These are indeed interesting times we live in…
Just when you thought scandals couldn’t get any more scandalous, along comes another couple that are far beyond comprehension to knock your socks off.
By now, just about everyone has heard plenty about the alleged actions of senior provincial legislature staff members Craig James and Gary Lenz.
Speaker Darryl Plecas wasn’t kidding when he said British Columbians would probably throw up when they heard the details. Well, if they didn’t throw up, he was going to resign. I’m sure there’s been enough vomit that he can hang onto his job for now.
Of course, James and Lenz have denied all wrongdoing. Whether they were wrong for doing something untoward or not, that’s the expected response since few have ever come out and said, ‘yes, I did these things, lock me up now.’
What’s most surprising is the extent of the allegations of misconduct or how far James and Lenz may have gone in their spending spree at taxpayer’s expense.
The one that stands out to most people is the woodsplitter and trailer. Surely, James and Lenz can afford one for personal use, but no legislature should be without them so it could be an honest mistake.
The bottom line is people of privilege making oodles of cash, rather than the desperate and destitute, are often the ones cited in these situations for mixing business and pleasure in the worst possible way.
Speaking of people of privilege, the charges against actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin for the college admissions cheating scheme are shocking.
In this case, people with lots of money again can’t seem to play by the rules and want to use their status for the benefit of their own children who might not be deserving.
Like other scandals, this one could balloon into a massive-sized dirigible. There are many players who potentially had a hand in this wicked game and some have already been identified as coaches, athletic officials and administrators.
None of the accusation has been proven in court yet, of course, so we’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out.
There is enormous money at stake - and prestige - at U.S. colleges and that’s really one of the primary problems that could be at the core of this investigation.
On another front, it’s not quite a scandal, but people are beginning to think there’s some sort of conspiracy going on with gas prices.
Notice how prices at the pump frequently go up eight to 10 cents a litre at a time and then fall maybe one cent, two or three at the most? Then we get used to the higher price and suddenly think we’re getting some kind of a deal, even with the smallest reduction.
For all the talk about pipelines and how that may affect our gas prices here, it really has little to do with it. Every time there’s a significant jump in the price, we’re told by gas buddy expert Dan McTeague it has to do with the refineries.
This time, the refineries in Washington state apparently had to undergo some maintenance conveniently right at spring break time in order to gouge the public even more. Next, it’s going to be switching to the summer gas blend that will cost us even more.
There are no real answers, but we’re left with loads of questions about why we pay so much for gas. Taxes are a big part of it, but there’s lots of other things going on behind the scenes. The public really should be more outraged about the high prices and the profits being made in the gas industry and, so far, our provincial and federal governments are doing little to alleviate what’s becoming a serious issue for consumers and a huge hit to the pocketbook.
And, finally, it seems the time change issue is heating up again. To keep Pacific Daylight Saving Time (or even Standard Time) all year and leave the clocks alone or continue switching back and forth is the big question.
One point many people don’t seem to comprehend is an extra hour of daylight in the evening is not ‘magically’ created by Daylight Saving Time. It comes at the expense of an extra hour of darkness in the mornings.
The fact is we only have so many daylight hours to work with no matter what the clock says. In these parts, it’s approximately 16 hours of daylight during the summer, eight hours in the winter and varying amounts in between.
How we decide to allocate that time is at the heart of the matter and there are good arguments on both sides.
Some locations don’t really have a choice. In the Yukon, for example, there is very limited daylight in the winter and an extensive amount in the summer.
You can only do so much based on geography. In this part of the world, we have to weigh the advantages (and disadvantages) of more or less daylight in the morning or evening to make the most informed decision.
Of course, it will inevitably come down to whatever the U.S. does we’ll probably follow suit.
(Don Bodger is the editor of the Chemainus Valley Courier).