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Brilliant stategy of being known as a rail advocate in Langley yet drop so many new and off the wall confussing and contradictory transit rail issues that it makes rail transit so cloudy that it will be delayed forever. A Win Win situation but just for one person! Both the voters and Lib masters are happy!
Hey do us a favour post Councillor Jordan Bateman present photo beside the grade 12 grad class photo the "Lap Dog Advance" uses. Unless it's a front page for "Grow-op Babies".... you know it's been such a concern. I hope Jordan and the Advance take on the other concerns citizens have for modern transportation issues like No Zepplins at the airport, one way horse paths on Fraser Hwy, and the kids now are going to fast with the stage coaches in Fort Langley. Is Jordan running for Reeve?
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Now Counccillor Bateman on his website is promoting a break away group from VALTAC. Why? Is this group(only 2 poeple) in any way tied in to him also, his get moving bc website and his bc libs Falcon transportation agenda?
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Obviously rookie young reporters in our rural press are too easily sucked in by savvy Liberal media publicists!
PS: I am also against zeppelins at our airport!
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Divide, conquer and confuse while taking over your opposition's messaging. A Great Premier Campbell Liberal strategy succesfully also now used in Langley as demonstrated in your article by loyal Langley Liberal Lieutenants and even better all sucked up and in by your local hick press. Remember the real boss of Translink is now Premier Gordon Campbell not the new highly paid Translink board or even Transportation Minister Falcon. Face it, the Liberal's transit plan says no rail for the fraser valley for a generation. So Sorry Folks.
LFP Ed,
What a load of self absorbed, socialist bus pucky!
How about offering some workable solutions instead of just being angry at the sidelines, again!
Light Rail IS what Langley needs, Now!
Hey Yadda, I believe everyone with brains south of the fraser including this Editor wants Rapid transit and NOW! Instead of just political posturing and yakking about it and what roads specifically and circle routes it should go on! Just do it NOW. Meanwhile the Translink (aka Prov. Government plan) is to just start planning for it around 2031! Dooh - get the message now?
I just love these bozos who see socialist conspiracies behind any fair comment that just happens to disturb their miniscule limited world and their even smaller view of things! Notice Bozo never has any solutions either? Instead he essentially just says; "Dooh, but I want it now, you commie!".
Hey Bozo ! I'm a far bigger capitalist than you ever will be but what does this have to do with getting RAPID TRANSIT in ASAP and not in a generation? Get a life!
Valtac is about as well established as any organisation of this type can be after 3 years of existance. Keep in mind that it has no political power, and no money beyond the dues paid by its members. What it does have is the dedication of the knowledgable people who make up its membership. These people have absolutely no strings attached to them. Get it? No Strings.
Those who would initiate another organisation would first of all lack the merits that are described above. Secondly to start a breakaway group would leave a gaping door open for political interference at a crucial period in time.
The residents south of the Fraser are now becoming more and more aware of the value of the old BC Electric route through the area, and the vast savings in time and money that can be derived from it. The fact that the province steers away from this most sensible route so blatantly makes one wonder what's really going on in Kevin Falcon's ministry. That department is definetely giving off an odor more familiar to the Danish IMO.
Why don't you put up a poll about how much coverage everyone expects in tomorrows Langley newspaper for the so called "light rail advocate on the council"?
Methinks and Anon - This Editor knows nothing about this break away couple from Valtac, someone here commented that it is only two individuals. I 'm sorry I don't know. I will try to find out more. Rapid transit south of the Fraser NOW requires consolidation, unification and not squabbling or break ups. Frankly I am suspicious of any break aways when supported by any politician who previously never really supported VALTAC though, don't you think?
Methinks dead on. We all have VALTAC to exclusively thank for bringing the Interurban out front in everybody's face. Every organization has wannabees and some disagreement. To simply take your toys home and leave such an important issue and further divide and fracture the movement is abhorrent and despicable and in my opinion is probably being done to serve further political ambitions that are not in line with VALTAC. Carry on VALTAC and get us the interurban now. Hang in there.
LFP Ed,
You crack me up!
***What picture of ****are you are using for your profile? (guess again, try a local!)
Oh, the irony of it!
You got one thing right though. By supporting your candidate, your brain must be south of your fraser!
It's time your star finally got on board the transportation bandwagon and try to take someone else's seat.
Is it Silly Season at your house everyday?
