Kits Coast Guard base closure

here's a constructive idea---why don't we ask to have a boat and crew on station here in Vancouver 24 hrs a day. 3 crews they can switch shifts at a dock, maybe they have 2 boats so they are covered off for fueling, maintenance ect. I don't really care if they have a nice fancy building to hang out in, The action is on the water, they can just cruise leisurely around the area from horseshoe bay to vancouver and be ready,it's quicker to respond when you're already in the boat, that's what they should be paid to do, they can easily be dispatched from Richmond. Sounds like a good gig to me where do I sign up. Get a nice 40' coast guard boat it will be quite comfortable for them, I foresee no hardship. Here's a novel idea --build the boat locally. The coast guard's union is very good at fanning the fire's of fear, they don't care about boater safety they only care about how many members they have working,and the media eats it up because they are just glorified ambulance chasers with very little journalistic ability or desire.
I'm up early and heading out to see how the boats running , if I hear of anyone in distress I will render aid , it will be quicker than trying to get that bucket of bolts/ maintenance money pit they call the hovercraft here.

Cheers
 
That would be an out for the Conservatives but whether their political strategists can convince their bosses is another question.

I think they are hoping it just goes away and becomes a non issue by the time the next election comes around. Because of the nature of this decision, that is optimistic. This story will do more than keep it legs for a few months it is a perpetual political risk for the Conservatives.

This was the busiest Coast Guard rescue station in the county in the heart of the largest west coast city. That is not exactly low visibility. There will continue to be one marine event after another and with each one and especially the near misses, the problem will fester, the public will be reminded, the opposition and municipal politicians will make political hay out of it and the press will smell an easy story. With each incident the Conservatives will appear stubborn, arrogant, non responsive, and unconcerned for the public safty. The longer it goes on and the more they try to justify it, the more they are trapped. How can they possibly justify putting voters at risk to save $750,000. while prioritizing $5,000,000. for the “Office of Religious Freedom” to placate the more extreme elements of their political base – etc. etc. etc. There are dozens of ways this could be spun in sound bites against them in a political campaign and at both the local and even national level it is an opposition parties dream.

No good political strategist would leave a political land mine like this one sitting out there not knowing when it could go off, especially when the political cost versus benefit, is so one sided.

Worst case political disaster would be an actual marine disaster about a month or two before the next federal election. One with grieving widows and children or worse, dead children, followed by coroner’s and other investigations. Even if they avoid the big explosion there are still the many incidents that will occurs and each one will do political damage.

Sometimes astute politicians or at least ones with good survival instinct need to make a strategic shift. Your idea of a boat possibly could allow them to save face and slide out from under this issue but whether the technical considerations would make it viable, I have no way of knowing.
 
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I fear this is but one of many more instances to come that could have been prevented. I still can't make any sense of this terrible decision. Stop getting blood on your hands Harper and reopen Kits Coast Guard Station.:mad: eman
 
Incredibly short-sighted, ignorant and dangerous decision by our federal government now potentially costing lives. Incredible sad situation. I can only imagine what this guy's family is thinking. If it was someone I knew I would be out-raged that to save a few bucks (under 1 million a year) this is the tradeoff. I, like many on this forum and across Canada, were out-raged when this decision was announced and feared that situations like this would become a regular occurrence. When the local police, fire, city and almost all other public safety agencies say that Vancouver NEEDS this Coast Guard station it is mind-boggling to think that the Feds would go against it... there are obviously more reasons to this closure than the paltry $1 million annual savings... and Harper probably won't be forthright in letting us know. Sad, sad day
 
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/...rd+base+closure+rise+after/8231477/story.html

http://www.theprovince.com/health/F...+been+saved+Kitsilano+base/8231567/story.html

drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip ....... The sound of Conservative votes leaking away.

That is what happens when you are too arrogant to admit you made a mistake and back away from it.

This story is once again all over the news, check out the major papers.
 
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Yes there have been a lot of mishaps on the ocean recently. Everytime I'm out it seems I'm hearing multiple pan pans or may days each time. The last time I was coming in the coast Guard was just blasting out of the station to answer another distress. Most are from people hitting submerged reefs or sand banks. Mostly groundings from what I'm hearing lately. The last time I was out a 40 foot Bayliner was taking on water after hitting bottom. You'd think with the electronics on most boats that wouldn't happen very often these days, but it happens on an almost daily basis it seems.
 
Yes-- western Spanish Banks and Wreck Beach seem to get a unusually large number of groundings for some reason :rolleyes:
 
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