BREAKING NEWS: Suzanne Anton, Party Killer–Perhaps…
In what has to be the wellspring of political delusion, Vancouver City Councillor Suzanne Anton is having a fundraising shindig tonight, at the exclusive Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Vancouver, in the ‘Pol Roger Room’ no less…to begin the process of securing for herself, the NPA’s Mayoral nomination for 2011.
What?! You can’t hear my cries over the yelps and screams of joy from the crow’s nest at 12th and Cambie and Vision Vancouver’s offices? Well then shutter your windows and pay attention. It’s uglier than you think.
Prior to the New Year, one of the NPA’s best-liked members (he’s one of the nicest people you could ever be blessed to meet) and most prolific fundraisers must have knocked his extremely well-operating noggin’ while skiing in Gstaad, or wherever he was vacationing, because only that explains how he could have been dialing around to ask for table buyers, for the event tonight. “It’s a fundraiser for Suzanne” he told one gal. (Incidentally, I could have reported this late last year, but I wanted to wait and see if my prediction that the event would fail, would come true. Also, since the chief fundraiser is a good friend, I will spare him the agony of appearing in this piece).
But a fundraising dinner for what?! Well, I called Suzanne yesterday and asked the obvious question(s)–with notes, below, I wrote as I was conducting the interview–they’re in parentheses:
AGT: “So, I hear you’re having a ‘do’ tomorrow night for some hefty money-men, why don’t you just announce you’re running for Mayor? But then the NPA would need be buried without colour-guard or any honours…”
SA: “I’m not running for Mayor…but I’m not NOT running for Mayor…” (Writer’s note: How idiotic…such insufferable doublespeak died with ‘Slick Willy’ Clinton’s contributions to Monica Lewinsky’s dry-cleaning bill) Suzanne continued (to torture me), “I’m just doing some simple fundraising for the NPA since they can’t do any themselves” (Writer’s note: More idiocy…here’s a woman who wants to carry the NPA Mayoral flag, but does not see it as wrong that she implies that the NPA are desperately in need of some administrative and organizational Viagra.)
AGT: “Are you denying that you’re charging an exorbitant amount for a simple fundraiser?”
SA: “Well, Alex, I don’t know what’s being charged, I’m just trying to help the NPA with their programs” (Writer’s note: Dear Lord, please take me now, I can’t take too much more of this…how ’bout a thunderbolt Great-Uncle Zeus?…now, please now…she’s funding programs but doesn’t know what’s being charged or amounts needed…for a political party she just slagged because they’re in ghost mode…it’s like she’s channeling Sarah Palin…even Caribou Barbie’s got better messaging and sharper political smarts…)
AGT: “You mean the NPA have asked you to help them with fundraising? Do they know about the event?”
SA: “I’m sure they do, I mean, it’s not like the details are unknown” (Writer’s note: Okay, I’m now looking sideways at my gun collection…I’m going to end it all, I swear, Hunter Thompson style…either that or maybe Professor Plum will come into my library and off me with the candlestick, put me out of my misery…Col. Mustard, Mrs. Peacock, anyone, please, the spanner, the lead pipe, it won’t matter at this point…she cannot be this detached from reality (read: stupid), can she? God save me, please, I can’t take the pain. Okay, I admit it Lord, I stole a box of silver stars from the Shopper’s when I was five…what are you subjecting me to?!?!?! Pleeeeeeese make her stop!)
AGT: “What kind of programs are you funding?” (Writer’s note: I know I’m a masochist…at this point I was almost unconscious…)
SA: “Oh well, I’ll probably help them (the NPA) with their membership list and website” (Writer’s note: Okay that’s it…I’m done, I’m done, this must be what Mimi was referring to when she said “I don’t know if there’s anything out there worse than birth pain, sweetheart…”)
Oh yes, there sure is!!!!!!
And then, some mercy….
SA: “Listen, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve got to go. I really don’t know much about the event, you’ll have to ask your friend Xxxx”
Suzanne should have stopped at simply, “I really don’t know much…”
If she becomes the NPA Mayoral candidate, you read it here first, the party will be anihilated and die, as painfully as imaginable, in the worst of political nightmares.
Suzanne Anton is a capable enough councillor, but her aspirations for any higher office are the kind of insanity that is unfathomable.
