Two prominent US Republicans, Newt Gingrich (former Speaker of the House) and Pat Nolan, (former Republican Leader of the California State Assembly) are saying that the American style “tough on crime” approach is not working.    They, along with other US Conservative leaders are spearheading the Right on Crime Campaign, a national movement urging states […]

Our thoughts and prayers are with the heroes and heroines and martyrs of Libya, and with our brave correspondent in Tripoli, now under fire. Communication is on and off, mainly off. Here is her most recent report. Since she sent it the phone lines have been cut entirely and the city’s electricity is also disconnected. […]

I was very pleased to read Alex Atamanenko’s letter in the Castlegar Source. Alex correctly identifies the need for the Ministry of Education to create a funding formula and community use directive to meet the educational and the community school usage needs in small B.C. communities. Instead of our local communities fighting...

 The City of Castlegar will be unveiling its proposed 2011 budget and five-year financial plan next week, at a regular meeting of council and then through a special open house. The new budget, which includes a one-per-cent tax increase for commercial rate-payers and a three-per-cent hike for residents, will be brought forward...

Honourable Margaret MacDiarmid  Dear Minister MacDiarmid,   As you are no doubt aware, there is a discussion in School District #20 about the possible closure of Rossland Secondary and Blueberry Community School.   This is taking place as a result of some very difficult budget considerations that School District #20 is...

 Pop by City Hall Thursday and you’ll see a distressing lack of fashion sense … but don’t worry, it’s for a cause.   Tomorrow is the city’s Tacky Sweater Day, when they lower the thermostat at City Hall by three degrees for a small but symbolic nod to environmental conservation. Kevin Chernoff, city councillor and chair of ...

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is disappointed with the B.C. government’s management of the public purse and troubled by rising public debt forecast in today’s provincial budget. “This government would like everybody to cheer a $1.265 billion deficit for last year, because it’s lower than forecast. That’s not good enough. The real story here is $440 […]

 In Tuesday’s budget, presented by Finance Minister Colin Hansen, the Liberal Government tried to make the case that the last ten years of BC Liberal government has improved the lives of British Columbians however most people who live in rural BC are not agreeing with him, says Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy.   “As the […]

 As tens of millions of Egyptians celebrated their victory over a brutal dictator and began the task of creating democracy, the story from Canada was of democracy going backwards. For five years under Stephen Harper, Canada has been subjected to a systematic erosion of democracy (as I document here). Canada is not Egypt and Harper is […]

On February 11th, the community of Nelson held a rally to support the Egyptian people in their struggle for democracy and freedom from tyranny.  The protestors were determined to make their voices loud enough so that Canadian leaders would hear and pressure Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down as President. Before the news of […]