Wow, British Columbia alone is now Donating 8 million dollars

[HEyHEY]

To the relief for the South Asian Disaster.

Good for us! And for once I can say well done Gordon Campbell..

BC's Population is about four million.

So that brings Canada to 48 million PLUS another 2 million from independent donations.

I was ashamed to be Canadian this morning with our 4 million dollar donation...I feel better now, plus we're sending planes now too.

And I'm sure our aid money will keep increasing.

BUT WE MUST DEPLOY DART!

[ailsagirl]

1. I'm not surprised BC came through-- after all, they're Canadian

[HEyHEY]

2. The govenrments reasoning is

THey're the pacific rim province and home to many from that area.

[politicaholic]

3. Sure, but what's that with the exchange?

Just kidding, I'm from Kelowna and I'm feeling very proud right now.

[nine23]

4. HEyHEY: Just to keep this in context...

We first heard of the initial four million on Boxing Day (Sunday night) on the TV up at Whistler, WHEN CASUALTY TALK WAS STILL IN THE LOW "THOUSANDS"...

They "intimated" it was only the beginning. We believed them AND THEY CAME THROUGH. Good on them. And never forget: IT'S OUR MONEY; WE EXPECTED AT LEAST THIS.

HEyHEY, dude: I know you like Campbell, and you should know by now I'm a hard lefty...BUT TODAY, I DIG GORDY!!!! HE JUST REDEEMED HIMSELF (for about five months...)

[Maple]

5. Dart isn't really suitable

for this situation.

[HEyHEY]

6. Sure it is!

They have feild hospital equipment and water purification equipment...this is exactly what dart was made for.

[Maple]

7. They don't need

field hospitals, and they need lighter stuff to go to the outlying areas. Maybe parts of it

"Officials had said Tuesday that it would take about 24 flights of a loaded Hercules aircraft to ferry the 200 DART personnel and all their equipment to the region.

They said then that the DART, which is on standby for use in international disasters, wasn't "the right tool" to help victims of the earthquake and tsunami.

Its workings are complex, involving a kind of military field hospital that uses about 200 personnel including medics, engineers and security personnel."

SNIP

"He said the advance reconnaissance team will determine if some parts of DART could be sent, rather than trying to deploy the whole unwieldy team, which would cost $15-million to $20-million."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20041229.wcaid1229/BNStory/National/


On edit...Thailand has requested a forensics team for ID and body bags from us.

And the Red Cross says there are $4M in private donations, $2M from Ontario alone, so that's even better.

[HEyHEY]

8. EVERY person in the area is saying field hospitals are the first thing

Field Hospitals and Water Purification units. Just watch the news tonight that will be the only thing they request.

ANd I think Dart should be split to get the most important things there.


ooo we're up to four mil now! Awesome!

[GingerSnaps]

9. BC has class

* should eliminate some of the tax cuts for the rich for 2005 and offer up some of that money.

[yvr girl]

10. This does my heart good

I have been sickened and ashamed all day about Canada's paltry response and heartlessness. I'm glad Canada stepped up and I am so proud to be a British Columbian. I can't think of a better thing to spend our surplus on.