Editor:
General Electric made $14.2 billion dollars in profit last year and paid no (zero) taxes.
As a matter of fact, GE received $3.2 billion in tax benefits from the U.S. government last year.
Why do I bring this up? Because GE is the main proponent of the Independent Power Project (IPP) being supported by the Christy Clark (Liberal) government and proposed for the Butte Inlet.
When people think IPP they automatically think small independent producers building ecologically sensitive hydro electric dams, which will be sustainable and cause zero damage while benefitting the people by providing clean energy.
In fact, what General Electric and your Liberal government, under the premiership of Christy Clark, are in fact proposing is a massive hydro project which will cause the destruction of hundreds of kilometers of virgin forest and complete damage to the watershed of Butte Inlet on the west coast.
Butte Inlet is only one of hundreds of projects which are being licensed to move ahead from this flim flam.
The true irony and tragedy of this, if the people of British Columbia including the Liberal party faithful allow this to happen, is that none of it is necessary.
The proposal is that these dams will provide for the energy needs of B.C. during the spring run-off, which is the time when electrical production is already at its peak. Hydro production occurs because of the amount of water available to turn the turbines.
The current infrastructure easily handles the needs of British Columbians. However, BC Hydro (our public electricity provider) is being forced to accept the result of this irresponsible use of public policy while being forced into privatization. The argument being that BC Hydro is uneconomical as it is being driven into the ground by Christy Clark and her Liberal cohorts.
No, this is all about rich people getting a lot richer at yours and my expense. Our expense is the cost of losing more natural beauty and splendor so that this senseless project can proceed. Also, there would be higher rates which are inevitable with privatization.
To destroy hundreds of rivers and thousands of square kilometers of B.C. so that companies like General Electric can profit and well-connected elitists of Liberal extraction can rake in even more wealth is a crime and people should say enough is enough.
It’s hard to believe that this is what’s happening — but it is.
Dave Ligertwood
Williams Lake