of terrorism has the US electorate has managed through negligence to weaken itself to the degree that it has.

Terrorists can relax for many years to come, the US is well on the way to self-terror.

One is conscious that a 50% pay cut for each individual in the public service in the United States, politicians and staff, would resolve the problems of the US in a blink of an eye.

In the meantime we watch bemused as greed knocks at the foundations of a once meaningful sovereignty.

The American dream is just that.

When dreams become reality - Wall Street 2008.

Look for candidates who offer less

Less of the same

• inertia towards the downtown area
• pandering to developers who continue building where no buildings are needed (is it any wonder that the August 2008 on new housing starts sites Maple Ridge with the fewest. This is because the District has churned out so many subdivisions that we now have too many and don't need any more, perhaps for years).
• attitude towards property owners who ride rough shod over the community by allowing their properties to become junk yards (Northumberland Court on Fraser Street for instance)
• disregard for basic fundamentals of infrastructure. How about freshly painted pedestrian cross walks and decent lighting to prevent further deaths on our roads
• expenditure on consultants and analysts who once we have paid we ignore their advice
• planning and more implementation of the plans in place
• sense of achievement when nothing is achieved
• of the same civic agenda and more of the community agenda
• interest group-style politicians - does one absolutely have to be tied to the development community to get elected
• focus on development (if we can't attract developers with style, panache and guts then lets not pretend we know what we are doing)
• crime
• grow-ops
• graffiti
• pointless vandalism and more vigilism
• theft
• fast food outlets
• loonie stores
• micro-management by politicians
• talking, more listening by politicians
• roads, more bike trails and horse trails
• crummy design and construction
• cars, more people
• bureaucratic fear, more government courage
• insider dealing, more transparent and communicative approach towards all aspects of governance and government
• 1950s more 2030

The Eersteling Gold Mining Company

Fraser River Port Haney Feb 26 2008

I've never met a recession that I didn't survive.