1) She spent three full years as chief apologist for the worst Mayor in Vancouver’s history. The three years of mollycoddling Sam Sullivan’s nuttiness is, in no small part, why Jolly Green Gregor’s, propeller beanie, tricycle, alphabet blocks and jellybeans are strewn all over the Mayor’s Office floor. Suzanne committed to the worst of the defence of such craven nothingness, that her ramblings cannot be considered serious.
2) Her financial suitor(s) were asking for FIVE THOUSAND PER TABLE. The ‘ Pol Roger Room’ at the Sutton seats almost sixty…. The current reservation guarantee at the hotel is for SIXTEEN. That includes, I’m told, at least three other members of NPA caucus, who are not being charged a penny. How can this event be viewed as anything other than a monumental failure? The hotel confirms that the request is for a “hollow square”. Where are the big-pocketed donors and their $5,000.00 cheques? Nowhere… They’ll be a few big names looking to hedge their bets. Big deal…
3) What is she going to talk about? If she gives these people the kind of rhetorical garbage she terrorized me with, these guys might have wished they’d taken their cheques to any of the surrounding sheik-shops: Hermes, Tiffany anyone?
4) Imagine if Suzanne decides to talk about what she is able to comprehend as being wrong with City Hall!! That dinner hour will have 55 free minutes, maybe more… Her positions “opposing” Vision Vancouver are indistinguishable 90% of the time, with the crap being shoveled by the Mayor and his cronies.
5) She is so utterly narrow-minded on issues that matter, that her earrings have locked…the failed Burrard Bridge Bike lane, tax-hikes, the shelters, arrogance, lack of consultation, all Visions political crimes slip by her like water off a duck’s back.
6) Any similarity between Suzanne Anton and a functioning politician is purely coincidental…in no particular order: When I contacted Michael Davis, the NPA President, he had NO CLUE about the event she’s hosting tonight, other than it existed. When I asked about her assisting with party “programs”, Mr. Davis replied, “I have no idea what she’s talking about…that’s never been discussed with the (NPA) Board”. Besides, as a former Director, let me tell you…membership lists and websites cost a few thousand dollars per year to operate, and NOT needing of fundraisers that charge FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS per table.
7) Along with luminaries like Kim Capri and Elizabeth Ball, Suzanne back-stabbed brave Peter Ladner during the last campaign, by quietly withdrawing support and acting so irresponsibly during the nomination process. How does she expect to get that part of the party back? The independents? The stalwarts? They’ll never come to her in the numbers needed for her to win. Ever. Even if St. Gregor goes back to juicing oranges and mangoes, Raymond Louie would whip Suzanne, hands-down. The NPA needs a star candidate and a good crew (beginning with Michael Geller, Heather Holden and Sean Bickerton) and Vision are VERY beatable, but not if the organizational effort begins with the likes of Suzanne Anton and a lazy Board of Directors.
8)Suzanne is unable to secure good press at the best of times. By comparison, NPA Parks Commissioner Ian Robertson, who remains the inside favorite for the Mayoral Nomination, has garnered the best press to bring back independents, the disaffected and the base and is extremely well-liked by the media and even opponents (both Georgia Straight Columnist Charlie Smith and I have made the same observation about this, and Vision and COPE representatives routinely turn to him for advice).
9) Suzanne is clearly preparing for a mayoral run. The NPA should hang their collective head in shame that they can’t tell such a poor candidate for mayor to stop creating problems and taking money from people under the specious guise of general fundraising for the party. I know, this requires a purpose and a spine.
Everyone in politics has the right to be wrong, from time to time.
I just wish Suzanne Anton would stop abusing the privilege.
Suzanne Anton may be the worst mayoral candidate this city will ever see – when she eventually throws her hat in the ring.
And anyone that thinks she won’t – is as foolish as she IS for thinking she can win, or even that she deserves the opportunity.
Suzanne, if you read Alex’s blog and you see this comment please pay attention:
YOU WILL LOSE.
YOU WILL DESTROY WHAT IS LEFT OF THE NPA.
PEOPLE DO NOT RESPOND TO YOU.
PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE YOUR INCESSANT NATERING WHEN YOU SPEAK AT PUBLIC EVENTS.
IT’S OVER, WAKE UP!
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Her ability to underwhelm is astounding…
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I just wet my pants. That’s the funniest post I think I ever read. It doesn’t hurt that you are right about Anton. Her voice could shatter glass and she is a do-nothing. Anton is lucky that the alphabet begins with the letter A otherwise she would still be in park board.
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No argument for me! Sorry about the pants…
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That’s just too darned hilarious Alex. There is no doubt about Suzanne Anton, she would be a disasterous candidate for mayor. I honestly don’t even find her a good councilor. She has accomplished nothing of any value.
