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NPA pushes De Genova up to council, keeps Coupar at park board

July 18th, 2014 · 49 Comments

Little announcement out from the NPA today about incumbents running. Only deviation from what had previously been suspected is that John Coupar is being kept at park board instead of moving up to council.

I can only guess that’s to leave some room to recruit some candidates who aren’t 1. white 2. mostly male, as former NPA board member Ken Charko was frequently warning the party was going to be a problem.

Here’s the announcement.

Mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe welcomes the depth of municipal experience of those running for office again   

Friday, July 18, 2014, Vancouver BC – Non-Partisan Association mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe today unveiled the party’s incumbent candidates who are running for re-election in Vancouver‘s November 15 election.

They are:

  • George Affleck for Council;
  • Elizabeth Ball for Council;
  • Melissa De Genova for Council;
  • John Coupar for Park Board; and
  • Fraser Ballantyne for School Board.

“The civic experience and talent these incumbents bring to the election as candidates is impressive, and I am grateful for their wish to continue their public service to our great city,” said NPA mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe, who announced his own candidacy earlier this week.

Ball will seek another term as Councillor as will Affleck, who first won in 2011. De Genova, who seeks a seat on City Council this time around, was first elected to Park Board in 2011. John Coupar and Fraser Ballantyne will seek a second term as Park Board Commissioner and School Board Trustee, respectively.

The candidates say they welcome being part of a reinvigorated NPA under Mr. LaPointe’s leadership, and look forward to an election focused on constructive ideas rather than ideology, and on openness and accessibility of Vancouver’s government.

Kirk LaPointe will introduce the incumbents today at 9 am outside of Queen Elizabeth Park’s Bloedel Conservatory. You are welcome to attend.

For candidate bios and downloadable photos, visit npavancouver2014.ca.

 

 

Categories: Uncategorized

49 responses so far ↓

  • 1 boohoo // Jul 18, 2014 at 8:58 am

    “I can only guess that’s to leave some room to recruit some candidates who aren’t 1. white 2. mostly male, as former NPA board member Ken Charko was frequently warning the party was going to be a problem.”

    Again, this so wrong. What the hell happened to running the best candidates because they were the best candidates?

  • 2 Trevor B // Jul 18, 2014 at 10:29 am

    boohoo – Same with Vision re: mostly male. Only slightly more ethnically diverse. Charlie Smith at the Straight did a good overview. http://www.straight.com/news/688511/there-arent-many-women-visions-council-caucus-clever-marketing-can-camouflage-reality

    I’m quite happy that people like Elizabeth and John C are back for another round. They’re dedicated to arts and culture, and seniors (see delays in SE Vancouver Seniors Centre, bloedel conservatory). I found John in particular to be well spoken, moderate and thoughtful in his approach.

  • 3 boohoo // Jul 18, 2014 at 10:34 am

    Yes, it’s the same with all parties. That’s my point.

  • 4 Pete Quily // Jul 18, 2014 at 12:21 pm

    So NPA Vancouver and Kirk La Pointe is OK with with elevating to council NPA park board commissioner Melissa De Genova who in a public park board meeting in front of multiple witnesses shamed and stigmatized her opponent Vision’s Sarah Blyth for daring to ask for and receive help for ADHD at work?

    And has refused to apologize for it despite being widely criticized for it?

    Sarah Blyth is the first & only politician to go public with ADHD while in office in North America. I know for a fact she’s not the only one since I’ve coached others. But the only one to go public.

    Stigma against people with ADHD is so huge very few of us go public.

    ADHD adults complain to me all the time about being shamed and stigmatized for having ADHD but they rarely complain to media and politicians because of the heavy stigma. Media & pols don’t think it’s a problem because they don’t complain. ADHD catch 22.

    “As I was leaving Commissioner De Genova proceeded to follow me out the door asking why I was playing the poor me card the disability card for many to hear in disbelief.”
    Sarah Blyth

    It’s OK to ask a politician about their spending.

