Is kicking someone when they are down the same and kicking and beating up a lady doing her job just because you’re drunk?-let us know when he’s paid the same price, now really. 
Exactly!
This reminds me of Gordo’s drinking and driving in charge in Hawaii when he first got elected. The BC liberal party would like us all to conveniently forget. Fact is He was charged with and plead guilty to a criminal offence, doesn’t matter that it was in another country, He’s a criminal and if he had any ethics at all would have stepped down immediately. Period. He didn’t pay the price, the citizens of this province have.
Say I’m a Government employee, and I work at the local Government agency.
I get a DUI, and plead guilty. Should I resign from my job?
A reasonable analogy, I say.
Good argument, but I’m not certain, being a government employee with some agency whether it be Federal, Provincial or municipal, is quite the same as being an ‘elected’ representative, I do beleive there is somewhat of a higher standard implied, by holding an elected position. NOt to mention being the party leader and Premier. Yeah?
I disagree completely.
I don’t like his policy, did not vote for his party, and hope that he isn’t in office much longer.
But I couldn’t care less about his DUI, except for the fact that he may have used his influence to mitigate the consequences.
It’s shit like this that turns representative democracy into a popularity contest. It seems that we as a society are more concerned with character than policy.
Shouldn’t we be concerned with both? and when it comes to Gordo I find neither acceptable.
Back to Bettyboop’s original question that began this thread.
IMHO, a leader should lead by example, not just policy. If a DUI is acceptable behaviour, what would be considered unacceptable? Fraud? Theft? At what point does illegal activity show that the elected person’s character or habits are flawed to the point of untrustworthiness?
And yes Stacked, I should not have used the word “escorted”; you’re absolutely correct.
So Bettyboop what position are you thinking of running for ? Would you consider Jack’s job or will you be satisfied to sit in the Stich and bitch gallery?
See and I disagree with you completely. It is my opinion that if you cannot follow the laws in both your private and public life you should in not be allowed to be in a position to make them.
I agree with this last comment. There is no appointed time as to when unacceptable behavior becomes acceptable.
After high school you can chose who your teachers will be.
Comparing what he did to the Nuremberg war criminals is a bit unfair to the guy. He isn’t a nazi. Isn’t that Godwin or something?
I’d vote for him again. He’s pretty cool. Helped me out of jam once when I needed a friend.
I think the key is whether or not a crime affects the person’s ability to do their job.
In an ideal world our politicians would never do anything wrong. As it is, sometimes they do make mistakes–but we’re not electing saints, are we? There are obviously situations where the crime is too severe or the crime does affect one’s ability to govern where the only appropriate (or indeed required action: if someone is charged with an indictable offense they must step down) action is to resign from office.
Far too often in our society we judge people based on the actions they take in their worst moment, to hell with everything else they’ve done before.
Whether society does too little of something or too much or just enough, politicians have their record and their persuasive ability to fall back on.
Voters have the complete and utter right to judge a politician’s performance(s).
Supporters will line up behind and all others will select another or choose not to engage…which unfortunately is what most do in our democracy.
People Always Hate Politicians Until They Need One
I got into the legislation business only in order to tirelessly serve the good people of Prince Rupert. But what do I get in return? Nothing but grief, cynicism, and snarky suspicion. People trash politicians every chance they get, all year long, until that one day they actually need one of us.
Then they sing a different tune.
Let me tell you: It’s not all being wined and dined by lobbyists and joking around with my pals on the floor, you know. It’s long hours and hard work. But whenever I go home and do a little fund-raising, all I hear is: “Shouldn’t you be back in Ottawa earning your six-figure salary?” And you know who’s in-box is filled with fawning e-mails the next morning when someone needs to get a last-minute clause attached to an appropriations bill before it gets out of the House Committee On Ways And Means? Mine. The “sleazy” politician’s. That’s right, me.
So go ahead. Beat up on the greasy-palmed politician. Crack your little one-liners with the town barber about how “Parliament is the opposite of progress.” But the next time you need a sign-off on some ordinance banning certain types of commercial uses of government-leased land, who are you going to come to asking for a feasibility study to get drafted within the next 18 months?
Bet I won’t be such a stuffed-shirt pig-in-a-trough then, will I?
I thought I had it bad when I was a lawyer. I heard all kinds of jokes about hanging lawyers and drowning lawyers. But when people tell lawyer jokes, they’re only jokes. When people talk about politicians, there’s no punch line. It’s just plain mean.
You think it’s so easy, why don’t you try building bipartisan support for minor legislation when you have to run for office every four years? Go find your own photo op shaking hands with the auto mechanic down the road?
But it’s always the same old thing: “Look at the big Federal Fat Cat! Let’s make fun of him! He’s crooked and greedy and dumb! But wait—oh no, boo hoo, our precious swimming hole is getting rezoned as a federally funded toxic-waste dump site.” Well, would you look at that! Full reverse pivot, out of nowhere. No more Mr. Donkey-in-a-suit anymore, no sir. Wait, what’s this? Soft-money contributions? Aw, gee, thanks. How considerate of you, now that you have something to gain from me.
“Politicians talk and talk and talk because they just looooooooove the sound of their own voices.” Oops—some arsehole wants to build a pipeline in a non-industrial area located in an old rail corridor? Ho, ho! Now I’m your new best friend, a man of honor, and a kindhearted do-gooder all wrapped into one neat little convenient package posing in a picture with you so you can put it on the mantelpiece at the Rotary Club and show everybody you’re important enough to rub elbows with a real, live Member of Parliament.
Well guess what, Mr. and Mrs. Voter? I’m tired of it.
Next time you need to know when your stretch of the Trans-Canada is going to be renamed, or whether your grandfather’s house will ever be listed on the National Register Of Historic Places, take a second to stop and think about me. About how I feel when I pick up the phone any time, day or night, to hear about how you’re concerned that the video games your kids are playing are making them act out in school and you want a new law requiring children under age 14 to bring signed permission from their parents when purchasing certain titles. Why don’t you try asking me how my kids are? They’re fine, thank you, and they can tell the difference between fake violence and stabbing a classmate with a math compass. Call me during business hours.
If you still think that I’m only in this to line my pockets, don’t bother asking me for those fixed direct payments from the HST. And you can forget about getting me to speak at your School Board meeting about staying in school. I’ve got a lot of important resolutions to work on.
I swear, sometimes the electorate at large just makes me sick.