A dear John letter for John Horgan
Open Letter to the Honourable John Horgan: premier of B.C.
Dear John,
It’s time to break up.
You’ve been so busy basking in the reflected glory of Dr Bonnie Henry, you’ve forgotten your own responsibilities to this relationship.
Recessions historically have created opportunities to upgrade infrastructure. Not because workers can be exploited; because people can be put back to work, feeling good about themselves for (1) having work, and (2) completing projects of importance with this work. To promise 18,000 infrastructure jobs AFTER this opportunity has passed is not constructive.
So let’s look at what your self-absorption prevented from happening.
1. The E&N Railway project should now be completed, with hardened paths on both sides for cyclists and track upgrades to meet the criteria for rail service well into the future. The latter would avoid the debacle that is the Kettle Valley farce.
2. The film studio should now be operating in Victoria. You’ve known about this need for a decade — yet with all the empty office space in Victoria you failed to arrange suitable negotiations/adaptations to complete this project.
3. Encorp has $33 million in the bank. Last time they were asked about this, they said, “it’s a hedge against recession”. The recession has been here — is still here…but we still don’t have vital professional plastics recycling at the curbside. If you can’t understand why recycling plastics properly is important, resign now — BEFORE the election. Save us the hassle of seeing you to the exit.
4. Where are the prefab housing plants? There should be easily six or more of these in place in B.C. and functioning already. Municipalities are talking about garden suites, but residents are now faced with $180,000 tabs for each unit. Ludicrous. Prefabs would be a third that price and ready now and an effective approach to rehousing people in need.
These are only a handful of reasons it’s time to break up. Believe me, we are going to work to end your inept role in this relationship.
AB Seass
Cowichan Valley