    But this is not acceptable. Shaming someone with a mental health condition for getting help for it at work? So wrong.

    What’s the message you’re sending to other politicians who may have other mental health conditions? Or staff with them?

    It’s not just Sarah who heard it, many others did too.

    Jamie Lee Hamilton who’s not shy to criticize Sarah Blyth or Vision Vancouver said this.

    “This was in my opinion a full on attack of politicians with disabilities.

    Moreover, Commissioner De Genova continued her attack as the meeting concluded telling Commissioner Sarah Blyth that she was playing the disability card.

    This latest statement by Commissioner De Genova was purposefully stated in attempt to shame Commissioner Blyth.

    People with disabilities already shoulder stigma with their disabilities and these statements by an elected official carry weight and add significantly to the stigma of mental health.

    I believe Commissioner De Genova needs to make a public apology over her attack.”

    http://adultaddstrengths.com/2014/07/15/others-said-npa-vancouvers-melissa-de-genova-adhd-shaming-stigmatizing/

    And to make it worse Melissa De Genova has 2 learning disabilities, went to a $20,000+ private school for ADHD & LD and is on the city of Vancouver disability advisory committee.

    She should know better. She’s refused to apologize.

    Kirk La Pointe & NPA party brass don’t seem to think publicly shaming and stigmatizing someone for getting help with a mental health condition at work is wrong.

    NPA Not Progressive At ALL Association.

  • 5 Pete Quily // Jul 18, 2014 at 12:40 pm

    “The NPA Caucus formally expelled Ken Denike and Sophia Woo from Caucus late last week having concluded that Denike and Woo did not share the same level of sensitivity and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community”

    “Fostering inclusion and understanding is central among the NPA’s guiding principles.”

    The NPA Blog June 17, 2014
    http://npavancouver.ca/npa-vancouver-board-supports-caucus-decision-to-expel-denike-and-woo/

    So did NPA park board commissioner Melissa De Genova’s comments “you’re playing the poor me card, the disability card “share the same level of sensitivity and understanding” of the ADHD community?

    Or the disability community?

    Is that actually really important to NPA Vancouver or just a pr talking point to deflect heavy public and media criticism over their npa politician’s (now expelled) comments about transgender people?

    Did NPA park board commissioner Melissa De Genova’s comments to ADHD park board commissioner Sarah Blyth “Foster inclusion and understanding” of people with ADHD?

    Is that truly a guiding principle of NPA Vancouver?

    Because Melissa De Genova sure did NOT “Foster inclusion and understanding” with her comments shaming and stigmatizing Sarah Blyth for getting help for ADHD at work.

    Attitudes and comments like Melissa De Genova’s are why so many of us with ADHD stay hidden in the ADHD closet. And people with other mental health conditions and invisible disabilities too.

    And yet despite multiple criticisms, Melissa De Genova has still not apologized.

    Kirk La Pointe claims he’s against “gutter politics” but seems he’s cool with why are you “playing the poor me card the disability card”?

    Not a single NPA Vancouver politician, executive or board director has condemned Melissa De Genova’s shaming and stigmatizing someone with a mental health condition for getting help. None.

    “Vancouver Parks Board Commissioner Sarah Blyth writes in the post below that “Stigmatizing someone for seeking help for ADHD, or any mental health condition or a workplace problem is unacceptable in this modern age.”

    We completely agree and congratulate Ms Blyth for speaking out.”
    BC Coalition Of People With Disabilities·

    http://adultaddstrengths.com/2014/07/15/others-said-npa-vancouvers-melissa-de-genova-adhd-shaming-stigmatizing/

    NPA. Not Progressive At All Association.

  • 6 Jack // Jul 18, 2014 at 1:36 pm

    Pete Quily – I think you’ve more than made your point. No need to continue bombarding comment sections and twitter with this non-issue. Time to move on.