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Fascinating — A councillor who comes across as being more ditzy than Carol Brady or Sarah Palin who doesn’t know how much the entrance fee is to this not relaly needed bun toss, a president that says “membership lists and website cost a few thousand a year to operate” (no they don’t. Not that much. I’ve done both), and a fundraiser that obviously is catering to the snobby “creme de la creme” who hang out at the Arbutus Club.
Meanwhile Joe and Mary Sixpack who both are long NPA members (having started as volunteers in Johnathan Baker’s Mayor campaign) and live on West 49th are at home thinking about what Live Events they’ll attend and spend since they didn’t get any word about a NPA fundraiser that would be $100 a seat at the table that would attract 250 at the Greek Cultural Centre for a pre-Olympics kick-off event with
2010 tickets as the big raffle prize and other goodies and catered
dinner.
No wonder the NPA has for the longest time been a mess.
Potential news item:
Susan Anton declares her candidancy for Mayor. Speaking to supporters at her campaign launch at a community centre on West 33rd, she outlined 10 goals for her city to achieve if she became Mayor of Vancouver.
She was holding a fundraiser at a community Centre on West 33rd Street, in Vancouver Washington last night, reported The Columbian.
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Precisely. She is completely ill-suited for the job of Mayor of Vancouver. But head over to Frances Bula’s blog to see the kind of abuse I get from the rabid leftwingers that she allowed to hijack her blog long-ago. She even takes a shot at me in the opening to the story. She treats me like I’m some sort of joker, but I’ve trumped her on so many local stories, I’ve lost count. She’s obviously decided to allow her own political persuasion to dominate her stories. It’s sad. She was the best local reporter.
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Just read Fabula’s blog. Abuse? That ain’t abuse, bud. Comical actually but what does one expect from left wings? Right now we have a left wing councillor who seems to have a permanent frown probably brought on by his spectacular crash at the Vision Nomination meeting.
Won’t even go over one of the previous chaps on that side of the equation who wore a T-shirt with the face of a revolutionary that would make Trotsky look like your local bank manager or that good guy you know that runs the local Chrysler or GM dealership.
and geezus, the mention of TEAM? that goes way back. Was watching closely when Phillip Owen got stabbed in the back. Worked NPA
campaigns but don’t know if I would until they clean up their act
and cater more to Joe and Mary Sixpack on W. 49th (he’s a small business manager, she is a CGA or teacher or in Sales in this scene) rather than Smedley who has a big international business downtown but lives in a big house in Tiddlycove on the North Shore.
The NPA should be going after the middle of the road folks who are Conservative/Liberal rather than the perpetual “I’m important, so I get special privilege creme de la creme” crowd. I’ve known many successful business people and if you saw them you wouldn’t
be able to see much of their well deserved hard work wealth.
The perpetual catering to the snobby creme de la creme is nauseating. Have any of these people actually worked a campaign?
What exactly does the NPA do to cater to us middle of the road folk and not all actually own a small business but some run it, but aren’t stuffed with big money? The NPA used to do that, but not anymore.
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Hey Seymour…I was abused…I’m sensitive guy, ya know?? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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AT. — hey bud. Politics is a dirty business, eh? We’ve been abused
and used; poked and probed in politics. Stabbed in the back, gotten worked over, hundreds of hours of volunteer time thrown in the can because someone smart does stupid things. Ya know what I mean? Happens to sensitive guys like us, eh? I hear ya pal!
Keep this blog of yours smokin’!
Suzanne Anton as the NPA Mayor’s candidate.. (wince) Geeezus.
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Thx pal. The incredible part is that while the NPA claims they want an open process, Mike Davis, their President, clearly sees what Suzanne is doing and yet he has neither the balls or good sense to pull her aside and explain that this is no ordinary set of circumstances the NPA are in and they need a saviour…not a woman whose voice would liquify aluminum or whose policy positions are indistinguishable from Vision. Suzanne Anton might as well be running for them. Her positions are perfectly in line with the kind of nonsense they have been shoveling for the last year. They clearly lied about what they were going to do for the city. And she’s held their feet to the fire…from about a chair length away, and rubbed them with lavender. It’s ridiculous.
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I am not saying shame on anyone here, but really, she may be the easiest “politician” to throw jabs at.
I have referred to her as “the political dingleberry” since the Sam days when she’d follow him along with the vacant smile and cling to anything with money.
