Dear Editor:
I write regarding Keith Baldrey's Jan. 13 column, Glen Clark Changes Philosophy. Will Dix?
If Adrian Dix, or for that matter his apparent campaign manager Keith Baldrey, wants to convince this voter that Dix has "changed," he can start by publicly divorcing himself from the public sector unions (mainly the BCTF, BCGEU) who absolutely own and control the NDP.
But he won't. He can't. The public sector unions are the lifeblood and masters of the NDP. It's where they get their marching orders and their funding in return for government jobs. It's true they pick up a few votes from naive environmentalists and anti-capitalists that actually believe their shared hatred of corporations will curry favour from the NDP. But the NDP really only consider them cute little pets that come when they are called. They don't get to sit at the adults' table.
I've heard Adrian Dix interviewed dozens of times over the years. It is obvious he still believes that "profit is theft," the economy is a zero-sum game and the mission statement of the government is to redistribute the wealth.
Problem is, the public sector doesn't create any wealth. Only businesses "create" wealth. This is the proverbial elephant in the room that Dix is trying to dance around with very carefully chosen words. He needs the money that business creates to give to his supporters, to get (buy) their votes. It's a classic example of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Dix knows, as long as there are more Pauls than Peters, you can count on Paul's support.
But that's the problem with socialism, eventually you run out of Peter's money to spend.
Brock Bishop, North Vancouver