  • 7 gman // Jul 19, 2014 at 3:21 pm

    Pete Quily #4
    What a hypocrite you are. You act all offended about a comment allegedly said by De Genova and go on about what a great guy you are,how you help people with ADHD saying there are several that you’ve helped…blah blah.
    Then in the very same breath you take it upon yourself to out De Genova on a public blog exposing what her private health problems are and even try to jazz it up with a monetary amount she spent for help….how very Progressive of you Pete. Shameful behavior Pete,you may want to rethink your line of work.

  • 8 Everyman // Jul 19, 2014 at 4:17 pm

    @Pete Quiley
    It doesn’t seem to me that disclosing another person’s medical history makes what you alleged to have occurred any better. And you might want to rethink whether it does you any professional good either.

  • 9 Pete Quily // Jul 20, 2014 at 1:06 am

    gman #5
    Shameful behaviour you making up lies and then getting offended about your made up lies. Are you trying to imitate Vladimir Putin?

    You must be an sockpuppet in training.

    Said by Melissa De Genova and heard by multiple witnesses at the public park board meeting.

    I didn’t go on about what a great guy I was, those again are lies you made up to attack me vs actual facts.

    Another lie. I didn’t “out” de genova for having learning disabilities she “outed” herself in a public park board meeting.

    If you had bothered to actual read Sarah Blyth’s post you would know. But I guess you prefer making up lies vs reading.

    You lie again. De Genova said on twitter’s public timeline she went to Fraser academy. It’s a well known private school for ADHD & LD . Well known that school costs $20,000 a year.

    ALL of this was public long before I blogged that public information. No outing by me at all.

    Shameful behaviour the lies you say, with no basis in fact.

    How very conservative of you.

    Are you getting paid for your libel and incompetence?

    If so, you may want to rethink your line of work.

  • 10 Pete Quily // Jul 20, 2014 at 1:07 am

    Shameful behaviour gman you making up lies and then getting offended about your made up lies. Are you trying to imitate Vladimir Putin?

    You must be an sockpuppet in training.

    Said by Melissa De Genova and heard by multiple witnesses at the public park board meeting.

    I didn’t go on about what a great guy I was, those again are lies you made up to attack me vs actual facts.

    Another lie. I didn’t “out” de genova for having learning disabilities she “outed” herself in a public park board meeting.

    If you had bothered to actual read Sarah Blyth’s post you would know. But I guess you prefer making up lies vs reading.

    You lie again. De Genova said on twitter’s public timeline she went to Fraser academy. It’s a well known private school for ADHD & LD . Well known that school costs $20,000 a year.

    ALL of this was public long before I blogged that public information. No outing by me at all.

    Shameful behaviour the lies you say, with no basis in fact.

    Are you getting paid for your libel and incompetence?

    If so you may want to rethink your line of work

  • 11 Brilliant // Jul 20, 2014 at 12:45 pm

    Smart move keeping incumbents on council and promoting a name to run. You don’t need to replace the mayor just get a majority on council.

  • 12 spartikus // Jul 20, 2014 at 4:49 pm

    No need to continue bombarding comment sections and twitter with this non-issue.

    Right, you’ve sure shown him (and such a “non-issue” the Courier did a story on it).

  • 13 Bill // Jul 20, 2014 at 5:31 pm

    @spartikus #10

    The story seems to be more about ADHD than any “stigmatizing” by Ms. De Genova. A nice little self promotion piece that omitted the gratuitous comments about Ms. De Genova.

  • 14 spartikus // Jul 20, 2014 at 5:47 pm

    The story seems to be more about ADHD than any “stigmatizing” by Ms. De Genova. A nice little self promotion piece that omitted the gratuitous comments about Ms. De Genova.

    Uh huh.

    Blyth wrote on her Facebook page about feeling stigmatized after being accused by NPA park board commissioner Melissa De Genova of “playing the poor me card, the disability card.” The issue garnered the attention of activist Jamie Lee Hamilton and other Vision Vancouver park board commissioners, and the post was shared by the B.C. Coalition of People with Disabilities. The Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada also blogged about the incident.

    You guys…

    Own. Worst. Enemy.

