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Vote Buying, Loyola Hearn
How Much is Your Vote Really Worth?
By Myles Higgins
Friday, July 20, 2007
How much is your vote worth?
Don't answer too quickly. It's a seller's market these days.
If it wasn't such a sleazy spectacle watching the Conservative's latest cross-country vote buying tour, it might almost be funny. There's nothing like the sight of a politician desperately trying to buy off the great unwashed, and increasingly vocal, masses.
Harper is bad enough but the worst one has to be our own Loyola Hearn.
While Adolph Harper wings his way from coast to coast, (Halifax to Vancouver), passing out billions in navy contracts, environmental funding and other shiny baubles, little Loyola has the job of buying off voters here at home, one paving contract, education announcement and sewer upgrade at a time.
I've witnessed many such schemes in the past but I honestly can't recall the last time Ottawa paid to pave a local parking lot. All I can say is, "More power to the Chamber of Commerce in Gander for pulling that one off." Leave it to the business community to figure out the exact value of a hot commodity in an overheated market.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and right now nobody is more desperate than the Conservative/Reform/Alliance/PC party of Canada, or as they're otherwise known, the CRAP party.
This summer Loyola is hitting the BBQ circuit like a man on a mission with a pocket full of shiny new pennies to dole out.
By the way Loyola, once the crew is finished paving that parking lot in Gander maybe you can ask your boss when he plans to send them up to Labrador.
Of course not being anybody's fool Loyola knows that after just screwing the province on the Accord a little blacktop won't be enough to win an election. Not to mention for the voters to cancel their mail order's of tar and feathers. Like any seasoned politician, Loyola has a plan B.
It doesn't include doing his job though, heaven's no. The Minister of Fisheries has decided it's far easier to go on the attack here at home than actually show some results for his time in Ottawa.
After blasting anyone who dared challenge him over the Atlantic Accord Hearn decided that, when not passing out federal cheques, he should focus his attention on fisheries matters. Not by fixing the problems offshore but by verbally assaulting long time fisheries activist, Gus Etchegary.
When Hearn ran in the last federal election, he convinced poor gullible Gus to back his election campaign and even act as a shill for him. He did that by claiming the Conservatives would make the dream of custodial management a reality. How many broken promise does that make for these guys anyway? I've lost count.
It seems old Gus wasn't too happy when Loyola broke that promise. With any pretence of effective fisheries reform cast aside, like the voters who marked their X for him, Hearn is now fulfilling his Ministerial duties by running from tickle to bay attacking the credibility of the man whose shoulders he climbed atop on his way to an election win.
Real nice Loyola, who's next on your hit list, the clergy, orphans how about an arthritic widow or two?
Like I said folks, votes are at a premium these days and it's a seller's market, so don't sell yours unless you get an offer you can't refuse.
By the way Loyola, before I forget, I've got a pothole in my driveway that needs patching. If you wouldn't mind taking care of that for me, I solemnly promise to vote for you the next time around. You can depend on it. A man's word is his bond. Isn't it?
Myles Higgins is freelance columnist, who lives with his wife and a terminally lazy Terrier named "Molson" in the beautiful town of Portugal Cove - St. Philips, His website can be found at: Web Talk - Newfoundland and Labrador. Myles can be reached at: letters@canadafreepress.com
