THE ARMCHAIR MAYOR SAID TODAY ... "OH, GOSH when will the BC Conservatives give up and find something better to do?"
This of course followed my latest commentaryin which, nearing the end, I made the following disclosure:
And now a confession must be made because just a short time ago (prior to completing this post), I received an invitation to rejoin the BC Conservative Party … I have done so.
Those who know me will understand that my heart has always been with the BC Conservatives. I hope that the corner has been turned on past difficulties. Let the rebuild begin!
Did I have to post a response to Mel? Of course not, but I did think that perhaps just a short comment might not be bad, so I said:
Which is why, after letting friends on the political landscape know of my choice / decision yesterday, I was delighted to receive the following email (one of several echoing similar sentiments):
Hi Alan, This of course followed my latest commentaryin which, nearing the end, I made the following disclosure:
And now a confession must be made because just a short time ago (prior to completing this post), I received an invitation to rejoin the BC Conservative Party … I have done so.
Those who know me will understand that my heart has always been with the BC Conservatives. I hope that the corner has been turned on past difficulties. Let the rebuild begin!
Did I have to post a response to Mel? Of course not, but I did think that perhaps just a short comment might not be bad, so I said:
I know you won’t be surprised that I disagree with you Mel. You stated:
“For months, Forseth has been asking plaintively whether it’s time for a rightwing alternative. The answer is, not any time soon, and if it is, the BC Conservatives haven’t demonstrated they have any right to the mantle”
No guarantees of course, however I’m sure you’ll understand when I say I hope you are proven wrong.
Which is why, after letting friends on the political landscape know of my choice / decision yesterday, I was delighted to receive the following email (one of several echoing similar sentiments):
Just thought I would let you know __ name withheld __ and I have decided to re-join the BC Conservative Party too ... I am pretty sure there will be another election within the next two years ... we really need to get to work ... hopefully someone will run in the Shuswap so that we have somebody to vote for.
Signed __ name withheld __
IF the party does no better from within, than in its' recent past then Mel will be right.
The email above however does give me hope ... and where we would any of us be without hope?
In Kamloops, I'm Alan Forseth. The floors yours now, so let's hear from you.
Al, I think you should clarify. You did not rejoin the BC Conservatives. They finally allowed you to come back in after cancelling your membership without any explanation of why they did it. And lets not forget those same incompetents that took away your membership are still on the Executive today. Just before you had your membership cancelled I began following your blogs. All you wanted was the BC Conservatives to be an active democratic party. The present bunch of yahoos that run the party into the ground are still in control.
ReplyDeleteCal Davis
Hello Cal ... I am happy to clarify
DeleteI had a conversation, with a member of the Board of Directors that I respect, who encouraged and invited me to take a membership in the party, which I did.
I am going to now concentrate on being part of what I hope will be a revival
Well Al! I guess this will explain why you did not post my reply to your recent articles, regarding the BCCP. I repeat....until the BCCP membership gets rid of the current Board, in it's entirety, the BCCP will go nowhere. Each and every member of the BCCP Board is totally responsible for the dismal performance in the recent election. They had 4 years to prepare and came out of the chute with NO policy worth mentioning, selecting any candidate who threw their hat in the ring (some were even NDP) and what communications appeared on the website was better left off.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are not going to be disappointed and I sincerely wish you all the best.
PS I wonder if you will choose not to post this comment either!
Good afternoon Janet ... I do not know where the comments you made went to, however I did not see them
DeleteI approve each and every comment made, regardless of whether I agree with them or not. That is as it should be, as I do not wish to censor what people think of my posts. My wish is that they will create conversation and discussion.
If there is a previous post you wish to comment on, please go ahead, and I assure you I will approve it as long as I receive notification
Alan, I don't whether I should congratulate you for your optimism (warranted or otherwise) or express serious concern that you are living a definition of insanity - committing to the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome.
ReplyDeleteBoth Cal and Jan have described the facts correctly. The current Board, and 3 consecutive Boards before them, have mismanaged the BCCP to the point at which it has nothing to proudly offer other than the word 'conservative' as part of the registered name.
In my previoust comment to you, I asked you, and others, to go back 2 months and look at the platform brought forward by the BCCP. It was juvenile, it was embarrassing and it was not worthy of serious political participants who actually aspired to elect responsibIe, accountable MLA's. I also questioned where there is any sign that the Board of a Directors is taking ownership of their multitude of mistakes and unethical practices, including denying membership renewals to former presidents, directors and even candidates who represented the BCCP in the 2013 election.
If the actions and policies of the BCCP are defensible, show me a single director who has had the courage or the resolve to publicly try and defend a litany of inexcusable, self-serving practices and policies that has literally annihilated the membership base and public support.
The BCCP is a mere shell of a political party, conservative in name only. I challenge any of the Board of Directors to take responsibility for their many indiscretions and their exclusionary policies. I have a podcast capability which can be used for an interactive, online debate and discussion. I would be pleased to actually confirm that any of the current executive and directors will agree to defend their actions in a publicly broadcast debate or live forum.
Failing any action on the part of the Board to publicly defend its actions and policies, I believe that you, and the rest of the small 'c' conservative BC voters, will find the legitimacy and electability of the BCCP to continue to be a figment of imagination in the minds of all but the most entrenched sycophants who refuse to face reality.
Perhaps you will be willing to participate in, or help facilitate, a factual and reasoned political debate. Otherwise, I question the validity of your apparent regained faith and trust in the BCCP.
Yes please Glen ... I will be happy to accept congratulations for my optimism :D
DeleteNow, as to your idea of what I would consider to be an on-air shooting gallery, this definately would not be in the best interests of anyone.
The goal should be, in my opinion, to build an effective alternative to the SO-CALLED liberal / conservative coalition called the BC Liberals.
That I believe is what you, I, Janet, Cal --- plus thousands of others -- are desperately hoping for.
Open Season on the BC Conservative brand is (or at least should be) over. I am going to make my fight with the GreeNDP -- and the BC Liberals. I hope others will take up that cause as well.
The refusal to the BCCP take ownership, or even acknowledge a litany of problems and inexcusable decisions, is exactly why no reasonable voter should consider the party an electable and viable option. In this day and age, voters are looking for accountability. You are suggesting that a lack of accountability is an acceptable practice for a political party aspiring to govern a province, specifically the BCCP. .
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. You truly have become a sycophant. Disappointing, indeed. At least the BC Libs and the GreeNDP have the courage to publicly articulate and attempt to defend their policies - and their decisions. Meanwhile, the BCCP executive are living in a state of cloistered denial.
Other small 'c' options are available to BC voters and many are actively engaged in the process of reaching out to voters. May the best candidates, and the most ethical and accountable candidates, gain the trust of the BC voter and represent us in the legislature.