Ain't no shovel big enough!

British Columbians go to the polls in exactly one month. May 17th is election day in BC and with only thirty days to go, one wonders if Gordon Campbell will run out of money before his subjects reach the polling booth.

In an atmosphere unrivalled since the WAC Bennett pave the highway days, the Liberals have run a money truck run each and every day of the last three weeks it seems. The latest a combo deal with their Federal relations from Ottawa providing 30 million dollars, matched in Federal dollars as seed money for a container port in Prince Rupert. A much desired and needed boost to a moribund Rupert economy and a hell of an election gift for Bill Belsey, who is in a tight race with local teacher Gary Coons in the North coast riding.

Well perhaps it was a tight race before Friday, but with 60 million dollars promised (though not necessarily quite delivered yet) the 10,680 fine voters from the last election on the North Coast must surely have visions of golden streets dancing through their heads, as they wander through the potholes to the voting booth. Lets see 60 million divided into 10680, each vote is worth 5,618 dollars. One must wonder if Mr. Coons suddenly woke up today and decided not to bother to knock on anymore doors.

Now to be fair to Mr. Belsey this project and the new college recently completed were both projects long on the drawing board and finally proven to be real rather than rumour. Both should go a long way in turn around a local economy that appeared to be rushing into a death spiral the last few years. And in politics, it's all about timing, Mr. Belsey happens to be in the right place at the right time, as long as the traditionally finicky North Coast population doesn't decide to go against the current here.

But the Rupert announcement was just one of many photo ops of the last little while which have given the Liberals much more publicity over the stumbling campaign of the NDP and Carole James. The only real part of the province the Liberals were in trouble was the Northern portion from Kamloops north and then west to the Ocean.

With a spending spree in Prince George including the twinning of a vital but dangerous highway south, a new bridge for the Fraser river and new sports facilities for the University of Northern BC, most Liberal candidates must surely be sleeping a little sounder these nights.

The Premier has been protecting his base as well, the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island as well as the lower Interior have recovered nicely economically, but there's still some goodies to share there as well. Improvements to public transit and infrastructure in Vancouver and Victoria, more funding for police, new Universities in the Okanagan everyone surely can find something that has touched their day to day lives the last few years.

The same day as the Rupert port announcement was made, Campbell received more largesse from his friends on Parliament Hill. Prime Minister Martin handing over a cheque of over 600 million dollars in Gas tax revenues, for use on transit and even more infrastructure. Fix those roads and sewers and the voters are yours!

But while the election goodies trucks continue to roll, they're roadworthiness will come to and end on May 18th. Already the BC budget documents give indications that the orgy of announcements will cease after election day.

But until then, it's gas up the truck and head out on the road. Somehow you just know that WAC Bennett would be proud.