Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Spring cleaning the political detritus

Spring has sprung and the season of renewal can only mean one thing: a federal election. Elections aren't necessarily the best thing about spring. In truth, they don't even crack the top 100 best things about spring.
66125_l

Spring has sprung and the season of renewal can only mean one thing: a federal election.

Elections aren't necessarily the best thing about spring. In truth, they don't even crack the top 100 best things about spring. Spring, even though it seems to come on all at once, is really a prolonged striptease of familiar surprises that delight all the senses.

Stepping outside and discovering predawn light instead of total darkness engages the eyes while the sound of Varied thrushes' bizarre metallic warble uniquely trumpets the new season. The smell of freshly uncovered earth - ah, mould - revealed by the rapidly receding snow we thought would never melt so fast, comes but once a year. When it finally makes an appearance, late March's sun warms cold skin immediately; you can almost feel the epidermal rush of vitamin D.

All nice... but. The second best thing about spring is, of course, spring skiing. When it finally comes, the day's morphing arc of ice, hero snow, corn, schmoo and slush, coupled with wearing shorts under ski pants, is both a rewarding finale to a long season and a desperate rush to get in as much mileage as the longer days allow.

And the best thing about spring? Après. Lazy afternoons on Dusty's or maybe Citta' patio drinking... in the sun's lengthening rays, and other refreshing delights. The fine art of après finds its full flower on a sun-drenched patio in a ski town where the fashion feature du jour is raccoon goggle tans and fishbelly white skin mining long dormant reserves of melanin.

The worst part about spring? This spring? Well, it's a toss up. There's the spectre of a federal election with its almost certain result - another minority government. Maybe the Cons will finally get tired of Pudge's inability to win a majority and turf him but I doubt it. The party of no imagination will plod along in its anti-democratic, fully autocratic, bumbling way through yet another interminable period of lacklustre leadership.

Why? Three reasons. Canadians don't care about Stevie's total disdain for parliament - probably share it - his handcrafted budget debacle, his chest-thumping war mongering, his pandering law'n'order initiatives or his sycophantic willingness to suck up to the world's big dogs. Ho-hum.

The other two reasons are Iggy Pop and Diamond Jack. Why, in a nation of 30 million souls, we can't find three more qualified party leaders is a puzzle that makes cold fusion seem like a cheap magician's trick.

The other worst thing about this spring is the sad transition of Canada from self-described peacekeeper to warmonger wannabe. Pudge, no doubt incensed but powerless when Jean Chrétien said thanks but no thanks to the US on the invasion of Iraq, hasn't missed a chance to launch the country on a military misadventure since loosely taking the reins of power.

So now, we're sending fighter jets and assorted other war machines to Libya. Why? Could it be for humanitarian reasons? Is it because we can't stand the sight of Gadhafiduck killing his own countrymen? Is it our support for freedom-lovin' Middle East rebels?

Get real.

Collectively, Canada and the rest of the UN/NATO powers don't give a rat's ass about which dictator, which tribal leader, which strongman runs Libya or any other Arab country. We don't care if he robs the country's treasury, impoverishes his people, wages a genocidal war on the Other because he believes Mohammed was right handed and the Other believes he was left handed, or whatever the difference is supposed to be, brings in mercenaries to kill indiscriminately or has the king or caliph of a neighbouring country send his bully boys in to do the job.

If it makes you feel good to believe the fairytale about helping the rebels bring about a more democratic country then do whatever gets you through the night. And don't forget to put the tooth you lost under your pillow.

I'm certain it's only a coincidence that Libya is the largest oil economy in Africa. I can't imagine its 46 billion barrels of proven reserves - around 3.5 per cent of the world's total - has anything to do with it. Ditto the million and a half or so barrels it produces each day... at around a buck a barrel.

It's probably just a fluke that something like 85 per cent of Libya's production is sold to the EU and, quelle surprise, this show of humanitarian force is being cheerled by France. And I'm absolutely certain the UN and NATO's lack of response in any of the other Middle East countries currently embroiled in rebellions for freedom - countries where inbred monarchs are killing their countrymen indiscriminately - and who just happen to be insignificant oil producers, is, well, a coincidence. An oversight perhaps.

But, as usual, there's really nothing we can do about it. Bitch globally, act locally.

Okay, let's act locally. Which problem shall we start with? I know, how about transit.

Council made a good start last week when it refused to pass the Annual Operating Agreement with Whistler Transit. Whistler Transit is an embarrassment of mismanagement. It remains to be seen what can be done about out of control costs that mean Whistler taxpayers are subsidizing every single WAVE ride to the tune of almost $1.50. I suspect the RMOW is likely to get steamrolled by BC Transit on costs.

But levels of service on WAVE busses are abysmal. I'm not talking about their inability to run on time. I'm talking about rude, arrogant, indifferent and uncaring drivers. In a town where most employees have at least a passing acquaintance with the Spirit program and where going out of our way to be polite, helpful even, to tourists, we still have too many drivers who simply don't give a damn about the people they carry.

We have some very good drivers too. They know who they are and they know we know. The others? They're the ones who leave tourists stranded because they dared to not know Whistler doesn't run free transit. Instead of giving them a break and educating them for future trips, they leave them frustrated and confused at the curb, delaying service longer in order to put them off. That's simply not acceptable in a resort town and is indicative of the lack of management being provided. Fixing it won't make transit cheaper, just more pleasant.

And no, that's not the transit plank in my platform. You'll have to wait for that one... right after pay parking, cost cutting and revenue generation.