  • 15 spartikus // Jul 20, 2014 at 5:49 pm

    By the by, a 5-second perusal of Pete Quily’s Twitter feed would reveal he’s a vociferous critic of Vision Vancouver.

  • 16 Bill // Jul 20, 2014 at 6:27 pm

    @spartikus

    One paragraph, at best 10% of the story. This is a non-issue.

  • 17 Pete Quily // Jul 20, 2014 at 7:13 pm

    gman 07

    Wow such shameful behaviour you making up lies and then getting offended about your made up lies.

    You must be an sockpuppet in training.

    Said by Melissa De Genova and heard by multiple witnesses at the public park board meeting.

    I didn’t go on about what a great guy I was, those again are lies you made up to attack me vs actual facts.

    Another lie. I didn’t “out” de genova for having learning disabilities she “outed” herself in a public park board meeting.

    If you had bothered to actual read Sarah Blyth’s post you would know. But I guess you prefer making up lies vs reading.

    You lie again. De Genova said on twitter’s public timeline she went to Fraser academy. It’s a well known private school for ADHD & LD . Well known that school costs $20,000 a year.

    ALL of this was public long before I blogged that public information. No outing by me at all.

    Shameful behaviour the lies you say, with no basis in fact.

    Are you getting paid for your libel and incompetence?

    If so you may want to rethink your line of work.

  • 18 spartikus // Jul 20, 2014 at 7:23 pm

    This is a non-issue.

    People who suffer from stigma in society are always a “non-issue”.

    Right, Bill?

  • 19 F.H.Leghorn // Jul 20, 2014 at 9:11 pm

    Given enough time, progressives may yet make it a crime to “stigmatize” someone, thus stigmatizing the stigmatizer.

    Of course stigmatization is purely subjective. It amounts to taking offence at something someone says. Never mind freedom of speech or conscience. The self-esteem of the self-identified victims of this or that must trump all other considerations.

    They refer to “social stigma”, a concept developed first by Emile Durkheim and one which has become a staple in the complaints of the disaffected. Wikipedia has an excellent article dealing with the subject.

    Does it strike anyone else as odd that, in the current political climate, a disabilityshould be thought a qualification for elected office?

    Must even the smallest-time political parties seek visible representatives of every single minority group (except Christians. And women of course. They’re not a minority, they’re property) to avoid the accusation of ethnic bias or worse, thought crime?
    Clever politicians gravitate naturally towards promoting candidates who are disabled women of colour, homosexual if possible, in order to cross four items off their wedge-issue defence list. Somehow or other these candidates seldom rise to the top of the political pyramid, but somebody has to work the phone banks and appeal to those female voters not blinded by the leader’s blinding physical beauty.

    People who suffer in society are just a prop for those with a political axe to grind. Just another path on the road to power. They have no intention of actually doing anything for the disabled, but as a sympathy ploy it’s hard to beat. I mean, who could say something nasty to somebody in a wheelchair. It’s like motherhood.

    Nevertheless, using pity as a campaign theme is politics of the lowest order. If you have no accomplishments or ideas to run on, what’s left?

  • 20 Bill // Jul 20, 2014 at 9:33 pm

    @spartikus #15

    Considering the alleged “stigmatizer” apparently has the same condition only demonstrates that the culture of victimization has finally jumped the shark.

  • 21 Bill // Jul 20, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    @FHL #16

    Very well said.

  • 22 Pete Quily // Jul 20, 2014 at 10:24 pm

    gman #07

    You must be an sockpuppet in training.

    Shameful behaviour you making up lies and then getting offended about your made up lies.

    Said by Melissa De Genova and heard by multiple witnesses at the public park board meeting.

    I didn’t go on about what a great guy I was, those again are lies you made up to attack me vs actual facts.

    Another lie. I didn’t “out” de genova for having learning disabilities she “outed” herself in a public park board meeting.

    If you had bothered to actual read Sarah Blyth’s post you would know. But I guess you prefer making up lies vs reading.