Edited By Siteowner - LFP ED: Let me repeat it again slowly for you ...Y E S....WE....NEED...Rapid...Transit....Now.... sorry your so slow. By the way why don't you use your other incarnation commenter names anymore? Psychs do label it multiple personality syndrome you know.....lol
I have been getting emails on this topic too that I am perhaps biased myself about local newspaper biases. Let's face it all newspapers are biased just as all people are and especially internet media/blogs and that is to be expected. But I believe that professionl journalism now more so than ever has to uniquely also police themselves and stay vigilant to constantly work hard to try to remain balanced and fair and not stray too far over the line. As I said about professional media (NOTE: I certainly don't profess yet to be professional media!) in my posting;
"Your job is to inform the public in a real and meaningful way about what is going on this community. You should not play political favourites."
"Look at the actual history, not what has been recreated for your consumption by those who know how to play you."
Before the professional paid media hit the publish key on their computers they should ALWAYS take a serious second look to make sure that their publicly generated, actual and perceived biases/influencers are not influencing unduly and excessively their basic public news reportage.
I could cite more examples of media that in my opinion are clearly biased to federal political party platforms, leaders and local candidates as well as certainly clearly promoting local mayors and the like. Tragically it is more often what they don't cover, especially the non-performing, just taking up space politicos, that bothers me most, as these individuals easily get re-elected term after term because they operate strategically well below the surface of any reported media reports. Or they simply just say and do nothing at all and worse still some federal/provincial politicos use taxpayer monies to buy annual advertising that essentially just provides public pablum like, "Working hard for you..". This is more scary but that is for another day.
If I am off base on this postings commentary of my perceived view of local media bias I must still suggest that the perception of this bias is certainly not this Editor's fault but that of the media in my opinion who I certainly believe have provided frequent examples that certainly suggest otherwise to this editor in many cases.
At minumum the 5th estate which is the professional media, performs an invaluable job as our public watchdog of our elected political estate so to speak. That is a given and important. With the advent of the internet, personal publishing and news/commentary/blogs such as LFP, I believe we now have watchdogs that can and do finally oversee the media as well. This I firmly believe is important, invaluable and LONG OVERDUE as well. Who could disagree with that?
So if I see what I believe is wrong or biased I will make sure to point this out in my opinion. It is ultimately up to you to decide which opinion is correct. But freedom of speech allows fair comment and I will continue to use it.
On another point I thank all the readers of LFP. After just over 2 years of publishing, our readership and most importantly our local readership continues to exponentialy increase each and every month. Based on our sitemeter's calculations/predictions our yearly readership is now between 102,000 to 144,000 annually. To us this is substantial growth from our 1st year of about 12,000 to 20,000! But far more importantly is our local immediate area readership which is still holding at a comfortable 65% +. This is substantial and has been our key market audience and central focused target audience. Especially of late. Thank you, and certainly if you have suggestions or criticisms please feel free to submit to this Editor. Thanks again, very much.
I found it strange, yet so very predictable that Mayor Alberts left the transportation event at the same time as the media cameras. This is the same person who should be loudly calling for action, but instead takes the easy route where he makes no disturbing statements to agitate the B.C Liberal Parties transportation agenda (such as it is). Take a guess at why.
Speaking of the B.C. Liberal Party, what the heck are our 2 MLAs doing for Langley regards public transportation. Mary Polak at one time claimed that transportation improvement was one of her goals! Rich Coleman on the other hand must have had his jaw wired shut, because he seems to have no thoughts on the matter. Can they not see the rising tide of disenters because they are sitting on their hands? But then perhaps we are witnessing once again an attitude that the public at large is plain stupid.
Langley definetely needs new leadership, and it better be in a hurry.
The recent slate of late bloomer politicians that are suddenly seem to be pandering transit advocates are not stupid based on the fact transportation probably is the No. 1 issue S of F not to mention now looming $2.00 a litre gas to boot. But just talking about it, playing around with it, subtlely quasi endorsing/sabotaging it or johnny-come-lately jumping on the bandwagon won't cut it with the voters in the end. Sad though that the media can be possibly duped by these 'spin political messaging'.
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LFP, in what seems to be an absence of other local unbiased publications, I certainly hope that you will stay hot on the subject of reopening the old B.C. Electric Rail route in the Langleys. There seems to be so many common sense reasons to use this available route, that it's almost a crime to allow the B.C. Government to delay action any longer.
It's not as if Victoria would have to start pouring big money into the project from day one. Just making the firm decision would bring us a measure of relief right now.
We are all well aware of the painful time it will take to rebuild the line, but what we fear most is that there will be insufferable gridlock if there is any more dilly-dallying.
I can't help but wonder at the lack of action on the part of Kevin Falcon's department on the above route. It's obvious that when the solutions that he has thus far offered are implemented, the problem will have grown worse than it is today. That's not progress, no matter how you measure it!
