Friday, March 04, 2016

This Day In Clarkland...Suds 'N Dollars (ctd)

SomeBasesAreMoreAbbotThanOthers
NotCostelloVille


Well, well, well....

It would appear that it pays to go deeper than the press release.

When last we were reading 'Castanet' they were playing the privatization of the Kelowna Hospital laundry pretty much straight-up.

But now?

Well, it would appear that they're too are on to the story that has already been chased down by idiot bloggers and their readers.

Here's a bit of Castanet's latest under Wayne Moore's byline:

The company that will soon begin handling laundry services at several Interior Health hospitals has a long history of being a big supporter of the B.C. Liberal Party.

Abbotsford-based EcoTex Healthcare Linen Service Inc. contributed more than $130,000 to the party from 2005 to 2014. The company is a Canadian subsidiary of its Seattle-based parent company.

The last contributions were made in early March and late April of 2014, of $7,500 and $4,000, respectively.

According to records provided by Elections BC, there have been no contributions since April 2014. That means there have been no contributions since a decision was made to contract out laundry services within Interior Health.

The company contributed nearly $28,000 to the party in in 2011 and, during the last election in 2013, contributed $4,000 to the party and $10,000 to Abbotsford-based MLA hopefuls.

In all, the company contributed $125,940 to the BC Liberals, while president/CEO Randy Bartsch personally contributed $10,720 between 2006 and 2010...


Imagine that!


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And, for the record, reader Lew has uncovered other 'related' contributions that are not insignificant.
Tip O' The Toque to an Anon-O-Mouse in the comments for the heads-up on the latest from the good folks at Castanet. 
The MoCo is now on the story....Barely.


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20 comments:

Chuckstraight said...

Good to see the story is at least on CBC. Also interesting to see it is an NDP MLA bringing up the issue, as I mentioned yesterday- the local MLA Steve Thomson is completely silent. He , borrowing a comment from Rob Fleming, is the voice of Victoria in Kelowna, not the voice of Kelowna in Victoria.
And, the sheeple in Kelowna, will elect anything.

RossK said...

Chuck--

Well.... 'Twas interesting to see that some folks on the Castanet's thread, who look to be local, were actually a little bit upset by this.

Going to be interesting to see/try to figure out how strong the 'business case' is for this privatization.

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Anonymous said...

http://rabble.ca/news/2016/02/cost-privatized-food-public-institutions?utm_content=buffer6c99b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Bill said...

Sorry for this Ross...

Christy and her Pirates consolidate their dirty Laundry.

Liberal Party coffers get 'flushed' with sponsor money in new 20 year spin cycle.

Whitewashing Liberal Party official assures citizens everything is squeaky clean.

Soiled MSM captured in BC Liberal bubble.

We all know where the real dirt lies.

Chuckstraight said...

Good point RossK.
Unfortunately, the way these Socred Retreads operate- the $170,000 is the business case. In the same city (Kelowna), the Gordon Drive LCB was shut down when it made money.

Anonymous said...

SH @ RossK,

The Okanagan is coming of age, the constipated of thinking and assorted greedsters are a becoming a vanishing breed, as in-migration of Progressives are challenging the dinosaurs both home-grown and from the Near East.

Castanet's Wayne Moore, Okanagan Life Magazine's publisher and editor, Paul Byrne and CBC Daybreak South's Chris-Take-No-Prisoners Paul Walker, represent a changing culture.

This was a high point in Kelowna's coming of age:

http://okanaganlife.com/anyone-but-harper/

Anonymous said...

SH @ RossK,

Tuesday Chris Walker was at his finest, exposing the murk and mire at Grand Forks City Hall. A woman calling in to the show this morning lauded him for taking on, what others in the media failed to do.

If time permits, check out part 2 of 3, Chris set a new standard, the lazy MSM should hang their heads in shame:

http://www.cbc.ca/daybreaksouth/


Anonymous said...

SH @RossK

Many comments on Castanet wouldn't make it to the CBC comment boards, that is, if the comments happened to be open on a particular story.

The CBC seems afeared of us now...a certain Smart person, exonerated by MoCo, and safe in the bosom of his tribe, wouldn't be shaping any editorial decisions now, would he?

Anonymous said...

Is bc politics dirty laundry?

Hugh said...

The company will be paid over $11 million a year for 20 years = $220 million.

