Monday was big day at our little condo in Puerto Escondido; along with a couple from White Rock we tuned into the CKNW radio interview with B.C. Premier Christy Clark. Then, about an hour later I had a rehearsal with a pretty unique group of musicians.
I've been kicking around the bars here for years, playing well-aged rock and roll, but this year we ran into a really talented five-string banjo player and we may have developed a novel art form. For lack of a better term we call it
Mexican Blue Grass.
In case you're wondering, it's a five-string banjo, guitar, electric piano and bongos.
So what does pick-up Blue Grass music have to do with B.C. politics and Christy Clark? Let's just call it a
metaphor on playing it straight.
First to Christy Clark and her Monday morning radio chat.
Clearly she wanted the format. She was in her element, her old home studio, along with Bill Good, a professional and knowledgeable former colleague.
It was a comfortable setting for Clark and a brief respite from the political fast lane. Plus, she had some control over incoming calls and probably thought she could slough off the tough questions with a quick move to the next line.
The show began with an eight-minute prepared speech by Clark. Long, for what's supposed to be a dialogue and exchange of ideas. Bill Good noted the length in his first comment to Clark.
Clark quickly made mention of the skimpy state of the B.C. treasury,
underscoring the need to keep public-sector bargaining increases at zero.
At that point, Clark seemed a bit too pat in her comments, nothing new was happening, and I noticed our friends from White Rock - who probably vote Liberal - moving out to the pool to bask in the rays of non-political sunshine.
As the interview went on, Clark came on as too cute by a half. In her opinion a number of current problems were the result of the Campbell government. This debate drifted into the so-called unfairness of a toll on the Port Mann Bridge; at that point I started setting up for the Blue Grass practice.
If Lower mainland motorists want a $3 billion bridge, let them pay for it. If they want a hassle-free, short commute to work, move to Prince George.
Later on that afternoon, CKNW gave NDP leader Adrian Dix the opportunity to respond to Christy Clark's morning radio segment. This guy comes on like Glen Clark lite, but is seriously lacking Glen Clark's intellect and sense of humour.
Dix's responses to questioning were right out the BCTF ads such as we could give teachers a raise if we hadn't put a new roof on B.C. Place. Please Mr. Dix, the roof is a one-time expenditure and contributes to a revenue source. The BCTF salary demands are in the billions and are ongoing, unless of course the BCTF just wants a one-time bonus then a roll back to their current wage.
Adrian Dix also neglected to note that in their last five-year contract B.C. teachers received a 16-per-cent raise in wages and benefits plus a $4,000 signing bonus. Hands up all you Citizen readers who have recently experienced that type of contract largess.
Having spent the majority of the day listening to two desperate politicians - one attempting to spin her former media success into political appeal; the other trying to make a fresh point out of tired old union-hall rhetoric - it occurred to me the most productive thing I'd accomplished all day was playing some music.
And that's the good thing about music. Music is an absolutely and elegantly honest endeavour. Your past accomplishments account for nothing.
In music, there is no forgiveness, no excuses, no blaming the other guy. In music you're only as good as the last note of your last song. And after too many hours of radio bluster last Monday, it's clear what B.C. really needs are more politicians who can play it straight.
All rise
For those of us who worked with and knew Bill Vander Zalm and Ted Hughes, the guilty charge arising out of Hughes' libel lawsuit against Vander Zalm came as no surprise.
Hughes is a former Saskatchewan Supreme Court justice, a former B.C. deputy attorney general, a former B.C. conflict of interest commissioner and one of B.C.'s most respected civil
servants.
Well over a year ago, when Hughes began the suit, Global TV's veteran Legislative reporter Keith Baldry wrote, "I will make a prediction here: Vander Zalm appears to be in deep, deep trouble."
Good prediction.