    You lie again. De Genova said on twitter’s public timeline she went to Fraser academy. It’s a well known private school for ADHD & LD . Well known that school costs $20,000 a year.

    ALL of this was public long before I blogged that public information. No outing by me at all.

    Shameful behaviour the lies you say, with no basis in fact.

    Are you getting paid for your libel and incompetence?

    If so you may want to rethink your line of work.

  • 23 spartikus // Jul 21, 2014 at 10:36 am

    G&M’s Ian Bailey tweets Melissa DeGenova has apologized to Sarah Blyth for her remarks.

  • 24 Pete Quily // Jul 21, 2014 at 12:01 pm

    everyman #08

    without asking me to confirm if gman #05 lies & libel are true you’re repeating them. They’re lies. I had trouble getting my response posted and now it’s posted here that explains it, go read it.

    Because gman #05 lazy lies, I’ve posted screen shots on my blog posts of NPA Vancouver’s melissa de genova tweets she posted LONG BEFORE I blogged about them.

    They are evidence she did admit she had learning disabilities and she went to Fraser Academy high school for ADHD & LD.

    I did not out anyone. Melissa outed her self. First at public park board meeting, then repeated them on twitter’s public timeline

    see the screenshots at my post here

    http://adultaddstrengths.com/2014/07/15/others-said-npa-vancouvers-melissa-de-genova-adhd-shaming-stigmatizing/

  • 25 Pete Quily // Jul 21, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    Own. Worst. Enemy. Very well put spartikus. They sure are.

    Conservative have ADHD too. 80% genetic neurobiological conditions like ADHD don’t chose people by ideology.

    I have criticized all #vanpoli parties. And yes I’m not shy of criticizing vision. If some of the conservatives here are in doubt of that, they can read my post

    Vision Vancouver 2011: Member Driven, Empowering Our Members, Open Nominations Besides Gregor. Vision 2014: Director Driven, Disempowering Our Members, Closed Nominations, Rigged Democracy

    http://adultaddstrengths.com/2014/05/04/vision-vancouver-2014-rigged-democracy-closed-nominations/

    or go search @pqpolitics and vision on twitter.

  • 26 Pete Quily // Jul 21, 2014 at 12:28 pm

    bill #16

    you claim its’ a non issue for an elected official to publicly shame and stigmatize someone with mental health condition for getting help for it at work? No. It’s not.

    That 1950’s like shaming behaviour helps keeps people with mental health conditions in the mental health closet. Vs getting help. Very harmful and damaging.

    Plus don’t you want people to improve their performance at work? Is that a bad thing? Should be rewarded vs punished.

    See what others have said about what you claim is a non issue in my post linked on my comment #24

  • 27 Paul Tolnai // Jul 21, 2014 at 12:33 pm

    About the side-tracked discussion… Apparently Sarah Blyth is not running for re-election and DeGenova has apologized for the comments. So I’d agree it’s a non-issue.

    As for her running for council, I think she’s proven she’s an excellent politician through he past 3 years of pushing back against the Vision dominated Parks Board’s heavy handed way of governing.

    I compliment her on having the tenacity to be able to keep calm under the constant barrage of politically motivated, dumb moves the Parks Board has made over the past 3 years.

    She’ll make a good representative on city council.

  • 28 Pete Quily // Jul 21, 2014 at 2:04 pm

    Bill #20

    No Bill, AFAIK, Melissa De Genova does NOT have the same condition, ADHD, as Sarah Blyth does.

    At least not that I know of since I’ve asked Melissa on twitter if she has ADHD (since many people with learning disabilities do also have ADHD) and she has not answered my question even though she’s answered my question about having LD.

    Melissa has publicly stated she has 2 learning disabilities, dyslexia and written output disorder. There are Not the same as ADHD.

    Are you outing Melissa Bill?

  • 29 IanS // Jul 22, 2014 at 1:49 pm

    This isn’t really on topic, but I thought people might be interested in a link to the recent decision in Chernen v. Robertson:

    http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/SC/14/13/2014BCSC1358.htm

  • 30 spartikus // Jul 22, 2014 at 4:16 pm

    I suspect a number of the other lawsuits may result in similar rulings. But what do I know.

