As parents rally for their kids' education, Christy Clark plans on spending billions on a new bridge

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      Parents and students will hold rallies today to ramp up pressure to reopen public schools.

      The demonstrations will occur as mediator Vince Ready continues meeting negotiators with the B.C. Teachers' Federation and the B.C. Public School Employers' Association.

      The first protest in favour of taking the teachers' dispute to binding arbitration is on the north lawn of the Vancouver Art Gallery at 10 a.m. That will be followed by a second gathering at Canada Place at 2 p.m. A third rally will be held at 5 p.m. at Holland Park in Surrey.

      Picket lines would have come down a week ago had Premier Christy Clark agreed to the B.C. Teachers' Federation's request for binding arbitration.

      All that was required was for the government to let the B.C. Court of Appeal address its appeal of a B.C. Supreme Court ruling on class size and composition.

      But instead, the employer has put forth a demand in this area, which has bogged down negotiations.

      BCTF president Jim Iker has alleged that this clause would negate two court victories and sign away teachers' constitutional rights regardless of any future court decisions. Hence, the strike continues.

      Is the premier simply trying to punish teachers, who are going without any pay as the strike continues?

      By extending the shutdown of schools, the government has made it more difficult for some teachers to pay their mortgages and feed their families.

      All of this is from the same premier who introduced legislation as education minister 12 years ago to rip up teachers' contracts, which is at the root of the latest dispute.

      Finance Minister Mike de Jong has claimed that the BCTF's demands would inevitably lead to a tax increase. Nowhere in his calculations is there any estimate of government savings accrued when 560,000 students are in public schools and not engaging in other activities, such as setting fires or engaging in hooliganism, that can increase costs. 

      Nor has the government assessed the impact this strike could have on the province's gross domestic product. If there's any shrinkage in GDP as a result of this labour dispute, that will diminish government revenues.

      It's laughable that de Jong would link teachers' demands to a tax increase. He's never uttered the word "tax" in connection with a grossly underutilized $883-million convention centre, a $514-million expenditure on a grossly underutilized sports stadium, or $3.3 billon on a grossly underutilized Port Mann Bridge.

      Then there's Premier Clark's plan to blow billions on a new bridge to replace the George Massey Tunnel. That may rank as the dumbest major transportation expenditure in the region's history.

      It will inevitably clear the way for real-estate developers to pave over farmland just as California's agriculture industry is being hammered by a climate-change-induced drought.

      Perhaps the phrase "food security" isn't in the B.C. Liberal government's vocabulary.

      Clearly, Clark has decided that this bridge subsidy is necessary to bring enough shoppers to a car-dependent, 1.8-million-square-foot shopping mall being built near the Tsawwassen ferry terminal.

      And if the real reason for the bridge is to make room for super-large vessels travelling to and from Fraser Surrey Docks, why isn't the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, aka Port Metro Vancouver, paying for it? Why should it have to come out of funds that could be used to educate B.C. students?

      In the meantime, it looks like these students won't be back in classes to start the third week of this school year.

      Who's the worst premier in B.C. history? Some might argue that it was Richard McBride, a charismatic Conservative charlatan who whipped up anti-Asian sentiment in the early part of the 20th century and who sold off huge tracts of public land for a pittance.

      But as the effects of the California drought become apparent in higher food prices in local supermarkets in the coming years, McBride will face some stiff competition.

      After all, the schools remained open during McBride's rule, a trick this premier has been unable to accomplish.

      Comments

      90 Comments

      Heather Lynn

      Sep 14, 2014 at 10:14am

      Christy Clark has lost any credibility she held in the eyes of so many citizens of BC. Her priorities do not represent the values of the people of this province (privaizing BC Rail, massive expenditures of convention centers, sports arena roof, and infrastructure most people in BC will never benefit from). All the while, a living wage in BC becomes less and less attainable and child poverty is one of the WORST in all of Canada. She disregards parents and the public and does not seem to grasp the gravity of this current labour dispute. Her desire to starve public education in favour of increasing funding to private schools and replicating a charter/choice school model will hurt this province in so many ways. This woman needs to be stopped.

      Forest

      Sep 14, 2014 at 10:19am

      My high school-aged kids are now in their second week of no school in sight, and yet the BC Liberals could give a rat's ass about living up to their their public trust and funding our public schools. I am so done with the BC Liberals. The continued 1950's mind-set in the face of 21st century demands - poverty, climate change, public transportation, loss of ALR, loss of public park land - is appalling.

      LR

      Sep 14, 2014 at 10:29am

      I thought journalists were suppose to be unbiased! Once again, you are trying to discredit the Liberals for their actions, yet nothing is said about the BCTF and their lack of wanting to REALLY negotiate. You have also said that the Liberals pay people to post comments on these kinds of sites, but it sounds like perhaps the BCTF is giving you a little something to post all this hooey!

      Danny Democracy

      Sep 14, 2014 at 10:37am

      Charlie, good on you and your newspaper for having the heart to expose & really discus this school issue. Both Fassbender & Clark are very aware of a law that their Ministry of Education invented that has been used inappropriately & doing much damage to families. The Ministry's of Ed 177 Maintenance of Order law is undemocratic due to it "not having an appeals process" & shows their mindset towards BC. These two politicians smile & laugh as they dance on democracy.

      Charlie Smith

      Sep 14, 2014 at 10:49am

      LR,

      I think the BCTF is a little short on cash to pay me for my articles:)

      After all, teachers are going without strike pay and the union has to pay lawyers to deal with a government appeal. Plus, there are no dues rolling in.

      Are you really that stupid to believe that my articles are being written to generate additional income for myself?

      Here's the truth. As long as this strike continues, I will try to keep getting up at 6 a.m. and sitting at my kitchen table writing articles to shed more light on this situation.

      I'm doing this because I think there are certain issues that others in the media are not addressing. I've actually had no direct contact with the BCTF over the course of this series of articles. The one time I asked the union a question about its real estate, it went unanswered.

      Charlie Smith

      LR

      Sep 14, 2014 at 10:58am

      There are many things I may be, but stupid I'm not! It just looks a little suspicious that you never have anything negative to say about the BCTF. But I guess I hit a nerve!

      mooha99

      Sep 14, 2014 at 11:17am

      Charlie, do you mean the "car-dependent, 1.8-million-square-foot shopping mall being built near the Tsawwassen ferry terminal" First Nations project?

      If she had NOT, she would be called a racist, colonial only interested in quashing FN interests. If she WAS doing it for them, and not the potential for upstream marine traffic she would be making this information well known.

      Perhaps it is the Band that you have your Food Security discussions with since it is THEY who are building the Mall? I have no doubt that their future plans include much of the resultant development you so decry.

      But no, due to the fact that we continue to address situations according to WHO is doing it, rather that WHAT is being done.

      You see, according to our new narrative "Two wrongs DO make a right". You just have to be the right person doing the second wrong.

      hmmm...

      Sep 14, 2014 at 11:20am

      LR
      BC Liberal website proclaims: DIGITAL INFLUENCERS ARE BACK! You're just the kind of 'talking point' commenter they want. You could be networking with like-minded Liberals and making a little cash for your efforts.

      Dave

      Sep 14, 2014 at 11:22am

      @ LR Dude, the teachers voted for binding arbitration, Crusty declined. The ball is in her court. She is completely misjudging the public's view of this situation.