They say the privatization will save IH anticipated $35 million over the 20 year period.

Are they saying that, if it were not privatized, laundry service for the next 20 years in those 5 hospitals would cost $220m + $35m = $255 million?

Grant G said...

http://business.financialpost.com/news/energy/b-c-premiers-proposal-to-export-power-to-alberta-looks-dead-on-arrival?__lsa=1405-8e1f

e.a.f. said...

Not a bad return on their investment, a donation to the B.c. Lieberals of under $200K and a contract worth $220M for 20 Years, gee, wonder if I could get something like that some where. Its not like my bank is paying me that much. Oh, right that wouldn't have any influence on their decision making. I'm sure one of those B.C. Lieberals must have mentioned it somewhere.

You know as they keep trying to tell us, they're so good at business, but really I'd have held out for more before I awarded a contract of $220M. I'd want much more.

Anonymous said...

Andrew Kiesewetter writes to Castanet about his experience with Ecotex.

http://www.castanet.net/news/Letters/159946/Dirty-laundry

G. Barry Stewart said...

At the Castanet story, union-basher bgrigg says: "No actually, my research shows that they run about equal. In fact, during the last election the NDP received slightly more funds than the Libs. The HEU donated more money to the NDP than the largest corporation (Teck) who donated to the Liberals, and Teck also donated money to the NDP! They know it takes grease to make government work."

In response to gordon_as: "For every $1 the NDP get from unions , the Liberals receive $ 2 in donations from corporations."

I don't have the time to look into it — but I highly doubt grigg's claims. Does anyone have a quick link?

Hugh said...

Related topic:

“NDP leader John Horgan criticized (new BC Hydro CEO) McDonald’s appointment, saying her time as Campbell’s deputy minister made her an architect of the clean energy and self-sufficiency policies that have left BC Hydro immersed in debt and problems.

“They created the mess, Ms. McDonald was there at ground zero and I just don’t think it’s the right choice,” Horgan said.”

http://www.vancouversun.com/Former+power+deputy+steps+Hydro/9890354/story.html?__lsa=b62b-0054

She’s the CEO of BC Hydro currently pushing Site C dam.

Part of the Site C plan is to provide backup for IPP power.

Horgan is talking about the Clean Energy Act, which exempts Site C, and other things, from being cancelled by the BCUC, see Sec 7:

http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/consol24/consol24/00_10022_01

Also:

http://www.innergex.com/en/news/innergex-sponsors-vancouver-board-of-trades-special-event-with-bc-hydros-president-and-ceo-jessica-mcdonald/

RossK said...

Bill--

Apology NOT accepted!

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Chuck--

Didn't know that about the big LCB in town, sorry to hear that.

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SH--

Thanks for the OK Media rundown...Really helpful. I've come to look for Mr. Walker's stuff on the MoCo website thanks to your previous heads-up.

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Hugh--

Re: actual privatization savings numbers...I've got an HEU - commissioned critique of the so-called business case, but I can't find the original IH one...Does anybody have that? (NVG?).

Thanks for material about the current CEO and former GordCo, Inc. acolyte. It is an important bit of history to remember...It is also rarely raised in the public prints

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Thanks Grant--

Despite the attempts at hoopla spin it looks like all they did was agree to agree to meet again. maybe.

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e.a.f.--

Indeed.

Still it does not compare to the multiple(s) of return(s) on the original GordoCo Inc. privatization (sale/not sale) sin.

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Anon-Up-Thread--

Thanks very, very much for the link to the letter from Mr. Kiesewetter.

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GBS--

I do not, but I'm sure it's available.

Regardless, you also have to take into account all the dark money from all those 'grass-roots' groups.

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Grant G said...

@Ross, that link I left isn't about the confab in Vancouver with Trudeau.....The linked article is about...Alberta Guv has told BC Guv to stuff your Site C power...We don't need it or want it, in fact there is a under-used transmission line to Alberta now and BC has excess electricity now that nobody wants to buy..

Cheers

RossK said...

Whoops--

Thanks Grant.

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Chuckstraight said...

Ross- The LCB I refer to was shut down a number of years ago. I took time to write to local MLA -was referred to John Les who was in charge of it. You can imagine how far my complaint went. A reply of bullshite.
Nice to see the # of responses here.

RossK said...

Chuck--

Have you still got the 'response'?

If so, feel free to scan and send!


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