Congratulations LFP Ed - today's editorial by the the Langley Times obviously misinterpreted what you said. You used the word "biased" but not the word "endorsed" in your editorial and comments. Quite frankly biased is far more more dangerous and vmore powerfull than endorsement when used by the local media in my opinion. In any case it is obvious that your columns are certainly read by the Editors locally! fyi, here is the link to today's Times editorial -
http://www.bclocalnews.com/surre...n/
18378639.html
Do you perhaps think that you struck an exposed nerve with your LFP editorial LFP Editor, about journalistic favoritism? As Councillor Kim Richter recently said, "Where there is smoke, there could be fire."
Bucky, thou dost protest too much methinks?
Unbelievble there was no huge Langley advance front page color picture of Councillor Bateman with all the visiting children surrounding him on the council head table as there is on his ***website***. Thank you Langley free press Editor!
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Langley Times Editor Frank Bucholtz's editorial says today; "When it comes to local news, there is no newspaper, website or other media outlet in the entire world that provides as much information about Langley." Ouch... which website I wonder? (In today's Langley Times or go to Langleytimes.com to see the quoted excerpt from his editorial.)
Wow! Wonder how the Langley Advance and Aldergrove Star will respond to this statement? Reminiscent of the movie Titanic scene at the prow of the ship ; "I'm King of the world!"! My bet is this statement will not be challenged by the Times' peers and competitors at all! Because maybe it is very true indeed. But is there an argument perhaps about quality versus quantity? After all in the Langleys, the Times publishes 3 times weekly compared to twice weekly by the Langley Advance and only once weekly by the Aldergrove star.
Hmmm... maybe this LFP Editor should measure in comparison the local papers actual column inches of news articles compared to advertising inches...LOL! The old 'mine's bigger than yours by x inches' ...lol.
We at LFP would win that one hands down though....LOL...no paid advertising at all & only minute notices. We don't have the thousands of advertising flyer inserts either that fall and scatter about on your kitchen floor! I have not figured out how to do that on a blog site yet...LOL!
Yadda Yadda Ya, your on the wrong website! The neanderthal 1950's conspiracy commie haters are all over at the *** other *** website or the darkside as I view it! You can read all about their reader's comments about socialist conspiracies and fantasies there to your heart's content. There is no end to that retro/regressive and paronoid thinking there. You will be right at home.
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I was informed that Councillor Bateman met with VALTAC members and presented his rambling thoughts about Langley transportation. Get this though, he had the nerve to have press & photographers tag along for a bit of self promotion. Can you believe it?
When VALTAC was formed, I'm told that Bateman stayed clear of VALTAC meetings. Perhaps there is a reason for this, since Bateman's connections are very tightly tied to the Provincial Liberal Party as far as I can make out. That organisation has done little or nothing to help VALTAC,
So are his actions just a cheap trick to look good on both sides of the street? I'd say so.
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Re: Melanie your "The boy Who Would Be King" media event. I remind you of my postings summary about the local Langley media:
"Look at the actual history, not what has been recreated for your consumption by those who know how to play you."
I can hardly wait to see the Valtac hijacking event media reporting and resulting fall out Councillor Bateman product positioning in the two local papers tommorow and for the next little while especially the editorials if any. It should be very revealing don't you think?
P.S. I have a dream too. Guess what that dream is? People (especially media) finally waking up and big change in November!
Here we go again: an important Langley issue is being politized and ends up as a political football. Instead of all citizens working together for the greater good - competing groups striving for media attention, exposure and ego stroking etc. What can happen in the end is this: a great idea is voted down just because 'the other side' promoted it first. The dark side of politics...
The young Lad, Nathan who spoke so finely about the interurban rail route while supporting VALTAC has apparently jumped ship with another VALTAC supporter to create their own rail for the fraser valley organization. This new group seems to be tied to the hip with Councillor Bateman and both his websites as they are both constantly promoting each other. Of greater concern is the excessive promotion of Bateman's websites for his new group. This was nor never IS being done for VALTAC though. Why? What is the hidden agenda here?
If indeed this new group that Nathan has joined or created, is relly valid he better distance himself from Mr. Bateman's Liberal program slanting websites and policies and web networks. Nathan the Liberals will not provide rail in the valley for 30 plus years at least by their own Translink forecasts. I voted Liberal but I am disgusted at their transit policies of late especially Translink.
Nathan, for your own good reconsider who you have hitched your wagon to. Consider and ask yourself this question, is this endorsement and alliance more of a liability than an asset?
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This probably won't get posted because this never really is much of a "free press", but VALTAC seems to be making lots of noise over this new group that they keep trying to discredit.
Could it be that VALTAC and Richter feel threatened by the new group and see light rail as now being beyond their control?