  • 31 Jeff Leigh // Jul 22, 2014 at 4:42 pm

    Is there a tally somewhere?

  • 32 Bill // Jul 22, 2014 at 5:08 pm

    @Pete

    You wrote she went to a school for ADHD so it was not unreasonable to infer that you were suggesting she had ADHD but you were just being too clever.

    And of course I am in favour of employees improving their performance but I also tend to favour hiring employees that have the basic required skills.

  • 33 Pete Quily // Jul 22, 2014 at 5:57 pm

    #Bill 32

    False Bill. I said in response to gman 07’s lies,

    “You lie again. De Genova said on twitter’s public timeline she went to Fraser academy. It’s a well known private school for ADHD & LD .”

    Fraser Academy is a private school for ADHD and LD, learning disabilities. Some students just have ADHD. Some just have LD. Some have both.

    Melissa De Genova has never said, as far as I know of, that she has ADHD. I have never said she has ADHD. She has just said she has 2 LD’s.

  • 34 Pete Quily // Jul 22, 2014 at 6:01 pm

    Sorry for the repeats of my posts about gman #07’s lies.

    I tried posting it and it didn’t go through, tried reposting it again said it was a duplicate so tried changing the first sentence a few times still didn’t go though.

    Got Frances to fix it, & all went through, asked her to delete the duplicates posts, since I can not delete them, hope she does.

  • 35 skippy // Jul 22, 2014 at 7:21 pm

    @30
    Note the conclusion at paragraph 36
    “While it is true that I have found that their petition lacks legal merit, the proceedings are at an early stage, and the process followed by the City in leasing the Property was somewhat shrouded in secrecy until a point after which the petition was filed.”

    Sometimes that is the point of litigation; to remove the shroud of secrecy. There was no competitive bid process underway and the freedom of information requests, ignored initially and subsequently overly redacted, were made after the deal was made. I am not a fan of Vision and ultimately while no conflict was found, why should we have to go through such efforts for transparency into decisions about public assets and public dollars. So, no conflict as defined in the city Charter, but also no transparency as promised by Vision.

  • 36 spartikus // Jul 22, 2014 at 7:42 pm

    There was no competitive bid process underway

    Nor any evidence this was anything other than a mid-level staffer’s failure to garner two other formal bids, as required.

    The word “somewhat” is also suggestive. But I’m not a lawyer and judges speak in tongues.

    As for “why should we have to go through such efforts for transparency” – we live in an era of warfare by FOI

  • 37 Pete Quily // Jul 22, 2014 at 8:28 pm

    gman #37

    Outing means mentioning something new for the first time. Not the 6th time.

    So I call you on your lies, give evidence that you lie and do you have the courage to admit you did? No.

    You try to red herrings and deny and attack as if you were trained in one of the kremlin’s propaganda departments.

    Shows your character.

    I also noticed you attempted to avoid answering if some one or some organization is paying you to comment.

  • 38 skippy // Jul 22, 2014 at 8:46 pm

    @36
    Judicious language to avoid stepping in a political meadow muffin. As for the war of FOI requests, the link attached is spin from Ballem justifying COV’s loss of a valued employee and the COV’s indolent response to FOI. See the attached for a view of Ballem’s disdain for FOI requests. Does COV provide audited reports of requests recieved and response metrics?

    http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2011/05/30/city-of-vancouver-fed-up-with-foi-requests-from-journalists/

  • 39 spartikus // Jul 22, 2014 at 9:03 pm

    Did FOI requests go from 260/yr to “more than 400” immediately after Fall 2008 or not?

    A simple point of fact.

  • 40 skippy // Jul 22, 2014 at 9:14 pm

    @40
    COV website indicates in 2011 there were 410 requests of which 43% were from journalists and as noted in the link, COV is one of the least compliant in regards to response time. So, yes we have inquisitive media and a cvic government “shrouded” in secrecy with a heavy black pen redacting much and not meeting response times metrics. Perhaps if they were a little lighter on redaction, they could speed things up.