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Oh that bloody deer-in-the-headlights, mindless perma-smile is astounding. Her defence of Sam was shameful.
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Another interesting piece of work Alex. Yes, Suzanne Anton has reached her glass ceiling in civic politics. Perhaps the turnout to her shindig will provide her with a valuable lesson.
On the flip side of the coin, Gregor and team no longer have the “Obama” effect that carried the day in 2008 with over 10,000 members and seem to have had a few stumbles since.
I still suspect that Gregor will win the mayor’s chair next time around but Vision has too much incompetent deadweed at all three civic levels that will be siphoned off/turfed by the electorate.
Remember that the NPA had right-wing dinosaurs with the likes of Fred Cavanaugh, Doug Little, Warnett Kennedy, Helen Boyce, Bernice Gerard et al in the early 1980′s and the NPA was written off back then until a more moderate grouping was in place for the 1984 civic election.
With Vision’s lustre fading, the NPA’s Michael Gellers, Heather Holdens , Sean Bickertons and Ian Robertsons will have a much easier time obtaining elected status in the next go round.
I doubt, however, that Ian Robertson would be able to defeat Gregor and that he she just run for a spot on council. I suspect that Parks Board, School Board, and Council will be more balanced between the Vision and the NPA after the 2011 election.
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Yeah, I’m not sure Robertson could do it either, time will tell. But the Vision hoovers sure get uncomfortable at the idea of another Robertson on the ballot and the fact Gregor’s clan-cousin doesn’t back down from a fight. Suzanne, on the other hand, is shamelessly selfish for her entire political career…and her messaging is a disaster. The shrill version of the Katharine Hepburn voice doesn’t help either…
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Why the lack of strong, charismatic, and popular figures in the centre-right, not only locally with the NPA, but provincially with the BC Liberals and federally with the Conservatives?
What has happened to a person’s desire to enter politics? No-wonder so many people get tired of voting all together.
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Great observation…here’s your answer. Who would want to go off and pretend they could support a family of even three on $50,000 per year; attend mtngs well into the early morning hours and have to endure the biased ripping of the local media, the vast majority of which, are all rabid left-wingers? ‘nough said…
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Not only that, but “Only three cities do not offer pensions to a local council members: Vancouver, Halifax and Ottawa…”
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Hey great sleuthing Olga! Nice work!!
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Thank you, thank you very much.
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You’re welcome, you’re welcome very much.
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Alex I just about popped a hernia from laughing so hard. You are way too funny. Suzanne can’t amount to anything like mayor can she? God help us all.
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Glad you enjoyed it. I’m not sure if she can take the nomination or not. Like I stated though, if she does the NPA are finished for good. No chance to recover.
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There really is a bit of irony to the rant, AGT.
For someone who was instrumental in taking Sam down without even a crack at re-election (a strategy that almost killed the NPA once via the Clarke-Owen affair), I’d argue that you were the one who killed the NPA.
It’s a little much to suggest that SA is going to kill something that you already helped destory. She’s only an after-shock.
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You know…maybe it’s time I put you and the others in your place…
You have a great set of stones my friend coming around here and throwing around nonsense. While some of your pals pretending they were Sam’s “advisors” were busy trying to figure a way to get the soap-on-a-rope off from around their necks, I was talking to him EVERY second day at least…most of the calls were placed by HIM.
When my kid was dying and I didn’t know what end was up I got paged at the hospital by Sam’s point man. They were concerned about membership lists and other Board supports that Sam didn’t have going to Christy. He knew where I was, he knew what I was going through, but not a word. not even a stitch of encouragement. Just worried about themselves and Sam’s campaign. When I got onto a computer in one of the nurses stations to table a motion that would have helped Christy had I not…and I defeated the problem in an hour, did I get a call? A word of thx? Nothing.
I was never into helping Sam for a job or to advance my already busting at the seams resume. I didn’t need the glory. I was just juiced about working with a great team. And they were great, super…together. But the heartlessness of some started to show early.
By the time Sam hired nice folks, but the wrong ones, I was already ringing the alarm bells. Three people listened. We met with Sam in July of 2006. EVERYONE of the seven of us in the room told him he was in trouble if things didn’t change. When we left, I turned to one friend and said “It’s over”. Sam thought about firing and rehiring in April of that year, but didn’t do it because he was too stubborn, too timid.
When eco-density hit it was all I could do not to vomit. Piffle. more calls, more consternation. Said one bright gal, “You’d think he wasn’t listening to any of us over the last year and a half”. Then Civil City and by the time the insanity of CAST hit, I was out along with two other stalwarts he could not survive without.
