My Letter to the Editor was published in September 21st’s Vancouver Sun. Ballem a scapegoat Re: Ousted city manager a ‘force of nature,’ Sept. 16 Once again, this time at cost to you and I of more than $500,000, Mayor Gregor Robertson and his Vision Vancouver majority have missed the point. There’s no disputing that…
Category: City Hall
Press release: COPE calls for real public input into a new transportation plan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 28, 2015 COPE CALLS FOR REAL PUBLIC INPUT INTO A NEW TRANSPORTATION PLAN ——————————— Plebiscite process a mockery of democracy Now that the people of Metro Vancouver have rejected the transportation plebiscite, the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) calls on the Mayors’ Council to go back to the people and…
All we’re asking for is a little r-e-s-p-e-c-t
City watchers are still buzzing about a meeting held behind closed doors last month at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning. It was all about what Michael Geller describes as Vancouver city hall’s “diminishing respect for the importance of urban design and planning.” The biggest deal breaker was the re-zoning application for the contentious…
Crimes in the Making – Vancouver’s Affordable Housing Crisis
In a world drowning in wealth; in the richest era ever in the history of humankind; in one of the richest nations on the face of the planet and one of the richest cities in that nation, it’s a crime we have people living on the streets of Vancouver. It’s even more of a crime…
Pay It Forward, City Council
Mayor Gregor Robinson lost no time pushing for a pay raise for himself and city councillors. The same day they were sworn in, he called for an independent review of the benefits and salaries council members receive. In my opinion, our city council is actually well paid. One of the few good things I can…
Sunshine and Solidarity
November 15th will be a full day of sunny skies and suspense. As we head out to vote, it is a good time to enjoy the crunch of autumn leaves, smile at neighbours, and reflect on what kind of Vancouver we want to live in. You can find information on voting locations, candidates, and more…
Six Years Too Late
Today Mayor Gregor Robertson issued a vague apology during the CBC debate. We now know what we had been suspecting for a number of days now — Mayor Robertson sees the writing on the wall and is desperate to avoid defeat Nov. 15th. After six years of ignoring community concerns, three days before voters cast…