  • 41 spartikus // Jul 22, 2014 at 9:28 pm

    COV website indicates in 2011 there were 410 requests of which 43% were from journalists

    And what was the percentage from journalists of the 260 requests made pre-Fall 2008?

    80% 90%?

    Perhaps part of the difference is people like Mike Klassen and Glen Chernen have been flooding the CoV with FOI requests, straining resources to meet them. And when the sole goal is to quote those selectively, dare I say cherry-pick, in order to embarrass both the political party in power and in collateral damage the civil servants of Vancouver, perhaps incentive is….low.

    “shrouded” in secrecy

    Somewhat shrouded, as Chief Justice Hinkson notes.

    *As newsroom budgets have been slashed it may be fair comment that the ever diminishing pool of reporters have to file more FOI in a shotgun approach.

  • 42 skippy // Jul 22, 2014 at 9:51 pm

    @42
    Well, wrt the 260 requests in 2008 and the % from journalists, I suggest you make an FOI request to the COV to find out….don’t hold your breath. If newsroom budgets were held constant, that would mean more journalists so more requests to coax Vision to let that shroud of secrecy slide off its shoulder to dare I say, inform the voter. Please advise, how many Klassen and Chernen requests have been made to constitute this flood??? Should we be filling sandbags?

  • 43 Everyman // Jul 23, 2014 at 7:12 am

    Ian Robertson is also running for the NPA for council:
    http://www.straight.com/news/689801/former-npa-park-board-commissioner-ian-robertson-run-city-council

  • 44 Roger Kemble // Jul 23, 2014 at 10:23 am

    So its come to this!

    As was evident from the start this conversation has degenerated into petty name-calling.

    You have a aspiring, long in the tooth, old party hailed as led by new blood in the ex-publisher, Kirk La Pointe, of a news paper that has, for as long as I can remember, catered to the not particularly illustrious status quo: i.e. willfully allowing, without a word of caution, squandering the resources of a once healthy resource industry and the burgeoning of investor empty condos.

    On the other side you have an incumbent, Mayor Gregor Robertson, who has proved himself to be a single issue bike-buff, and disinterested, languid non-starter: i.e. his latter day committee on housing affordability as he chose his bespoke cronies, complicit in the problems, developers and their alter ego city bureaucrats, who evidently are comfy in their warm lairs disinterested in the rush hour crowds motoring east or west to find some equitable place to live, house the kids while trying to find a job paying enough to feed them!

    And after all that what do we have; the usual gossips name calling and “COV’s indolent response to FOI”

    Good luck but don’t expect too much over the next four years!

  • 45 Frances Bula // Jul 24, 2014 at 11:19 am

    So, in case any weary readers are wondering, I will not be posting any further comments from Pete Quily and gman here, as they’ve both had their say, called each other liars, discussed a third party’s alleged learning disabilities to the nth degree, and I don’t think any of us have anything more to learn here.

  • 46 boohoo // Jul 24, 2014 at 12:50 pm

    @45

    hooray!

  • 47 Bill Lee // Jul 24, 2014 at 3:57 pm

    Frances Bula // Jul 24, 2014 at 11:19 am

    So, in case any weary readers are wondering, I will not be posting any further comments from Pete Quily and gman here, as they’ve both had their say, called each other liars, discussed a third party’s alleged learning disabilities to the nth degree, and I don’t think any of us have anything more to learn here.

    Is Madame Bula becoming … [ shudder, horrors! …] an Editor!!

    😉 😀

  • 48 Chris Keam // Jul 30, 2014 at 10:41 am

    It sucks to have us in your head eh? Maybe if you had stronger arguments and an ideology that wasn’t based on fear, ignorance and misinformation you wouldn’t be so afraid all the time.

  • 49 Chris Keam // Jul 30, 2014 at 6:25 pm

    Post #48 was a remark based on a now removed leghorn comment