When I was there, things were done differently.  It was all top people then, great bunch of guys, mostly Bonavista or Placentia baymen, best time in Newfoundland and Labrador. 

When I left the organization I was in possession of the kind of knowledge that can only come from experience so I naturally assumed I’d be consulted by the new kids, at least for the big projects.  Since I was on a generous pension I’d only charge standard consultancy fees, nothing like what we were paying Ernst and Young and SNC-Lavalin last going off, something reasonable, no more than $2000/day, something nominal.

Bastards never called.  I never even got so much as an invite to the Christmas party, like I hadn’t worked there for thirty-plus years!  No surprise that it’s all gone to shit.  In my next blog post I will provide a series of graphs that demonstrate how Newfoundland and Labrador is now inexorably headed for bankruptcy and ruin regardless of any measures taken by any of the new people irrespective of any unforeseen future prospects.  Further, my former colleague (retired) will offer evidence that in the past we did better things more often for much less.

You came up through the ranks in my time, started at the bottom and learned how the whole operation worked. I started in the sub-basement, literally in the sub-basement repairing a sump pump.  Wouldn’t see a young executive doing that now! They don’t teach you about sump pumps in Business School!

Here’s a picture of me and the boys when the then-Premier knew my name and I was on that very important committee.  Here we all are at the Chateau Laurier after we signed that breakthrough agreement with the Federal Government.  They don’t do agreements like that anymore. That agreement was the best ever negotiated by Newfoundlanders in Ottawa. Look at the hair!  And look at the specs on my former assistant (retired)!  We might have looked foolish but we got ‘er done, buddy.

Back in the day they paid commentators to go on CBC.  And that was when the CBC even had writers on contract!  The only reason I do it for free now is because I have pension that’s pretty generous and the people of this once-great Province need to know that the new crowd have no idea how it’s done.  And at least CBC asks!  Besides I’m up early in the morning, so it’s nothing for me to drive to the studio, even from the cabin.

Our economists had a better grasp of the situation, like us they started at the bottom, counting actual things, like cod tongues or birch junks, before they got into these theoretical projections.

Myself and former colleagues (retired) were appointed strictly on merit.  Our party affiliation was entirely coincidental to our being put in our posts.  The new guys are the worst kind of cronies from the other party.

You would never get away with some of this stuff when I was there. Standards were higher then.