Concerned Citizens for B.C. present a misleading image of themselves

by Charlie Smith on Feb 8, 2013 at 5:53 pm
Do these people really look like they hate Adrian Dix?

Former corporate CEO Jim Shepard is fronting a shadowy group that's running attack ads on NDP Leader Adrian Dix.

I went to the website of Concerned Citizens for B.C. to find out more about a group that's spending $1 million to try to influence the next election.

Under the "about us" section, I found a group of absurdly happy people alongside these words:

We’re a group of concerned citizens. Mothers, fathers, retirees, employers and employees.

We come from all parts of BC. We love this province and its hard-won prosperity, and considering what’s going on in the rest of the world we’re concerned about its future.

Then I went to one of the world's most popular image banks, iStock, and punched in the words "happy people". Lo and behold, the same photo popped up.

Our guess? There are no British Columbians in this photo.

You would think with all that money, Shepard's group could have hired some local models and created jobs for B.C.

Why did Concerned Citizens of B.C. feel it was necessary to go to an image bank to identify themselves? Maybe because they have something to hide.

In case you're wondering, Shepard is a former adviser to Premier Christy Clark.

Here's what he looks like. Kinda corporate.

Comments (56) Add New Comment
blue_otis
Feb 8, 2013 at 7:12 pm
Perhaps they have something to hide, but my guess is that they're just lazy and cheap, which is even worse.
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BC
Feb 8, 2013 at 7:12 pm
I too had noticed the stock photo on their website as well. We use I-stock for my work, and the images are so very similar - very canned looking. I find Shepard quite vile, he was tied up in BC Rail up to his ears, and now is spewing such hatred towards Dix. He is now Clark's puppet.

He was interviewed by Jas Johal on Global, and came across as only mindly coherent - he truly needs to be put out to pasture. I found what he said about Dix quite unsettling, and I believe it speaks more to his own character ( or lack thereof ) than Dix's.
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kevin barker
Feb 8, 2013 at 7:28 pm
hilarious, I love it...
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Crime?
Feb 8, 2013 at 8:11 pm
Means - Fundraising amongst Albertan Oil Barons at $10,000 a head
Motive - NDP has guaranteed a public inquiry into the sale of BC Rail. Jim Shepard was a director of BC Rail when it was sold.
Opportunity - Three months before an election, time is right, but running out.
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cherylb
Feb 8, 2013 at 11:29 pm
Jim Shepard and his group are nasty. I think British Columbians have had enough of that...
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Richard Hughes
Feb 8, 2013 at 11:56 pm
Well done Charlie!
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wheels
Feb 9, 2013 at 8:11 am
Had to use a stock photo because they couldn't find that large a group that could lie with a straight face?
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AScott
Feb 9, 2013 at 8:19 am
Attack ads just make the Liberals and their supporters even more desperate!
I would expect nothing less from you lying Liberals!
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les
Feb 9, 2013 at 8:55 am
everyday there is another reason to detest these sleazy no good corrupt bastard liberals, gawd i hate them!!
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MarkFornataro
Feb 9, 2013 at 8:59 am
3 months to go Mr Shepard; til then, don't worry, be happy.
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Argulion
Feb 9, 2013 at 10:07 am
Why would people present a million dollars gift to a political party? There is no tax write off that I can see. It can't be called a political donation since value exceeds allowable limits nor can it be called a personal loss, business or individual. Personally, I have to consider CC4BC as a voluntarily funded single issue (prevent the NDP from getting elected) political lobbying group with individual self interest as it's reason for existence.
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Casper
Feb 9, 2013 at 1:30 pm
Slandering your opposition only feeds the uneducated. Christy Clark is good at one thing so far, at making enemies. A pretty face only goes so far. The Liberals days are numbered in BC and they know it. They've royally pissed off the Movie and Game industry, the unions, the nurses and our teachers. We should be questioning who they are really catering too. They're out-of-date, and out-of-touch with the heart-beat of BC'ers. It's becoming more apparent as the voting date draws closer. They can barely keep jobs in BC now, how are they going to accomplish it during the recession?
By giving grants to students that will be unable to get jobs? Please stop insulting our intelligence.
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Catchlight
Feb 9, 2013 at 2:04 pm
Shepard was on the board of BC Rail. The railway was sold in a very suspect deal. Adrian Dix has promised, if elected, to conduct an investigation of the BC Rail deal. Connect the dots.
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Tosh Suzuki
Feb 9, 2013 at 2:28 pm
Well, welcome to the workd of lies and deceit. Since Mr. Dix is not premier material, what are you but a phomey using photos to potray yourselves but anthing but.

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Anthony Eberts
Feb 9, 2013 at 3:51 pm
REAL people should organize for Dix, who is a REAL person. How about "Real Living Breathing Eating Pooping People Like Dix"? They could then represent truth instead of fiction which other REAL people might appreciate.
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jib jib
Feb 9, 2013 at 4:35 pm
How about a party that supports a drunk driver? i.e. ex. premier. Shame on the Liberals!
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Voter
Feb 9, 2013 at 6:46 pm
What a sham the concerned web site is. It is nothing but a podium for those poor excuses for human beings that call themselves liberals. They have done nothing but run up a huge tab for the people of BC. The liberals want us to believe they are for us but I do remember the Hst that they saddled us with even after it was obvious that the people of BC wanted no part of it.
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anonymous
Feb 9, 2013 at 7:45 pm
What the CCBC website should have said:

We're a group of people hired to pose for a picture that istockphoto.com (a company owned by the
infamous Carlyle Group) titles: "Large Group of Happy People Standing Together." The photographer
said we had to be touchy-feely and look very, very happy. Or, we wouldn't get paid.

We don't actually come from all parts of BC; nor do we love your province, or even know anything
about it. We're 23 people trying to make a buck from whoever licenses this photo. The same
picture can be used by insurance companies, toilet paper manufacturers or other advertisers
who want a group of mostly white folks pretending to be ordinary people.
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darren wong
Feb 9, 2013 at 9:05 pm
power corupts and absolute power corupts absolutly. with politics you choose your poison. same sh..t different a...hole!
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John MT
Feb 9, 2013 at 10:48 pm
Great work Charlie - nice to see such hypocrisy exposed
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