Sam screwed us and the people of the city because it was all about him. After three years of Larry’s bullshit, the people deserved better. And then Sam spent three years twiddling his thumbs. I simply called it the way I saw it. Was I feeling betrayed? Damn right.
I watched him promise us, ALL of us, those of us that REALLY helped him that he would deliver. We gave him the plan IN WRITING. If he followed it and hired Colin Metcalfe, he’d still be Mayor and be able to run a third time. But Daniel Fontaine had other plans, he thought a gentler Sam would do–clearly that was wrong…. Instead, while Sam was being shielded by staff, and excused by losers and wannabes that wanted nothing more than committee appointments, the rest of us felt used. Very. I wish I could name names, but some have become very dear friends. Lifelong friends. Real people, with hearts. Not users and manipulators. There’s a time for that in politics…but the ‘On’ button can’t be in the up position all the time.
Sam defeated Sam. That’s the truth. The Peter vs. Sam contest is compared to the Jennifer and Philip contest be IDIOTS and incompetents that can’t tell the difference, and for your benefit, here it is:
Jennifer was unqualified to be Mayor and was replacing a qualified Philip Owen. Sam was an unqualified Mayor who was being replaced by a qualified Peter Ladner. Then again, Philip didn’t make it easy with all the drivel about harm seduction (that has destroyed the DTES).
So go stick your head somewhere and cool off. The NPA made some mistakes along the way but couldn’t beat Vision last time because of the VIRAL nothingness of Sam and unqaulified candidates like Kim Capri, Elizabeth Ball and others. There were bright lights, like Bickerton and Geller. But for you to tell me that I sank Sam is insufferable bullshit.
Suzanne sank him along with her friends, because that’s how good a political compass they have. Meanwhile, the current NPA Board led by their Sleeper-In-Chief, are DEEP in slumber.
Man oh man, Paul Barbeau’s velvet loafers must be all sweaty with regret over all the hard work…
If you’re going to come around here, come with some truth and not horse manure.
I killed off Sam’s political career as Mayor? No I didn’t. I simply pointed out that he and the majority of those around him, were in it for themselves.
And the citizens of Vancouver agreed with me, and overwhelmingly so…
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Bravo!
Not many would provide the insight you did with your comment above, Alex.
You should be commended. Hey wait a minute, I think thats what I’m doing.
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Thx Glen. I just think it makes no sense to sit and read that kind of nonsense and not allow the truth to come out. Sam was a disaster. Jennifer Clarke was unqualified. And I watched it all.
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I’m an outsider, AGT. I don’t know the personal stories are what was going on behind the scenes. What I do know is that Asian people voted for Sam.
Sometimes you get to close and assume that there is as much thought going into it for everyone else.
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Who cares about who voted for Sam? That has nothing to do with what you wrote. Your contention that the Clarke/Owen donnybrook was akin to the principled contest between Peter Ladner and a badly wounded Sam (self-inflicted wounds) is absurd. I, and many others, spent a great deal of time so that YOU and the rest of the city we all love would finally get some good govt. Now, instead of losing three years to Larry’s bullshit, we will likely be headed into NINE PLUS years of bad govt at Vancouver City Hall. How many years thereafter do you think it will take to fix matters???
When you view it like this, NOTHING I did was anything other than do what Allen Gar and Frances Bula should have been doing and far more consistently than me. No had the fortitude to wake the masses. And I make no apologies for this. As it turns out, walk about Vancouver, read what has been happening at Silly Hall…and tell me I was wrong…go on, tell me…
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“Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant!”
I wanted to salute you in my ancestors’ language, Alex.
This piece, well, it was…nulli secundus .
What did it for me?
“…it’s like she’s channeling Sarah Palin…even Caribou Barbie’s got better messaging and sharper political smarts…”
“Okay, I’m now looking sideways at my gun collection…I’m going to end it all, I swear, Hunter Thompson style…”
“She is so utterly narrow-minded on issues that matter, that her earrings have locked…”
You are killing me. Softly. Despite me having a Double Black belt in Laughing.
“If you have a “ceremonial” dagger which you demand to wear, then as a long-time pistol shooter, I demand that it’s part of my Canadian identity to holster under my arm, my .357.” (From an earlier post of yours)
Stop it, stop it right now! I’m warning you… ok, you asked for it, there you go then; now you’ll have to watch the short clip from Susan’s $5,000/ table fundraiser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyGTHoOQKMQ
I’ve been busy, busy, busy but I just had to stop by.
