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Thursday, September 27, 2012
Opinion Who we are The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows TIMES newspaper is a division of LMP Publication Limited Partnership. We’re located at 22345 North Avenue, Maple Ridge, B.C. The TIMES has a CCAB audited circulation of 29,950.
Spencer Levan Publisher
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Rebecca Nickerson
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Our View
Voters, ballots not the problem Calls for electoral reform in B.C. are increasing in volume once again – not surprising, as it begins more and more to look like a seriously lopsided result will come out of the next provincial election. Lopsided results tend to emphasize a flaw in first-past-the-post voting, in which the candidate with the most votes wins the election, regardless of how few votes he or she actually polls. With three or four strong candidates running, a winner could have less than a third of the total ballots cast. That inequity can be magnified dramatically between ridings. Gordon Campbell led the BC Liberals to a massive victory in 2001, winning all but two ridings – about 95 per cent of the seats in the legislature – despite receiving less than 60 per cent of the popular vote across the province. Traditionally in B.C., the uneven split between popular votes and final outcomes in the legislature has favoured the political right, particularly with greater balance between parties vying for power. Nevertheless, in 1996, the NDP took more than half of the available seats despite having polled less than 40 per cent of the popular vote, while the losing Liberals actually received 42 per cent of the votes cast in B.C. The likelihood of another lopsided election – this one probably electing an inordinate number of NDP MLAs – is rekindling the fires under a transferable vote system that requires a candidate to acquire at least 50 per cent support, either initially or through voters’ second (or third…) choices. This time the calls for reform are coming from the right end of the political spectrum, from folks like the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, likely because the right is split, and would stand most to gain from a change. But a change in balloting would not address the real problem. When MLAs go to Victoria, they become blind representatives for their party. If they actually represented their ridings – and the people who elected them – the first-pastthe-post system would serve us just fine. – B.G.
This Week’s Question How has Grant’s Law affected you? ■ Your View Last week’s question, results…
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Should Golden Ears Bridge tolls be the same as Port Mann’s?
Yes.
29.73 %
Yes – both zero.
21.62 %
No tolls anywhere.
13.51 %
Toll all bridges to pay costs.
2.70 %
Toll all bridges equally.
32.43 %
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Opinion
NHL alternatives royal pains Do you remember where you Get out the old table top hockwere when it happened? When ey game with its players dressed the news came down? Anxiously in the uniforms of the Leafs and gathered around the TV, or listhe Canadiens. Play with your tening to the radio in the car, kids, those smaller people who or in the bar having a few with are always bugging you to come the boys? I’ll never forget where and play catch or shoot baskets I was: watching a chick flick or kick a soccer ball around. on the women’s channel when There’s no fall sitting of the they interrupted programming to legislature this year, so why not announce that there wouldn’t be start a letter-writing campaign an NHL season this year, that the to your local MLA, or better yet, by Tim Tyler players and management couldn’t get some friends and protest in come to an agreement on how front of his/her office over some t3atyler@shaw.ca to divide the spoils, the revenue particularly annoying piece of from the games. legislation or the budget deficit or The average salary of an NHL player is $2.5 the latest tax/toll announcement. million. Three quarters of the players make a Develop a drug habit: you can buy any nummillion a year. How much is enough? ber of addictive substances on the streets in no They’re sullying our game with their bickering, time flat, and once you’re hooked, you’ll be kept ruining my memories of road hockey under the busy trying to pay for it by, say, soliciting some street lights. Maybe if we just all stopped watchof your girlfriends to become hookers. ing… there are alternatives, other things to do, Support your local sports bar: you know and now is the time to perhaps turn to: they’re going to suffer with the shut-down, so Curling: it’s played on the ice, it’s free of the get out there and drink and watch something violence, the swearing, and those stupid blue else on the big screen, like poker or darts or the guys. It’s more cerebral, more sociable; curllingerie football league. ers respect one another and actually take credit How about re-upholstering your couch? You for their own violations of play. Its invention could take a course and maybe turn it into a predates hockey, and it probably should be our part-time job in the evenings, fixing car seats national game. and easy chairs and re-covering pool tables. Become a royal watcher: follow the exploits Sign up for tai chi or yoga: very relaxing and of Will and Kate and young Harry as they repregood for the bod’, especially the hot yoga – and sent the monarchy throughout the world. There’s hey fellas, great place to meet woman: they Harry naked in a hotel with a young woman, love a man who can do the downward dog. You playing leapfrog; there’s Kate sunbathing nude could practice at her house. Bring incense and on a beach in France. See? They’re just like us, white wine and a Kenny G CD. only wealthier and without the necessity of holdBarring all else, you could get psychiatric ing down a job. They’re paid to be themselves. help to cope with your feelings of abandonment, Purchase the new iPhone 5 and spend most or join a support group where you sit around of your waking hours reading your email, chatwith the other guys and talk about your feelings ting on Facebook, and looking at amusing picand how much you really hate Alex Burrows for tures of your friends and their pets. It sure beats holding out for a couple million more or that you won’t be able to sleep until Roberto finds a place the hell out of actually talking to someone else to play. Just try not to cry. or reading a book.
Yours Truly