Me also thinks that the "young lad" you talk about is an accomplished engineer and an adult and can freely make up his own mind. He's far from needing a coddling mother-type around. If this Blog was more real news, and not such a facade, then perhaps others would also link to it and discuss it. But right now it and these musing our not worthy of our time and attention. Also, you profess to be purely for the "cause of light rail", but then you attack and assail poor Mathew Claxton and the local papers for writing about it. What sense does that all make unless you have other motives?
MeThinks2 - LOL - Thank you for validating my posted concerns and from the sound of all your comments, thanks for validating most of the commenters on this LFP comment string! Obviously there is great truth in the LFP postings and comments if you doth protest so much.
Regarding your other comments - balderdash is all I can respond because you are so defensive and off base is that your comments are ludicrous.
PS: The real Methinks will be very upset to know you are using his moniker on both blog sites.
By the way you sure don't spew as much venom on the "other" blog do you? In fact you seem to lay a path of rose petals below the feet of the comments and postings there. Interesting don't you think? Partisan I think!
PS: I did post your comments unlike the unpublished dissidents on your protege's site!
Any blog site that has frequent comments by regular commentters like this most recent one on ** the other blog site ** -
"You are proving yourself a true visionary and a leader of the people my friend. All the power to you!",
makes me laugh and further wonder if those are real comments? Or are they from family?
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No those comments are from the Liberal party HQ
Then we can assume that yours are all from NDP HQ?
If you look closely at the other Langley blog, you will notice that it's always the same as kissers that comment on it. You rarely see comments that differ from the editors views. He does a fair job of reporting news, but other than council notes, a person can read about these things anywhere. There's also a lot of self promotion.
LFP.
Reporting with a slant towards the established government of the day makes life easier, and keeps doors open. Bateman is perhaps a good example of that. When I attended an all candidates meeting 3 years ago, he was very much opposed to Mayor Alberts' performance regarding taxes and the golf course boondoggle etc etc. That was when I first saw him. It seems that he has now developed an earth tinted nose and dances to the same music.
It has been a long time since there was a pointed disagreement with the mayor or his disappointing elves on the Batemen Blog. Those that comment have obviously taken on the the same perspective as the site owner as well, and the content has become very boring.
Only the best reporters will resist the easy path of cosying up to the establishment when there are issues that need to be uncloaked, and all sides of the issues laid bare. That being true, how can an unbiased reporter be a member of a political party, or put up with the lack of foresight by our own township management. Is it possible that it's a simple example of a conflict in carreer choices, and ambition overcoming all else?
Politics is all about strategic alliances. The young councillor at Township hall is doing just that... hitching his wagon to a (hopefully) successful partnership in politics. That's not without risk - if the current party, alliance or special interest group falls out of public favour, your wagon could get stuck in muck (literally or figuratively).
Speaking of party politics, on CKNW this morning Bill Good was asked if he ever belonged to a political party. His reply was without hesitation when he explained that with his job in the media, it is simply not something that he would do.
Mr.
Bateman must not see things the same way, since he is the editor of langley politics.com, and is quite liberal (should that be a big L?) with his opinions.
Richter, on the other hand, keeps her opinion to the occasional comment, and leaves the editor to set the tone of the blog.
Alex,
A blog is a method to express your personal opinions, unedited by others. To suggest that the owner of a blog should try to keep out of politics is so contrary to how blogs operate that I don't even know where to begin.
As for this blog. While the nominal owner of the blog doesn't comment too often herein, the owner of the blog is responsible (legally) for its content and one would assume has some say it what is/isn't being posted. This is one reason why comments are edited, to protect the blog owner from legal repercussions if a commentor tries to post something inappropriate.
Yes Blair, and thats why it is always a good idea to have a lawyer retained for any political or otherwise commentary blog, its well worth the investment.
Blair, I think we are on the topic of community rail. Therefore it becomes suspect when the editor of a blog is thought to be in full support of the party he is associated with, and that party has thus far done all it can to discourage any form of light rail until hell almost freezes over.
Bateman may have many opinions, just as anyone else does, but political affiliation naturally leads to political bias. If people are not aware of this, they can be misled, and we are all aware of the power of the pen.
In other words - good old censorship is alive and being exercised.
Properyowner, the batemman blog seems to have become more like a little fan club. There is also little variance from the editors view, when opinions are offered. That's really a shame, because that blog was once quite entertaining at times, but now seems to be mostly a promotional device.
yes, this is why your internet speed is slower. j/k
seriously tho even vancouver media practises self censorship.
have you noticed the local new names the three gangs in langley by name while the Sun and the Province only mentioned the gangs that actually kill people?
if those wannabes killed that HA associate last yr, they'd be number 38 and in gaol.
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