And Alex, before I go one request please, could you send greetings to Uncle Zeus, from me and my Uncle Jupiter!?
We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.
Glissando
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You are superb my dear… Was that Michael Davis under the table? LOL!
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Can anyone justify the need for civic politicians to belong ta a political party of any stripe. Does belonging to party “A” or “B” make one any smarter, more competent or more trustworthy? Not from where I’m sitting. The way I see it is that if you need to belong to a party, then you are saying that I will support whatever my leader wants and I don’t have to have anything to contribute, just look good.
The other big problem with the so-called party mentality is that the whole excercise becomes more about victory than good governance. It’s not about how well you can handle things, but how you can discredit your opposition. Pray tell, how does that serve the citizenry of whichever city, town or municipality? It doesn’t, and no right thinking person can say otherwise.
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It’s starting to look like the way parties are run has extended far beyond the cynical. You may very well be right.
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I agree, but going back to an at-large system with wards is a can of worms I’m very wary of. I can just imagine what COPE, the unions and the NDP would do to carry enough wards for a majority while screwing the rest of the city.
I’m afraid the only way out of this is a superb candidate to come forward understanding that we elect people to responsibly and inclusively manage, and not lead us to salvation from ourselves [cough, choke, Gregor, echem].
If we can find a person such as this and get them elected for several terms, it would be a very good thing.
Then again, using the word “if” reminds of an old saying:
If, ifs and buts were candies and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas.
Now lets find someone like this and start working towards 2011.
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Glen, you can’t have an at-large AND wards. I suppose a blend, but the whole thing becomes very messy. Frankly, Vancouver is too small for wards. In smaller cities where they do have wards, it’s a nightmare. The only reason wards are appealing to the left is because the most distinct neighborhoods in Vancouver: Indo, Filipino, gay, university, east side–all swing COPE or now Vision. That means with no effort, they control council permanently. The Mayor would be an afterthought. It’s pretty shameless.
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Sorry “my bad” as the young kids say now a days. I didn’t mean to confuse at-large and wards in the same system. What I was typing and thinking came out entirely jumbled.
I meant that wards are problematic and the at large system we have now needs to stay.
Sorry about that……I wish I could at least blame that on too much alcohol but sadly that was just bad typing and not re-reading before hitting the submit button.
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No problem.
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Based on your comments above re: the failed state of the NPA, it begs the ?, whence forth from here?
Vision is a collection of individuals who have gotten together to get elected for their own personal agendas: GR [Mr. Gleam] is only here on his way somewhere else [deluded because the NDP scorn him & the Liberals won't, hopefully, be that desperate when Gordo departs, GMeggs, from the most radical union in BC history, the Fisherman's Union, & has an unpublished agenda which will become clearer in the fullness of time [unfortunately by then much of the damage will be done]; a good start has already been made], etc. These guys are unprincipled opportunists.
The NPA has been falling on its sword for years. The only reason it’s survived is because people realize you need a ‘party’ to get elected in Vancouver’s @ large system. They were dying in the 80s when TEAM, a then withering coalition, quietly took them over. That gave them a new life for a bit but, recent history has been from one stumble to another. The core reason for this is they also have been a collection of opportunists with no published platform. Voters today are better informed & won’t vote on a hope & a prayer.
If the NPA are to survive they must get some new blood NOW willing to put their policies on the line for public scrutiny. If they don’t they’ll be relegated to the scrap heap &, not the recycled one. As well, @ the moment my sense is there are some former NPA candidates who have their fingers to the wind & are considering switching to Vision because their main motivation is to get elected. It is not policy based. Vancouver deserves better.
If the NPA can get its act together, they might be able to get some representation next time round, especially if they’re not off the right side of the map. Another option is a new party but, history tells this takes @ least 3 elections [9 years!]. By then Vancouver will be a decimated shadow of the City we have grown to be increasingly proud of. We’ll be @ sea, bobbing about, rudderless on one of the fast ferries.
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For those of you who are unaware of the greatness behind this comment, it’s author is on William McCreery, former Parks Commissioner extraordinaire. Bill’s tenure was one of significant accomplishment and his comments here, are, unsurprisingly, bang on. If the NPA cannot start moving forward now, then they are summarily finished and will not have anything left to resurrect next time around. Many thx Bill for blessings us with your thoughts and pithy comments.
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